Kale chip recipe, first harvest of the spring

Kale! I discovered kale last year. I know, but until then, I didn't really know what to do with what we got in our CSA box except give it all to Jeff and Erin (sorry guys, that explains ALL THAT KALE last year :)

Until we discovered kale chips. Then I was all over kale and started two varieties from seed this spring. After an unfortunate early spring sunburn when I killed four plants by putting them out without properly hardening them, the four replacements are growing and I harvested leaves after work today.

Little known fact I can't prove but have heard - up until recently, Pizza Hut was the largest user of kale in the U.S. What for? Decoration around their salad bar. My bet is they don't turn them into kale chips at the end of the day.

Kale chip recipe

• Preheat oven to 300f
• Rinse kale leaves and tear into "chip" size pieces. Tear the leafy parts away from the thick stem (compost the stem). 
• The leaves don't shrink much, what you tear is pretty much what you get.
• Pat dry, though this is not really necessary. Maybe give them a spin in a salad spinner, or don't worry. They are about to get very dry.
• Oil a cookie sheet, I use an olive oil mister. You don't need much.
• Lay kale leaves flat on sheet.
• Oil the leaves.
• Sprinkle a little salt on the leaves.
• 10 minutes in the oven; watch them, they can go from chips to charcoal quickly.
• Turn them over for the last 5 minutes. The don't hold heat, you can do this with your fingers. Some may be flattened on the tray, a little nudge with a spatula will get them off.
• I had enough for two trays, and I swapped the racks after turning chips over.
• After they are light and crispy, let cool on the trays.
• Store in an airtight container so they don't get stale.

First harvest of the season, kale chips.

What are your favorite kale recipes?