The Rise of the Kale Chip — Fall Fest

kale chips

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Food Stylist: Susan Spungen Prop Stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver

Photo by: Con Poulos

Con Poulos

Where were you the first time you ate a kale chip? Sitting on the couch watching reruns? Mingling at your foodie friend’s last dinner party? After a lifetime of guilt-inducing potato chip munching, there’s something pretty eye-opening about digging your fists into a bowl of solid kale chips. Salty, crispy and undeniably addictive, each one triggers that same sensation as the potato variety without the, well, bodily consequences.

Now that we’re inching into fall, each leaf of sturdy kale is in season and as pristine as ever. Use this to your advantage. As the weather gets colder and our food gets richer, going with the smart snack is probably a noble choice.

With just a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of sea salt, it’s easy to make homemade kale chips. Trust me, Food Network Magazine’s Kale Chips (pictured above) aren’t rocket science, but if you’re looking to get inventive, we’ve got just the thing for you.

Kale chips come in many forms, just like your favorite bag of potato chips. Accentuate the classically sea-salted with Guy Fieri’s Crispy Kale Chips With Lemon, which adds a shot of citrus and some crushed red pepper. Or churn up a Lemon Mayonnaise that serves as a perfect match for a dip-bound chip.

Jeff Mauro’s BBQ Kale Chips pack a serious punch with his seasoning blend of paprika, ancho chile powder and brown sugar. And if you’re really into that sort of vibe, Ellie Krieger’s Smoky Kale Chips come graced with smoked paprika.

After digging into a batch fresh out of the oven, you’ll never look at the vending-machine variety the same way.

If you grow your own kale, be sure to check out HGTV Gardens for great tips. For example, keep outer leaves picked to encourage the plant to continue producing leaves instead of moving into a reproductive phase.

Talk to us: What’s your favorite way to eat kale? Tell us in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag: # fallfest.

More kale recipes from family and friends:
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Kale Kimchi

From My Corner of Saratoga: Pork, Kale and White Bean Soup

Cooking With Elise: Risotto With Tuscan Kale
Virtually Homemade: Simple Kale Pesto

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