Crispy Garlic Kale Chips

San Diego has the perfect climate for winter green vegetables. This year I was a little late to the show, but came home from 10 days away to a lovely patch of kale, chard, mustard and collar greens. While I love the traditional Southern method of braising greens in a stock of bacon and butter, something in my arteries tells me that I should really save that recipe for New Year's day and a few other special occasions.

Greens are great cooked in a number of very simple fashions, but my favorite is probably a little dish I call Crispy Garlic Kale Chips. In this case I wasn't using kale, but it doesn't really matter, all the braising greens taste about the same, particularly when they are covered in garlic! The recipe is the eptiome of simplicity.

First, rinse the greens. Then, tear them into bite size pieces, removing the stems and drop them in a mixing bowl. Add 2 or 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, two tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon each of salt and pepper and stir around so the greens are well covered. Place them in a baking dish without crowding and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, uncovered. The result is a crispy and flavorful snack that makes a good, health conscious substitute for french fries or chips. Enjoy!

(Pictured below with Linguini Ana)