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Chickpeas and Kale (v)

In the Kale-for-Winter post I had already described how I typically stock up on this healthy treat before winter by blanching in broth and freezing for soups and stews. This vegetarian (or vegan with just a small change) recipe is an example where I use one of my ‘treasure packages’. I call them that because I love this ‘green gold’ that much. Kale is a superfood with many health benefits. Like Popeye and his spinach, I feel stronger when I consume it. This is where my work before winter pays off because this recipe is so tasty and easy to make, and all I have to do to finish it is to drop one of my kale-frozen-in-broth packages into the pot at the very end. If you really don’t like kale, another potent green vegetable will work too, including spinach. This is not a chickpea stew, nor is it a …

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Prepping kale for winter

Kale is one of my favorite vegetables. When I moved here from the United States, I was sad to discover that it’s not such a prevalent thing here. In Belgium, butchers use it to decorate their displays. Or they may sel it in pre-packed bags as salad – which is fine if it weren’t chopped to bits with toughest of the stems left in. In the UK, from what someone told me, it’s considered livestock feed. Lucky cows! In the Netherlands you can get it everywhere, being that one of the national dishes is Boerenkool Stamppot, a cabbage hodgepodge of potatoes cooked and mashed with kale. In France, it’s a different story again. Apparently I wasn’t the only person shocked by the sparsity of it in France… New Yorker Kristen Breddard, who’d moved to Paris years before, started a website called The Kale Project – essentially a mapping and information …

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Crispy broiled Kale Chips

Fancy an unusual and unusually healthy apéro snack? Kale chips fit the bill just perfectly. They are incredibly light, airy and super crispy. Finish them off with a sprinkling of Vendée fleur de sel and prepare to ‘wow’ your guests! Kale is a superfood with many health benefits but it is not that easily found in France. Apparently I wasn’t the only person shocked by the sparsity of it… New Yorker Kristen Breddard, who’d moved to Paris years before we did, started a website called The Kale Project – essentially a mapping and information project of where we kale enthusiasts can find our precious fix in France. Yes, you can report your kale findings and have them mapped.Ingredients and preparation – Crispy broiled Kale Chips A few handfuls of kale leaves Kale Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt Garlic powder Good olive oil Method Prepare an oven dish with wax …