Slow... Ending Day 1

End of day 1 easing into our fast, fine with me, not so for Frank, he is sick and wants a steak.  I hear that.  We eased into the fast by having a few Kale chips here and there.  Not enough to make a caloric dent but enough to feel like we had a little crunchy to eat. 

Brad's Raw Chips came our with their own Kale Chips last year, the Vampire Killer variety.  My great friends Michelle and Shekinah gifted me two boxes.  I was pretty sure kale chips would taste nearly as inspiring as a kale smoothie.  I will pay you good money to keep kale smoothies away from me, out of sight even.  There I was, having forgotten lunch and heading out to teach riding lessons empty stomached and no easy food around to snack on, but the kale chips.  They were amazing, they were so garlicky and delicious, kale, consumed in seconds and box licked.  At seven dollars a box, I was hesitant to feed my need commercially as we can't get a second mortgage right now.  Days later Frank's mom Norma comes for a visit with her winning smile and a promise to teach me to make kale chips.  Off to Michelle and Shekina's farm for a visit, some kale and fishing.  While Norma and Frank are reeling the bass in hand over fist, I am being escorted to the kale beds by Michelle where I picked about a 50 gallon drums worth.  Moderation has never been my strength.  Norma was initially somewhat cowed by the pounds of Kale ready for crisping but soon rebounded to the task.  We began with a discussion of oven versus dehydrator and in true minimalist style decided on both. The oven chips were ready right away yet slightly more brown and limp, the dehydrator scented the whole house and delivered bright green super crispy chips the next day.  With a little expert tinkering and zsuzsing, we happened on a heck of a recipe.

Kale Chips:

As much Kale as you can lay your hands on
Garlic
Olive Oil
Really Good Salt
Balsamic Vinegar
Pesto
Extra Parmesan Cheese if you desire

Rinse the Kale, shake well and tear into bite size pieces, you may want to avoid the stems if they are tough.  Put 6 cloves of Garlic per 1/2 cup Olive Oil in a blender, add 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 4 large tablespoons Pesto and 3 pinches of salt. Blend.  Once smooth, pour a 1/4 cup at a time into a large ziplock or similar bag.  Add bite sized Kale and shake until coated. Add extra parmesan if you desire. Place kale chips on parchment paper and bake at 300 until crispy if you are using the oven. Place chips in the dehydrator at about medium for at least 6 hours. 
Eat enough for an army and watch the color of your stools change.  Ahh, entertainment in the country.