6th September

This week we are putting Green Kale in the nets.

Kale is a great crop to grow, and is very popular, most of the customers I meet at the markets buy it for two things, one is for Juicing and the other kale crisps.

I have tried making kale crisps before, and it certainly wasn’t as good as the way I get it explained at the markets.

Also another downfall I did make, was saying to Erin and Calum, that my kale crisps would be better than Pringles, mmmm that didn’t work.

We use it in stews, soup, risotto and pasta and its great.

Kale is one of the wonder vegetables it contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins A, C, and K and a wide range of other nutrients.

The other amazing thing about Kale is the way it grows.

It might just be our field, but every year we plant it, and the plants look amazing, we then fleece it, because the pigeons obviously know the health benefits too, but they waste no time in the preparing it for cooking or trying to make the amazing crisps that I can’t.

Then we take the fleece of, and weed it, now the Kale looks good but lanky, then the pigeons come in AGAIN, and have a second feast, again not wasting any time in looking up tasty recipes for it, although to be fair to the pigeons, they do mix it in with other vegetables FROM MY FIELD.

So by now it is mid-July and it always looks terrible.

But every year when we get into September, and this happens every year, the Kale gets a burst of life and grows big and strong and looks amazing.

With the kale being so big now, the pigeons can’t get in to land ,so the Kale is safe from their dietary needs.

So this week I am putting in a Kale crisp recipe, hopefully you all do a better job than I have in the past with my Kale crisps.

All you need is 1bunch of Kale, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Pre heat your oven to 170.

Then just cut the thick stems out, leaving only the leaves, then cut the leaves into crisp size pieces. And mix the kale with the olive oil and salt.

Then bake the kale for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges brown but are not burned.