Baked Kale Chips

Today I'm sharing an unpublished blog post from June 9, 2022. It is a blog draft long forgotten in the sorrow of that year. I'm sharing it with you today, four years later, with a heart full of gratitude and love for my dear husband, and our home in Alaska.

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Still haven't discovered the joys of kale?  Well then, you probably haven't discovered baked kale chips!  Kale chips are a crispy, salty, veggie snack that are healthy, and delicious.

This bunch of kale came from my greenhouse, where I have an abundance of kale growing that I add to many recipes, including smoothies and kale pasta. But today, I'm using this bowl of kale to make baked kale chips.

To make, start by pulling off all the kale leaves from the thick stems. Then, in a large bowl, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the kale; and mix together with your hands.

Lay the kale out onto a cookie sheet, or two, and sprinkle with salt.

Set the oven to 300 degrees, and put the kale in the oven immediately.  When the oven is preheated to 300 degrees, turn the oven off, and check on the baking kale chips to see if they're baked and crispy.  If not, leave them in the warm oven for another 5-10 minutes, until desired crispiness. This baking method slowly bakes the kale by not overheating the delicate leaves.

Enjoy!

The Greenhouse

 

Hello, and welcome back to my blog.  Last summer my husband built this wonderful greenhouse near the back of our house.  It has two long raised ground beds, and plenty of room to grow our favorite veggies.

I planted all my seeds in April, and this Blue Curled Scotch Kale was the first veggie I was able to harvest.  It's been growing so well!  I've been making Kale Pasta, and putting it in Breakfast Smoothies all summer long.

I think these Parissienne Carrots are just about the cutest little carrots I've ever seen!  They're full-grown at 3 inches long, fat, and delicious.  The pelletted seeds would make a fun and easy vegetable for a child to grow.

 I should have transplanted these Green Bush Zucchini outside as soon as it was warm enough, because right now, they are huge!  They're taking up an entire corner of the greenhouse, and are encroaching on my little basil plants.  I planted six seeds,  and they're producing 3-5 large zucchini per plant.  It looks like I'll be giving some away, making a Mexican Lasagne or two, and coming up with a good zucchini bread recipe, that freezes well.

These Waltham 29 Broccoli are mostly growing enormous leaves!  I think it's too warm in the greenhouse for them, and like the zucchini, I should have transplanted them outside sooner.  I will next year.

When I come inside the house from the greenhouse, I pass through my flower garden.  This pretty purple flower is a type of Bellflower.  My husband likes to tie these 6-foot tall flowers upright when I'm not looking . . . I prefer them like this, growing wild and free.

Well, thank you for coming along with me on my little ramble through my greenhouse and garden.  Come again soon!

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The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.

~ Louisa May Alcott

Baked Red Potatoes with Garden Chives

Earlier this month, my husband and I finally returned home to Alaska, after a longer than usual winter and spring in the Desert.
Our little cottage had survived the long, cold Alaskan winter without a single problem; and the garden, although overgrown and wild, was green and thriving.  Berries, rhubarb, garlic, lettuce, chives, lilacs, and roses were all blooming beautifully, with a little help from Mother Nature.

Chives

Baked red potatoes are always a great veggie side dish any time of the year; but in the springtime, with added chives fresh from the garden, they're especially delicious, and simple to make too.

Simply chop red potatoes and chives.

Toss together with avocado oil, a generous sprinkling of garlic powder, and salt.

Spread potatoes on a sheet pan, and bake in a 350 degree oven until brown and crispy, about 30-40 minutes.  Turn potatoes over midway through cooking.

Enjoy and have a beautiful summer!

Late Summer

Temperatures are cooling down, and summer has almost come to an end in the kitchen,
and garden . . .

These perennial, 3 foot tall Shasta Daisies are called "Alaska".  I planted them from seeds several years ago, and they're still growing strong.

This Clematis "Jackmanni" climbing vine loves our west-facing porch, and will bloom until October.  I've read that this clematis is the world's most popular.  That's not hard to believe, it is beautiful!

It's time to go berry picking again . . .

. . this time for huckleberries.  These will be frozen, and made into jam later this fall.

In the kitchen . . .

. . another veggie quiche.
This one is filled with onions, mushrooms, garlic, beach asparagus, cilantro, and Monterey Jack cheese.  The garlic and cilantro are from my garden.  I love cooking with my own homegrown, or wild-harvested ingredients.

Early evening in the living room . . .

By this time next month, rooms will be lit with lamps and candles, instead of sunshine and flowers.

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The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.
~ Thomas Moore

Alaskan Summer

The long and beautiful Alaskan summer days are finally here.

The honey bees love this Miss Kim dwarf lilac.  It was a Mother's Day gift from my sons and husband 15 years ago.

The rugosa roses bloom at the same time as the Miss Kim lilac, so the garden smells heavenly right now.  In Alaska, we call the Rugosa Shrub Rose a Sitka Rose.  A prettier sounding name, don't you think?

Garden Chives - so good in salads.

In the kitchen, fresh sauteed beach asparagus is such a treat.

Saute together:

Several handfuls of fresh beach asparagus

A cup of fresh, sliced mushrooms, stems removed

1/2 cup chopped garden chives or yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. butter
Garlic powder and salt, to taste

Doors wide open!  It's 75 degrees today.  A hot day for Alaska, and inside the cottage.

It's 7 o'clock in the evening.  The sun will set behind the mountains in a couple hours.

I hope you enjoyed this little home and garden tour.  Come again soon!

Roasted Red Potatoes

I never realized just how good a really fresh potato tasted until my husband grew a couple barrels full of red and russet potatoes last summer.  They were small, but packed an amazing amount of flavor into their tiny size.  But homegrown or store bought, try red potatoes roasted in a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika.  They're delicious!

Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds red potatoes, quartered or halved (depending on size)
2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
Paprika (not sweet)
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Place cut potatoes (no need to peel) in baking dish.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, toss gently.
3. Sprinkle with a generous amount of paprika.
4. Salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Place baking dish on center rack of 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, toss potatoes, and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

My husband's potato harvest.

Food for the Soul

We've been enjoying another beautiful Alaskan summer,

my 29th, and my husband's 40th!

Monkshood and Bellflowers in my garden.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

a place to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

~ John Muir

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