We have a second fridge-freezer in our cellar. It came with us from our previous house… but there was already one fitted in the kitchen of the new house. Prior to 2020, it proved extremely useful for those occasions when we were catering for a house-full of guests. Sadly, no family get-togethers this year, but the additional cool storage capacity has been ideal for reducing the frequency of the family food-shopping trips.
There are, however, a couple of downsides to having a second fridge out of sight. Firstly, when your teenage son leaves the freezer door open after a late-night bread-foraging session, it remains unnoticed until the following day. By this time, the door doesn’t shut at all, due to an icy protrusion resembling the Morteratsch glacier.
Secondly, since no one is looking inside it, multiple times a day, there is a tendency for groceries to get overlooked or forgotten. Enter a bag of slightly wilted curly kale, which wasn’t even grown in my own garden. After a quick compare-and-contrast of a few internet recipes, this is what I did with them, to create an almost-guilt-free snack;
Curly Kale Crisps
Put half a tablespoon of sunflower or olive oil in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly with a teaspoon of paprika, salt and pepper.
Strip the kale from the tough stalks and cut into bite-size pieces.
Tip the kale pieces into the mixing bowl and mix until evenly coated with the oil.
Spread out on a flat baking tray, with spaces between the pieces of kale.
Bake in the oven at 150 degrees for ten minutes.
Turn and return to the oven to another 5-10 minutes, or until crispy.
Allow to cool whilst still spread out.
Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with a pre-dinner drink.
