The Odd Kitchen

I love these chips so much — they are fast, easy, and have a delicious nutty flavor that makes them slightly addictive.  They’re best eaten soon after baking, before the oil has had a chance to resaturate the leaves (the amount of oil can be reduced by using a silicone mat).  I find that they are too fragile for dipping, but adding seasoning to the oil can provide a nice flavor boost.  They also make a fine garnish. You may wish to try this recipe with spinach, red kale, or other light weight greens.

1 bunch Swiss chard
1/4 cup olive oil, or 2 Tbsp. olive oil if you have a silicone mat
Salt & pepper, gomasio, furikake, or sesame seeds for seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Remove the spines from the chard and discard.  Chop the leaves into chip-sized pieces — as uniform as possible — and rinse.  Pat dry.

If you are adding seasonings to the chard, mix them separately with the oil.  Put the chard into a bowl, pour the oil on top, and toss until everything is evenly distributed.  Arrange the leaves on a baking sheet — ungreased, if you are not using a mat — and put into the oven.

At this point:  watch!  They will not take more than 5 minutes to crisp up, and there is a fine line between crispy and delicious and burned and inedible.  Check on them after 3 minutes.  (This part relies in part on how well you know your own oven.)  They will be brown, or transitioning from green to brown.

Remove immediately from the baking sheet with a pancake turner and spread on paper towels or a brown bag.  Let cool, then eat.

Makes 3-4 cups of chips, depending on the size of your chard bunch