Hail to Kale!

"Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are." ~French Gourmand Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

I've always liked kale, liked it a lot, but, since September, my feelings for this non-heading leafy green cabbage have blossomed into love and it’s all because of a recipe I read in Edible Santa Barbara Magazine for ‘Kale Chips’.

My relationship with kale started in my first garden 13 years ago, when the Red Russian Kale that I grew never stopped growing, The seed packet claimed that kale was a biennial, but the seeds that I planted didn’t know that. They grew from one season to the next, faithfully producing an endless supply of luscious leafy greens. Sautéed, steamed, baked in casseroles; when I ate kale, I knew that I was getting Vitamin C and K, folic acid, beta carotene, and calcium. For years, I appreciated kale, but now, thanks to the recipe below, I’m crazy about it.

Kale Chips

1/8 cup olive oil
1 bunch kale
1 T apple cider vinegar
½- 1 t sea salt

Wash and dry kale. Chop into 3’ pieces. Toss with other ingredients. Roast at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, and then flip leaves over with a spatula. Roast 5-7 minutes more.

-“It is coarse and ungraceful to throw food into the mouth as you would toss hay into a barn with a pitchfork.”- Anonymous, Art of the Table, Suzanne Von Drachenfels

It’s a little shocking when you pull your first tray of kale chips out of the oven. They look shriveled, withered, and dried up. Contrary to their appearance, they first bite I took was heaven. After the second bite, I felt as if my body was receiving some vital nutrient that it hadn’t had in years. I devoured three quarters of the first batch before I had even gotten the pan to the table. I shared the remaining two pieces with my boyfriend, Kevin, who was enthusiastic about them, but not ecstatic, like me.

A few days later, I went to my local health food store and marched over to the Raw Foods section. In the past, I had scoffed at the highly priced unbaked coconut bonbons, flax balls, and raw cashews. I had even held up a plastic bag of Kale Chips that was selling for $7.99 and said to my sister, “Who would buy kale for 8 bucks?” But, now I knew who would- me, if I was desperate. But, I wasn’t- not yet- that would come in a few weeks. Right now, I just wanted some seasoning ideas.

For months, I continued to feed kale chips to my friends, sister, and co-workers. My own plants were stripped and if I harvested any more, I would kill them. So, I bought kale by the bunch at the Farmer’s Market and health food store. By now, I wasn’t alarmed at the way the kale looked coming out of the oven. I felt like a pro, as I took bunch after bunch of Lacinato kale (works the best) and tossed it in cayenne, balsamic vinegar, and nutritional yeast. I no longer cut the kale into 3” pieces. Why bother? When the timer sounded, I would pull the full leaves out of the oven and they would always be perfect. I was definitely getting the hang of this roasting thing; crispy, but not too burned.

My addiction to kale chips was first pointed out to me by Kevin, who wandered into the kitchen one night when I was pulling a tray of kale out of the oven. “Not the kale again!” He exclaimed. “Why don’t you let me make dinner instead?” He glanced at me chewing, “You look like a seabird eating seaweed.” he commented as he began to chop an onion.

Thirty minutes later, Kevin announced, “Dinner is ready.” When I came to the table and sat down, he asked. “Where’s the green stuff for the side dish?” I looked at him and didn’t say a word. He stood there, spatula in hand, pointing it at me. “A whole tray of it?” he asked, slightly alarmed. “Damn! You’re addicted.” I nodded solemnly.

Since then, I have eaten many more entire bunches of kale by myself. At first I was embarrassed, but, I think I’m part of a larger movement. Last night at the store, as my leafy bunches rolled by me on the check-out conveyor belt, the cashier remarked, “I love kale.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “Have you heard of kale chips?”

Irreverent Reverends

Reverend Billy is a character. That’s Character with a capital C. I first became acquainted with the Rev’s work when I was doing research for a radio show that I did about International Stop Shopping Day. Stop Shopping Day is held every year on Black Friday, and in North America it’s the busiest shopping day of the year. When I saw some photos of Reverend Billy, (who looks like a blond Elvis impersonator, but in much better shape), doing exorcisms on Starbuck’s cash registers, I was hooked. I went to his website and learned that he had started the Church of Stop Shopping in 1996. The Church is a “project of The Immediate Life, a New York based arts organization that uses theater, humor, and grassroots organizing to advance individuals and communities towards a more equitable future.”

Reverend Billy started out as a one-man performance artist preaching against consumerism on the sidewalks of Times Square. His Church of Stop Shopping has now grown into a 35-person choir and 7-person band. According to the Rev', “consuming less is the single most effective and immediate response an individual can take to immediately halting the climate crisis.” Rev Billy and the Church have led many successful collaborative campaigns, among them the cessation of Boreal clear cutting by The Limited Brands, the recognition of Ethiopian coffee trademarks by Starbucks, and of course, his attempted exorcism of Wal-Mart's headquarters in Arkansas.

Reverend Billy’s esteemed mentor, actor and fellow Reverend Sidney Lanier, joined us for this interview. Reverend Sidney is a man of many talents. He started the American Place Theatre and was a co-founder of the Church of Stop Shopping. Sidney is the cousin of Tennessee Williams and was the subject of his work “Night of the Iguana.”

In September of 2008, KCSB programmer, Ted Coe, and I met with Reverend Billy at Sidney Lanier’s book-filled house to discuss the collapse of the wall between church and theatre, how the Church of Stop Shopping was born, what it’s like to be arrested while handcuffed to a human-sized Mickey Mouse doll, and whether or not the Shopacalypse is upon us. Savitri D, the director of performances for the Church of Stop Shopping, was unfortunately unable to make the interview due to being stuck in Los Angeles traffic.

My time with both Reverend’s was inspiring, invigorating, and entertaining. It was the most fun I’ve ever had with the clergy. The Irreverent Reverends- Part 1 and 2