More Summertime Grilling Fun - Basil and Sage Chips

Grilled basil and sage leaves: the taste sensation that's sweeping the nation? Perhaps not - but they've fast become a mealtime treat at my house. Something has to be done with all that basil and sage we planted in the garden this year, after all.*

Basically, it's the same recipe/treatment as for the grilled kale chips in my previous post. Use large leaves, of course; in the case of the basil, these would be the ones that "got away from you" and got a little too big to be tender or flavorful because 1) you can't watch the garden every minute of they day, plus 2) you planted too many plants, and 3) there are only two of you in the house to try to eat all of it. (That's how it works at my house, at any rate.) Don't forget the touch of salt and cayenne in the mix of olive oil/ tomato sauce/dash of wine or cider vingar and what have you.

Marinate at "room temperature" for about 2 hours; less and the leaves, especially the sage, will not have absorbed the marinade adequately. More, and you will find yourself dealing with very limp leaves that need to be manually uncurled and flattened as they are laid on the grill. At that point, even the most devoted slow-food enthusiast will find themselves wishing they had stopped at a burger joint on the way home. (I won't tell if you won't.)

As with the kale, you put these on low (and very low) coals, watch carefully, turn at least once if necessary; the basil leaves especially start to curl at the edges and will take on the color of - well, of dead autumn leaves. Not pretty, but surprisingly tasty and addictive. Stiffness to the touch indicates crispness. I've used both sweet italian and thai basil, because that's what I have in my garden; I haven't tried lemon or red basil varieties, but I can see myself planting those next year just for the sake of putting them on the grill.

I can't call the kale chips "mine" because their are so many recipes out there for them; I will however, stubbornly and proudly call the basil and sage chips "mine", if for no other reason than they were born of a happy accident: I had thrown some of each herb into an olive oil/tomato sauce/etc marinade with portobello mushroom caps, the leaves ended up on the grill with the 'shrooms and were crispy when I removed them. Of course I had to pop them into my mouth - if it's grilled, it has to be ok, yes?

Is this the "wackiest" thing I've ever put on top of a grill (and then into my mouth)? Possibly. Have I hit the wall in terms of what I'm willing to try out on the grill, to "see what happens"? Almost certainly not.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever cooked on the grill (successfully or unsuccessfully)?

*Yes, I have tried air-drying them, as I've done very successfully ever year past; this year, however, the humidity is slowing the drying process to a crawl.

Kale Chips...on the Grill? (A Summertime Twist)

I've had several requests from friends for "my" kale chip recipe, which has become a staple at parties since last fall. Full disclosure - they are not "mine"; I found out about them via What Would Cathy Eat? and adapted Cathy's recipe slightly. I eliminated the black pepper and tabasco; I double the amount of olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons), then sprinkled with ground sea salt and about 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, then baked as directed (adjusting my oven to a lower temp and shorter cooking time, as my oven is hotter than Cathy's, apparently.)

I had been wondering for a while, now that grilling season is in full swing (I've brushed off the old Weber and have been loading it's hungry belly with the surplus of hardwood twigs and sticks on our property), if kale chips could be done on a grill as well as in the oven?

Oh yes, ma'am.

Tear off the leaves (discarding the ribs, as per Cathy's recipe) from 1/2 a bunch of lacinato or toscana kale*. Massage it with about 3-4 T olive oil, 2-3 T tomato sauce, 1-2 tea. red wine vinegar, 2 tea. soy sauce, and a dash of cayenne. Toss the leaves until thoroughly coated. Marinate at room temperature for about 1-1/2 hours. Heated up the grill (I only burn hardwoods, no coal or gas, so please adjust for your own grill); when the coals are "medium hot", grey on the outside but burning red inside, put a well-oiled tray for vegetables and small foods atop the grill. Place each leaf atop the tray, watching each one carefully and turning once or twice. Make sure the leaves are flat and not folded or twisted up. A leaf is ready when it's edges begin to curl upward and it is stiff, not limp when you touch it with your tongs; plus it will slide easily across the tray. If it seems stiff at one end but still limp elsewhere, turn or rotate and leave on a few more seconds. When ready, gently drop each one on a plate or in bowl; they will continue to crisp as they cool.

It probably goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that this is not an operation you can walk away from.

Do make sure to set some aside for yourself, because these will disappear FAST, just as their oven-baked siblings do. Hungry friends, family (and significant others) will no doubt take advantage of the fact that your attention is focused on the grill. (There is no such thing as unselfishness when it comes to something this addictive.)

* I haven't tried this yet with the gorgeous toscana kale from Hunts Brook Farm (Quaker Hill, CT) I saw yesterday at New London's Fiddleheads Food Co-op, but I'm sure it would be superb. HBF's kale resembles the lacinato but is lovelier and lusher than the lacinato the co-op has been carrying.