A Healthy Reprieve - Kale Chips
Hi Sarah! This is going to be fun. You are our very first blog interview, and stranger still…it is not dessert related (well, maybe in a roundabout way).
So let’s get started: We were introduced to you and your healthy, tasty kale chips by way of your sister, Molly – who just happens to be a the Head Baker and Kitchen Manager at Baked. Was it always this way? Did Molly have the predominant sweet tooth in your family growing up while you veered towards the greens?
Not only was it always this way, there is a video kicking around my parents house in Vermont of Molls baking in her playskool kitchen when she was around 3 or 4. It’s pretty amazing, maybe one day she will share it with y’all. I am the oldest of 3 girls, and I seem to be the only one to remember mom making our baby food in her avocado green champion juicer. The only sweet treat I knew of before I hit public school was a carob covered rice cake. Mom used to also make us “sugar on snow” which was shaved ice (also made in the champion juicer) and she drizzled maple syrup on it and it formed this tasty candy. I also have great memories of the smell of fresh baked peanut butter cookies when we got home from school. Fork imprint and all.
And what about your other sister? Any food world aspirations? Thinking about entering the food world?
Our middle sis Rebecca is an amazingly talented artist, who was pulled into the world of theater at a young age. We knew this was coming when she used to boss us while playing Barbies. The stage always had to be set just so. It was her future director emerging. Rebecca also makes custom jewelry, check out her etsy site. And is a mad talented lighting designer.
The three sisters!
Backing up: why kale over say, something equally as healthy?
Why kale? Kale is a MAJOR superfood. Check it!
Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into the kale chips? (your background, where are they sold, etc…)
So… a few years back I had a health scare. Around that time, Kris Carr’s documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer came on TV. I watched it, and it changed my life. The thought of people healing themselves through food really resonated with me. Right then I decided, why should I wait before something happens to make positive changes in my life? So I bought some kale. Whatever I cooked, pizza, soup, salad, I added a little kale. Then I started green juicing. I felt amazing. I discovered kale chips, I started out by trying to bake them in the oven. But an oven won’t get to a low enough temperature, so they would just come out burnt. So I found a dehydrator on ebay and the rest is history. I experimented with sauces, and had a blast just creating them for myself. It was when I shared them with friends and family that the magic happened. I couldn’t make them fast enough! As soon as I arrived in Austin, I started Sarah’s Kale Chips. It began online www.sarahkale.com and now I am in several retail stores around Austin.
Oh man, you are in one of our favorite cities, Austin. Can we talk about Austin? When did you move there and why?
Hellz to the YES we can talk about Austin! I LOVE this city. I’ve always had an energetic pull here. I am also a singer/songwriter (www.sarahmarzalekkelly.com)
Austin is food truck central. Ever imagine a Sarah’s Kale Chip food truck? Can you expand the line? What’s in the works?
The food trucks here are AMAZING. A food truck is too small for the wall of dehydrators that I envision for my future. Sarah’s Kale Chips is expanding at a rapid pace just to meet the demand. Do you believe I am still a one woman operation? I’d love to have Sarah’s Kale Ranch. We grow our own kale, host wellness classes, cooking classes, etc. I also want to have a live music venue at the ranch. Austin is a fit, foodie, music town. I can combine all of my loves into one fabulous location.
Finally, this is a dessert blog after all, we want to know your sweet vices? (favorite desserts).
For starters, your sweet + salty brownie makes me weak in the knees. Basically, anything with chocolate and peanut butter makes me a happy girl. I love chocolate, anything chocolate. Then again, I’ve never met a cheesecake I didn’t love… or a chocolate chip cookie, red velvet cupcake, now look what you’ve done! haha!
This is probably a horrible idea, but have you ever thought about kale chip brownies?
I bet people thought bacon on a chocolate cupcake was a horrible idea too, until they tasted it. If I created a straight up sea salt chip, and it was placed atop the brownie that might be delicious (and purdy.)
Can you use kale chips in any recipe? i.e. kale chip crusted chicken?
I have actually used kale chips in lieu of croutons for soups that I have created. Kale encrusted anything would be delicious in my book. One of my favorite parts of the process is when I get to eat the kale crumbs! Delicious.
