I must admit that when I first came across vegan kale chips in a health food store, I thought it was a bit of a well-marketed fad. I couldn’t quite imagine how crisped up leaves would be nice to eat. And they were so ridiculously expensive that I didn’t even consider buying a packet to try.

This week, I turned up at my local veg stall and asked for fresh kale. Like last time, the owner hopped on a scooter and off he went to his field nearby to pluck one out of the ground for me. Unlike last time, what he presented me with turned out to be big enough for me to seek shade under on hot summer days. I proceeded to make my usual things with kale by incorporating it into stir-fries and preparing it in a Sri Lankan style, but it continued to take over my small kitchen and we were about to hop on a ferry to Athens the next day. In my last ditch attempt to use up some of this dark green leafy goodness, I decided to give vegan kale chips a chance. I was skeptical, but when the tray came out of the oven I was really pleasantly surprised. The chips turned out to be super light, crispy and very, very addictive. Duncan tried one and the next minute he was all Oliver-like asking for a bowlful. He was a bit upset that we didn’t end up feeding leftover kale to the local donkey but devouring bowls of vegan kale chips made him feel a bit better. And this is how vegan kale chips have become our thing, who would have thought it?!