Despite persistent rumors, lollipop kale was not the food of choice for Munchkins on “The Wizard of Oz” set. Instead, the diminutive vegetable is a red kale and Brussels sprouts hybrid. The leafy varietal with crunchy stalks gets a serious boost from Michael Voltaggio and his crew at ink..

He starts by frying the finger-sized vegetables. ink. garnishes the crisp-leaved results with tangy crème fraiche and shichimi togorashi, a popular Japanese seven-spice blend that delivers subtle heat. My server poured kale juice tableside, which lends a deceptively healthy element to the mix. At this point, the dish could probably qualify as spa food, if not for a fantastic topside addition: crispy fried pig ears. Team ink. cuts ears razor thin. This way, when they deep fry the ears, cartilage isn’t especially chewy. More like crunchy chips. United, Lollipop Kale ($14) is a great vegetarian dish with porcine flair.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.