Ok, here is a minimal Debian image, with locales installed and no hacks ("dpkg-reconfigure locales" still required for non-English locales). I've also installed ssh server so you can use this trick to ssh into your chroot and work on it remotely (even using x forwarding!)

You'll need to untar it and put it in the same place as the app-filled image. Use my instructions here.

Minimal-Install 1GB Debian Image

If you want the apps from the original package, and you are tight on space on your SD card, and you don't want to install anything else, here's a smaller image (730MB instead of 1GB) with all of the applications. It has no spare room for any more apps, however. It is purely an appliance for OpenOffice, AbiWord, and Iceweasel.

730MB Debian Application Image