These are a few of my favorite things!

Insert Julie Andrew's song here. It all began Thursday night, when I realized it was already 6pm and I had no idea what I was making for dinner. Both Bryant & I were exhausted, and I had a whole chicken that had been sitting in my fridge since Monday, begging to be cooked. French chicken in a pot sounded good, so I searched the Internet for a recipe (I've never made or eaten this before, so don't ask how I knew it sounded good, it just did) and decided that no matter what, I was going to make that chicken fit in my pot. The 4 1/2 lb bird barely fit in my 3 qt le creuset, surrounded by chopped onion, celery, garlic, a sprig of rosemary and a single bay leaf. The first 30 minutes left us both drooling, and wondering how we were going to wait the allotted 80 minutes before we could devour the bird. I had just finished cleaning up from the chicken when I was hit with the intense need for pie.

Do you have a pie need? Mine is most certainly a need, and not simply a want. There is no denying it, and no other dessert substitution will do, so I decided to make a blackberry pie. At this point Bryant asked if I knew what it meant to be exhausted, to which I replied that I did which was exactly why I had to make a pie because that was the only antidote to my fatigue. I quickly made the filling and then realized I was completely out of all-purpose flour. Going to the store at this point was out of the question, so I decided to take a gamble and made my crust using 1 1/3 c whole wheat pastry flour and 1 c 00 pizza flour. This turned out to be the perfect crust to compliment the blackberry filling. We ate dinner at 9pm, both amazed at the perfection of the chicken and the pie. I couldn't think of a better meal. On Saturday we spent time with my in-laws who live nearby and my sister-in-law Ginny made what just might be my all-time favorite green salad. This time I was smart enough to write down the recipe, because after eating 3 bowl fulls I realized that I truly need to make this salad on a regular basis when strawberries are in season. What a perfect food week.

I am not a very good food photographer, and this doesn't look amazing from the photo, but if you could smell it you would make it tonight.

French Chicken in a Pot - Cooks Illustrated recipe

1 whole roasting chicken (4 1/2 - 5 lbs), giblets removed and discarded

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 T olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed

1 bay leaf

1 medium sprig fresh rosemary

1-2 to 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken (breast side down) and scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary around chicken. Cook until lightly browned, about 5minutes. Using a large spoon inserted into the cavity, flip chicken breast side up and cook until both chicken and vegetables are well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, cover pot with foil and then cover foil tightly with lid of pot. Transfer to oven and cook until 160 degrees when a thermometer is inserted into the breast, about 80 to 110 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a carving board (or platter) and tent with foil to let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot and skim off fat. Pour liquid into a small saucepan and set over low heat. Season to taste with lemon juice and serve with chicken. ***This is so good that I am seriously considering never again cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving because this is far superior to any poultry I have ever had before.

My Blackberry Pie

I call this my pie because it is my favorite. I have never had a pie before. Up to this point when asked about my favorite pie I would answer apple because apple pie and I go way back. It is my favorite pie to bake because it is Bryant's favorite pie to eat. But blackberry pie is my pie. It brings me to pie nirvana, a place full of happiness and comfort. These are weighty promises from a pie, but I only write the truth. The best part of all is that it is made with frozen blackberries, so you can make this any time of the year! I am going to give the recipe for the whole wheat crust because I haven't tried it with the regular crust yet, although I am sure it is sublime.

Crust

1 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/4 c all-purpose or 00 flour

2 T sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter (very cold and cubed)

1/2-3/4 c ice cold milk (I was also out of milk, so I used half and half)

Combine dry ingredients. Rub in butter with fingers or cut in with pastry cutter. When butter is even distributed add milk, a bit at a time, mixing gently with fork until dough just comes together. Form into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Filling

2 pkgs frozen blackberries, unsweetened (use the best quality! I used 2 10 oz Stahlbush Island Farms pkgs), mostly defrosted and watery juice drained off (about 30 to 45 minutes out of the freezer)

2 T flour

1/2 to 3/4 c sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 to 1 vanilla bean

Toss blackberries with flour. Add sugar, lemon zest, and seeds from vanilla bean. Stir to combine. Let juices macerate and thicken.

Roll out crust, put in pie plate. Fill with berries. Top with crust. Brush with cream (or a beaten egg yolk) and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar (adds a lovely crunch). Cut an X in the center of the top crust for those lovely juices to blubble out of while baking. Bake at 400 degrees until juices are bubbling and crust is golden, about 40 minutes. (Oh! Please put your pie on a rimmed baking sheet that has been preheated with your oven otherwise you will have blackberry juice everywhere.) Serve with best quality vanilla ice cream (preferably homemade) or sweetened freshly whipped cream with pure vanilla extract.

Try to make this pie last at least 2 days. It is divine warm, and the lemon really comes out. But let it cool and sit overnight and you can really taste that vanilla bean. I hope you love it.

Ginny's Amazing Strawberry Salad

I have incredible sisters-in-law. My brothers-in-law are pretty good, but these girls have them beat. This salad is but further evidence of Ginny's greatness.

8 c spinach or mixed greens

2 c sliced strawberries

1/4 c sunflower seeds

2 to 3 T diced onion (to taste)

2 T canola oil

2 T red wine vinegar

4 1/2 t sugar

1/2 t dried dill weed

1/8 t garlic powder

1/8 t salt

1/8 t ground mustard

Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients (starting with canola and ending with ground mustard) in a separate container. Dress salad and prepare to be blown away. This is delicious!

In other food news, I made a blueberry version of Nana's pancakes today and substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose and added 2 T sugar and 1 c frozen blueberries that I tossed with a bit of flour and sugar. Very good, especially when served with lemon curd.

Speaking of lemon curd, the only reason I have any is because a friend gave it to me for an Easter gift. Isn't that a great idea?!? I am going to do that next year.

Have I posted the recipe for scones? I think so, but today I added a bit of uncooked millet, used whole wheat pastry flour for 1/2 of the flour, and added about 3/4 c frozen blueberries and raspberries. Very good.

Main Dish Worthy Salads

I've learned an interesting lesson during these past weeks. There is no limit to the amount of salads Bryant will eat during a week, but there is a limit when it comes to soup. I'm not quite sure why, but it is a good thing to know. This first recipe I found on the Eating Well website which is a great resource for healthy and delicious recipes. I tweaked it a bit so here's my version:

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Pea Salad
serves 2 as a main dish
1 c lite coconut milk
1/4 c lime juice
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz chicken, cooked or uncooked
4 c chopped salad greens of your choice
1 c chopped cabbage
1 c snow peas, trimmed
3 T minced fresh cilantro
2 T minced red onion

Dressing: Whisk coconut milk, lime juice, sugar, and salt together. If your chicken is already cooked, heat 1/2 c dressing in a saucepan with red onion, add chicken, and simmer until onion is tender. If your chicken is raw preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a 8x8-inch glass baking dish and cover with 3/4 c dressing and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Salad: Toss lettuce, cabbage, snow peas, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl with remaining dressing. Divide between two plates. Slice chicken and place on top of salads. Drizzle cooking liquid over each salad. THIS IS SO GOOD.

Fan's Christmas present is the gift that just keeps on giving. This recipe was originally to be served with rice, but I served it as a salad instead and it was very good.

Pork Medallions with Chili-Maple sauce
serves 4 as a main dish

16 oz pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 T canola oil
3/4 c chicken broth
3 T pure maple syrup
1 T chili-garlic paste (found in the Thai section at the supermarket)
1 green onion, chopped
4 c salad greens chopped

Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 slices. Place between plastic wrap and bound to 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet (or the bottom of a saucepan which is what I sued) and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and five-spice powder.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Add next 3 ingredients to skillet and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Place salad greens on plates, top with pork, dress with sauce, and sprinkle with green onion. You just may want to lick the pan clean.

Crazy Good Salad

Jonathan - you will hate this salad but Amy will love it, so make it for her lunch sometime. This is a another recipe from Vegetarian Times that I've adapted to suit my tastes. It sounds crazy, but it works. Bryant described it as a summer picnic salad made with things you'd only find in the winter. I like it on its own, but it would also be great served over arugula. Bryant surmises it is too many veggies to eat without meat and thinks it would be great with a pulled-pork sandwich. Be daring, you won't be disappointed.

1 lb sweet potato/yams (the ones with dark orange flesh!)
2 crisp apples (such as Pink Ladies)
1 Avocado, diced
1 c frozen corn
1/3 c sliced green onions
1/4 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds), roasted and salted
Juice of 1 lime
2 TBS olive oil
Feta Cheese (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Cover with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, add frozen corn, and cook 1 more minute or until tender. Drain and run under cold water until cooled.

Place lime juice in a large bowl. Add diced apple and toss. Add green onions, sweet potatoes, corn, and olive oil. Toss to combine. Add feta, avocado, pepitas, and salt and pepper to taste.

Fava Beans - my new favorite vegetable

A few months ago I bought the book How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons. It is an invaluable resource for produce shopping and also introduced me to the fava bean. Last Saturday the Peaceful Belly stand at the Farmer’s Market had fava beans for sale and I bought ½ a pound to try. I decided to use them in an Orzo salad that I made tonight. They taste like peas fresh from the garden, only they are at least three times larger. They take some time to peel, but are worth the effort. Russ Parsons gives a great trick for getting the bean out of its protective shell. After shucking the beans place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Drain the water after 2 to 3 minutes, slide your fingernail along the seam, and pop out the bean.

Farmer’s Market Orzo Salad

1 ear corn
½ lb fava beans (weight includes the pods)
1 small red onion or 4 shallot lobes, diced
1 yellow crookneck squash, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
8 oz mushrooms, diced
¾ lb orzo
3 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS red wine vinegar
½ tsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp brown sugar
½ c toasted walnuts, chopped

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add orzo and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Shuck and peel fava beans. Cut kernels off corn and add to orzo with beans. In a large skillet heat 1 TBS olive oil and add onion, carrot, and pinch of salt. Sauté 3 minutes. Add mushroom and squash and sauté 4 minutes, or until tender. Add to orzo mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together remaining 2 TBS olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard and brown sugar. When emulsified pour over salad, stirring to combine. Top with toasted chopped walnuts. Serve warm or cold.

The original recipe calls for 3 TBS red wine vinegar and 1 ½ tsp whole grain mustard. When I tasted the salad I was blown away by the vinegar taste and ended up rinsing off the salad to reduce the amount of dressing which was much better tasting. I also think it would be quite lovely simply drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste as this lets the different flavors of the vegetables make a statement. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be sure to dice them into small pieces so that they blend well with the orzo. The walnuts are a must as they play nicely off of the sweetness of the vegetables and add a meatiness to the dish.