Thayer in the Kitchen

We joined Sitka Salmon Shares http://sitkasalmonshares.com this year.  "We home deliver fish-loving Midwesterners high quality, responsibly-sourced seafood direct from small boat family fishermen in Southeast Alaska through our Community Supported Fishery."  In July we received Pacific Cod and Rockfish.  This chowder was a good solution for an easy dish that combined some of our fish plus quite a few vegetables. 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced 2 medium stalks celery, 1/4-inch pieces 1 medium onion, chopped medium 1/2 - 1 medium red bell pepper, diced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. flour 2 cups milk (fat free or 1%) 1 cup or 1 small bottle clam juice (water or broth can be substituted) 2 large unpeeled red potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning 1 cup half and half (fat free is OK) 1 cup frozen yellow corn 1 pound cod or tilapia fillets, ski...

This is the first of a couple of sweet potato recipes that I want to post.  We've been getting some great sweet potatoes in our winter CSA share.  This recipe is from our CSA website (Driftless Organics) and is excellent because it makes a great complete meal with some good cornbread. 2 Tbsp. oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 red pepper, chopped (can be frozen) 1 green pepper, chopped (can be frozen) 1 tsp. each cumin & coriander seed 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. chipotle powder (optional, but good) ¼ tsp. each mace and cinnamon 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1 can (15 oz.) black beans with liquid 1 can (15 oz.) red, kidney, or pinto beans 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes with liquid OR 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes 1 cup water, tomato juice, or chicken broth Sour cream and cilantro for garnish In soup pot, heat oil and add onions. Sauté until golden; add ja...

Its time to catch up and post some of the recipes I tried during the CSA season and didn't have a chance to enter.  I only post recipes that I have tried, adapted and enjoyed.  You are spared the ones that didn't work. This was a good recipe to use sweet peppers which we got a lot of this season. 1 large onion (about 1 cup), coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 large red or yellow peppers, diced 1 small hot pepper, minced 1# - 1-1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1# can diced tomatoes (you can substitute 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes if available) 1 cup of orange juice 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano 1 1# can navy beans or cannellini beans salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil.  Brown the chicken.  Remove the chicken from the pan.  Add a bit more oil if needed.  Saute onions and peppers.  Add the garlic and hot pepper. ...

I found this soup recipe online.  It was originally published in an article in Vegetarian Times called The Superfoods Recipes.  I'm pleased to know its a superfood, but it also happens to be delicious to eat and easy to make.  We're getting out of the tomato season now, but if you happen to have some tomatoes left this is a great use for them. 2-1/4 lbs. ripe tomatoes, halved lengthwise 2 large sweet red peppers, quartered, seeded 1 onion, cut into thin wedges 4 large cloves garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1.Preheat oven to 450° F. 2.Arrange tomatoes, flesh side up, bell peppers, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. 3.Drizzle oil over; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 4.Roast until brown and tender, turning peppers and onion occasionally,...

We loved this dish of roast vegetables and Italian sausage served over polenta. Italian Sausage and Vegetable Roast 1 pound sweet or hot Italian chicken or turkey sausage, cut into 1inch pieces 1 medium red pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks 2 fennel bulbs, cut into slices 2-3 medium Italian plum tomatoes, cut into wedges 1-2 sweet onions, cut into wedges 4 or more garlic cloves 1-2 zucchini squash, cut into thick slices 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crushed or fresh if available 1/2 cups chicken broth 4 cups hot cooked creamy polenta* Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray roasting pan with vegetable cooking spray. Mix sausage, vegetables and oregano and 1/2 cup broth in pan. Roast 30 minutes or until done, stirring once. Serve with pan juices over polenta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. * I made my polenta using 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken broth. At the end I stirred in some soft goat cheese, not necessary but delicious. Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Last night I made a tasty chicken stew with lots of vegetables for dinner. The name of the game is use those veggies! Chicken Fricassee with Green Peppers and Tomatoes (adapted from LifeScript website) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup red wine (white would be fine too) 1 large yellow onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with their juice 12 ounces hot, cooked pasta of your choice I made Trader Joe's multi grain rotini with flax 1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides. As the chicken pieces finish browning, transfer them to a plate and set a...