Thayer in the Kitchen

This is a recipe that I found on Chowhound and decided to try since I had a bunch of rhubarb. It is really very tasty. If you decide to make it you should be aware it makes a lot of servings. INGREDIENTS: 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper or Penzey's coarse ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil (or organic sunflower oil) 2 medium shallots, finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger * 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 cup dry sherry 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup orange juice  1 pound rhubarb, thinly sliced * I have been known to substitute The Ginger People Organic Grated Ginger in a jar  1 Instructions, adapted: Brown the chicken thighs until brown on both sides and season with salt and pepper. 3 Reduce the heat to medium and remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the shallots, ginger, and cardamom, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the shallots soften, about 2 minut...

1 tablespoon oil 2 - 4 cups sweet pepper strips, onion slices, or a combination of the two 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks (I used chicken thighs) 1 cup halved walnuts, whole cashews, or other nuts 3-4 tablespoons hoisin sauce Note:  I might add 1 hot pepper to the mix Heat oil in a large skillet on high heat for one minute.  Add the veggies in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown.  Stir and cook another minute or two. Add the chicken and stir once or twice.  Cook until the bottom begins to brown.  Cook and stir until the chicken is cooked through.  Lower heat to medium.  Stir in the nuts and the hoisin sauce.  Add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of water.  Cook, stirring until it is bubbly and glazes all the chicken and veggies.  Serve with rice (preferably brown). Adapted from The Minimalist Cooks at Home by Mark Bittman

This is an Iranian recipe from the cookbook, World on a Plate by Mina Holland.  We used the book for one of our Books for Cooks meetings.  For the most part we didn't particularly like the book.  I made this dish and made a number of adaptations.  We all thought it was very good.  It was supposed to be served with chelow rice which seemed too complicated and I substituted some naan that I bought at Whole Foods. Holland said the barbarries can be purchased at Middle Eastern grocers, however Madison doesn't have any Middle Eastern grocery stores.  I ordered mine from Amazon. 1 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup olive or sunflower oil 2 medium onions, thinly sliced sea salt 2# boneless, skinless chicken thighs Penzey's pepper 2 large oranges 1-2 large pinches of saffron 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dried barberries, rehydrated 1/4 cup of sliced toasted almond to garnish (optional)  actually I forgot to add the nuts Strain the yogurt through a strainer lined with...

Our last gourmet dinner was an upscale soup and sandwich supper with appetizers and desserts.  I made this chicken noodle soup and thought it was excellent. Stock 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken 3 1/2 quarts water 1 onion, peeled and diced 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 bay leaves 1 tablespoon chicken stock base Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Soup: 2 cups sliced carrots 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops 2 1/2-3 cups uncooked egg noodles 2 cups sliced mushrooms 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/3 cup cooking sherry 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1/2-1 cup grated Parmesan, optional 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional Seasoning salt Freshly ground black pepper For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves. You should have approxima...

This is a delicious comfort food supper.  Easy to make and great to eat.  We've been getting great potatoes from our CSA farm.  This is an excellent way to use some of them.  Here in Wisconsin it is getting chilly, but I still have my rosemary plant outside on my deck in our container garden.  Your kitchen will smell wonderful as you roast your chicken dinner with fresh rosemary. 1-2 navel oranges 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed 1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes 1# red potatoes, cut into chunks 2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick circles 2- 5-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 3/4 tsp. minced 6 chicken thighs (about 6 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat and skin (bone in or boneless--either would work) Heat the oven to 425°F. Finely grate 1 tsp. orange zest. Stir together the zest, oil, 1 tsp. salt, and the chile flakes in a small bowl. On one end of a large rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 Tbs. of the oil ...

I forwarded this recipe to our CSA farm as a good way to use tomatillos other than salsa verde.  "Here is the recipe for the chicken dish with the tomatillos. We had company for dinner and everyone thought it was delicious. I served it with a salad made from your beets & tomatoes with a shallot vinaigrette." 2# tomatillos (husks removed, washed & halved) 1 whole chicken cut in pieces or a pkg of breasts & legs coarse salt & pepper 2 jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped (if you prefer a hotter dish you can leave in the seeds) 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large can hominy, drained (this is optional--you could leave it out and serve the dish with brown rice) 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro Puree the tomatillos in a blender or food processor. Brown the chicken pieces in a little hot oil and season with salt & pepper. Remove chicken and saute onions & jalapenos until tender. Add the garlic for another minute. Stir in the toma...

This might sound like a strange combination of flavors to be found in a chicken salad, but get brave and try it.  Delicious!  My version underwent a number of revisions from the original.  The original recipe called for grilled chicken breasts which would be very tasty, but I had just roasted my giant chicken and was looking for ways to use the leftovers.  I also didn't have any fresh corn and substituted some frozen.  I just thawed it out.   3-4 cups of cubed leftover chicken 3 stalks celery, finely diced 2 ears fresh corn if available otherwise use 1 cup of thawed frozen corn (no need to cook) 1/4 cup of finely diced red onion 1-2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen are not a good substitute) 3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 6 tablespoons sour cream 1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2 lemon juice to taste 1 teaspoon sugar Salt & pepper 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese Salad greens or torn lettuce as a bed for the salad Remove the corn...

I belonged to a meat CSA for 3 months.  We decided not to continue because we don't eat very much meat during the months when we are getting all our CSA vegetables.  What we received was excellent and we may do it again at a later time when the pick up location is more convenient and we need more meat. One of the items we received was a very large roasting chicken.  I think having leftover chicken is great because you can do so many things with it.  I always brine chicken that has actually walked around. This way you can be sure of getting a very tender juicy chicken with an excellent flavor.  Use a simple brining recipe.  This is one and would be plenty for a 6-8 # whole chicken.  For each gallon of cold water used in the brine, add the following: 3/4 cup coarse kosher salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup boiling water 1 gallon cold water 1 tablespoon black pepper Dissolve the salt & sugar in the boiling water and let cool.  Ad...

This soup reminds me of Greek chicken soup with its lemony flavor.  I wanted a recipe to use some of the baby spring turnips from my CSA share, plus the carrots that came in our last box. You could substitute your own leftover chicken if you have any available. Lemon Chicken Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 10 scallions (green onions) chopped, white & green parts separated 6 cups chicken broth 1 cup white rice (I used arborio since this was the only white rice I had) 8 oz. carrots, cut into chunks 8 oz. baby turnips, cut into quarters or chunks if the turnip is large 4 large eggs 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more if you want additional tartness) 3-4 cups rotisserie chicken, skin removed and chopped chopped parsley if desired Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot.  Add the white parts of the green onions.  Cook until softened.  Add the chicken broth, rice, carrots, turnips and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce hea...

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. ...

Arthur is not a big fan of cabbage, but we have been getting quite a bit of cabbage in our boxes the last few weeks.  He told me I should post this recipe because "This is cabbage I like."  I liked it because it is very easy which is nice if you're making dinner after working all day. 1 cup thinly sliced onion 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced--I used 1/2 head of my good sized red cabbage.  I sliced mine using a food processor.  I watched a cooking class on using your CSA vegetables a couple of weeks ago at Willy Street Co-op West.  She used a Mandoline.  This article reviews and rates them http://www.consumersearch.com/mandolines .  The one she used didn't appear to have a safety guard and I thought with my luck I'd slice my fingers instead of the veggies. 1 teaspoon salt or to taste 1 pound (4 pieces) boneless skinless chicken thighs 1/2 cup white wine black pepper Chopped parsley Put...

This is a fabulous salad!  You can change it to suit your tastes.  I've already adapted it from the original recipe which I found on The Food Reference Website. 2 cups diced smoked chicken (more or less is OK) 3/4 cups diced celery, diced 1/4 inch (I used 2 stalks) 1 small-medium diced sweet onion, diced 1/4 inch (original recipe called for over 1 cup which I thought was excessive) 1 cup chopped dried tart cherries (I didn't bother to chop them) 3/4 cups toasted pecan pieces (I didn't have time to toast them--they were fine without) 1/4 cup minced fresh basil--this is essential 1 cup mayonnaise (can be light) 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange peel 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground Combine chicken, celery, onion, cherries, and pecans.  Make the dressing separately and add to the chicken mixture--basil, mayonnaise, orange juice, orange peel, and pepper; stir gently until combined.  If it isn'...

Now that I've discussed what garlic scapes are, I thought I'd share another good recipe that uses them. 2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1/4 cup dry white wine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped garlic scapes 1 Tbsp. drained capers Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Sauté until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Adapted from Mariquita Farms website, which has a CSA in California.

January 2011:  This is an update to my earlier recipe.  This time the biscuits were perfect, but the gravy for the stew could have been a little thicker. Note:  On the topic of the vegetables, use about 2# of whatever root vegetables you have available.  This time I used sweet potatoes, celeriac, the last of my unloved winter radishes, plus carrots. Gravy:  I didn't use wine this time because I wasn't going to open a bottle of wine for 1/4 cup.  I would start with 2 cups of chicken broth.  You can always add more if it seems to need it.  I would use 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch and see if the gravy has the consistency you want. I am adding my new biscuit recipe for baking on top of the stew.  They came out perfect with baking them for 20 minutes and then adding the cheese.  I think 5 minutes to melt the cheese might be enough. I hesitated to post this recipe because it was not a success, but it has the potential to be very go...

This is a great way to use up your bok choy . Chicken & Bok Choy in Satay Sauce 1 tablespoon oil 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 ounces chicken tenders, cut in 1/2 or smaller 1 bunch bok choy (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped (keep the stems and tops separate) 1/2 small onion finely chopped or substitute green onions 2-3 garlic scapes , chopped if you happen to have them 1 can (14 ounces) reduced fat or regular coconut milk 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or light brown sugar) 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped roughly 1/4 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts Heat the oil in a large skilled or wok. Add the red pepper flakes and cook 20 seconds until sizzling. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken. Add the bok choy stems and onions (and garlic scapes if using) to the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until the bok choy is tender crisp. Add the chopped bok choy leaves, browned chicken, coconut milk, peanut butter, so...

This recipe is a combination of one in a Harmony Valley Farm newsletter and the original recipe on Epicurious, plus of course a couple of my own changes. This dish wasn't one of Arthur's favorites, but I'm posting it because I liked it a lot and would make it again. Plus it got good reviews on Epicurious. Spicy Stir Fried Chicken and Greens with Peanuts 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided 2 tablespoons dry Sherry, divided 3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided 2 teaspoons golden brown sugar, divided (or honey) 1-- 1-1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips 2 tablespoons oil, divided (I used canola) 4 green onions, white parts and green parts chopped separately (more is good too) 1 chopped serrano chile (use 2 if you like dishes quite spicy--if you want it milder, remove the seeds) 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and slivered 1 bag of saute greens (about 10 cups packed) or whatever you have...

I'm not really a big sunchoke fan, so I'm always looking for interesting ways to use them that I'll like. Lemon Chicken with Sunchokes This Mid-East inspired dish uses plenty of garlic, saffron, thyme and pine nuts to flavor the chicken and sunchokes. The cream may be omitted to suit dietary needs. I used it and found it added a nice richness to the dish. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 fresh lemon 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided use 1# boneless skinless chicken thighs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 teaspoon saffron 1 pound sunchokes, peeled (or not as you wish) 10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (yes--use this many!) 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dry if the fresh in unavailable) 1/4 cup pine nuts Hot, cooked rice or fettuccine Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon and set aside. Juice the lemons and set aside. Place a large, deep, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 t...

It really doesn't get any better than this! A friend made me a present of some morel mushrooms. How lucky could I get. I had to make something wonderful with this offering. Braised Chicken Thighs with Morels & Ramps in a White Wine Cream Sauce 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 8-10 morel mushrooms (or whatever you have) bunch ramps, about a dozen, trim off the end and chop roughly 1 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 teaspoon dried thyme (fresh is good if you have it available) 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup half and half or light cream Salt and pepper to taste Flour for dredging Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Generously salt and pepper chicken thighs on both sides. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoons of butter to heated pan. When the oil begins to shimmer, add chicken to the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. Allow chicken to...

I had a large head of escarole that I need to use. Its lovely to look at but a bit on the bitter side served raw. My friend, Lora, gave a recipe that incorporated escarole and that she thought was excellent. She got the recipe from Blue Moon Community Farm, her CSA farm from last year. Escarole Celeriac Dressing 1 celeriac, peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1-2 medium leeks, washed well and sliced 2 or more portabello mushrooms, chopped 3 T. olive oil Saute above ingredients until tender. 1 head escarole, blanched, drained and chopped 1/2 t. salt Pepper to taste 2 eggs, beaten 4-5 cups bread cubes Mix all and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. I baked the dressing in a 9 x 13" pan and put chicken breasts on top of the dressing to bake at the same time. Rub a little olive oil or butter on them and season. Next time I would add about 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage and thyme to the dressing. It turned out very well. Arthur said it was delicious. And v...

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...