Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Chicken & Mustard Greens


Hello Friends,
As we move steadily into fall and what feels like faster into winter we are counting down the weeks of market. Two weeks left.
What will we have for the last 2 weeks?
Veggies: Swiss Chard, Kale, Lettuce, Salad Mix, Arugula, Spinach, Scallions, Beets, Carrots, Savoy Cabbage, Baby Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Celeriac, Daikon Radish, Collards, Baby Bok Choi, & Turnips.

Meats: Beef: Ground, Hot Puppies, Bologna, Patties, Beef Cubes, Assorted Steaks
Chicken: Whole, Breasts, Wings, Legs & Thighs.

Body Products:
Soap, Bath Salts, Face Scrub, Bug Spray, Lip Balm, Lavender Spray, Chest Rub, Hair Tonic & First Aid Salve.
Plus an added bonus of Fresh Soap Company Gift Packs. Start holiday shopping with local, handmade "Green Gifts."

And as promised a recipe from one of our loyal market shoppers.

Roast Chicken, Mustard Greens, and Roasted potatoes in a pot!

You need a Dutch-oven that can accommodate a full size chicken

1 Chicken from B&H Farms

1 medium yellow onion

1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic – smashed but not peeled

1 B&H carrot

the green tops of a B&H celeriac

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

3 medium Yukon Gold or similar potatoes (quartered)

1 bunch of B&H mustard greens

Put the Dutch-oven, without the lid, into a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 425 (could you put the lid on the Dutch-oven before you put it in the oven? Probably, but I never do. It could have no effect on the cooking or it could be the secret to making it perfect, so I say, why risk it?)

While the oven & Dutch-oven are pre-heating, divide the lemon into 8ths, slice the onion into half rounds, smash the garlic, cut off the top of the celeriac, and slice the carrot into sticks.

Remove the giblets from the chicken and salt and pepper the inside and the outside of the chicken thoroughly (OK, I know, salt is bad for you. You’re using it on the inside the cavity and on the skin – most of the meat won’t come into contact with all the salt. If you don’t use enough salt, your food will be bland and you’ll be sad. OK – don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t use enough salt. Enjoy your tasteless food. I’ll be over here eating my delicious chicken with salt. At least use a lot of pepper – there are no health risks associated with pepper right? Not yet anyway…)

Stuff the lemon, garlic, carrot, celeriac tops into the chicken cavity.

Remove the Dutch-oven from the stove (careful – it’s hot).

Sprinkle the bottom of the pot with Olive Oil and toss in the onions (they should make a satisfying sizzling sound. If they don’t it either means that your oven isn’t working or you’re way faster at prepping the veggies and chicken then I am) Put the chicken (breast up) into the pot. Stuff the potato pieces around the chicken (wherever they fit – no need to stuff them way into the pot, just slightly along the sides). Cover the pot with the cold lid. Put the covered pot back into the oven (OK, I know the pot has been sitting out on the stove for a few minutes, but PLEASE DON’T FORGET it’s still VERY HOT!!! Don’t make the mistake of grabbing the pot without pot-holders – you’ll burn yourself. How do I know? ‘cause I’m the idiot who grabbed the hot Dutch-oven without pot holders, that’s how.)

Roast the chicken for an hour then remove the lid and cook for another 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. At that point you should check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh should be at least 160 degrees (some people say “the juices should run clear.” If you can see the color of the juices of a chicken in a hot Dutch-oven surrounded by potatoes, more power to you). If it’s cooked through, remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a platter to rest for 15-30minutes.

Put the pot with the potatoes and onions uncovered, back into the oven. Let cook for a little longer to crisp up the potatoes. If they’re already crisp, you can skip this step.

Remove the stems from the mustard greens and slice the greens thinly, perpendicularly to the stem. Take the pot back out of the oven, put the crisped, but not burned potato wedges around the chicken that is still resting on the platter.

Put the mustard greens into the still-hot Dutch-oven. What’s that you say? There’s brown bits and onions and a little chicken fat at the bottom of the pot? I know – that the good stuff, trust me. Stir the greens around in the pot until they wilt (the pot will be plenty hot, no need to turn on the stove-top).

Once the greens are done, the chicken should have rest enough – carve it up and enjoy! Keep the stuff in the cavity and the carcass – it makes great stock!

Thank you Matt for this recipe it makes you hungry and it makes you laugh.

Lots of warm blessings to you all.
Erica