It all started at last weekend’s family reunion on my dad’s side held here in Moscow in a local park. Posing as a group for about an hour for photos is ALWAYS an ingredient at any family reunion. Ours was no different. But you know those old family photos (vintage) from 80 years ago that we now cherish?
Patience.
Mom caught the photo takers instead for her album.
Niece Adria ate way too many fresh strawberries from auntie’s garden.
As is always the case, my relations brought food but because most our kin are farmers, the conversation ALWAYS comes back around to garden this and canning that. Garden Olympics, my mother calls it. “I canned 32 jars of peaches this year.” And “I picked a bushel of ‘maters this morning.” Or “best year ever for berries.”
But we did come away with a handy tip regarding KALE and CHARD.
“Just stack the leaves in a freezer container. No need to blanch or nothin’. Promptly freeze.”
Side note: Our chickens LOVE their daily ration of kale. They run for it like they do a mess of mealy worms.
Okay, back to kale. Below is how frozen kale looks right from the freezer. If you’re quick (it thaws mighty fast) you can shatter it like glass. Perfect for second-day-chicken-soup (below).
“So on the first day, she made roasted chicken.”
MEGAN’S ROASTED CHICKEN
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES
SERVES: 4 WITH LEFTOVERS FOR CHICKEN SOUP
1 4 lb Chicken
1 t dried rosemary*
1 t dried thyme*
1 lemon, halved
1 t pepper, plus 1/8 t pepper
1 t salt, plus 1/8 t salt
4 potatoes, quartered
2 T olive oil, plus 1 t olive oil
* if using fresh rosemary and thyme, use 1 T of each
SCROLL DOWN FOR STEP BY STEP PHOTOS
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Remove the bag of giblets from the cavity and refrigerate (you will use it in the soup recipe the next day.)
3. If using fresh herbs, dice together.
4. Rub the inside of the chicken with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and add lemon halves.
5. Place in the middle of glass baking dish. Drizzle chicken with olive oil.
6. Toss quartered potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.
7. Place potatoes around the chicken.
8. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until internal temperature of the legs reaches 160°F.
9. Remember to baste chicken with juices in the pan at least twice during baking.
10. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
11. Slice and serve with your favorite vegetable.
Pick fresh herbs. (If using fresh rosemary and thyme, use 1 T of each.)
Gather ingredients.
Place chicken in baking dish.
Separate fresh rosemary.
Chop up fresh herbs.
Slice lemon in half.
Rub inside of chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Place lemons inside of chicken.
Place in the middle of glass baking dish and drizzle chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Quarter potatoes.
Toss with 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Toss with 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Then gently coat with 1 t olive oil.
Place potatoes around the chicken.
Place in oven at 400°.
Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until internal temperature of the legs reaches 160°F.
Remember to baste chicken with juices in the pan at least twice during baking.
Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Slice and serve with your favorite vegetable.
“And on the second day, she made chicken soup (and biscuits).”
MEGAN’S CHICKEN SOUP
PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 3 HOURS
SERVES: 4 WITH LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH THE NEXT DAY 🙂
Chicken meat and bones remaining from your roasted chicken the day before
(remember to remove the lemon from the middle of the chicken).
reserved chicken giblets
4 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, peeled and minced
1 lb kale, chopped
1 10 oz bag of frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan and a spicy pepper for garnish
1. Cover remaining chicken meat, bones and giblets with water in a large soup pot.
2. Add salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for two hours.
4. Remove all of the chicken parts from the broth. Set aside to cool.
5. Add potatoes, garlic, carrots, leek and onion. Bring contents to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
6. Remove remaining chicken from bones and cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken, frozen corn and kale.
7. Cook for 15 minutes or until kale is soft.
8. Serve with Parmesan, spicy pepper (finely chopped) and buttered biscuits.
NO FUSS BUDGET MIX™ BISCUITS
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 10-15 MINUTES
YIELD: SIXTEEN 2½” BISCUITS
2 2/3 cups Organic Budget Mix® All-Purpose Original Baking Mix
1 1/3 cup milk
6 T cold butter
1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Cut butter into the Budget Mix. (Cut the butter into small pieces that resemble coarse crumbs for soft, fluffy biscuits: or leave some of the pieces pea-sized for flakier biscuits.)
3. Place Budget Mix in large bowl and make a depression in the center of the mix to receive the liquid.
4. Pour the milk all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon for only about 15 strokes until stiff dough forms. Do not over mix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently about 8 – 10 times to smooth dough. Sprinkle with more flour if dough is too sticky.
6. Roll or pat dough to about ½ inch thickness.
7. Dip biscuit cutter in flour and cut out biscuits (for biscuits that rise evenly, don’t twist cutter). Place on an ungreased baking sheet (1 inch apart for crusty sides or touching for soft sides).
8. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until tops are a light golden brown.
9. Serve pipin’ hot.
