It has been a busy weekend at One Britt! On Saturday, my dear friends Steve and Amado came down from the mountains with their tiller in tow. They helped Jeff and I plow up the old herb garden which was too far gone to be saved. Plus, I wanted a fresh start with the herbs and other edible plants and flowers. We couldn't have done it without their help – yet another reminder of our timeless friendship. Although it was a lot of work, we had a great time and ended the day with a trip to two local nurseries. We found some great things to plant in the new garden; including: rosemary, basil, oregano, tarragon, three varieties of sage, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Once we got the herb garden all plowed, we realized it was quite a large space, so I also decided to plant some vegetables and other edible plants. I found four varieties of heirloom tomatoes, Annie Oakley Okra, heirloom mixed lettuces, cabbage, jalapeno peppers and strawberries. Jeff and I spent all day planting these little gems, so I am hoping for some fresh herbs and produce in a couple of months! We centered one of the old iron candelabras in the center, and used it for a tomato cage for the better boy tomatoes. Instead of the candle holders on top, we planted small clay pots with thyme and limelight sedum so it will flow over the top of the pots and drape down. It should be quite dramatic if it works! I posted a few photos of the process below, and I will keep you posted on the garden. Hopefully, I will be using the bounty for many future Sunday Suppers this summer.
After two long days of gardening, we really worked up an appetite! One of my favorite magazines is Garden & Gun! It sounds crazy, but it is really a very tame publication focused on Southern lifestyle. In this month's issue, I was fascinated with one of the featured recipes, "Peanut Chicken." It is basically a roasted chicken with a peanut butter, soy, green onion and other Asian influenced spices. You make a paste of these ingredients, and rub it under and over the skin before roasting. It is really very interesting and delicious! To accompany the chicken, I made sesame rice timbales, organic English peas and fresh local carrots. For dessert, I made individual lime tarts. A great Sunday Supper to celebrate our gardening adventures.
I hope everyone's weekend was as beautiful as ours here in Canton, Georgia, and I wish you a productive and bountiful week ahead.
The Menu:
- Roasted Organic Free Range Peanut Chicken
- Sesame Rice Timbales
- Organic Young English Peas
- Local Carrots
- Key Lime Tarts
- Frogtown Cellars Disclosure Chardonnay, First (2008), Dahlonega, Georgia
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2 comments:
Here's the Memphis Peanut Chicken recipe from Garden and Gun if you are interested!
Memphis Peanut Chicken
5 tbsp creamy peanut butter / 3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped / 3 tbsp soy sauce / 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper / 1 3-4-pound chicken / 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger / 2 garlic cloves / A handful of fresh cilantro
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, half of the green onions, the soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and spread half of the paste between the skin and the meat. Rub the rest of the paste all over the outside of the chicken. Put the remaining green onions, ginger, garlic, and cilantro into the chicken cavity. Roast the chicken, breast-side down, in a roasting pan for about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and flip the chicken breast-side up. Baste with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 to 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Let the bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.
I'm ready to cook but notice in the recipe ingredient list, there is no vinegar mentioned. The instructions mention vinegar...what to do?
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