Sunday, May 18, 2014

18 May 2014










Unfortunately, it was a rainy weekend for Canton Festival of the Arts, but the Cherokee Arts Center board and all of the artists pulled it off in style. We spent most of the day enjoying the festival on Saturday, and Grant Design Collaborative sponsored the Artists' Reception last night. We had a nice time, as usual, and got to catch up with a lot of friends and colleagues. Due to the construction around Brown Park, this year's Festival was moved to Canon Park, North Street and between the justice centers. I really liked having it in the center of town again, and the Canton Police Department did a great job detouring traffic around North Street.

As a special treat on Saturday, we even got a sneak peek at the future location of Stout's Growler store from the owners, the Stouts and Pujols. This is going to be a great new addition to downtown Canton, and I am happy to see such a progressive retail venture locating on North Street. Our Historic Downtown Loop really is beginning to take shape! Last week, we also had the exciting ribbon cutting for the new Fincher-Adkins park where the old fire hole used to be. It is great to see the old fence replaced by the beautiful terraced landscape and green sod. Thanks to our Main Street machine for working hard to make this green space a reality.

We ventured back over to the Festival today, but it was really raining steady. After enjoying a nice brunch at the Painted Pig Tavern, we ran over to our plot at the Victory Garden East to harvest some kale for tonight's Sunday Supper. I decided the rainy weekend called for a big pot of kale and white bean soup, but of course it stopped raining as soon as the soup was done and Festival was over. In addition to the garden fresh kale, one of Jeff's customers also brought us some ramps! He brings them every year, and I always look forward to this culinary delicacy. To go with the soup, I baked some buttermilk and bacon ramp biscuits. I served the biscuits with some compound ramp butter, and they were divine. The entire meal was healthy, tasty and organic – start to finish. We've really been trying to eat healthier, and so far, so good.

I hope your weekend was artfully tasteful as well.


The Menu:

- White Bean and Kale Soup with Olive Oil and Parmesan

- Buttermilk and Bacon Ramp Biscuits with Compound Ramp Butter


The Recipe – White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb dried white beans
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cups chicken broth
2 qt water
1 (3- by 2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb smoked sausage such as kielbasa sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
8 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped


Preparation:

Cover beans with water by 2 inches in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Or soak over night and rinse.

Cook onions in oil in an 8-quart pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beans, broth, 1 quart water, cheese rind, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until beans are just tender, about 50 minutes.

While soup is simmering, brown sausage in batches in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

Stir carrots into soup and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in kale, sausage, and remaining quart water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and add fresh grated parmesan reggiano.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

11 May 2014 – Mothers Day










Recovery has been the operative word this weekend. After a week of coughing and the sudden onset of a very high fever, I spent last Wednesday night in the Emergency Room. After lung X-rays, breathing treatments, steroid shots and a few other tests, I was finally released with a diagnosis of bronchitis on the verge of pneumonia. It appears a lot of people around Canton have had the same crud, but my asthma seems to complicate the typical respiratory issues. Needless to say, the weekend did not involve a lot of strenuous activity, but that was okay. A little downtime at home can be a good thing.

One of the most disappointing things about the weekend was missing my nephew's graduation on Friday night. I am so proud of Nate Grant for graduating Cum Laude from UGA with a BA in Journalism and Minor in Film Studies! I have been so impressed with his education and drive, and I know we will see great things from him. I still remember and have some of the great film scripts he wrote in high school, and I have no doubt the universe has a lot in store for this talented young man. His plan is to move to San Francisco in the near future to be with his girlfriend, and I can't wait to visit him there. Just remember your Unc B when those Hollywood royalty checks start rolling in!

Although we were unable to attend Nate's graduation in Athens, I did manage to spend some quality time with some old friends that I have not seen in quite a long time. Most of the weekend involved the rediscovery of the TV series thirtysomething which ran from 1987-1991. I used to love this show, especially since it came out a couple of years before I started my first creative agency. Me and my semi-yuppy friends in Dalton could relate to the young adult angst and whining, but the cast of characters felt like an extended family. So, we are almost through Season One, and it has been comforting to watch this predecessor to Mad Men and so many other current series.

Of course, Mothers Day is always bittersweet for me and so many others who have lost their moms. I really enjoy reading all of the great posts on Facebook about the time everyone is spending with their mothers, and I could not be happier for them. As I posted on Facebook earlier today, my mother was one-of-a-kind, and like her idol, Elvis, she did it her way. Like me, she enjoyed good food and loved to cook, so I keep a photo of she and I on the counter in the kitchen. It is from the last trip I took her on to Savannah. She was on oxygen at the time, but she was still smoking every time I turned my back. In the photo, she is standing right beside me with the oxygen tank between us and inhaling in defiance. That is the way she rolled, and I miss her spirit and friendship.

So being under the weather, slightly depressed and nostalgic required some simple comfort food for Sunday Supper. Due to the sickness, I have been craving antioxidant foods such as lemons and garlic – in large amounts! I also wanted roasted chicken or chicken soup, but I did not feel like going to a lot of trouble. I did a little research and creative thinking and decided to combine all of my cravings into a single composed dish – Sorrento Lemon Chicken and Potatoes. One of my favorite dishes is a similar one from Gio's Chicken Amalfitano in Atlanta. It is a great restaurant, and the same people own the awesome Antico Pizza. The dish is very easy to make, and the flavor is out of this world. I served it with some crusty rosemary bread and sauteed spinach.

Now, back to thirtysomething and more recovery. Best wishes for a healthy and happy week ahead.

The Menu:

- Sorrento Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

- Sauteed Spinach and Garlic

- Crusty Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread


The Recipe – Sorrento Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons for the chicken, 2 tablespoons for the potatoes, 1/4 cup for the broth

• Salt and pepper

• Dry oregano, 1 teaspoon for the chicken, 1 teaspoon for the broth

• 4 lemons (1 quartered to go in with the chicken, 1 to be zested then juiced for the broth, 1 more to be juiced for the broth, and 1 to be sliced into thin rounds for garnish)

• 2 baking potatoes, rinsed and dried, sliced into 8 long wedges each

• 1 cup chicken stock (Homemade preferred, or I like the Better than Bouillon brand)

• 2 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon oregano. Arrange chicken skin side up in a baking pan to cook. Throw in the quartered lemon. In a separate baking pan, toss the potato wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Cook the chicken and potatoes until the chicken hits 165 degrees, roughly 50 minutes.

While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, whisk together the broth — zest of 1 lemon, juice of 2 lemons, 1/4 cup olive oil, chicken stock, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and 1 teaspoon oregano.

If you have a meat thermometer, check the chicken at 45 minutes to see if it has hit 165 degrees and has a light golden color to the skin. If not, give it a few more minutes then check again.

Once the chicken is ready, pull it out and switch the oven to broil. Leave the potatoes in for a few minutes as the broiler heats up to give them an extra crisp. Give the broth another quick whisk and pour over the chicken into the baking pan. Take the potatoes out of the oven, then broil the chicken for about 3 minutes, until the skin is well browned and the broth is bubbling a bit.

For each serving, place 4 wedges of potato and a chicken breast into a bowl, then spoon or pour in the sauce from the chicken pan. Garnish with chopped parsley and thin slices of lemon.