28 September 2014

Service is the theme of tonight's Sunday Supper. First and foremost,
we honored the life of John Clark's grandmother, Brenda Clark, who passed away last week. Her service was last Sunday, but we had the Cherokee County Historical Society Annual Picnic to cook for and attend. For that event, I made a fresh Georgia peach and tomato salad with basil puree and a huge iron skillet of jalapeño cheddar cornbread. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and as usual, there was some delicious food at the event.

After an incredibly busy week at work and with City Council business,
it was nice to enjoy a very relaxing and exciting evening in downtown Canton. For starters, we attended a preview and soft opening of The Study, a new destination for craft cocktails, sushi and tapas. Joe Guynup has done an incredible job on the space and concept, and I wish him all the success in the world. We need critical mass and diversity in our Historic Downtown Loop, and new spots like The Study and Stouts Growlers are making it happen. After a drink, great service and visit with wonderful friends, we walked over to Downtown Kitchen to have a nice dinner upstairs with some of our favorite servers. It was a perfect mix of old, new, and the promise of what's yet to be. Again, friendly and personal service reminds me of why I live in a quintessential small Southern town.

From Friday's entertainment, the weekend transitioned into public service beginning with the Sixth Annual Angel Walk at Soleil. Organized by Ron Laird and his wife, the 5K walk was began as a way to honor their friend that died of cancer. She often mentioned "the hill" at Laurel Canyon and the challenge it presented when walking her neighborhood. Now, this awesome charity event benefits the Angel House and the work they do to care for teenage girls without a home. They do amazing work, and I am proud to have been part of this walk for a few years now. This year, I had the pleasure of walking the entire course with Farris Yawn who is running for the open seat in Canton City Council's Ward 3. We shared some great ideas about Canton's future, and it made the walk seem effortless.

After the Angel Walk, I and many of my friends attended the 4th Anniversary Open House at Practically Perfect Spa on East Main Street. Lisa Furilla has created a sanctuary of personal care and wellness at this gem of a spa, and her recent improvements to the space are impressive. In addition, the entire day was also dedicated to raising much needed funds for the Cherokee Arts Center. What a gracious way to celebrate her successful business venture by giving back to the community! Spa service and commitment, massaged to practical perfection.

After catching my breath, I ventured down to join my friend and fellow Council Member, Sandy McGrew, at Action Church on Marietta Road to visit the Badder Than Hell Bike Rally, a fundraiser for the Canton Warming Shelter. Gary Lamb, the church's pastor, is one stand up guy! He and his congregation stepped up last winter during the Polar Vortex to open their sanctuary for those in need. Many others came to assist, such as Joseph Martin of AngelFire7 BBQ. They saved a lot of unfortunate people from freezing to death, and they raised a lot of money on Saturday to operate the shelter again this year. I am in awe of these people and their genuine Christian service. Action is certainly an appropriate name for their church.

After an extremely busy Saturday, we turned in early, but this allowed us to get an early start on Sunday. Our day began with our weekly trip to Cherokee Market for some farm fresh produce, artisanal pumpkins and other supplies for tonight's Sunday Supper. Afterwards, it was time to attend the 30th Riverfest Arts and Crafts Fair in Boling Park. Speaking of service, no one does it better than the Service League of Cherokee County! These ladies make raising money for local children in need look effortless, but we all know how hard they work. Year after year, I am amazed by this well-oiled machine. More importantly, I am always blown away when I hear how much money they raised during this stellar event. Each year, I try to play a small role, if asked. This year, I had the honor of taking the last slot in the Dunking Tank in the Children's area. Mayor Hobgood went just before, so I was in good company. The kids, and a few of my dear "adult" friends, did a great job! By the end of my shift, I had gone down almost 50 times! My ears are still filled with water, but I would do it again for this great cause and these marvelous ladies. Thank you for all you do!

After returning from Riverfest, showering and drying out, I finally got around to preparing Sunday Supper! With a hint of Fall in the air, I decided to try my hand at stuffed cabbage rolls. I bought some beautiful cabbage at Cherokee Market and stuffed it with local grass fed beef and Joyful Acres Farm's delicious sausage! It was spot on, and I enhanced the flavor with the homemade hot sauce I made a few weeks ago. For the sides, I made fresh black eye peas with ham hock and, perhaps, the last caprese salad of the season. In honor of John's grandmother, a huge apple lover, I baked a rustic Ellijay apple and rosemary tart. Of course, it was SERVED ala mode.

Now, I am finishing my blog on the Side Porch at One Britt while enjoying this crisp, early Autumn weather, and I am basking in the glow of the amazing people and friends who live in my hometown. After a weekend like the one I have just experienced, I can think of no other place I would rather call home than Canton, Georgia. For all of the public servants – celebrated and unknown, bikers and beauty queens, senior citizens and young at heart – thank you for your appetite for public service and goodwill.

The Menu:

- Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Local Grass Fed Beef
and Joyful Noise Sausage

- Black Eye Peas and Ham Hock

- Lingering Heirloom Caprese Salad

- Ellijay Golden Delicious Apple and Rosemary Tart


The Recipe – Rustic Apple and Rosemary Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Flaky Butter Pastry (recipe follows)

• 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour, for thickening the juices, plus extra for rolling the dough
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds apples, such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar

 Pastry:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch bits
• 3 tablespoons regular or reduced-fat sour cream

Instructions:

 

To make the dough:

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder, and process to mix. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Put the work bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

2. Add the sour cream to the flour mixture and process until the dough comes together in the bowl. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it several times on a lightly floured surface. Form it into a 1-inch-thick disc, wrap it in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

 

Rustic Rosemary-Apple Tart

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rough circle about 14 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar; reserve. Peel and core the apples. Slice them into 1/4 inch-thick slices. (You should have about 3 cups.) Place the apples in a bowl and toss them with the lemon juice, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and the rosemary.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle the reserved flour/sugar mixture evenly over it, leaving a 2-inch border uncovered. Arrange the apples evenly over the flour mixture. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples. Moisten your fingers lightly with water and gently press the creases so that they hold together. Shave the butter over the fruit.

5. Bake the tart for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, the apples tender, and the juices syrupy, covering the tart halfway through the cooking time if the crust is browning too rapidly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slide the tart onto a serving platter.

6. Just before serving, sift the confectioners sugar evenly over the crust.

07 September 2014

It has been a fun and busy weekend, beginning with another wonderful First Friday. The Main Street Machine did a great job, as usual, and a big crowd came out to enjoy some great music, good food and fun activities. Thanks to the board for all of their hard work!

Saturday included some shopping before we joined our friends and neighbors at a housewarming for our friend, Jennifer Dunn. She has leased an adorable house on Archer Street, and we gathered to celebrate her new abode in style. We laughed, played Mad Libs, danced and devised all sorts of plans to revitalize downtown Canton's charming residential district. The houses in and around downtown have so much potential, it's nice to see young people like Jennifer and our friends Jessica and Jeremy Sexton moving into these homes.

After a late start on Sunday, we ventured over to Sugar Pike Junction for an awesome hamburger! Sylvia and her sister who own this little gem of a place do a great job, and their burger is the best in town. Afterward, we made our weekly stop at Cherokee Market to pick up a few items for tonight's Sunday Supper. On our way home, we stopped by our friend, Jo Anne Eggleston's home to pick a huge batch of very hot peppers! Jo Anne had sent me a message on Friday saying she had grown a lot of very hot peppers and she thought I may be brave enough to use them. They were so hot, they burned my hands just picking them! I decided to make some homemade hot sauce with them, so I stopped and got some rubber gloves to handle them. Preparing the hot sauce almost peeled the paint off the kitchen ceiling, but I can't wait to try it! It is curing now and should be ready in about two weeks.

As for Sunday Supper, I woke up with a concept this morning. Yes, I know that's weird, but it's how I roll. Anyway, I decided to try a different spin on Chicken Parmesan by making Chicken and Waffles Parmesan! I made the usual chicken parmesan and tomato sauce, but instead of pasta, I served it over a savory parmesan, basil and olive oil waffle! It came out great and tasted delicious! I look forward to creating other new waffle creations. For dessert, I found some lovely peaches at Cherokee Market, so I continued the Southern/Italian fusion theme by baking a peach tart with marscapone crust served with marscapone whipped cream. Yes, it was as good as it sounds!

So, now I am exhausted and about to turn in to rest up for another busy week ahead. Waffle on!


The Menu:

- Chicken and Waffle Parmesan

- Asparagus

- Peach Tart with Marscapone Whipped Cream


The Recipe – Savory Waffle with Parmesan, Basil and Olive Oil

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1T baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t sea salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

3T fresh basil, chopped (or your favorite herb)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups milk

½ cup good quality olive oil

Non-stick cooking spray or neutral cooking oil

Directions:

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk ingredients together and add the Parmesan, basil, and garlic. Stir to combine.

Put the eggs and milk in a separate bowl and whisk to mix. Slowly whisk in the oil to blend.

Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.

Lightly coat waffle-maker plates with non-stick cooking spray and preheat.

When preheated, pour a cup of batter into the center of the lower waffle plate.

Close lid and cook until desired crispness is achieved, for my waffle iron, it is 4 1/2 minutes.

10 August 2014

It was nice to get back to Canton after a great trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico last week. We had some amazing meals at Marmalade, 1919, Metropol, and Santaella. However, we did not make it to one of the other restaurants I had on my list, Jose Enrique, but when we returned, I opened my new issue of Food and Wine to find a feature story on the chef! The story included several of his best recipes, so I cooked some of them for tonight's Sunday Supper: Arroz con Pollo, Green Pea and Avocado Salad and Jose Enrique's homemade hot sauce.

For the chicken and rice, I finally got to use one of the wonderful local free range chickens from Joyful Noise Acres Farm in Ball Ground that I bought at Cherokee Market. I am so excited about being able to buy their chickens and sausage at Cherokee Market, and I look forward to taking a tour of the farm in the near future. The chicken was delicious, and I highly recommend them. In addition to the local poultry, the recipe also called for a pilsner in the rice, so we stopped by the new Stout's Growler store in downtown Canton to pick up some beer. In addition to the pilsner, we also purchased a great hard apple cider, Reformation's Cadence and a wonderful root beer for floats! The shop was busy, and we are so happy for our friends Jim and Irene Stout and Larry and Maria Pujol! If you haven't stopped in Stout's, you need to do so in the very near future. They have a wonderful selection of craft beers and sodas, and they will change often. The craft beer helped to cool us down after the awesome hot sauce I made from scratch! It included serranos, habaneros, poblanos, onions, garlic, red pepper and olive oil. It was fun to make and packed quite a punch!

So, I had great fun in the kitchen cooking Puerto Rican food with local ingredients! In addition to the Jose Enrique recipes, I also used some of the tomatoes from our garden to bake some homemade tomato and carmelized onion bread, and I made some charred corn, lime and parmesan butter to go with it. Vacation and supper were great, but it's back to reality tomorrow. Sign up to follow my blog at www.billssundaysuppers.com

The Menu:

- Arroz con Pollo de Joyful Noise

- Avocado Green Pea Salsa

- Jose Enrique Hot Sauce

- Tomato and Onion Ciabatta with Charred Corn and Lime Butter

- Stout's Root Beer Float


The Recipe – Avocado Green Pea Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and finely diced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the peas until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.

Drain and cool under running water, then drain on paper towels.

In a bowl, mix the onion with the lime juice and 3/4 teaspoon of salt; let stand for 10 minutes.

Fold in the avocados, peas and oil, season with salt and serve.

27 July 2014

This weekend was filled with tomatoes, friends, fun and laughter. It began with a great meal on Friday night at Riverstone Corner Bistro.
As usual, Shelly Farrar and her team took great care of us, and the food was delicious. Saturday began with the Tomato Sandwich Festival at the Canton Farmers Market, and I was lucky enough to be asked to judge the best home grown tomatoes. Roy Taylor organizes this annual event to celebrate our local community gardens, and we got to taste some interesting varieties of tomatoes. After selecting the top three, everyone enjoyed tomato sandwiches on some of Roy's homemade bread. It was a great event, and everyone had a great time. After the festival, we enjoyed a hot afternoon in the pool. For dinner, we made some tasty homemade pizzas and sat around on the Side Porch with some dear friends and fun stories.

Today started with breakfast at Keithsburg Cafe. It was Coy's birthday, but he was working the grill as usual. After breakfast, I made a batch of Bloody Marys to take to Lisa and John at Cherokee Market. They have been working very hard on their new store in Lathemtown, so I wanted to take them a treat. Of course, I also need to stock up on a few ingredients for tonight's Sunday Supper.

Last weekend, our dear friend, Leslie Westbrook, visited us from Maryland. While here, she wanted some Southern veggies for dinner, and I happily obliged. She returned the favor by shipping me two pounds of Maryland Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Meat fresh from the Chesapeake on Friday. Of course, tonight's meal was built around fresh Maryland crab cakes, and they were delicious! To accompany the crab cakes, I sauteed some Creole style okra, corn and tomatoes along with a simple salad of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and sherry vinaigrette. For dessert, I made a lemon icebox pie. Our dinner guests included Bill and Theresa Brown from Jasper. It was a very nice meal and evening.

By the way, you can now go directly to my blog at www.billssundaysuppers.com. Thanks to CB Smithwick for hooking
me up! Bon appetite y'all!


The Menu:

- Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

- Creole Okra, Corn, and Tomato Saute

- Tomato Salad with Mozzarella, Basil and Organic Greens

- Lemon Ice Box Pie


The Recipe – Creole Okra, Corn and Tomato Saute


Ingredients:

1 cup minced bell pepper (I prefer yellow)

1 jalapeño finely chopped

1/2 cup minced scallions

1/2 cup butter

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup sliced okra

3 tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Saute peppers and scallions in butter until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add corn and okra and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

06 July 2014

Yes, I know! It has been several weeks since my last post, but the last six weeks have been hectic – to say the least. I have been traveling for work, and Summer shows no signs of slowing down. June began with a very busy and successful NeoCon in Chicago, the world's largest trade show for commercial furnishings. Grant Design Collaborative had three clients and two showrooms at the event, and everyone was very pleased with the results. My entire team was on the scene to ensure another flawless showing at my 30th NeoCon, and I was even inaugurated into the SABAYH Society (Steak as Big as Your Head) at Gene and Gorgetti's with my good friends Brian Graham and Michael Vanderbyl. It was an exhausting and memorable trip.

I returned home from Chicago for less than a week before departing to facilitate a new client's brand experience workshop in Quebec. The client was located about an hour and a half South of Quebec City in Saint-Georges. The local scenery was beautiful, but I did not have a lot of time to enjoy the sights. However, the session went very well, and I enjoyed the meeting. I flew back very early on Friday morning and landed in Atlanta around noon. I immediately drove to Savannah to join some of my fellow Canton City Council members and our Mayor for the Georgia Municipal Association's (GMA) Annual Convention. On Saturday, I attended an all day session on Economic Development, a topic of passion for me. Most of it was very interesting, and it is always great to hear new ideas that may help the City of Canton reach its potential.

I was really looking forward to slowing down last weekend and, especially, to attending a family reunion in Dalton on Saturday. However, I slowed down more than intended with a stomach bug that landed me in bed for most of the weekend. I did rally long enough to attend the reunion, and it was great seeing the relatives on my mother's and grandmother's side. There was a lot of great food that I could not fully enjoy, but the fellowship, stories and wonderful memories soothed my soul for a few hours. Luckily, Jeff stepped in on Friday night to make my dad's secret family BBQ sauce to adorn Angelfire7's delicious pulled pork, and he even baked my mom's infamous jalapeño cornbread for the event. I moaned a few directions to him on Friday night, and he did a great job.

The past week was spent trying to catch up at the office and preparing for an important Council Work Session on Thursday. Once that was done, it was full speed ahead in preparation for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. As in years past, our dear friends Steve and Amado visited us on the Fourth for a laid back celebration. We floated in the pool for most of the day and tried to catch up on the details of our busy lives. Jeff and Cory spent the afternoon working in downtown, along with the Main Street board, for the First Friday celebration and annual Independence Day parade. The events were very well attended, and everyone had a blast. Thanks to the Main Street Board for volunteering their time and hard work on a holiday! Once they got back, I made some pimento cheese sandwiches for pool snacks, and we relaxed for a little while longer. For dinner, I made bacon wrapped hot dogs, BBQ chicken breasts, caprese salad and matchstick fried okra. Everyone enjoyed dinner, and later we walked down to the new park to enjoy the spectacular fireworks display sponsored by Canton Tourism. When we returned home, we enjoyed a refreshing frozen Strawberry Delight dessert that I had made earlier in the day. It was a very relaxing and fun day.

On Saturday, we stopped by and did a little work on our plot at the Victory Garden East. After that, we ventured over to Autumn Hill Nursery to get some new Caramel Cora Belles for the Side Porch planters. From there, we skirted over to Cherokee Market's amazing new location in Lathemtown. They are still working on the interior, but they are fully stocked and selling farm fresh produce from the front porch of the old general store. Lisa had just returned from the farmers market, and we scored some beautiful yellow and red tomatoes, plump blackberries, silver queen corn and a watermelon. Most of these fresh items were used in tonight's Sunday Supper. While it was sad to drive by the former location at the doomed Bell's Store, it is inspiring to watch Lisa and her gang resurrect and bring new life to the old general store in Lathemtown. Cherokee Market is going to be bigger and better than ever!

Sunday began with an early morning visit to Starbucks, followed by a few hours of work at the office. In addition to some client work, I spent a couple of hours reviewing the preliminary 2015 budget figures for the City of Canton. We will be meeting over the next couple of weeks to finalize the figures and, hopefully, move forward in a positive and effective manner. After working for a few hours, I returned home to begin preparing Sunday Supper. I began by baking a cobbler with the fresh blackberries from Cherokee Market. It was my first attempt at this version, and it was delicious! For the entree, I modified an interesting Southern interpretation of Chicken Cordon Bleu. I pounded some free range chicken breasts to about an 1/8 inch thickness and seasoned both sides with salt and pepper. I then blanched some kale from the garden for a couple of minutes, squeezed it dry and chopped to place on top of each breast. I topped the kale with some grated parmesan and two thin slices of ham. I rolled the chicken up tightly, placed a sage leaf on top of each and secured with a toothpick. I browned the chicken rolls on all four sides and placed in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. While the chicken was baking, I used the skillet to make a sauce by adding a half cup of chicken stock and some lemon juice and let reduce a bit. I then thickened the sauce with a slurry of cornstarch and a bit more stock. At the end, I added two tablespoons of butter off heat. I served the sauce over the chicken, and it was very tasty. For sides, I utilized the produce from Cherokee Market to make a Caprese salad and truffled silver queen corn.

There's nothing better than sharing a great summer supper with dear friends, and there's no place like home!


The Menu:

- Chicken Cordon Bill – Free Range Chicken Rolls with Kale, Parmesan and Maverick Ham

- Fresh Silver Queen Corn with White Truffle Oil

- Red and Yellow Caprese Salad

- Blackberry Cobbler ala Mode


The Recipes:

Truffled Silver Queen Corn

- 4 ears of fresh silver queen corn
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt
- white truffle oil to taste

Directions: Shuck corn and cut kernels just before cooking. Scrape cobs to remove corn "milk." Melt butter and olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add corn and saute for 8-10 minutes. Add kosher salt to taste and a drizzle of white truffle oil (a little goes a long way). Mix well, and serve immediately.

Southern Blackberry Cobbler

- 1 stick Butter
- 1-1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Self-Rising Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 cups Blackberries
- lemon juice

Directions:

Melt butter. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl and whisk in milk. Mix well. Pour in melted butter and whisk together well. Butter a baking dish.

Rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Taste the blackberries for sweetness and adjust sugar accordingly. Add 1/2 cup sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice to the berries and mix well. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter, distributing evenly. Pour any accumulating juice over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle an additional teaspoon or two of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or warm with ice cream.

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.

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.