Roasted Chicken Penne with Peaches, Bacon + Pecans

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Roasted Chicken
• 6 oz Applewood Smoked Bacon (lardons)
• 1 cup Pecans Toasted
• 3 Fresh Peaches (diced)
• 1 Sweet Onions (julienned)
• 5 Cloves of Garlic (sliced)
• ½ Bunch Basil (torn)
• ¼ Cup Parsley (fine chopped)
• 2 Handfuls Spinach
• 2 oz Sherry Vinegar
• 1 cup Chicken Stock (Homemade)
• Parmesan (Shaved)
• EVOO
• 1 Box Penne Pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-cook penne pasta use the cooking direction marked on packaging. Cool and reserve for later use.
2. Roast off whole chicken (breast) that is still on the bone- this will add more flavor to your dish. After roasting, removing the breast meat from the bone. Use the bones to make stock. If in a pinch use a whole roasted chicken from the market or Pine Street Market smoked chicken.
3. Toss 1 cup of Pecans with 1 Tbl  of grapeseed oil. Slow roast pecans in the oven at 225 F for 12 to 15 minutes.  Roasting tree nuts at lower oven temp will provide a great tasting full flavor nut.
4. Heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon lardons and render until lightly brown but not crispy. Drain off bacon grease and add sliced sweet onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and tender. Add peaches and deglaze with sherry vinegar.
5. Add chicken stock and penne and heat pasta throughout.  Add spinach, herbs and season with salt and pepper.
6. Plate or place in dish. Garnish with toasted pecans and shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

SOURCED FROM

• Pearson Farms Peaches, Pecans
• Pine Street Market Applewood Smoked Bacon
• Your Dekalb Farmers Market Parmesan, EVOO, Sherry Vinegar: Ybarro Old Vintage Wine Vinegar, Chicken, Basil, Spinach, Parsley, Sweet Onions, Penne Pasta

Tomato Marmalade Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 8 4-5 oz Beefsteak Tomatoes (or 2 - 24 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes)
• 1 Tbl Grape Seed Oil
• 2 ea Sweet Onions Vidalia
• ½ ea head Garlic
• ½ lb Bacon, Small Diced
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 ea Lemons, Zested and Juiced
• ½ bunch Fresh Thyme, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven 375 F
• Heat up a large oven proof pan on medium heat. Add oil and bacon and render bacon until lightly brown, but not crispy. Add onions and garlic and saute and until tender.
• Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, along with tomatoes.
• Bring ingredients to a medium simmer and slowly reduce marmalade until nice and thick for about 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce is not sticking.
• Once marmalade has reduced, remove pot from stove top to cool. Add lemon juice, zest, and thyme.
• Place into jars and cover, allow to cool then place in refrigerator up to 3-4 weeks.

As you can see the marmalade can be used with many dishes, like potato hash and eggs. We also recommended pairing with Roasted Pork Loin or Herb Roasted Chicken, Toasted Bread, Summer Squash, and Green Beans.

Recipe: Almond Crusted Cod & Citrus Arugula Salad with Roasted Vegetables

Almond Crusted Roasted Cod with Roasted Carrot, Fennel, and Cauliflower and a Citrus Arugula Salad 

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Roasted Vegetables

• 2 oz Oil (Grapeseed or Blend)
• 2 oz Sherry Vinegar
• 1 oz Honey
• ½ Onion sliced
• 6 ea Tri Color Carrots, Sliced on a Bias
• ½ ea Fennel Bulb, Sliced Thin
• ½ ea Cauliflower, Cut into Florets

Citrus Arugula Salad

• 4 oz Marcona Almonds
• 1 ea Navel Orange, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 ea Clementines
• 1 bunch Arugula
• 1 oz Evoo
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 1 ea Navel Orange, juiced
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

Almond Crusted Cod

• 3 oz Grapeseed Oil
• 1 cup Raw Sliced Almonds
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
• 1 cup Panko Crumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbl Dijon
• 2 Tbl Honey
• Chilled water
• 1 oz Whole Butter
• 8 -12 oz Wild Caught Cod Filet

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 405 F. Mix sherry vinegar, honey and oil. Prepare vegetables, and toss with sherry marinade. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add 2 oz oil. Place marinated onions, fennel, cauliflower, and carrots in hot skillet and caramelize (4-5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until slightly brown and tender. Reserve.

Almond Crusted Cod

See full tutorial on coating and cooking the fish on this blog post.

Citrus Arugula Salad

For citrus vinaigrette, combine EVOO, lemon juice, orange juice, and chopped parsley. Make the salad by tossing the clementines, marcona almonds, arugula, and sliced oranges. Dress with the desired amount of vinaigrette, there will be a little extra.

To Plate

Place roasted vegetables on platter, add roasted cod. Top with salad.

How to Pan Roast Almond Panko Fish

This technique is a light and refreshing alternative to breaded fish. It can be used year-round and paired with endless sides for a perfect seasonal meal. Shown above, is a citrus arugula salad with roasted vegetables (recipe coming soon) .

INGREDIENTS

• 3 oz Grapeseed Oil
• 1 cup Raw Sliced Almonds
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
• 1 cup Panko Crumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbl Dijon
• 2 Tbl Honey
• Chilled water
• 1 oz Whole Butter
• 8 -12 oz Wild Caught Cod Filet

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 225 F. Bake almonds in an oven safe pan for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Move them around occasionally to keep from burning. Set aside and let cool.

Mix 1 oz. oil, salt, panko and toasted almonds on flat plate. I used a small sheet tray. Hand-crush  almonds into panko crumbs.

Take two small bowls. In one bowl put the mustard and honey and in the second bowl pour cold water.

Dip a brush into the chilled water and then dip into honey mustard mixture and lightly brush cod with thinned-out honey mustard.

After fish has been thinly coated place in panko-almond mixture to cover flesh side.

Preheat oven to 405 F. Heat an oven safe large pan on med-high heat. Add 2 oz oil.

Heat oil and butter until butter is foaming.

Then lower to medium heat and add fish filet flesh side down. Cook for about a minute until golden brown.

Flip filet and place pan in the oven for 8-9 minutes.

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Paige Jones Photography 

Foraging Georgia Ramps + Pickling Recipe

 

Recently I had the opportunity to go foraging for ramps. I have wanted to do this for years, but the fleeting season always got away from me. Not this year! I was really excited to finally find these delectable onion, garlic bulbs to harvest.

My friend Jonathan and I got an early start leaving Atlanta at 4:30 am to our destination in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The scenery was amazing and rejuvenating.  After 2.5 hours we arrived to a small foot path where we began our trek.  After traveling up and down the path we finally arrived to a hillside where we would start harvesting.

Jonathan gave me a quick demo of what to look for and how to dig up without harming the precious bulbs. Once out of the ground we gave the ramps a quick shake and a good whip to get the moist, fertile soil off.

Then began the real work of scaling up the hillside at a forty-five degree incline while plucking them. Amongst the thick of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we were looking for bright green leaves, picking off any yellow leaves. It was a great experience and I found myself being brought back to my childhood when it was cool to play the dirt.

This experience was surreal, I was finding my own produce out in nature.  If Jonathan and I weren’t out here, these delectable goodies would not be able to enjoyed by our family, friends and fellow patrons.  I was proud to do the leg work for them.

The return hike with bags full of ramps along that foot path was much more daunting, and seemed like we were scaling huge mountain.  After making it back to his truck we distributed our finds amongst several large coolers, wrapping the ramps in towels to prevent them from sitting in icy water.

It was neat to know that I got to be part of the supply chain to provide fresh, local produce. I also got a glimpse of the hard work involved to do so, and have a greater sense of gratitude for our farmers, producers, and foragers.  The respect for the farms, earth, and the community that they offer each day is something that should not go unseen and should be given praise.  One of the reasons I enjoy our local markets is getting to know the face behind where my food comes from.

The trip had me inspired to highlight these bulbs and I began sounding like Bubba from Forrest Gump in my brainstorming, but instead of shrimp my mind was on ramps...Honey roasted ramps, pickled ramps, sautéed greens, ramp pesto, ramps in frittata, grilled ramps, and you get the point... For a chef you can't ask for better way to get motivated.  I got to take my experience of ramp harvesting and share that joy through my food for others to enjoy.

Best,

Jason Jimenez

Spicy Pickled Ramps Recipe

Since the season is short, pick up ramps from the farmers market this week to make this recipe.  Jonathan of Abundant Harvest Gardens sells them at FARM - Farmer's Atlanta Road Market on Tuesday and  Peachtree Road on Saturday.

For Blanching

• 1 cup Kosher Salt
• 1 gallon Water
• 2 lb. Ramps

Trim ramps, cutting the green leaves off and reserve for another use (great sautéed with carrots and made into a pesto).  Once bulbs are cleaned put a large pot on stove add salt and bring to a boil. Begin to blanch ramps for about thirty seconds. Remove from water, shocking in ice bath to stop the cooking. Once the ramps are cold through, pat dry, and place into pickling jars. Be sure not to overload jar with ramps.

For Pickling Brine

• 2 cups Champagne Vinegar
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Cane Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp Szechuan Peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp Coriander
• 1 each Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Crushed Red Chili Flake
• 1 Tsp Ground Turmeric

Combine water, sugar, salt, vinegar in a pot bring to a boil.  Once liquid is at a boil add spices and bring down to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Now pour hot brine over the prepared ramps to cover. Place lids on top, cool, then refrigerate. You can also preserve to eat year-round.

Enjoy with omelettes, frittatas, roasted chicken or duck, cured meats and cheeses.

Chef Demo at JLA Tour of Kitchens

This weekend Jason will be part in the Junior League of Atlanta  Tour of Kitchens. On Saturday afternoon we will be doing a demo in the beautiful kitchen (photo above) designed by CSI Kitchen & Bath. Jason will be preparing Ricotta Gnocchi with fresh market vegetables. Did I mention that you get samples?!

The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. Tour of Kitchens, entering its 17th year, features a view into 14 of Atlanta’s finest residential kitchens. The two-day event has raised more than one million dollars since its beginning to aid the Junior League of Atlanta, with a membership of  nearly 4,000, to carry out its mission towards community initiatives benefiting women and children at risk.

Saturday, March 292:15 pm1165 East Beechwood Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30327

Tickets are $35  online ($40 at the door) for a sneak peek into 14 of Atlanta’s most spectacular kitchens (7 each day) created by Atlanta's top designers. The JLA Tour of Kitchens features a view into 14 of Atlanta’s finest residential kitchens.

How to Cut an Orange

Cutting oranges may be a more basic task in the kitchen, but here is a behind the scenes look.

1. First, cut the ends off to create a stable base

2. Cut the skin from the oranges sides

 3. Cut the oranges into crosswise slices, about 1/4" slices

Photo Credit: Paige Jones Photography

How to Cut Cauliflower

Did you know? It is best to wash cauliflower after cutting it.

1. First cut off the lower stem without cutting any of the white head.

2. Cut the head of cauliflower in half and then into quarters through the core. 

3. Using the tip of your knife, separate the individual florets from a head of cauliflower by cutting them away from the core. 

4. Cut down to size as needed for your recipe.

Photo Credit: Paige Jones Photography // Sources: 1, 2, 3

How to Cut Fennel

Ever wondered how to properly cut fennel? Follow the pictorial for a step-by-step guide as Jason demonstrates. Note:  To begin, cut off the stalks from the base and set aside. This will help to get long slices of fennel.

1. Cut the bulb into quarters through the core.

2. Working with one quarter at a time, cut (at an angle) all but about 1/8″ of the core so that the layers are still held together. 

3. At a 45 degree angle, slice the base into strips.

What to do with those stalks and fronds you set aside?

STALKS

• Add fennel stalks to a vegetable broth. They lend quite a bit of anise flavor, so use the broth with a fennel dish.
• The stalks also freeze well in plastic bags for later use.
• Use stalks and fronds with cooking fish. Whether you're grilling, poaching, or steaming, laying a few stalks and fronds alongside the fish will infuse the fish with the sweet fennel flavor.
• If you're into juicing, add the stalk to your next mix of fruits and veggies.

FRONDS - Pick the fronds from the stalks and use them like a herb with:

• In salads, especially if the salad contains fennel. They'll add just the faintest hint of licorice to each bite.
• Tucked in the cavity of roasted chicken or whole fish, alone or with other aromatics
• Chopped and added to marinades for fish or meat, along with garlic and other herbs
• Added to chunky vegetable soups during the last minutes of simmering
• As a bed for roasting swordfish or halibut fillets (both fronds and stalks)

Photo Credit: Paige Jones Photography // Sources: 1, 2

Coconut & Pear Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This week Jason is sharing his Coconut & Pear Butternut Squash Soup Recipe over at Yours is the Earth. It's the perfect Autumn soup...AND it's gluten and dairy free.

-Jamie