French Chicken in a Pot --- the other best way to cook a Synergy chicken

The meat is gorgeously juicy!!!

From Cook's Illustrated with their wonderfully detailed recipes!

One synergy chicken, any size you choose, wings tucked under back
1 tblsp olive oil
3 large Synergy garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
optional fresh rosemary
1 tsp lemon juice

And, special equipment:
DUTCH OVEN or other oven safe large pot plus a sheet of aluminum foil

Place oven rack in lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat your chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper.

Heat the oilve oil in your large dutch oven over medium heat just until smoking. Add chicken, breast side down; scatter onion, garlic, bay leaf, and optional rosemary around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden sppon inserted into the cavity of the bird, flip the chicken and cook other side until well browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Remove dutch oven from heat and if you are concerned your dutch oven does not have a tight seal, or are using teh large oven safe pot rather than a dutch oven, then cover the pot with aluminum foil and then place lid tightly on top. Transfer it to the oven and cook for 80-110 minutes till cooked through. Check it as often as possible, so as to not let too much of the juices escape as steam.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from the pot and skim and discard solids and fat. You'll have about 3/4 cup juices. Allow the juices to settle for about 5 minutes.

Pour juices into saucepan and as you carve the chicken add any other juices into saucepan. Then, tasting as you go, add up to 1 tsp lemon juice into what is now your "jus." Serve chicken with jus in a gravy boat at the table.

Synergy Chicken Stock, nonchalantly

Concentrated chicken stock. Simmered once more after pouring through a sieve. I save the beautiful fat on top.

one chicken carcass (or two if you have a big enough pot and have been saving them in your freezer)

This is more of a testimony than a recipe, on purpose.

There are endless ways to make stock. Some include onions, celery, herbs. Others instruct you to skim constantly. A recipe might tell you to simmer for no less than three hours, others say to simmer twice. I find that making chicken stock is a forgiving task. Sometimes I skim every fifteen minutes. Other times, I have forgotten to skim until the very end. It is something I put on the stove and walk away from. While it simmers, I putter around elsewhere, carefree.

Most of the time with chickens as flavorful as Synergy's I don't add anything to the pot besides the carcass, water to cover by a couple inches, and some shakes of salt and pepper. If I have half an onion or some "seconds" carrots, I'll throw those in. But I never add herbs or garlic or celery, since I don't know what I'll use the stock for ultimately and maybe I won't want those flavors.

High heat is initially necessary to bring your big pot of water and carcass to a boil, but then turn it down and find a gently simmering heat. Leave it uncovered, and skim occasionally. If the water level gets low, add some water, but try and avoid that problem by finding the gentle simmer point. Then three hours later or so, pour the stock through a large sieve and discard the solids. Chill stock, uncovered, until cool, then cover. Refrigerate or freeze. Discard the solidified fat before using stock, or better yet, save it for some future use.

To save space in your freezer, concentrate your stock by simmering it down after pouring it through a sieve.

Roasted Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas, or "brave potatoes," are a traditional Spanish tapa -- golden fried garlicky potatoes either topped with, or dipped into, a spicy, garlicky aoili. Tapas are Spain's snacks or appetizers, often taken with a drink in the afternoon, or late in the evening.

This version, which I made with new potatoes, is roasted in olive oil instead of fried, but the Bravas sauce is the same tangy, hot delicious mix you can find in many bars and restaurants in Madrid.

1 lb potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
3 Synergy garlic cloves, minced finely
paprika and salt, to coat

Bravas Sauce:
1/2 medium onion
4 Synergy garlic cloves (6 if you use regular garlic, which is smaller)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup mustard aioli
1 tsp paprika (pimentón dulce)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop potatoes into 1/2'' cubes. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt until evenly coated, then transfer to a baking sheet. Cook for about 1 hour or until brown and crispy, but not burnt. Take the pan out of the oven and stir every 20 minutes or so to prevent sticking and make sure potatoes brown evenly.

In the meantime, prepare the bravas sauce. In a blender, mix together all the sauce ingredients until well-incorporated.

Serve potatoes hot, with sauce on the side for dipping or with 2-3 tbsp mixed in.

Rhubarb Onion Sauce

Lemon roasted chicken with rhubarb onion sauce, roasted asparagus, and beer braised green cabbage.

This recipe for this sauce was guessed at based on this blog post, with its painfully unspecific description. I'm not actually sure the method behind this is sound (I dry sauteed a small onion. Is that done?) but it turns out delicious, so I am going to stick with it.

1 small onion, well-chopped
2 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a small non-stick frying pan, saute the minced onion till dried out and browned a bit. Set this aside. In a small saucepan combine the sugar, red wine vinegar, and water over medium heat. Heat to a boil, stirring to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved. When it begins to boil, sdd the rhubarb and dried crushed chili. When the rhubarb begins to fall apart, add in the onions and let it simmer till the rhubard has completely fallen apart and the sauce reaches a thickened jam-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

• Eat with fish, chicken, cheese (yes, I dipped a piece of cheddar cheese into this sauce.)
• Stir in a generous amount of chopped mint before serving. Strange, I thought, but excellent.
  

The dry-sauteed chopped onion. Possibly sketchy technique.

The rhubarb is beginning to fall apart. Time to add the onion and simmer till thick.

Creamy Potato Cheese Soup

The soup is in tupperware and a mason jar because it freezes well and is now portioned out in the freezer. The color is pale, the texture ultra smooth and creamy, and the taste comforting.

The cream part of the equation comes from whole milk, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese.

I used the VERY last of 2008's yukon gold potatoes in the batch of soup I just made. August to June, amazing.

Adapted from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant

4 tbsps butter
2 cups onion
2 garlic cloves
4 oz carrots
1 lb potatoes
3 cups water or chicken stock
1 tsp dill
4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the butter until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes and carrots and saute for 5-10 minutes longer. Add the stock of water and dill and simmer until all the vegetables are tender.
Puree the vegetables and their liquid with the cream cheese and milk in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the cheddar cheese, season with salt and pepper, and reheat gently.
Garnish with fresh dill and/or chopped parsley.

Broccoli Buttermilk Soup

Broccoli is precious this season on San Juan. Across the island, the story seems to be the same: broccoli just isn't doing too well this summer; perhaps the plants didn't like those few blazing days in mid-May, but somehow yields aren't up to their usual levels.

So if you're lucky enough to get your hands on some delicious broccoli this season, you may just want to savor the flavor with a light steam or a quick saute in olive oil. But if you find yourself with some extra on your hands, this soup is a great way to celebrate.

1 lb broccoli, cut into 2'' pieces
3/4 lb potatoes, cut into 1'' cubes
1 medium sized onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Synergy chicken stock
1.5 tbsp butter
2 cups water
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp salt (depending on the saltiness of your stock)

optional: 1 tsp tarragon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Heat butter on medium-high in a 3-quart (medium sized) pot. When hot, add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent and your kitchen smells divine, about 5 minutes. Add in broccoli and potatoes and saute in the pot for another 3 minutes. Add in chicken stock and water; they should just about cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until your vegetables are tender.

Turn off your burner and remove the pot from the heat. Uncover your pot and let the vegetables 10 minutes. In a blender, process the soup in three batches to your desired consistency, pouring each batch into a new pot as it's finished. We generally like to leave some small bits and chunks to make the soup a little heartier.

Put your new pot back on the burner and heat on low. Add in your nutmeg or tarragon if desired. Pour in buttermilk slowly, stirring well. Bring soup just to a simmer, then turn off and serve.

Late June Russian Borscht

Everything in the borscht takes on the deep fuchsia of the beets.

This soup can amazingly use mostly farm ingredients when made at the right time of year! Cabbage, carrots, beets, and new potatoes are easy to come by late June. We used some frozen tomatoes from last year's crop, and if you stocked up and stored your onions carefully, you might just have one still lying around come June. (That might also be the case for potatoes if you stored them carefully, rather than using the more tender and precious new potatoes.)

This year's farmer's market offerings on June 20th included carrots and beets.

adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced potato
1 cup thinly sliced beets
4 cups chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 scant teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
1 medium sized carrot, sliced
3 to 4 cups shredded cabbage
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Bill's honey
1 cup crushed tomatoes
fresh dill and sour cream for garnish

Directions:
Place potatoes, beets, and stock in a medium-sized pot. Cover and cook over medium heat till tender (20 to 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onion, caraway seeds, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent (8 to 10 minutes).

Add carrots, cabbage, and 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the potatoes and beets. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (another 8 to 10 minutes).

Add remaining ingredients, including all the potato and beet liquid, cover, and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Taste to correct seasonings, and serve hot, topped with sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill.

Peeling the beets.

Sliced beets and potatoes are cooked till tender in chicken stock.

The carrots, cabbage and onions are combined with 2 cups of liquid from the beets and potatoes.

Bowls of soup garnished with sour cream and dill and served with slices of Cafe Demeter walnut bread.

Cumin Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Onions

2 1/2 - 3 lbs total of carrots, potatoes, onions
4 cloves garlic
2 tsps salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cumin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thoroughly scrub the potatoes and carrots, but leave the skin on. Slice the potatoes, carrots, and onions into bite-sized chunks and combine in a large bowl with the peeled and crushed garlic cloves. Add the salt, pepper, cumin seeds, and olive oil and toss the coat. Spread in a flat layer in a large baking dish and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, using a spatula at 25 minutes to flip the roasting vegetables. Depending on how thickly your sliced your vegetables and thinly they are spread out on the pan, they might cook faster or slower, so begin checking for desired browning, caramelization, and crispiness at 35 minutes. It could take as long as an hour.

All the ingredients tossed in a large bowl.

Lentil Beet Salad

Adapted from: Emily's Purloined Beet and Lentil Salad

3 cups green lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 cups chicken stock (best from Synergy chickens!)

6 medium beets, washed thoroughly, but not peeled!
8 Napoli carrots, chopped into 1/2'' cubes
1 medium onion, julienned
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
20 basil leaves, torn

For mustard vinaigrette:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp reserved roasting juice
salt and pepper to taste

Wash lentils well in cold water, removing stones and skins and discarding. Bring stock to a boil -- don't add salt of your lentils can become tough. Add in your lentils, boil for 2-3 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approximately 45 minutes -- be sure to check after 30 minutes since you don't want these to become overdone and mushy!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place beets (sans greens, with skins), carrots, onion slices, and garlic into a baking dish. Top with olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper and mix well to coat. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake for about an hour without uncovering.

To make the mustard vinaigrette, put ingredients together in a jar and shake until emulsified, or whisk in a bowl.

Remove from oven and let cool. Pour off juice, reserving at least 3 tbsp of the bright red roasting juice. Peel and chop beets into 1/2'' cubes. Mix beets, carrots, lentils and onions together, then add vinaigrette, to taste.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve at room temperature, or chill and serve cold for a refreshing side dish.

Basil starts keeping warm in the Synergy flathouse

Newly harvested Napoli carrots at the washing station

Pure Cream of Tomato Soup

Based on a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped Synergy Stuttgarter onion
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk (or any combination of lowfat, whole, and cream)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups fresh, or canned Synergy tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the milk, and bring just to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and put in a blender. Puree until smooth then put back in the soup pot and over medium-low heat.

Bring to a very gentle simmer and taste and correct seasonings. Let simmer till soup has reached desired thickness and intensity of flavor.

Serve hot or cold with a generous sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper.

Though the farms tomato plants are only about two feet tall with tiny green tomatoes at the beginning of June, we are able to enjoy a pure cream of tomato soup since we froze some of the prior years harvest in mason jars!

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

Onions start as onion sets, which we sort through before planting.

Rows of Stuttgarter onions being planted in a bed.

Balsamic onion marmalade.

Adapted from 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio with Sisha Ortuzar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 medium Synergy Stuttggarter onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

Serving Suggestions:

• On a slice of Fig Anise bread from Cafe Demeter with Quail Croft goat cheese.
• In grilled cheese sandwiches.
• As a topping on a pizza with olive oil brushed dough, goat cheese, kale, eggs, black olives, salt and pepper.

Cafe Demeter Fig Anise bread, Quail Croft goat cheese, and balsamic onion marmalade.

Grilled cheese sandwiched on rye bread with cheddar cheese and balsamic onion marmalade.

Farm Greens Frittata

1/2 lb seasonal Synergy greens of your choice
8 large Synergy pasture-raised eggs
3/4 cup Heritage Farm Raw Milk
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 medium Synergy Stuttgarter onion, diced finely
2 cloves Synergy garlic, minced finely
4 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
4 4-inch sprigs fresh thyme
salt & pepper to taste
Quail Croft Goat Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Chop or tear your greens into bite sized pieces. The actual size is up to you and your mouth.

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl that's big enough for them. Add herbs (don't forget to get rid of stems or anything else you wouldn't want to bite into) and your cheese.

Add olive oil to a frying pan big enough for the greens. When it's hot, saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and the onions are translucent (4 or 5 minutes). If you're using two kinds of greens like chard and spinach, add in the "hardier" ones first (e.g. the chard) so they have a little more time to cook. Cook the greens till they're all evenly wilted (they should reduce in volume by 3x or more).

Pour those yummy greens in a buttered 9x11 pyrex dish or baking pan. Pour the eggy mix on top and stir so the greens are evenly distributed. Dollop on goat cheese or other delicious cheesy topping.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 on a middle rack, or until you can see the sides of your frittata are browning. Then move to a top rack and turn on the broiler. Keep it in another 2-3 minutes, checking often because it's easy to burn it quick!

Remove from the oven, and cut into generous squares.

Spinach in the spinner on harvest day at Synergy