Gifts from the Garden
I find myself currently sitting rather prettily in a situation that gives me direct access to fresh, seasonal produce. I didn’t have to sign up for a CSA, I don’t have to stop by a farmers market, I just had to pack up shop and move back “home” from Lacey, WA to Pasture Expectations Farm with my sister, Jen. Yes, I recognize that I am privileged and super lucky because not everyone has the time or space to garden (though some people eat quite heartily, I’ve read, from plants potted and placed in windows and along terraces) and not everyone is patient enough to garden. I’m lucky because my sister has the space and is patient.
She’s patient enough to start her seedlings indoors in March (which is a bit of a prerequisite for our region), nurturing them as they grow on metal shelves under plant lights until it’s warm enough for them to be transplanted into the garden. Our farm house is small enough (I say “our” because I am a cash-paying renter so I do feel invested) to be cozy and not quite big enough to make space for hundreds of seedings, so she gives up space in her bedroom for them.
Jen literally sleeps with plants.
With all of the maintenance on the farm house this past year - you’re following Jen’s journey at @pe_farm, right? - gardening took a bit of a back seat to new plumbing, flooring, siding, painting, a new septic system, and most recently, a mini-split (a ductless heating and cooling system that we’re just over-the-moon about). But this spring she expanded the old space, we laid out the beds and covered them with hay, and spread wood chips down along the walkways to keep the weeds down. Jen planted her usual garden staples: herbs, mixed lettuces, brassicas, greens, carrots, potatoes, radishes, turnips, onions, and summer and winter squash, and a few “specialty” items I requested like corn, choy sum, daikon radish, kabocha squash, garlic chives, and peonies.
Because I love peonies.
We’ve got tomatoes still in their pots and she refuses to plant them in the garden until the first week of June. And because she never backs down from a challenge, she’s planted watermelon, peppers and okra as well, which are a bit more hesitant to thrive in our damp and sun-starved part of the state. We’re really pulling for them.
I will pause here briefly and say that I do not intend for any of this boasting about my close proximity to uber-fresh produce make folks who do not garden feel badly about it. If I didn’t have Jen hauling in fresh veg every evening, I’d sign up for a CSA. If I didn’t have access to a nearby grower, I’d head to the nearest farmers market, or I’d look for produce in my grocery store or market that is “in season” - this isn’t to be pretentious or precious about food choices (because a lot of us don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to food), it’s simply because foods that are in season are going to taste the best.
Today is Memorial Day and like most of you, we’ll be grilling. Pollo asado from Trader Joe’s is always a success on the grill because I’m all about taking quality short cuts. I’m making a non-mayo-based shredded potato salad (which I never do because I grew up on potato salads with mayonnaise and I love them) with lots of green onions and dill from the garden. We’ll see if it can compete with my childhood memories, those stories I’ve been telling myself forever about what I like and don’t like and the reasons why. That’s a lot for a potato salad to take on, I know.
So now that grilling season has commenced, let’s talk a minute about grilling chicken. I have a few hard-and-fast rules that you can take with a grain of salt:
Marinate or brine your bird 2 - 12 hours before grilling
Spatchcock your bird if you’re leaving it whole
Whether it’s gas or charcoal, set up a hot zone (direct heat) and a cool zone (indirect heat)
Lemon & Herb-Grilled Chicken
serves 2
Whether you’re using a gas or charcoal grill, it’s important that you set up two cooking zones: a hot zone that will first crisp the skin of the chicken, and then provide a hot environment to cook the chicken slowly while it hangs out in the cool zone. We’re currently grilling with gas and I turn two of my four burners on high to create my hot zone, and leave the other two burners off to provide a cool zone. My grill also has a thermometer on the hood which keeps me informed as to the cooking temp inside the grill. I shoot for keeping it around 450-degrees, which is the same temp I like to set my oven when I’m roasting a bird. With the temperature at this setting, I’ll usually be finished grilling a 3-pound bird in about an hour and a half, give or take (you’ll know when it’s done - check out the instructions below).
You know the drill when grilling chicken: start with a clean grill (get it super hot and scrape off all the crusties from the last cook), and when you’re grilling the bird skin-side-down, be sure it’s over the hot zone and you’re not trying to turn it until the chicken is crisp enough that it releases from the grates. Be patient - it will happen!
If possible, let your chicken marinate in your lemon-herb mixture overnight for the best possible flavor. I like to chop up my herbs because I like an herby crust on my chicken, but you can marinate your bird with whole herbs that you remove before grilling as well. Slice up an extra lemon and slather it with a bit of olive oil and salt before tossing it on the grill during the last few minutes of cooking the bird for an extra special treat.
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3-4lb chicken (preferably organic)
Olive oil
Lemons
Fresh herbs
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Spatchcock your chicken by cutting out the backbone (save that for stock). Then flatten the bird by pressing down on the breastbone.
Place the chicken in a gallon plastic bag with olive oil, sliced lemons, and herbs of your choice. I like thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Let this marinate in the fridge for at least two hours but preferably overnight. Bring the bird to room temperature before grilling (an hour on the table usually works for me).
Remove the lemons from the chicken and salt generously on both side of the bird.
Place your bird skin-side down on the hot zone of your grill, and let it cook for 10 - 15 minutes until the skin begins to crisp up and it releases from the grill.
Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill and cook for up to 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning the bird 90 degrees every 20 minutes or so, until the meat in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165.
Let your chicken rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving.
Our salad composed of mixed lettuces, radishes, chives, and chive blossoms - the finished salad includes an herby ranch dressing, fresh strawberries, and toasted pecans.
And what kind of post about gardening on a food blog without a recipe be? A pretty poor post indeed. To me, a salad is so subjective. I’ll probably always be somewhat addicted to following recipes, but I like to take a more free-form approach when it comes to assembling a salad. I’ll share my tips, but I hope it’s just a starting place for inspiration to take hold.
Put vegetables that you enjoy eating together in a bowl - for us right now it’s mixed lettuces, tender baby greens (kale, collards), lots of herbs (garlic chives, parsley, dill), green onions, and fresh berries if we have them on hand.
Make a dressing or vinaigrette from scratch. Come on, you’ve got this. There are tons of easy vinaigrettes out there, it only takes a moment, and it tastes a gazillion times better than any bottle you’re getting at the market. It. Just. Does.
Finishing touches: I like a bit of crunch or texture in my salads, so I’ll usually add a chopped nut of some kind (our favorites are pecans and pistachios, but you do you), a sprinkling of seeds (sunflower and sesame), or some homemade toasted bread crumbs from leftover bread.
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Makes enough for one salad with a bit leftover (hint: dip your grilled chicken in it!)
This is my go-to vinaigrette because I adore Meyer lemons. If you can’t find them, just go with a regular lemon and maybe add a bit more sweetness if you’d like.
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Jest and juice of one small Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (a bit more if you’re using regular lemons)
salt and pepper to taste
6 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
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Grab your cutest little lidded vessel, add all the ingredients, and shake, shake, shake until well blended.
A row of choy sum greens ready for harvesting.
The Pups
It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about Sister and Mr. Pants. While they still seem a bit miffed that I’ve uprooted them from 100+ degree temps and transplanted them here in the chilly PNW, they do love being on the farm. They’re both getting up there in years - Gigi is 12 and Marcello is 13. They’ve both lost a lot of teeth (it’s an Iggy thing) and Marcello seems to be feeling is age a bit. I’m lucky enough to be able to work from home two to three days a week, so I get to spend a lot of time with them, which makes me happy. Gigi sits on my work desk and Marcello will usually snooze on the couch or lounge on the porch. I honestly have to kick Gigi outside on chillier days to do her business, but on sunny days, she’ll grudgingly explore the farm with Tater at her side.
What’s Inspiring Me Right Now
Here are a few things I’m currently reading or listening to that spark inspiration and creativity:
Fieldwork - A Forager’s Memoir by Iliana Regan
“Wiser Than Me” - podcast with Julie Louis-Dreyfus
My Kitchen Year - 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl
“SmartLess” - podcast with Jason Batemen, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett
