Moroccan-Style Chicken and Root Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 1998
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2” knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
7 cups winter vegetables, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (butternut squash, parsnips, turnips, carrots, rutabagas)
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
¼ cup dried currants or raisins
¾ cup chopped green olives
1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pot and sauté until light golden but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to bowl.
Add onion to pot and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir 1 minute. Add curry powder, cumin and cinnamon stick and stir 30 seconds. Add vegetables, broth and currants. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives and chicken with any accumulated juices to pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and flavors blend, about 5 minutes longer. Serve over couscous or rice.
Quick Pickled Carrots and Rutabaga
RECIPES copyright Melissa Pasanen and Rick Gencarelli, Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food and Stories from Vermont (Viking, 2007)
3 large carrots (about ¾ pound), peeled and cut into sticks about 3” long by ½” wide
1 small rutabaga (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into sticks about 3” long by ½” wide
1 cup cider vinegar
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 Tbsp whole fennel seeds
1½ tsp whole mustard seeds
¼ tsp whole black peppercorns
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to taste
Fresh dill sprigs and fresh fennel fronds (optional)
Prepare a large bowl full of ice water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the carrots and rutabaga, and boil for 1 minute. Drain immediately and plunge veggies into the ice water to stop cooking.
In the same pot, combine remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer 3 minutes.
Drain the cooled vegetables and put them in a heat-resistant container along with the dill sprigs and fennel fronds, if using. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables and cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. Makes 2 quarts pickles. Note: also works well with turnips and golden beets.
Crunchy Winter Crudité with Spicy Dill Dip
For the crudité:
3 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
¼ small head of purple cabbage, cored and cut into ½ wedges
½ celery root, peeled and cut into 1/8” thick strips
4” piece of daikon, peeled and cut into 1/8” rounds
3-4 golden or chiogga beets, peeled and cut into 1/8” rounds
For the dip:
½ cup sour cream
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp horseradish
2 tsp dried dill
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp chili sauce (or 2 tsp chili powder)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dry mustard (a squirt of dijon works fine, too)
2-3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients and chill for an hour. Pile crudité onto a platter with the dip on the side. Serves 4-6.
