Asparagus

7 Reasons Why Memorial Day is a Great Holiday!

by Anne Maxfield on May 28, 2012

Accidental Locavore Grill

Memorial Day would be a lesser holiday except that the timing of it is just too perfect! Without it, how we would ever figure out (without a calendar) when summer starts? As you and the Accidental Locavore know, the weather certainly can’t be trusted!

  1. According to popular media, we wouldn’t know when to start firing up the barbecue…OK, if you have to wait till now to grill, you must live in a very cold place (in which case, is Memorial Day celebrated there?). The Locavore and her husband barbecue pretty much year-round, the only exception being if we have to shovel snow to get to it. I don’t really know why but my favorite food to do on the grill is chicken. Steaks and burgers are great, but there’s something about grilling chicken that really makes it wonderful! What do you most look forward to grilling?
  2. Now that you’ve got the grill going in its official capacity, you need something to put on it, right? Isn’t it convenient that it’s also the start of a lot of farmers’ markets? Asparagus are great now and work really well on the grill. I’ve read a lot lately about grilling lettuce but haven’t tried it, have you? Ramps are on their way out, however it doesn’t take many to put on a grilled pizza…And local strawberries just need a quick rinse to make dessert (although a little vanilla ice cream never hurt). Accidental Locavore Strawberries
  3. We can wear white. Now most people are way more evolved, but I was brought up that you couldn’t wear white before Memorial Day (or after Labor Day) and some traditions just stick with you.
  4. Smart companies start summer hours. I’m not sure if this is a NY thing, but try to find a fully-staffed office in this town on a Friday after 2:00. Half-day Fridays; great idea!
  5. The reason for summer hours? They go hand-in-hand with summer rentals. How boring life would be if holiday rentals simply started on June 1st…
  6. Fleet Week in Manhattan. No matter how many times you’ve seen the ships come in, it’s always amazing to see them up close, to see how massive they are and how easily they maneuver their way up the Hudson River. Many years ago, my friend Laura and I got a personal tour of a destroyer and it was pretty impressive! Between the joy-sticks (that fire actual missiles!), the food choices and even ATM’s on every level, it was a memorable tour!
  7. Which leads to the real reason to love Memorial Day. Just seeing the sailors and soldiers on the streets of New York is the best reminder of what the holiday is all about; honoring those who have served. Thank you!

 

 

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Roast Chicken With Ramps, Asparagus and Capers

by Anne Maxfield on May 17, 2012

Accidental Locavore Spring RampsHave you been taking the easy way out and picking up pre-roasted chickens? Well, the Accidental Locavore is going to change your mind about doing it yourself at home! This is an easy, no-fuss way to roast a bird with nice crisp skin and added bonus: the veggies are roasted along with the bird.  I adapted this from the New York Times and added asparagus. Feel free to add whatever is in season, just add them in sooner if they need more roasting time. If you don’t do this in the next five minutes, while ramps are in season, substitute scallions, which should work almost as well.

Roast Chicken With Ramps, Asparagus and Capers

Print recipe
Roast Chicken With Ramps, Asparagus and Capers
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Total time 1 hours, 10 minutes
Meal type Main Dish
The Accidental Locavore adapted this easy way to roast a chicken from the New York Times. An easy main course recipe for chicken roasted with spring vegetables: ramps and asparagus.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, 4-41/2 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bunch ramps, about 6 ounces, washed
  • 1lb asparagus, washed and cut into 3" lengths
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon capers

Directions

Step 1
Rub the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper. If you have time, do this 2-3 hours ahead of time and refrigerate uncovered (this will help the skin crisp up when you cook it). Place a large (10" or bigger) cast iron skillet in the oven and heat to 500 degrees. Leave the chicken out to warm to room temperature while the oven heats up.
Step 2
Prep the ramps: trim the roots from the bottoms and remove the outer layer of skin. Separate the leaves from the bulbs. Cut any bulb fatter than a pencil, in half lengthwise. Cut the leaves into 3" pieces and set aside.
Step 3
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, breast side up. Cut the skin connecting the legs (thighs actually) to the body. Spread out the legs until you feel the joints pop on each side. Place 2 of the lemon quarters in the cavity of the chicken. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully place the chicken in it, breast side up. Remember the pan is really hot! Press down on the legs so they lie flat on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the oil over the bird. Roast for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Add the ramp bulbs, asparagus, garlic and capers to the skillet. Stir to coat with the juices from the pan. Roast until the ramps and asparagus are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 10-20 minutes more (total cooking time 40-50 minutes).
Step 5
Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, add the ramp leaves to the pan and stir until just wilted. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, and serve with the vegetables and the pan juices. Add the juice from the remaining lemon if desired. Serve and enjoy!
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My verdict: a great way to roast a chicken and having the side dish made at the same time is a big plus! Use a good quality chicken here, you’ll be able to taste the difference. Because I had them, I used Meyer lemons, which gave it a wonderful mellow lemon flavor that worked well with the ramps and asparagus. Tossing a few small potatoes in at the beginning might work but I would need a bigger cast-iron pan. What do you think?

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The Accidental Locavore at Le Victor Hugo: a Very Good Good Friday!

by Anne Maxfield on April 16, 2012

Accidental Locavore Russan CathedralThe Accidental Locavore thinks that sometimes the old saying “no good deed goes unpunished” doesn’t hold true in France. Many of our most memorable meals  come when my husband and I have been exploring  places one of us has little or no interest in (all the F1 racetracks in France) and afterwards, as a reward we always seem to find an amazing meal.

Such was the case when we went off in search of the one big tourist attraction in Nice we had never seen, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. This was an adventure that the Locavore had wanted to do for a while, but Frank is not a big church guy and it was pretty far off our regular routes. Along the way, down Avenue Victor Hugo, possibly the most beautiful street in Nice, we came upon a little corner bistro, with a simple but interesting menu, a possibility for lunch later. Accidental Locavore Le Victor Hugo

After a mostly nice, long walk we came to the Cathedral. Built by Tzar Nicholas and finished in 1912, it’s big and beautiful, with azure and green tiled onion domes surrounded by an intricate cast iron fence…locked! Now why a church would be closed on Good Friday is beyond me, but it’s probably because the Russian Orthodox religion has Easter on a different calendar than we do. Back home we schlepped, with me hoping that lunch at le Victor Hugo would be good enough to erase his short-term memory of a long walk for a closed cathedral.

Accidental Locavore French CharcuterieYou had to know it was going to be fine when the musician (my husband) was seated under a painting of a conductor. You had to know it was going to be fine when there was no menu, just a recitation of the day’s three main courses. You had to really hope it was going to be fine, when Frank ordered a lunchtime pastis. And you had to relax and know it was going to be fine when you got really hungry, seeing what the guy at the next table was eating.

It was more than fine!Accidental Locavore Cold Asparagus

While Frank sipped his drink, the hostess/waitress brought an amuse bouche of salami and a smooth pâté on tiny slices of ficelle (a baguette’s skinny cousin) I had a starter of white asparagus with green tips in a simple vinaigrette. Then we both had the côte de boeuf, perfectly grilled, sprinkled with sea salt and served with béarnaise sauce on the side.Accidental Locavore Cote de Boeuf It tasted as good as it looked! But what would any steak in France be without a side of frites? These were small cubes, golden brown, hot, salty and amazingly good!Accidental Locavore Frites As Frank noticed, somehow each and every piece of potato was perfectly fried on each surface. Definitely in the top ten of potatoes I have eaten, and believe me, we ate all of them!

Dessert? No room for what looked like perfect pastries and tarts, just a very reasonable bill and a couple of very happy diners. Accidental Locavore Happy Frank

As we left, Frank looked at an adjoining table and said wistfully (and on a full stomach) “They got an entree portion of the potatoes….”

 

 

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The Accidental Locavore’s Farm Box and a Recipe for Sugar Snap Peas

by Anne Maxfield on June 17, 2011

Accidental Locavore Farm Box Week 2

This week the Accidental Locavore’s farm box definitely looked like things are getting ripe on the farm. The big surprise was a box of beautiful strawberries, as lovely and flavorful as the ones we got in Nice. If you missed my Facebook page, they were so good with cherries on top of homemade yogurt! Accidental Locavore Yogurt with Berries

There were what may be the last of the asparagus, big purple ones (because Farmer Paul knows when it comes to asparagus, I’m a size queen) and some skinny green ones he threw in since we were chatting and catching up while banding asparagus and getting them ready for the market. The next morning, I tossed a spear in the microwave for a minute, then sliced it thinly on the diagonal and added them to my scrambled eggs for another great breakfast.

Two kinds of lettuce, a bunch of arugula and I’m set for lunch for the week.

And finally, a big batch of sugar snap peas to sauté in olive oil or butter and top with my favorite herbs. Here’s the recipe:

Sugar Snap Peas With Your Favorite Herbs

Accidental Locavore Sugar Snap PeasSugar snap peas are pretty amenable to being paired with a variety of fresh herbs. Here’s a basic recipe for them that’s quick and easy. Feel free to use your favorite herbs and citrus. A shallot thinly sliced and sautéed with the peas would work well too. Experiment and see what you like the best. Here are some suggestions: mint with lemon, lime or orange, cilantro with lime, thyme or tarragon with lemon, lemon verbena with lemon, basil with orange or lime.  Serves 4.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound sugar snap peas (Snap off the stem ends of the snap peas and pull the string down the length)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint (chopped)

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the peas and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and sauté, stirring until the lime juice is almost evaporated. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt & pepper and stir in the mint. Serve and enjoy!

What’s your favorite herb/citrus combination?

If you want to experience Paul Wigsten’s amazing produce for yourself, catch him and his family at the Millbrook NY farmers’ market on Saturdays from 9-1. You don’t really need a black Range Rover and matching Lab, but it couldn’t hurt…

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