TUESDAY

Roast Chickens  |  Thyme-Mashed Potatoes  |  Chopped Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan Shavings

Maybe I watched too much of The Electric Company or Sesame Street when I was growing up but , I have to admit, I like grouping things {finding a theme in almost everything I do}…finding out which one doesn’t belong, making order out of chaos, Type A personality, illness {call it what you will}.  Yesterday was…chaos.  Nothing fit or went together.  But today, went back to “normal”.  I woke up, the sun came out, I walked into the sunroom and met these bright faces…

and after several errands, came home to this waiting bunch…

Lemons, bright, sunshine, yellow…this would be my “theme” today.  It began early with A Very Lemony Bundt Cake and continued in to dinner.  I did not use the kale scheduled for last evening’s dinner {let’s not revisit that} and I had a bunch of “naked” Meyer lemons sitting in my refrigerator from  A Very Lemony Bundt Cake  made earlier today.  So the peas, slated for tonight’s dinner were replaced by a Chopped Kale Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette.  I have made this lemon vinaigrette hundreds of times but never with Meyer lemons…it was the best!  Make the vinaigrette several hours {or even a day before}…

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

• ½ cup very good quality olive oil
  
• ½ cup freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice {about 3 lemons}
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting cover.  Cover the jar, tightly and shake, vigorously, to blend.  Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.  If making the day before, refrigerate and allow to come to room temperature for 2 hours before using.

Now for the Roast Chickens…this is the most basic, simple roast chicken recipe but it results in perfectly, moist chicken meat EVERYTIME!  I have been roasting our chickens, regardless of the recipe, this way for years…ever since I first learned about this method from Alice Waters in her book, The Art of Simple Food.  Like I said, it is basic, but sometimes {tonight, for instance} you just need a good, moist, simple chicken.  Our spices and tang are coming from the herbed, mashed potatoes and the citrus vinaigrette this evening…all I wanted from the chicken was moist, velvet-like meat and that is what we enjoyed {this recipe NEVER fails}…

Simple Roast Chickens {adapted from Alice Waters}

• 2 whole chickens, each weighing 4-5 pounds each
• Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper
• Good quality olive oil

1. Remove the giblets from the cavity of each chicken and reserve in an airtight container, placed in the refrigerator {to be used for chicken stock tomorrow}.
2. Coat each chicken, inside & out, with salt & freshly ground pepper.  Cover loosely and refrigerate for 1-2 days in advance, if possible, or at least several hours.  At least 1 hour before cooking, remove the chickens to a lightly oiled pan, breast-side up.  Preheat the oven to 400°F.
3. Roast the two chickens for 30 minutes and then remove pan from oven and turn both birds breast-side down.  Return pan to oven and continue to roast the chickens for another 30 minutes.  Once again, remove pan from oven and turn chickens breast-side up & return pan to oven and continue to roast until done ~ about another 30 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving.

While the chickens are roasting, prepare the  Thyme-Mashed Potatoes {adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2007}…

Thyme-Mashed Potatoes {adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2007}

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & quartered
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8-10 tablespoons warm whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes until tender 20-30 minutes.   Drain & return to pot.  Add butter, creme & thyme ~ mash.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

While  the chickens are resting, prepare the salad…

Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Shaved Parmesan

• 8 cups, thinly sliced Kale {that has been washed & dried}
• ¾ cup fresh parmesan shavings
• Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, to taste

1. Place kale in a large salad bowl.  Toss with a few tablespoons of the Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & top with fresh parmesan shavings.

TODAY was a great day…hope to see you tomorrow!