WEDNESDAY
Dry~Poached Chicken Breasts with Olallieberry Sauce | Roasted Green Bean & Baby Potato Salad
“Marionberries and olallieberries are relatively new varieties of cultivated blackberries, both very popular with Northwest growers. Both bear large, black, shiny, sweet berries with a medium~to~firm texture and more than a hint of wild blackberry flavor…In most places berry season starts in late spring and lasts through midsummer. Because cultivated blackberries are generally larger, juicier, sweeter, higher in acid, and decidedly less seedy than wild ones, they are better for canning and jam~making. They also make delicious sauces…” ~ Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Fruit
Prior to last Saturday’s farmers’ market trip I had never before heard of olallieberries. A huge fan of blackberries, I was drawn to the containers of shiny, plump fruit but as I approached the market table upon which they were displayed I noticed the unfamiliar, rather odd labeling. Although similar in shape to their wild cousins, olallieberries boast variegated color tones ranging from deep red to practically black and their flavor, while decidedly sweet, possesses a layer of tartness….
The few ingredients for this simple, savory sauce continue to play with that sweet/tart combination: sweet berries and raw honey; tart, whole~grain mustard and cider vinegar; peppery basil…
The sauce itself couldn’t be any easier to prepare. The ingredients are placed in a food processor and, after a good whirl, the finished sauce emerges with a beautiful majestic purple color {no cooking required}…
For this meal, the sauce added some flair to simple dry-poached {skinless, boneless} chicken breasts but I think it would be equally wonderful on grilled meats such as pork, lamb and sausages.
- 2 cups fresh olallieberries
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons raw honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 heaping tablespoons whole~grain mustard
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth sauce is achieved.
- Yields approximately 1 1/2 cups
Tender green beans and baby potatoes were washed and cut {beans trimmed of their ends} and then tossed with a few tablespoons of good olive oil, some minced garlic, salt and pepper and then roasted on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven until golden brown. I cooked the vegetables and the chicken side~by~side in the oven…dinner was ready in about 35 minutes!
