When produce is plenty, it’s easy to throw a few things together on a busy weeknight to feed the family.
After the harvest of summer and fall, do you struggle with how to incorporate local, seasonal produce into your diet?
One way is to change your pantry with each season. Legumes, grains, dried herbs, canned tomatoes, citrus, mushrooms, and winter vegetables offer many meal options.
With a well-stocked pantry, market visits, and a good butcher, it’s easy to prepare fuss-free, hearty, and healthy meals. One-dish meals, soups or stews are all fast favorites.
Dad’s Hearty Chicken Bake
Recipe: Courtesy of Phoebe’s dad Yields 8 servings
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced in ½-inch pieces on the diagonal (2 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 large potato or sweet potato, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (14.5-ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or Italian herb blend
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon powdered rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice (substitute with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of ground nutmeg and cloves)
To garnish: • crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Cut the chicken breasts in half for even baking. Spread the chicken pieces in a
9x13-inch baking dish.
3. Spread the carrots, onion, potato, and garlic over the chicken pieces.
4. In a medium mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, pepper, rosemary, and Chinese five spice.
5. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
6. Cover and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
7. Garnish with crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Barley Chicken Stew
Yields 6-8 servings
We prefer thick soups and stews in our chowder bowls. If you prefer a thinner stew, add a bit of broth just before serving. The grains will continue to soak up liquids until the soup cools. I prefer unpearled barley, as it has a stronger texture, but use what is easy to find.
Ingredients: • 12-16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups) • 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup) • 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped • ¾ cup pearled or non-pearled barley • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 2 teaspoons dried thyme • 1 teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper • 2 ½ cups low-sodium broth • ½ cup white wine or broth • 1 can (14.5-ounce) crushed tomatoes To garnish: • crumbled chèvre
Directions:
1. Cut each breast in half and place the chicken pieces in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.
2. In a medium mixing bowl toss the sweet potato, onion, garlic, barley, balsamic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spoon the vegetables over the chicken; add broth, wine, and tomatoes.
3. Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 5-6 hours, until the chicken is cooked.
4. Remove and shred or cube the chicken; return to the soup. Serve immediately and cool any unused portion. Add more broth if too thick. Garnish with crumbled chèvre.
* Substitute sweet potatoes with carrots or winter squash.
Sicilian Sausage and Broccolini Skillet Dinner
Yields 4-6 servings
This is a simple family dish using local ingredients. Find Sicilian sausage at The Turkey Lady, mushrooms from Groff’s Produce and tagliatelle from The Herb Shop—all at Lancaster Central Market.
The Sicilian turkey sausage has a bit of orange, lemon, herbs and red pepper flakes. Add lemon zest to the dish, if you like, and garnish with a wedge of fresh lemon.
Ingredients:
• 6 ounces dry pasta, extra wide noodle style or tagliatelle
• 1 bunch broccolini
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 links (10 ounces) fresh Sicilian-style turkey sausage or another preferred sausage, removed from casing
• 8 ounces sliced baby portabella mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
To garnish: • crumbled feta cheese • lemon wedges Sauce Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 heaping tablespoon flour • ¾-1 cup low-sodium broth • 3 tablespoons white wine • 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard • Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Prepare the Pasta and Sausage:
• Blanch the broccolini in a dutch oven or large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Remove and immerse in ice water; drain when cool. Use the boiling water to prepare the pasta, per package instructions. Set pasta aside.
• In the same pot over medium heat, sauté the sausage in the olive oil until it crumbles. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and spoon the mixture into a bowl with the drained broccolini; set aside.
2. Prepare the Sauce:
• Turn the heat to medium-low. To the same pot, add the butter and flour. Using the back of a fork, stir the butter mixture to create a paste, incorporating the pan drippings. Stir until the mixture lightly bubbles and turns golden, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the broth, wine and mustard, stirring until a smooth sauce forms, about 2 minutes.
3. Assemble:
• Add the sausage mixture, noodles, and broccolini to the pot; stir to coat.
• Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with feta and a lemon wedge.
Recipes and photography by Phoebe Canakis