"Chicken, Chicken, Chicken"

A beautiful sunny weekend and the smell of roasting chicken. Doesn't get better than that. A busy week ahead so I needed to be sure I prepared something that could be used in other ways in other dishes. Here is what's on the table.

Perfect Roast Chicken
Smashed Potatoes and Broccoli
Baked Pears with Pumpkin Cream and Cinnamon-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Soba Noodle Soup

The chicken is very simple. A lemon is cut in quarters and placed in the cavity along with a head of garlic cut in half and sprigs of thyme. Vegetables are layered in the bottom of the roasting pan; carrots, onion, and fennel. The chicken is placed on the vegetables and brushed with melted butter. The skin turns a warm shade of brown during roasting and the juices cook into the vegetables.

The potato dish was a pleasant surprise. The recipe called for Yukon gold potatoes but I chose to use sweet potatoes which are cut in cubes and cooked in salted water. After about 20 minutes, broccoli florets are added to the potatoes. The potato/broccoli mix is drained and milk, a bit of butter are added, then the mixture is mashed. Salt and pepper to taste. An excellent dish and it reheated very well this evening.

Pears are in season and I really like Bosc. Pears are cut in half the long way, the stem and seeds are removed. Riesling, honey, cinnamon stick and a bay leaf are poured over the top and basted several times during baking. The filling was a mixture of cream cheese, pumpkin and whipped cream. I toasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, sugar and a bit of butter and these were sprinkled over the top. A nice ending to the meal.

The soup this week used some of the leftover chicken. Chicken broth is the base with slices of ginger root and soy sauce. Soba noodles are added and cooked until tender. Then the shredded chicken is stirred into the broth. In a bowl a mixture of coleslaw mix, snow peas and scallions covers the bottom. The hot soba noodle broth is poured over the vegetables. Have not made this kind of soup before, but it is very good and will make for some great lunches this week

The rest of the chicken will be part of an apple, pecan salad later in the week.

I will be attending the Food-Wine festival in Kohler Wisconsin next weekend so my food on Sunday will likely be simple. I have been to the festival before and enjoyed the demonstrations and market place.

Have a good week and enjoy the foods of the harvest.