The Joy of Roasting

We received a roasting pan for a wedding gift and I thought, "I am never going to use this."  How wrong I was!  My husband started using the pan a few years ago when he began preparing holiday roasts (on Thanksgiving and Christmas).  He has been perfecting his recipe for several years now.  When he adds his green chili gravy...wonderful.  Unfortunately, I can't share his recipe since he doesn't write it down.  However, this past summer I discovered the joy of roasting chicken and therefore finally got to make use of the pan.  This year, I decided to make a concerted effort to eat more locally produced foods.  As part of this objective, I ordered five chickens (spaced out over several months) from the Zakarison Partnership, a nearby farm.  The Zakarisons are third generation wheat farmers but have recently begun diversifying their farm and now have a certified organic section of their farm, as well as ethically and sustainably raised sheep and pastured poultry.  After my somewhat spontaneous order of chickens, I realized I had to learn to roast them.  Despite the stress and the fevered consulting of my Julia Child cookbook, it's actually so easy I feel guilty when it's my turn to cook.  I simply baste the chicken in olive oil and herbs, place it breast-side down in the roasting pan, add potatoes and carrots to the pan, cover the pan, and put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 1.5-2 hours.  The bird is done when the temperature of the meat in the thickest portion is 180 degrees and the juice runs clear.  Instead of cooking over a hot stove, I just have about 10 minutes of prep and then can relax before dinner (as my husband says, roasting pans are the original crock pot).   Of course you can also make stock from the leftover chicken bits--but that is a post for another day!

Small Business Saturday

Apparently there is a lesser known shopping holiday following Thanksgiving.  While Black Friday is still known for crazy stampedes searching for the latest gadget, Small Business Saturday is a more leisurely day of exploring (and shopping at!) your community's locally owned businesses.  Buying local means that more of your money stays in your community, supporting payrolls and benefits, as well as local tax revenues.  One study  found that three times as many dollars continue to circulate within a community when spent at locally-owned business when compared to corporate retailers.  Personally, I feel that it's much more rewarding to shop at local businesses.  First of all, if they don't have something, they will often order it for you--which certain corporate retailers not-be-named will NOT do--they will just refer you to their website where YOU pay the shipping!  Secondly, the staff at locally owned businesses tend to be more knowledgeable about their products.  I have also found that the owners, especially, have minds like squirrels--they always remember who bought their nuts and can remind you which wine you liked or what part will work with your bike.  Finally, shopping locally is a social activity, where you bump into friends or can stop to have coffee or a scone on your way around town.  So go support your local businesses!

 

First snow

The first snow of the year always makes me philosophical.  There's something about sitting by a warm fire in the half-light of northern winter afternoon that triggers day dreaming and deep sighs.  I especially love it when the snow occurs over a holiday, allowing me to fully indulge in getting lost in my thoughts. I hope that this winter is full of such days--especially ones with snow.  We barely had winter last year (although all my East Coast friends had tons!) and summer was short and cool.  When I think about it, it's kind of been a year of nothing but spring and fall, which here means mud, unpredictable weather, and general frustration because I can't ski and I can't grow tomatoes.  So here's a toast to a hoped-for winter filled with clear, cold mornings and sun glinting on snow, with a little nod to the garlic and spinach growing in the earth under the snow in my garden!