sweet & savory roasted chicken

“food must not only be good to eat, but also good to think”--Claude Levi-Strauss

Some like to fix sweet potatoes sweetly, others prefer savory; this recipe is the best of both worlds. Everything used to make this meal came from local farms save the oil, salt, and pepper.

This is the first time I’ve ordered chicken from my CSA, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the moistness and flavor. This meal makes the most of everything that’s in season right now, making it very cost-effective.

adapted from Real Simple’s recipe

serves 4
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken legs
3 tbps olive oil
2 ½ tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes
1 medium onion
2 tbps honey

to make your chicken:
*preheat oven to 400
*pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place in the dutch oven (or roasting pan)
*drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper, rub to coat
*roast chicken for 25 minutes
*meanwhile, chop sweet potatoes and onions into 1” pieces and combine in a large bowl with honey and remaining spices
*after chicken has roasted for 25 minutes, add sweet potato mixture on top of chicken and cook another 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Pan-Fried Glazed Pork Chops

these chops had a great flavor, despite the fact that i probably over-cooked them slightly. my crackling wasn't entirely successful, since the chops i found were very lean. we had them with a salad, baked potato, and rolls; looking back i probably would have served them with a sweet potatoes instead. this was a really quick dinner, and one i plan to make again.

adapted from Jamie Oliver's 'Food Revolution'

serves 2
2 x 8-ounce pork chops
olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
4 sprigs of fresh sage
mango chutney
honey

to prepare your pork:*trim the skin off the edges of each chop to turn into crackling
*cut each strip of skin lengthwise into 2 strips, ending up with 4
*make cuts every 1/4" along the fat remaining on the chops
*rub both sides of the chops (and strips of skin) with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper
*pick the sage leaves off their stalks and toss gently in olive oil, set aside

to cook your pork:
*put a frying pan over a high heat and add strips of skin
*move them about the pan and remove when golden , crisp, crackling
*lay both chops flat in the pan and give them 4-5 minutes on each side, turning every minute
*when they're golden, add a few sage leaves to the pan
*let them crisp up and cook for about 30 seconds, then remove them to a plate
*spoon a large tablespoon of mango chutney mixed with honey over each chop
*keep turning the chops over so they get nicely coated
*remove the chops to a plate and let them rest for a minute or two

to serve your pork:
*serve your chops on a plate, with the crackling and the crispy sage leaves