I know – I’m sorry – Duendesday slipped right by in the busy and bustle of online meetings yesterday. I can tell you she’s developing a new comic series of Bunnies (and a comic relief duck princess) and the perspectives are hilarious. Today she wants to cuddle up in our animal onesies (no, J doesn’t have one – he refuses, though the child is deeply offended. I get to be the Mama Llama) and watch a rainy day movie and eat popcorn. Let it be.

Food – I hear the world is baking. That sounds lovely. What’s thrilling about sourdough or fermentation, in particular, is that everyone will bring their own funk to the table. It is your own terroir – your bacteria, fueled by the air and moisture in your space and environment. I also hear there is a bit of flour shortage! Though not here in Maine – we love to use Maine Grains (though for bulk baking we stick to King Arthur; we’re just poor country folk up here, though with a consideration of localish/B corp/ Cooperatives) and Skowhegan is seeing a big surge of business which is great. Maine grown, Maine stone ground: bring grain back to Maine. Brilliant.

But that’s not what I’m offering here today. Today it’s a classic Roast Chicken (see, it’s almost like Duendesday!) and Ottolenghi’s Sweet Potato Gratin. Simple and really sexy. The latter is not adapted very much at all – because it’s amazing just the way it is. A lovely arty friend gave me the cookbook and it’s got some real keepers in it – this one is easy and decadent, all at the same time. As far as the Roast Chicken goes – this method is perfect, every time. I’ve tried many methods, and though this one seems a bit more ‘maintenance’ (it’s not, really, there are worse), I’ve never been disappointed, it’s adapted from a Food52 recipe I’ve been using for years (the original adds lavender at the last timing stage, and it’s wonderful, especially in early Fall when you can still squeeze in the last of the pink wine and salads with butter lettuces).

Roast Chicken

3-4lb whole chicken (we use our own free range frozen chickens – need one? Let us know! They aren’t as ‘plump’ as store bought because they run around and are of a breed that can fend for themselves a bit, a little wilder than the hybrids specifically built for meat – but I find them very tasty), thawed
Olive Oil
Salt & Black Pepper
(on other days without the Gratin, also use Soy Sauce/Tamari/Amino Acids for rub)
Garlic Powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub chicken all over with olive oil, salt & pepper, and put in roaster pan/dutch oven. When oven is hot, roast chicken (no lid/cover) for 20 min. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR (this is very important, it is the ‘secret’ ingredient of this recipe) – turn down oven to 325 degrees and roast for 45min. After the 20 min high roast, then the 45 min secret roast, it’s at this point you can add herbs sprinkled on top or 2″cubed potatoes tossed in olive oil/s &p, then roast for another 45 min. Any time after the initial 45 you can check on, peek at, temp your chicken (insert thermometer in the deepest part of the thigh, though with my little guys I generally try one or two points, 165-170 degrees). When the chicken temps correctly, remove, cover and let sit 10-15 min (with slicing time will equal the  25m in below while the sweet tatas cook, see below). Slice, pick, eat, enjoy (sometimes we just serve it whole for the 3 of us, somewhere at the 30 min mark we throw in halved asparagus spears, make flatbreads and eat ‘family style’).

Don’t forget to toss your chicken bones in some water for broth or in the freezer for broth later!

Sweet Potato Gratin

6 Med Sweet Potatoes, sliced into(unpeeled) 1/8″ discs
5Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh sage (or 3 Tbsp crumbled dry, need some?), though thyme or rosemary would be equally yummy
6 Garlic cloves, crushed/minced
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Heavy Cream

If making with the chicken, you will add this dish covered at the second 45 min. mark (when you’re allowed to open the oven), and uncover to finish cooking when you remove the chicken, raising the temp up to 400 degrees.

If making separate – Preheat oven to 400 degrees and proceed. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, rub sweet potato discs with olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic, and herb. Then collect them and stand them up in tight stacks “they should fit together quite tightly so you get the parallel lines of sweet potato slices (skins showing) along the length or width of the dish”. Cover the dish with foil and Roast approx 45 min. Uncover, pour cream evenly over the potatoes and roast another 25 min. Fork or slide knife into potatoes to make sure they are tender and soft. Enjoy. They are delectable, and even magickal the next day with a crispy piece of sourdough toast and an egg.

You just read that title twice, didn’t you, because it instantly sounds soooooo good. If you are on lockdown and need some magickal, relatively healthy, homey food – don’t fret. If you are out and about in the countryside (where here it is still pretty chilly), this will warm you up. If you are just looking to amp up your broth making skills and combo bowls, this is the ticket.

I love making parmesan chicken broth for this (especially in all the germ busting  concerns, I want all the goodness) but it is equally easy and very satisfying to make veggie broths (or just parm broths) for this meal, as well. I save all my parmesan ends and freeze them for just these moments. Everything in this dish can be suited to your cupboards – kale or broccoli for the cauliflower (or even sweet potato/winter squash, this is a good dish to use up any frozen kale or broccoli ends you might have stashed), the cream can be substituted for cashew milk/cream or coconut milk (or do without the creaminess, it will still be lovely), the barley for farro/spelt/wheatberries/wild or brown rice or even tortellini/egg noodle), and any beans that suit you – canned cannellini, chickpea, soldier beans, lentils (though I can’t picture kidney or black as much – but not impossible)…

A good parm broth is an amazing thing – this one is the ‘mother of all parm broths’, but I also just add parmesan to the broths I’m making and it adds an extra depth and deliciousness (just stir every now and again so it doesn’t glop up on the bottom and stick to the pan). My basic chicken broth is the standard go-to: it entails a couple of chicken carcasses (I save those up in the freezer, too) or even just last night’s leftover chicken into the pot with some garlic, onion, carrot, celery if you have it (all chopped roughly), thyme (dried or fresh), salt, chopped 1″ turmeric root (if you have it, or 1/4 tsp ground, or one small knob dried root) – add enough water to cover all, boil/simmer until reduced to a delicious gold – drain everything (pick the chicken meat off if any, add back to broth) and then add parmesan for this dish.

If making a vat of bone broth cook longer and a little ACV (one chicken = 2 Tbsp). I boil it for about 3 days, just leaving it on the stove and adding more water as needed, and any additional veg parts that come my way.

If doing veggie broth, I do about the same with the vegetables but change the turmeric to 1/8 tsp and add 1/8 tsp cumin, chili powder, 2 chopped tomatoes or 14oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, and a chopped potato (I find browning some vegetables like the onion/carrot can add nice depth as well, and using alcohol like beer or wine to deglaze for body), and for creaminess add some smashed roasted garlic. To increase a sense of creaminess with veg broth for this dish below, you can also puree half of the roasted cauliflower.

Note: If using storebought dried beans, soak overnight (unless lentils) – if they are your own dried beans they (like lentils) will need a preboil but not an overnight soak.

Creamy Beans & Barley en Brodo with Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4-6

1 head of cauliflower (cut into 2″ florets and chunks)
1 cup dried beans (or 30oz canned/boxed/cooked) [today I am using our leftover motley of beans that we grew last year – True Cranberry Pole beans which are gorgeous, Marfax which I adore, and Tiger’s Eye which look like the Cranberry and Marfax were fooling around in the jar] See note above recipe regarding dry beans.
2 Med carrots, chopped
1 Med onion, chopped
1 cup dry hulled barley (farro/spelt/fregola/rice, etc)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 (3-4″) parmesan ends without paper (scrape off wax or paper)
4 cups of broth (more to consistency preference, remember cream will also add liquid)
1/2 pint of cream (or 1 can coconut milk, etc)
a few sprigs of fresh or dried sage (or rosemary)
Salt & Pepper to taste
olive oil for drizzling after and for roasting cauliflower
can also sprinkle hot chili powder and sumac over top to serve for extra ZING!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cauliflower on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt & pepper, toss to coat. Roast for about 40min, turning pan about halfway through (you can turn your cauli if you want, too, but we rarely do).

Meanwhile, on the stovetop, bring prepared beans to simmer in broth with parmesan (taste – when still firm but on their way) add onion/carrot/garlic/sage and barley. Continue to actively simmer; should take about 45 minutes further for both bean and barley to be tender). Check for consistency and add cream. Let simmer 5 minutes more.

It’s at this point your preferences come into play – if you like it thicker, cook a little longer before adding cream to reduce. If cream is already in and you want it thicker, puree a little of the cooked cauliflower. If you need it thinner, add more broth or water to loosen stew. Salt and Pepper to taste. We like our moderately thick with barley and beans with a little pooling of broth around it – like porridge (but that might depend on if J wants to dip bread in it, then you want more broth, for sure).

Add roasted cauliflower florets (yes, some will be meltingly deliciously carmelized and super tender, all the better), drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sumac and chili and ENJOY!