The Family Farm Box

After years of happy vegetable eating, my darling daughter has gone into a full blown white hunger strike. If it isn’t noodles, butter, Parmesan cheese or a chicken nugget, I am up against negotiations that include ipads, playdates and the silent treatment. I’m making a stand instead of making two meals, and like any revolution, the going is getting tough.

I have a two pronged approach to getting Bella on the same plate at the family table: making a dinner composed of a protein (grilled, sauteed or baked), a starch and a vegetable. This approach is embraced by our entire family, as we love a good grilled flank steak or roasted chicken served with a some perfectly grilled vegetables or roasted potatoes. To combat my need to be “cheffy”, I’ll make a fruit chutney or chimichurri to serve alongside, which, of course, will be completely snubbed by the Princess of Refined Starches.

The second approach is to make a braise that can be deconstructed by Miss Picky. For example, with this Braised Chicken with Summer Vegetables and Herbs de Provence, she can pick out green beans, zucchini and chicken, which I’ll serve along with a side of her favorite pasta, as long as it is whole grain, and the dinner table becomes less battleground, more family friendly, for everyone.

Braised Chicken with Summer Vegetables, Lemon and Herbs de Provence
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound zucchini, cut in half length-wise, then into half moons
Olive oil, salt & pepper
1 pound chicken thighs
2 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups good quality chicken stock
2 sprigs each, rosemary & thyme, and 1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh herbs finely chopped: parsley, tarragon, and basil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges

Method: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add a bit of olive oil to the bottom. Sear the green beans until browned, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the pan. Heat a bit more olive oil, sear the zucchini until browned, season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, lightly toss with flour, and heat more olive oil in the Dutch oven. Put half of the chicken in the pan and brown, then turn to brown the opposite side. Remove from the pan, then brown the remaining chicken. Remove from the pan.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and brown, stirring occasionally. Add wine to the pan, then stir to bring the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until slightly syrupy, then add the chicken stock. Put the chicken back in the pan, add the rosemary and thyme, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, then place the lid on the pot and cook for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and fork tender.
Pull the thyme and rosemary sprigs from the braising liquid. Add the chopped fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, the tomatoes and the browned vegetables back to the pot, stir together and taste for seasoning.

Turkey chile is my favorite go-to family dinner, topped off with tortilla chips, cheese, green onions and sour cream. I love the endless versatility, possibilities that go with the seasonal flow. This time I made it with Northern California sweet potatoes, but as the warm summer days produce sweet red bell peppers, I’ll swap those in. I always use organic black beans in my chile, but my friend and cooking partner, Stephanie, insists that no chile is complete with any less than three beans; black, kidney and pinto. I’m a big fan of a limey hit of fresh cilantro, stirred in at the end.

As you can see, my turkey chile is so popular that I make it in 4-cup containers, ready to deliver hearty, delicious comfort to friends who need a quick, nutritious dinner on the fly. All they need is their favorite chile toppings, and dinner is served.

Turkey, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chile
Serves 6-8

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey
4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 22-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, salsa, chips, green onions or hot sauce

In a large pot, heat olive oil, and add onion, peppers, garlic and carrots. Cook vegetables until slightly browned and soft, then add chile powder and cumin. Stir with vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey, salt and pepper, and stir, breaking up the meat into small pieces and cooking until browned. Add the black beans, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, and the tomatoes with their juices and cook until liquid reduces and the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and serve with desired toppings.

In The Seduction Cookbook, I wrote a recipe for puttanesca, adoring the sensual quality of the fragrant, salty, briny sauce and the legend that its origin was a siren’s call to lure sailors into salons of pleasure. Now it’s a favorite of my family, and a perfect base to fortify with vegetables. Be ready to be transported, it also makes your kitchen smell like an Italian coastal town.

Puttanesca Sauce with Romanesco Cauliflower, Spinach and Oregano
Adapted from The Seduction Cookbook
Serves 4

1 head romanesco cauliflower, cut into florets
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 anchovy filets, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 15-ounce cans whole tomatoes with their juices, pureed in a food processor
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 pinch red chile flakes
1 bunch spinach, cleaned and chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season the cauliflower with olive oil, pepper and salt, and roast in the oven until browned and tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat a large stock pot and add olive oil. Cook the garlic, anchovies and onions until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and chile flakes, and bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes thicken and sweeten, about 30-40 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the cauliflower. Season with pepper and salt, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken.