Monday, September 9, 2013

Auditioning Chicken

I auditioned a chicken this week. No, it didn't sing or dance. It all started because I bought chicken livers at the farmer's market. Gorgeous, fantastic chicken livers. My mother always said to throw away pale chicken livers because they were from a sick chicken. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that livers are supposed to be a rich reddish brown color, and that I often end up tossing half of the livers I buy at the grocery store.

 

The farmer who sells the livers also sells chickens. So it was time to test one. Since this was an audition, I wanted to cook it as plainly as possible so I could taste the chicken without any herbs or spices disguising the flavor. I roasted the chicken. But we all know that plain chicken can be a bit ho-hum. I turned to our garden.

 



While this has been the worst year in memory for tomatoes (they all seem to suffer from a blight, thanks to nonstop rain here in the new rain forest), our cucumbers have loved the rain. The basket in the picture is full of cucumbers on the bottom. Not to mention the ones in the fridge and on the kitchen counter. Happily, my dogs love cucumbers. They know where they grow and pull them off the vine to snack on. If I can't find the dogs, they're usually hanging out at the garden, trying to open the gate. Two of them have figured out how.


There aren't many exciting recipes for cucumbers, so I've been throwing them into everything. I had a couple of lovely white peaches and a red pepper so I made a salsa to go with the chicken. I added a little bit of fajita seasoning for zest. The blend of sweet peaches with the fajita kick and a little salt made for a really lovely flavor combination. Great for diets, too. Loads of fiber and not an ounce of fat.

And the audition results? I think we felt better eating a chicken that came from a local farm instead of one that was shrink-wrapped in the grocery store. But in a blind taste test, I'm not sure we would have known the difference.


Peach Cucumber Salsa

2 peaches
1 small cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 shallot
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning (or to taste)
salt
black pepper

Peel the peaches and cut into small bite-sized pieces. Cut the cucumber and pepper into small bite-sized pieces. Slice the shallot in thin rings. Combine the peaches, cucumber, red pepper, and shallot in a bowl. Toss. Add lemon juice and toss. Add fajita seasoning, a dash of pepper, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Serve with chicken or fish.



7 comments:

  1. Very attractive combination. Chances are, the chicken you got really does taste better, but it's subtle.

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    1. It could be, Libby. I really ought to do a taste testing. I might try that for fun the next time friends come to dinner. They love things like that!

      ~Krista

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  2. What an interesting combo, Krista! I bought a bushel of peaches on Saturday so peach salsa may be in order...

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    1. It seems a little bit unlikely, doesn't it, Lucy? But cucumbers are so refreshing. I have to admit that they go with a lot of things. But we've seen enough this year. I wish there were a good way to preserve them for winter without pickling them.

      ~Krista

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  3. Krista, isn't that interesting that you couldn't really tell the difference? I think the ones in the store are usually "plumper" - who knows what that requires, right? The salsa looks lovely. I can't believe your dogs eat cucumbers. What smart dogs!!!

    Hugs,

    Daryl / Avery

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    1. Isn't that a hoot? Queenie started it. She eats berries, too. But Baron quickly figured out that he could pull cucumbers off the vines. Now they all love them! Who'd have thought that? And this year we have so many that we don't even care if they help themselves!

      ~Krista

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  4. This looks very refreshing, Krista, we'll have to try it. A great combo of flavors with the chicken--and we're huge fans of the humble cucumber, love the crunch (and hydration) they bring to the table.

    ~ Cleo

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