The Story of a Carrot Bandit
Every year since the pandemic, so I guess that’s three summers now, I’ve planted a small garden in the backyard. I don’t think I’m unique in that endeavor, I saw many people online doing the same thing. Had it not been for the pandemic I might not have started the garden or begun cooking as much as I have been. Despite the gloom that was the pandemic, I guess you could say one silver lining (a dull silver, though) was finally having the time to do something I’ve always wanted to do.
This year I grew green beans which are honestly such an easy vegetable to grow and really not at all fussy. You can put the seeds right in the ground and have green beans to eat in a few weeks. Unfortunately, as unfussy and easy as they are, they died early on because they didn’t get watered for almost three weeks while we were on vacation. Whoops. Nothing survives the sweltering hell scape of Kansas summer without water.
I also grew corn, leeks, various herbs (they also died..), tomatoes, and, unintentionally, basil. Basil is a wild herb, and I mean wild as in shocking. I haven’t actually planted a basil plant since 2020, but every year the basil grows everywhere. As summer has come to a close and fall is upon us, the basil has sprouted, matured, flowered, died, and new seeds have begun to sprout again. It’s all over the garden, it grows in between the other plants, in any pot near enough for the seeds to have been carried to by wind, and would certainly be growing in the yard if it weren’t for the lawn mower. I’m not complaining though, the aroma of fresh basil has perfumed our patio for months and attracted all varieties of bumble bees and butterflies.
The real stars of this year’s harvest though were the carrots. Last year when I planted them I didn't get as many as I would have liked and I pulled them up too early. I stuck them back in the ground after pulling them up with the hope they might magically acclimate back in their surroundings and continue growing, as if ripping something from its warm home in the earth wouldn’t have had any negative affect. Turns out that doesn’t work. With that lesson learned, I was ready to give carrots another shot this season. I waited much longer this year to pull them up to the point that they started to flower and the leaves were looking less vibrant than they had a few weeks prior. I’m not sure when to actually harvest carrots, but that seemed like a good time. They certainly did not disappoint - I had over three pounds.
Now, you might be wondering where in this story the bandit comes in. Maybe you even guessed who the bandit was. Well, look no further.
In the true nature that is Pax, it was not even a full thirty seconds after uprooting the first carrot that he had it his mouth and was running around the yard with it. You know how dogs put something in their mouth completely aware that it’s something they shouldn’t have, so they look at you like “what about it mf"?” and then run around when you attempt to retrieve the item? This was one of those moments. He doesn't even like carrots so he clearly took advantage of a moment to antagonize me. Cute little jerk.
Bandit Carrots, aka Saucy Carrots (serves 4)
1 1/2 cups hot water with 1 1/2 teaspoons Better than Bullion
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, quartered and cut into strips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (you can use less, I just like pepper)
salt and pepper
parsley, crossly chopped
Sauce Thickener
1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan combine the water with billion, carrots, sugar, butter, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and turn heat down to low. Slowly simmer carrots for around 25 mins, or until carrots are tender and easily pierced with a fork. When finished, remove carrots with a slotted spoon to a side dish. Boil down the remaining liquid over high heat for a minute. Off heat, beat in the sauce thickener and briefly return to heat and stir - the sauce should immediately thicken. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Add carrots back to pan and gently coat with the sauce. Return carrots back to side dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Everyone’s Favorite Chicken Piccata
My oldest sister will probably hate me for saying this, but it’s only because it’s true! She’s one of those really picky eaters who hates everything. A perfectly cooked risotto? It’s too “oniony” she’ll say. A beautifully prepared Coq au Vin, a true masterpiece of French cooking? It was “okay”, she’ll retort. Any amount of pepper on food? Forget about it. Fish of any kind? She’d rather starve. There’s no pleasing her when it comes to food. The irony of it all is that when we were kids she loved saying “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!”, even though the only one ever throwing a fit about food was her. Decades later and not much has changed.
But there is one dish that even she cannot deny is perfectly delicious and that is Chicken Piccata. It’s hard not to love a breaded chicken breast doused in a buttery lemon sauce - in fact, that’s my theory of why she likes it, it’s almost a chicken strip. Of course, she hates capers (I know, I know…) so she picks those out, but aside from that I think she’d agree that Chicken Picaata is everyone’s favorite.
Chicken Piccata (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, butterflied (split)
1 cup flour
1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon water
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 large lemons), juiced and rinds reserved
1/2 cup dry white vermouth, or dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 to 2 tablespoons of capers, rinsed
Coarsely chopped parsley for serving
For the sauce thickener
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly the chicken breasts by placing your hand on top of it to apply pressure and using a sharp knife cut through the breast, keeping as center a line as possible as you cut through. Place the breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out (use a rolling pin or a skillet) until the breasts are about 1/4 in thick. Season with a few grinds of salt and pepper, set aside.
2. Mix the flour with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper on a plate. On another plate, beat the eggs with the water. On a third plate, measure out the Italian bread crumbs. Beginning with the flour, coat each chicken breast and shake off any excess. Dip in the egg mixture, and then dip in the Italian bread crumbs. Set aside on a plate, and repeat the process for each chicken breast.
3. In a large skillet big enough to hold at least two of the breasts, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot and shimmering but not smoking, sear the chicken breast on each side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a sheet pan or other type of baking dish. You might need to work in batches, doing two at a time. If the pan seems dry, add extra olive oil. When all the chicken breasts have had their turn cooking in the pan, bake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
4. While the chicken is in the oven, make the sauce. Wipe out the pan (no need to rinse it). Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in the same pan over medium heat. When the foam from the butter begins to subside, add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, vermouth or wine, chicken stock, and the lemon rinds. Boil down for about 4 - 5 minutes or long enough to boil off the alcohol. Remove from the heat and add the capers and stir in the sauce thickener. Place back on the stove and bring to a simmer, the sauce should immediately begin to thicken, about a minute or two. Remove again from heat and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
5. Plate the chicken once it’s finished in the oven. Pour sauce of each breast and sprinkle on some of the chopped parsley. Garnish with extra lemon slices. This dish is served best with roasted or mashed potatoes, and a salad with vinaigrette dressing.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
White Pepper
Instructions:
1. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks. Put potatoes in a pot and add enough cold water to cover potatoes by an inch. Add salt (this may seem like a lot but trust me on this). Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 25 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Reserve 1 cup of the potato water and drain the rest. Add 1/2 cup of the water back into the potatoes along with the stick of butter. Using a potato masher, fork, or electric mixer, smash and stir potatoes adding more water as needed for desired consistency. I prefer to leave mine smooth but with small potato chunks.