Healthy recipes start with healthy ingredients. Produce for the following recipes came from Nall’s Farmers Market in Berryville, VA (nallsfarmmarket.com) and Shenandoah Seasonal in Boyce, VA (shenandoahseasonal.com) and the poultry from the Fields of Athenry Farms in Middleburg, VA (fieldsofathenryfarm.com).
Rosemary Salted Roasted Chicken with Butternut Squash Risotto
Chicken / Ingredients
- 1, 2- to 3-lb. Fields of Athenry Farms Roasting Chicken
- 3 sprigs of Rosemary
- 1 sprig Sage
- 2 Lemons
- 1/8 cup salt and pepper mixture (6/1 salt to pepper)
- 4 oz. stick of unsalted Amish country butter at room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop rosemary. In a mixing bowl, whisk together butter, salt, juice of 1/2 a lemon, and chopped rosemary. Clean and pat dry the chicken. Rub the chicken with the butter mixture, including the inside. Stuff the bird with sage, remaining rosemary, and remaining lemons cut in half. Place chicken in roasting pan with a rack or in a cast iron pan, breasts up. Set timer for 40 minutes. Remove from oven when thighs reach 155 degrees on a meat thermometer then let rest until it reaches 165 degrees.
Butternut Risotto
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, small diced
- 1 Medium carrot, small diced
- 1 stalk celery, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, fine diced
- 4 fine-sliced green onions (for garnish)
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded, small diced
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Amish country butter
- 1/4 cup white wine
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Drippings from the roasted chicken
Directions
In large sauté pan, cook half the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and squash with a little olive oil. When all is softened and caramelizing, deglaze the pan with the white wine and a spatula. Once alcohol has evaporated, add stock to the pan and bring to boil. Using a blender, puree the mixture and keep warm. Using the same pan, sauté the Arborio rice in olive oil until it begins to turn translucent. Add remains of the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the rice and sauté until the squash is tender. Add stock to the mixture in pan 1/4 cup at a time, and stir gently with a spatula until rice is al dente in texture. Finish by folding in butter, parmesan, season to taste.
Jonathan Clawson is head chef at Side Saddle Bistro in Middleburg.