Carrots Marinated with Garlic & Oregano
This room-temperature dish packs in the flavor and makes for a lovely side dish.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks or thin diagonal slices
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
1 cup olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil, adding 1 tablespoon salt. Add carrots and cook until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Drain carrots and add to marinade, letting sit in fridge overnight. When ready to serve, return to room temperature and adjust seasonings if needed. Transfer to serving platter and top with parsley.
Nonna Pat’s Oven-Roasted Meyer Lemon Chicken
Roasted with Meyer lemons, fragrant garlic and a splash of white wine, our Nonna Pat’s signature chicken is a favorite here at the farm.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into pieces, or 4-6 breasts
1 Meyer lemon, sliced
Juice of 2 Meyer Lemons
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon honey
Handful of fresh oregano,
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
⅓ cup olive oil
Capers and additional oregano, for garnish
Method:
1. With the exception of the chicken and sliced Meyer lemon, mix together the ingredient list in a large gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the chicken pieces in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish. Place a lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken and add remaining marinade to the baking pan.
3. Bake in the oven until browned and chicken is cooked through (usually about an hour depending upon the size of the pieces of chicken). Remove from the oven, garnish with capers and additional oregano leaves as desired, and serve.
Smoky Southwestern Beans
You can enjoy these beans straight out of the pot, or save and prepare them refried-style later.
Ingredients:
2 cups dried beans, such as Mayocoba, Pinto, black or other bean of your choosing
1 small onion
2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings (or butter or lard)
1-2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
2-3 quarts water
Pinch of Mexican oregano (optional)
Method:
1. Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. Rinse and drain well.
2. Add beans to a pot and cover with 2-3 quarts of water, or so the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings (or butter or lard).
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover. Let simmer for 1½-2 hours. Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water as they cook if necessary.
4. Start tasting them after 1½ hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time. Once cooked add 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of Mexican oregano and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Give a final taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Either serve immediately, or store for future use.
