Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Seasonal Cooking

Summer is here in full swing and I am enjoying experimenting with all of the wonderful produce that is so abundant this time of year.  I raise a small garden, but living in Amish Country means that all of my neighbors have vegetable gardens… and they are all willing to share!  One of my favorite seasonal vegetables is peas, we are in the heat of that season right now.  For our family we acquired a 5 gallon bucket of peas to enjoy, which means lots of great recipes… and lots of pea pickin’ on the porch!  One of my favorit recipe with fresh peas is Pasta with Creamed Peas.  Since I couldn’t wait until summer I already blogged this recipe… check it out.

When I prepare dinner for my family in the summer I try to utilize as much fresh produce as possible.  This limits my trips to the grocery store and really helps with my grocery budget.  The key to being able to prepare new and creative recipes without making a trip to the store is having a well stocked kitchen.  There are certain staples that I keep on hand at all times.  Here is a list of my kitchen staples.  Stock your kitchen with these items and you can make just about any recipe that I post - without a trip to the store!


1. Amish Naturals Pasta
2. Kosher Salt
3. Pepper Grinder
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Butter
6. Garlic
7. Onions
8. Chicken Stock
9. White Wine
10. Heavy Whipping Cream
11. Milk
12. Cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Swiss etc…)
13. Sugar (Brown and White)
14. All Purpose Flour
15. Herbs (fresh if possible- Basil, Parsley, Oregano)
16. Eggs
17. Cornstarch
18. Rice
19. Vinegar (Balsamic, Red wine, Apple Cider)
20. Garlic Salt

My recipe for Mustard Marinated Grilled Chicken is a great example of a recipe that I made using ingredients from this list.  I served this flavorful chicken with my Pasta with Creamed Peas

Mustard Marinated Grilled Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Amish Naturals Honey Mustard
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Bunch Herbs of Choice (Basil, Oregano)

Rinse chicken breasts, place on cutting board and cover with plastic wrap.  Pound slightly with meat mallet, just to even out the thickness of each breast.

Mix together vinegar, honey, and honey mustard in a medium size dish.  Peel garlic and crush slightly, add to marinade.  Wash and stem herbs, then tear leaves and add to marinade mixture.  Place chicken in marinade so each breast is completely covered.  Chill for approximately 3 hours.

Drain and dispose marinade and grill chicken over medium heat until internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees, then serve.





~SD