Coq Au Vin, by Cheryl

We had a little French theme going on in our household this week. With an endless summer full of no possibilities I felt like I needed something to keep us entertained besides our backyard and afternoon movies. I suggested a learning about different countries theme and J was super into it. She picked France as the first country to learn more about since she was just there. The kids loved coloring rainbows with the French names for colors, learning that the rooster and iris are the country's animal and flower (who knew??), and making fun Eiffel Tower snow globes!

Ok, back to the food. I made a French dinner with the help of my sous chefs and this was fantastic. It didn't take nearly as much time as I thought it would and the sauce and chicken were heavenly. I have never made such a flavorful crispy skin! I love a crispy skin. I will definitely be making this again when the cooler months come rolling in. I forgot to make a side of mashed potatoes so I cooked up some pasta to go with it. It was delicious. Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 slices bacon diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 6 small white onions cut in half or quartered depending upon size
• 2-3 cloves garlic mashed
• 2 carrots peeled and rough cut
• 1/2 bottle of full-body red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 ounces Chicken Stock 
• unsalted butter
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 large skin on, bone in chicken thighs

Directions:

• Add chicken to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Pour in one cup red wine and seal bag, pressing out air. Let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients or overnight for the best results.
• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a large Dutch oven or rondeau, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring and reducing heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until browned and fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Remove chicken from zipper-lock bag, discard wine, and pat dry.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Return Dutch oven with rendered bacon fat to medium-high heat.  Add chicken thighs skin-side down, and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 5 minutes.   Don't move the chicken around while cooking, allow it to sear in place.  Use a spatula to get under the chicken when turning being careful not to rip the skin.
• Remove Chicken from pan setting aside until needed
• Add mushrooms to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, the remainder of the wine, tomato paste, chicken stock, thyme and rosemary and bring to a simmer, stirring up any browned bits.
• Add chicken back to pan, leaving skin side up and not submerged if possible. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Remove pan from the oven and take the chicken out of the pan.
• Add in two tablespoons of unsalted butter that has been rolled in flour, getting as much flour into the butter as possible.  This is called a beurre manie and will thicken your sauce. Mix the beurre manie in well and allow to simmer over medium heat.
• Return chicken to pot, spooning sauce on top. Garnish with remaining sprig of thyme or rosemary.  Serve with potatoes, pasta, or rice.

(Mock) Foie de Gras (France), by Cheryl

My absolute favorite dish in the world is foie gras. I will order it any time I'm in a French restaurant and each time I went to France I tried to seek out restaurants that would have it since it's one of my favorite things about the country. My local butcher sells goose liver for foie gras by the pound, but it's pretty pricey and I didn't want to spend that much on a dish that 1) doesn't make a lot, 2) would only be an appetizer, and 3) that I've never made before (and risk messing it up). So I went to the internet and looked up mock foie gras dishes using chicken liver, which I also like to eat. I came across this recipe and it was pretty easy to make! The only thing is that I didn't read the directions all the way through and it requires the foie gras to chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. So I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't taste my finished product until it was, well you know, FINISHED! This is a budget friendly option that is sure to impress. It was sooooooo good and surprisingly tasted like the real deal. I will definitely be making this again, maybe as an appetizer for a dinner party. I served it with a fig jam and soft toasted bread. Yum!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Worchester sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons onion juice (I didn't use this)

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan cover livers with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt and simmer another 5 minutes until tender. Cool to room temperature in the stock.

2) Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process, adding enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3) Scrape into a greased crock and cover with plastic wrap, letting the wrap touch the surface of the pate. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. It may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Garbure, by Diane

This recipe came from the latest issue of Cooking Light. Although it's summer and still hot out, this recipe looked really enticing and reminded me of the peasant stews and crusty breads I had in France. It also looked healthy and full of nutritious ingredients. I researched the name, and apparently it's named after a sheild with a pitchfork for sheathing grains because the French ate this with a fork reminscient of the pitchfork. It is supposed to be cooked with a giant ham hock hence the fork- but I used a ham steak because it was easier. Photos online show it to be a lot chunkier so they used a fork then soaked up the broth with bread skipping the spoon!

This recipe turned out really well- some of the ingredients seemed odd in a soup but all worked together really well and tasted so good with the bread the way it was prepared. I also liked the taste of the dried beans instead of canned. The only exception was the addition of the apple cider vinegar, which I left out and brought to the table to add in if desired because it's a strong taste and I was unsure of how it would work out. I ended up adding a splash into my bowl which was fine, so next time I'll still leave this out. I also doubled the recipe so it would last for a while and cut down on cooking for the week!

The only change to the cooking instructions I would add is that cooking the potatoes carrots and turnips took WAY longer than 10 minutes (about 30-35) and I had to bring the soup back to a boil to make them tender so take note!!


Ingredients:

4 ounces dried cannellini or Great Northern beans

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.

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1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.

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1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

1 cross-cut smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)

1 bay leaf

6 ounces red potatoes, cubed

6 ounces turnip, cubed

1 large carrot, cubed

4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (1-ounce) slices country bread, toasted

1 garlic clove, halved

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sort and wash beans. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add onion. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add leek and chopped garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soaked beans, stock, herbes de Provence, ham hocks, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Remove ham hock; cool slightly. Pick meat from bones; reserve meat. Discard bones and fat.

3. Add potatoes, turnip, and carrot to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in cabbage; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, thyme, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

4. Rub toast slices with cut sides of garlic clove; spread evenly with butter. Serve toast with soup.