Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Chai Tea Marmalade

This recipe takes plain old chicken breasts to another level. Give it a try.

Ingredients:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon of Bittersweet Herb Farm Garlic with Rosemary Oil

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salted butter

3/4 to 1 cup of finely diced shallots, green onions or leeks. Your choice

1/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons of Chai Tea Marmalade



Take the chicken breast and cut it almost in half (horizontally) so it's butterflied. dredge in flour. Heat a medium size saucepan for 1 minute over low heat. Add Garlic with Rosemary Oil making sure to entirely cover the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat to med-high place dredged chicken breast in pan and add half the amount of desired salt and pepper. Cook until bottom is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and do the same to the other side adding the rest of the salt and pepper. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Place pan back on heat and add butter and onions. Stir often making sure the onions do not burn but cook them until they start to brown. Add chicken stock and let cook an additional 4-5 minutes so it reduces in volume. Turn heat to low and add Chai Tea marmalade. Cook mixture until desired thickness and pour over seared chicken breast. Serve with a side dish of your choice and enjoy.

JALAPENO POPPERS

One of my favorite times of the year in the garden is late summer when the peppers begin to mature. I grow Italian Peppers, which I love to roast, Cayenne Peppers from which I make a fermented mash I use throughout the year and Jalapeno Peppers. All summer my kids are asking when the Jalapenos will be ready for making poppers. I grow El Jefe Jalapenos from Johnny's Selected Seeds. While I Prefer to grow open pollinated seeds in some cases the hybrids are so superior there is no choice. El Jefe is incredibly prolific, the peppers are large and they are completely devoid of netting.

Here is my Jalapeno Popper recipe;

Ingredients:

12-15 Jalapenos, stemmed, halved and seeded. Also remove as much of the white membrane as possible

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz grated Cheddar cheese

4 oz mayo

2 garlic cloves minced

2 scallions finely chopped

2 eggs

2 TBL milk

flour

Italian breadcrumbs

If you are afraid these might be too hot for your family soak the Jalapenos in water for about 15-20 minutes prior to making the poppers.

Mix the cream cheese, cheddar Cheese, mayo, garlic, and scallions together and place in a pastry bag. I don't have one so I make one by cutting the corner out of a zip lock bag. Beat the eggs and the milk together. In three separate bowls place some flour, the beaten eggs and then the breadcrumbs.

Squeeze a generous amount of the cheese mix into the cavity of each Jalapeno then roll it first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Place the finished Jalapeno Poppers on lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour then enjoy!

Preserving Fresh Basil

There is no substitute for fresh basil, in my opinion. So as the threat of frost approaches I like to harvest my basil and process it for winter use. I use the freezing method which seems like the easiest method to me and since I don't have much leisure time I like quick and easy. I usually pick the main crop all at once. First I separate the leaves from the stems, the terminal buds I just break off, if there's a bit of the stem left I don't mind. Again I am into expediency. I grow all organically so I don't bother to wash the leaves first. I've never encountered a bug problem with basil so that's not a concern and even if there were a few bugs no one will ever know and it's just extra protein!

Next I fill the bowl of my processor with leaves, not packing it too tightly. Then I drizzle olive oil over the leaves. I've never measured the amount of oil I use but the desired result is to coat all the leaves with oil to help prevent them from turning black when they freeze. Run the processor until the leaves are coarsely chopped and thoroughly coated with oil. Add a little more oil if needed.

I pack the chopped mixture in 8 oz deli containers but zip lock bags will work equally well. I like the deli containers because I can just remove the lid and chip a chunk the size I need out and put it right back in the freezer.

Country Style Spare Ribs

1 lb. Country Style (boneless) Pork Spare Ribs

4 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce

1. T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Zesty Garlic Seasoning

Rub ribs with Zesty Garlic Seasoning and marinate in Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce for 1 hour. Cook over a slow grill, turning pork often and brushing occasionally with the remaining finishing sauce. Serves 4.

Potatoes of India

1/2 lb. Russet Potatoes, sliced

2 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Garlic with Rosemary Oil

2 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Spices of India Seasoning

1 cup Plain Yogurt

1/4 t. Sea Salt

Cook potatoes in oil for 5 minutes, add salt, and stir in yogurt and Spices of India Seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer until the dish thickens. Serves 4.

Drunken Beans

1 (28 oz.) Can Baked Beans

6 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce

1 sm. Onion, minced

1 T. Molasses

1 oz. Jack Daniels

Drain baked beans and place in large pot. Add onion, molasses, and Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly 15-20 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Jack Daniels. Serve hot.

Wasabi Chicken and Mushrooms

1 lb. Skinless, boneless chicken Breast cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Clove garlic, minced

1/4 lb. (2 c) Mushrooms, sliced (Porcini or Baby Bella)

2 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Garlic with Rosemary Oil (or olive oil)

3 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Wasabi Ginger Finishing Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saute pan. Add chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes until halfway done, then add garlic and mushrooms. Continue to saute until chicken and garlic are both brown. Add Wasabi Ginger Finishing Sauce. stir until hot throughout. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Lemon Garlic Salmon

1 lb. Salmon filets

3-4 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Lemon Pepper Oil (or Olive Oil)

4 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Lemon Garlic Finishing Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Rub salmon with Lemon Pepper Oil and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat grill to high, then reduce heat to medium and place fish skin-side down on the grill for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn. The skin should have bubbled up and be easy to remove. Brush Lemon Garlic Finishing Sauce on each side as you turn the fish twice more, cooking 3 minutes each side. Remove from grill and brush on the remaining Finishing Sauce. Serves 4. Serve with a side dish of New Potatoes.

New Potatoes

1 lb. New Potatoes, no larger than 1" diameter

2 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Lemon Pepper Oil (or olive oil)

2 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Lemon Garlic Finishing Sauce

Halve potatoes, heat oil and saute for 3-5 minutes. For extra flavor add a pinch of Bittersweet Herb Farm Zesty Garlic Seasoning. Add 3/4 c. water, cover to self-steam for another 7 minutes or until tender. Glaze with Finishing Sauce and serve. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Paul Robeson Tomato Review

This heirloom Russian tomato tastes great but has distinct disadvantages. As my pictures reveal it is subject to serious catfacing, scaring and lobing. At this point in my gardening career, while I am always excited to try new (to me) varieties I am focusing on taste and practicality. Very few of the Paul Robeson's are defect free and it often consumes too much time cutting around the defects in comparison to the resulting usable tomato. I also found it difficult to pick them at the correct ripeness. At first the dark green shoulders deceived me into waiting too long and harvesting a mushy, very juicy tomato. Then I over compensated and picked them too early. They do seem to go from one extreme to the other quickly. All in all an interesting garden curiosity with good taste and decent yields, but too much work for me. The Paul Robeson Tomato is available from Fedco Seeds, my favorite seed company.

Fast-Fix Farfalle

1 lb. Faffalle (bow-tie) pasta

1/2 c. Sundried Tomatoes, Chopped

4 oz. Frozen Peas

4-6 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Sundried Tomato and Olive Finishing Sauce

Fresh Feta or Asiago Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a large bowl toss pasta with peas and Bittersweet Herb Farm Sundried Tomato and Olive Finishing Sauce. Top liberally with fresh grated cheese and sundried tomatoes. Serves 4-6.

Anytime Fruit Dip

1 (10.5 oz.) Jar Bittersweet Herb Farm Strawberry Sambuca or Red Raspberry Jam
1c Heavy Cream

Mix and Blend until smooth. Dip fresh fruit, pound cake, even cucumbers or celery for a bright, fruity pick-me-up, anytime.

Tomato Season

The start of tomato season is the gardeners equivalent of Christmas and May Day rolled into one. Sinking your teeth into the first vine-ripened tomato is both a decadent and spiritual experience. While the very early varieties always leave something to be desired, they are a vast improvement over the impostors the supermarkets sell as Tomatoes, and they portend to culinary experience to come. This year I grew an early variety called 4th of July which had it been named 4th of August it would have exceeded my expectations rather than causing me sleepless nights by not producing an edible fruit until the last week of July. I may be exaggerating my torment a little here, but only because of a little gem called Sungold. If you have never tasted one of these cherry tomatoes you have not experienced the full glory of tomato season. Very early maturing, astoundingly prolific, with a flavor explosion that defies description. My wife is addicted to them. I can actually hear her sneaking one from my secret stash right now. Yes, I keep a secret stash (apparently not too secret!), I have to do it, I have no choice. When I pick tomatoes in the afternoon (I have no idea if picking tomatoes in the afternoon is horticulturaly correct) she will stand by the garden basket in the kitchen and eat them all. I'm worried. I know they are of the Deadly Nightshade family, is it possible to O.D. on them? Would I get arrested for assault with a deadly weapon? I did double the number of plants I grew this year. That might not look good in court.

Cooking with Bittersweet Herb Farm

Peanut Pasta and Greens

½ lb. Linguini
1 Bunch Escarole or 1 lb Spinach
6 lg. Leaves fresh Basil, chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced (more, if you like it)
1 lg. Leek, sliced thin and separated into rings
4 oz. Bean Sprouts
4 oz. Peanuts, chopped
2 T. Cooking Oil, for a little extra heat use Bittersweet Herb Farm Chili Pepper with Garlic Oil
6 T. Bittersweet Herb Farm Chipotle Peanut Finishing Sauce

Cook Linguini According to Directions and set aside. Sauté or steam escarole until tender-crisp and set aside. Heat Oil in a large pan and sauté garlic until brown. Add pasta, escarole, and Bittersweet Herb Farm Chipotle Peanut Finishing Sauce and toss until heated through. Garnish with bean sprouts, leeks, fresh basil and peanuts. Serves 4.

It All Began...

Building on his father's visionary transformation of a chicken farm into a popular arts and crafts studio in the 1970s, Dave Wallace founded Bittersweet Herb Farm whose all-natural gourmet Finishing Sauces, Oils, Balsamic Vinegars, Cooking Seasonings and Specialty Jams are now available in thousands of gourmet food and graft stores from Florida to Alaska as well as overseas.

The company's roots lie in a fledgling herb business Dave started in the late 1970s on the family farm in Branford, Connecticut and are reflected in Bittersweet's classic flavor Combinations today. Bittersweet Herb Farm took its true form as we know it in 1983, as it became a high-end gourmet food company.

In 1990, Bittersweet Herb Farm moved to Shelburne, Massachusetts, in the beautiful hills of the northern Berkshires along the Deerfield River. Here we strive to have our products combine the wholesomeness of small town America--with natural ingredients and artisan practices.

We believe our products reflect our love of cooking and our passion for enjoying great food with family and friends We hope you'll come up with your own great uses for our products, and if you do, please let us know!

We invite you to join us as we continue to explore our passion for food, fresh ingredients and outstanding cooking.

Enjoy,

Bittersweet Herb Farm