Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

There is no better time on the lake than Summer. Early mornings on the porch are cool and refreshing. I gaze at the still water from my treetop aerie while sipping my morning coffee and reflect on the day ahead. Occasionally a fish will jump creating ripples on the flat surface. The hum of a fishing boat can be heard above the bird song. Pileated woodpeckers, unaware of my presence, peck away at the trees surrounding me. The ski club members are up early as usual and the first ski boat slices through the water pulling the gracefully weaving skier.

But the day’s chores beckon and I return to the kitchen to make lists and organize the house. David starts working on projects. He greets Don, our contractor friend who is helping us. We are making progress on the lower level. Our old bathroom has been transformed into a small spa retreat with a jacuzzi tub and steam bath. The two small bedrooms have new bead board paneling and old hardwood floors that need refinishing after pulling up the carpeting. Sometimes I am the gopher and head to Lowe’s or Home Depot to get building supplies. The day passes with occasional forays to the deck or boathouse to watch the passing parade of boats pulling delightedly screaming children on floats or the local police boat on it’s way to Larkins on the Lake for lunch.

Lately, afternoons have been predictable with darkening skies and rumbles of thunder. But the storms pass quickly and by the time we are ready for dinner the sun is shining, reflecting millions of diamonds on the churning lake surface. It is time to light the grill.

I have many recipes for grilled chicken but this is my favorite. I can’t give credit for the origin because frankly I copied it years ago and do not remember where I got it. You do have to plan ahead because it is best if it marinates for at least six hours. I love what goes into the marinade. The citrus gives it a refreshing flavor and the brown sugar helps create a succulent glaze. We eat on the porch surrounded by the darkening evening sky, the smell of others’ grills, and conversations drifting across the water.

CITRUS GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbls grainy mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 Tbls olive oil

6 boneless chicken breasts

Combine marinade ingredients in a blender or small food processor and pulse until everything is emulsified and smooth. Marinate chicken in mixture for at least two hours and up to 24 hours. Place chicken on a hot grill which has been brushed with oil. Grill for 5 minutes per side basting often.

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I adapted this recipe from Gourmet and it is so versatile that you can add anything that appeals to you. I fixed the basic recipe but you can add sauteed green peppers, onions, jalapenos, chives or jack cheese. You can serve the cakes with maple syrup or honey butter.

CORN CAKES

1 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons snipped chives
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk plus additional to thin batter if neccesary
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for brushing the griddle
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, cooked, drained, and patted dry

In a bowl whisk together the cornmeal, the baking soda, the salt and the chives. Add the egg, 1 cup of the buttermilk, and 2 tablespoons of the butter and whisk the batter until it is smooth. Stir in the corn and let the batter stand for 10 minutes. The batter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter; if it is too thick, thin it with the additional buttermilk. Heat a griddle over moderate heat until it is hot, brush it lightly with some of the additional butter, and drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the griddle. Cook the cakes for 1 minute, or until the undersides are golden, turn them, and cook them for 1 minute more, or until the undersides are golden. Transfer the cakes to a heated platter and make more cakes with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the griddle lightly with some of the additional butter before cooking each batch. The cakes may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the cakes in a baking dish, covered tightly with foil, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Makes about 16 corn cakes.

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Balsamic vinegar is a product of Modena, a province of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. True aceto balsamico requires specific sweet grapes produced in Modena which are aged in a succession of barrels made of different woods. The process can take years. For this reason it is very expensive. Most of the balsamic vinegar available today is mass produced using techniques that simulate the aging process. The bottle I got from Trader Joe’s does state on the label that it was barrel aged, but because the price was reasonable, I am assuming that it was not in barrels for any length of time. I use balsamic vinegar in salad dressings and sauteed cabbage or sprinkled over cooked greens. I love the sweetness and depth of flavor of this vinegar. It is the most assertive of all vinegars and to really experience it’s goodness try sprinkling it on strawberries for a wonderful sensation in your mouth.

I found this recipe for Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Wild Mushrooms in an old issue of Gourmet. The article was written by David Rosengarten so I knew the results would be guarenteed. David Rosengarten is one of my favorite people in the food world. He is the author of his own cookbook called Taste and the author of The Dean and DeLuca Cookbook. For a time he had a program called Taste on the Food Network and it was one of the best productions they have ever shown. It was intelligent and insightful and David’s passion and credibility were evident with every episode. I wish the Food Network had not “dumbed down” so much. But that is another story.

We had this chicken for dinner last night and it was wonderful. There was so much depth to the flavors that it is hard to describe – woodsy and earthy from the porcini mushrooms, sweet and assertive from the vinegar, mellow from the red wine and down home good from the bacon and sauteed chicken. We are having it again tonight and I have a feeling that it will have improved with it’s rest in the refrigerator. As a matter of fact, it would make a good “do ahead” dish for guests. I served it with plain rice to soak up the juices.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR CHICKEN WITH WILD MUSHROOMS
1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
6 chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry ( I skinned them)
all-purpose flour for dredging
1/4 pound bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fruity red wine, such as Beaujolais
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon arrowroot dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water
minced fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves for garnish
In a small bowl let the porcini soak in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, or until they are soft, and drain them well, reserving the liquid. Season the chicken with pepper and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess. In a large heavy skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is golden and crisp, transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels, and let it drain. Add to the skillet the chicken, skin side down, and cook it, turning it occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until it is golden and crisp. Transfer the chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate, season it with salt, and discard the fat in the skillet. Add the oil to the skillet and in it cook the garlic over low heat, stirring for 1 minute. Add the reserved porcini liquid, the wine, the broth, and 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and boil the mixture for 4 minutes. Add the arrowroot mixture in a stream, stirring, stir in the tomatoes, and add the chicken, turning it to coat it with the sauce. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, stir in the porcini and the bacon, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the mixture with the parsley. Serves 6.
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We had a wonderful holiday with the family. It was the first time we had seen them since Christmas and the changes in little Rachel were quite noticeable. She will be three in May and is now communicating with great enthusiasm. She helped me prepare dinner one night and although we made quite a mess, she was very good at rolling chicken strips in breadcrumbs and placing them on the baking pan.

The only down side to our visit was that I got food poisoning from a fast food sandwich and lost all interest in eating and cooking. Even a trip to Trader Joe’s, which I was looking forward to, was a disaster. My plan was to stock up on hard to find condiments while getting the chicken and panko crumbs for dinner. I ended up spending all of my time in their bathroom – quite nice, by the way – and rushing through the check out line with my meager purchases.

On the way back to Lake Lure we had to stop for groceries for dinner and the only thing that appealed to my sensitive stomach was the thought of chicken and dumplings; a mild, filling and therapeutic dish. I am finally back to normal and will get back my enthusiasm for blogging, but for a while there I was worried that I would never want to look at, or for that matter, think about food again.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

1 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1 onion
6 cups of water
1 or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup minced parsley and chives

Place chicken in large dutch oven and add the two stalks of celery, carrots and onion, roughly chopped. Add the six cups of water, thyme sprigs, and bouillon cubes. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for one hour. Remove chicken to cool slightly and strain broth.

Return broth to dutch oven and add the 3 stalks of chopped celery and 2 chopped carrots. Simmer for 10 minutes while removing the chicken from the bones. Add the shredded chicken and frozen vegetables to the broth.

For the dumplings, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the chopped fresh parley and chives. Add melted butter and milk. Gently mix with spoon until mixture comes together. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls into pot. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Do not lift lid while cooking.

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