A Potluck Weekend

I hate to admit it, but I don't usually like potlucks. I have too many memories of church basements, school cafeterias and suburban split levels, where the best offering was Devilled eggs and the worst involved Durkee's fried onions.



So, I'm happy to report that the two "potlucks" I attended this weekend were swimming successes. It did help that the first was on a farm, one of the most sustainable family farms in the Midwest, Green Acres, and was attended by some of the best chefs in the city. Smoked leg of venison overseen by Roger Herring of Socca, eggplant, kimchee and cucumber salad by Bill Kim of Urban Belly and a variety of of other treats were to be had on a soggy, grey Sunday afternoon in North Judson, Indiana.



Good company and music was abundant. A little amusement as my son, Thor, directed the band in a nice version of Baba O'Riley.


Unfortunately, I was having too good a time at the second potluck to record it with pictures. We hosted a Slow Food Eat-In with 4 families from Thor's school. Inspired by Slow Food's roots, we organized an Italian farmhouse meal. In lieu of photos, I'll share our menu:

White Peach Bellinis

Shoestring Zucchini Fries with Red Pepper Sauce
Black Olive & Eggplant Crostini

Prosciutto & Arugula Flatbread
Verbena & Vinegar Chicken
Thinly Sliced, Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Arugula Pesto
Heirloom Caprese Salad
Pasta Salad
Grilled Corn

Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Cantaloupe Ice
Apple Crisp

My favorite new recipe is the Verbena and Vinegar Chicken, which is almost entirely a locavore recipe.

Verbena and Vinegar Chicken
4-6 Servings

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
6 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
the leaves from 1 long sprig of lemon verbena
freshly ground pepper

Mix the garlic, oil, vinegar, verbena and pepper in a shallow container suitable for marinating. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove from the cold and let the chicken come to room temperature. Remove from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Salt with kosher salt and grill until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

To Warm the Bones

On any ordinary year in Chicago, I wouldn't be writing about, much less making, a bowl of hot soup in early September. But this year, with our autumnal pre-Labor Day weather, nothing sounded better than a hot steaming bowl of soup last night. With it, I got the opportunity to use up the remainder of the produce I purchased from our farmers' market at Purple Asparagus' benefit, Corks & Crayons, which was graciously sponsored by my friends Harvest Moon Farms. With the help of my son, Thor, who chopped ALL of the tomatoes with his new wavy cutter, we made Bean, Tomato and Kale Soup, which was enjoyed by all in this house (at least once we fished out the kale from Thor's soup).

If you've got some unseasonably cool weather, here's my recipe.

Early Autumn Soup
Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic gloves, minced
2 cups dried beans cooked until almost tender, I used locally-grown Tongue of Fire beans available from Fresh Picks.com
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 rosemary sprig
2 heels of hard cheese, optional (I always freeze the heels of hard cheeses to thicken soups just like this)
1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed with heavy stems removed
2 tablespoons basil pesto

Cut the kale into 1/2 inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened, approximately 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant about a minute. Drop in the beans and cover with the tomatoes, chicken stock and wine. Pour in about a cup of water so that the beans are covered by about an inch. Drop in the rosemary sprig and heels of cheese. Bring the liquid to a boil and dump in the kale. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are fully tender. Ladle into bowls and swirl a half tablespoon of basil pesto into each.

Thor's wavy cutter is great.
This utensil is a safe way for kids to cut most anything. It cuts through tomato skin, onions, peachs, etc. and it really makes the little ones feel like they're involved in the cooking process.

Posted as part of Fight Back Friday!