Rae lives and farms on Barr Farms with her family. She loves cooking healthy food, trying new things, deep conversations with friends, reading, learning, and playing, especially with her three children.
Barr Farms was part of hosting a really cool farm to table dinner at MESA, a Collaborative Kitchen in New Albany. Chef Peggy of Ready, Set, Prepp'd prepared an amazing dinner full of Barr Farms deliciousness. I was talking about the farm so didn't get to eat, but it looked so good, that I made it myself at home the next day. Chef Peggy was generous enough to share her recipes, and let me share them with you! I love chard, and I have never had chard this way. It was so incredible, I couldn't get enough! I made a double batch, and we ate it all! The dinner actually wasn't that hard to prepare, and was really fun to make. Just to note, I roasted my chicken whole, not spatchcocked, and it only took about an hour because I was using smaller birds. Be sure to have a meat thermometer handy so you can take the chicken out of the oven when it just reaches "done". Overdone chicken equals dry meat. And pickled chard stems? Oh my goodness, I'm going to have these handy every week. I'm loving them!
Roasted Chicken with Yellow Corn Grits, Coconut Braised Greens and Pickled Chard Stems
Serves 4-6
For the Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, black pepper, and salt.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and liberally rub on spice mix on both sides.
Line a large baking sheet with a trivet and spray with non-stick spray. Place chicken, skin-side up, onto trivet and roast in oven for 90 minutes – or until internal temperature of thigh area reaches 165 F.
Let cool, then shred/pull as desired.
For Yellow Corn Grits
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ear of corn, grilled and kernels removed from the cob
1 cup Weisenberger yellow corn grits (or any non-instant grits)
Salt, pepper – to taste
In a large pot, bring chicken stock, heavy cream, and butter to a simmer – right below a boil.
Whisk in corn and grits – constantly whisking for a good 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 20-25 minutes – whisking almost continuously to avoid scorching.
Coconut Braised Greens
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and julienned
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1” piece of ginger, peeled and minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes – more if you want an extra kick J
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, washed, and leaves thinly sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed (but reserved for pickle recipe), washed, and leaves thinly sliced
14 oz. can coconut milk
Salt, pepper – to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large dutch oven or oven-proof pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat on the stovetop.
Add onions and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and curry powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in coconut milk and bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and add the greens by the handful. Stir until slightly wilted and coated well with liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and transfer to pot to the oven to braise for 1 hour.
Remove pot from the oven and finish with greens by stirring in the lime juice.
For the Pickled Chard Stems
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch of chard stems, thinly sliced on the bias
In a small pot, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, black peppercorns and red pepper flakes – and bring to a boil.
Once sugar is dissolved, turn off heat and let mixture cool slightly.
Place chard stems in a shallow container or bowl, and pour pickling liquid over top – completely submerging the chard stems (can add a plate or weight on top to accomplish this if needed).
Let pickle in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.
Stored covered in the refrigerator, can be kept for up to 14 days.
To plate dish – Spoon grits into a large bowl. Top with braised greens, pulled chicken, and pickled chard stems.