I knew I had to use the thight/leg pieces tonight froma a
roaster we had earlier. It was from Quattro's at the
Saturday Greenmarket.
At today' s Greenmarket I found baby shiitakes, with stems
tender enough to use, and some red chard.
This evening just before Barbara was to get home, I started
a chopped onion and cut up the shiitakes to make a sauce for
the chicken. If Barbara wanted to go out I could heat the
chicken very quickly, but she wanted to play the
harpsichord.
So I leat the mushrooms simmer in a closed pan, with a bay
leaf, S&P, and a little smoked paprika. After the liquid had
flowed and started to dry I added some stock from last
week's pheasant.
A little after 8 I started some California Basmati rice, not
the brand recently discussed. The bag suggested 2:1 water :
rice, with salt and butter. Simmer in a pot with tight lid
for 50 minutes. That worked like a charm.
I chopped some garlic and put it in a little ramekin with
EVOO to pour over the chard when it was done. Put the chard
in a steamer to start about 5 before 9.
The mushroom sauce smelled really grand after about an hour,
and stayed about the same after that.
Made a green salad, with some cherry tomatoes, still grown
indoors but nice.
I didn't puree the sauce, but left it with the mushrooms
coarsely chopped. All came together a little past 9 as she
put her music away and closed the harpsichord lid.
Served with a Corbieres red. Still a great chicken, even as
leftovers. Barbara didn't send me for pizza.
Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a
"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have
hung a large sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not
going to come, you know. ' " -- Terry Eagleton