Fall Equinox Cooking pt 1

Aka the last of late summer cooking. A spiced one-pan chicken and rustic ratatouille

My favourite time of the year at the market. The abundance of choice is almost overwhelming, and I admit that I get carried away and often buy more than I can possibly cook in a reasonable time. I am therefore already well into soup (aka throw everything in the pot and hope for the best) season.

This week I got my first squash of the season…delicata, acorn and butternut. They were roasted with some finely chopped rosemary and tossed though a salad with French lentils, hazelnuts and greens (a mix of radicchio, kale and shredded cabbage), dressed with a sherry dressing (this recipe- made using sherry vinegar rather than white wine vinegar).

Also apples and more plums, which were made into a crumble served with vanilla ice cream. I have been craving an apple crumble for weeks now, and the plums add a nice jammy tartness that feels fresh somehow. That recipe coming tomorrow (hopefully) when I get it together!

The chicken dish below is one I made a few times last year. It came about at the end of the season as a riff on another favourite one-pan chicken dish which is so simple but always so good- chicken, onion, cumin seeds and turmeric. The addition of the vegetables, curry powder and wine (not two things I would normally put together) added a lovely complex sauce that is deceptively quick and easy to pull off.

Fall Equinox One-Pan Chicken

This could also just be a ‘late summer chicken’ but the spices make it perfect for the cooler days that are slowly approaching, while also making the most of those last late summer veg.

This is so quick to make (especially if you use thighs rather than fussing around with a whole chicken) but it feels like you spent a long time toiling away in the kitchen. The vegetables are tossed into the pan with the chicken and break down to make a lovely full-bodied sauce. All you need to serve it with is some simple rice or couscous, a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of herbs.

1 whole chicken de-boned and cut into large pieces or 6-8 chicken thighs, preferably skin on

1 onion, roughly chopped

5 or 6 medium sized tomatoes-sauce  tomatoes are good if you have them, such as San marzano- roughly chopped

1 small zucchini, roughly diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Japanese eggplant, roughly chopped

1-2 sweet peppers, roughly chopped (I like to use long green peppers such as banana peppers but any will do- today I used a small yellow bell pepper and a jalapeño that wasn’t very spicy)

1 scant Tbls cumin seeds

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 C olive oil

Salt

small glassful of white wine

• Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C

• Roughly chop all the vegetables and place everything but the wine into a large deep roasting tray. Season generously with salt and toss to distribute spices and salt evenly. Arrange the chicken so it is skin side up.

• Place in oven for about 30 mins. The skins on the chicken should be staring to brown and caramelise, and the vegetables should be softened and releasing their juices. Add the wine to the pan and stir through then return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

• Serve with rice, couscous or good bread and top with yoghurt, herbs and a good squeeze of lime.

To serve:

Yogurt or Garlic yoghurt

Herbs such as parsley, mint or cilantro

Jalapeño

Lime

Couscous, rice or bread

Ratatouille

This is a rustic ratatouille, not the kind that is perfectly sliced and layered. I have tried that variety and deemed it not for me- I lack the patience and attention to detail required. I like it quick and easy and full of flavour.

I don’t follow strict measurements when I make this, you don’t need too, but this is a rough guide. Just make sure you use plently of salt and a good amount of olive oil. Sometimes I use onion, sometimes I don’t, I don’t think it needs it, but yes to plenty of good garlic and lots of thyme! Sometimes I will tear up some basil and throw it over the top. If you can get your hands on some Meredith Dairy cheese (which lies somewhere between and feta and labne consistency), break up some of it over to top and spoon on some of the delicious oil it comes packed in!

half a dozen or so tomatoes, halved lengthways and quartered if large

1 eggplant, roughly chopped

1 zucchini or a handful of patty pan squash, roughly chopped

2 red bell peppers (capsicum), roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

8 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from half

Olive oil

Salt

• Preheat oven to 400*F/ 200*C. In a baking pan large enough to hold all the vegetables, place the tomatoes and garlic and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Nestle in the thyme branches that still have leaves on them. Place in the oven while you cook off the remaining veg.

• Heat a large pan (I use my cast iron for this) over medium high heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom and then add the eggplant to the pan, with a good pinch of salt and a sprinkle of thyme leaves. Cook until completely softened but still holding its shape, you may need to add a little more olive oil to the pan if it is sticking. Remove the eggplant, wipe out the pan and do the same with the zucchini and the peppers. When all the vegetables are cooked off, add the to the pan with the tomatoes which should be nice and softened and possibly starting to caramelise. Stir everything together and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

• Remove and cool a little before serving. I like to serve this at room temperature and it gets better after a day or two in the fridge- just bring back to room temp before enjoying.