RECIPE: Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Peas, Garlic Scapes, and Capers

Garlic scapes will be in the farm store soon!  I chop them and freeze them to use all year long.  For this recipe, I also used frozen leeks and celery.

This recipe originated in Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2025.  The photo looked so good I made it the day the book arrived!  I made it as written, and thought it was bland, so I tweaked it.  My husband liked it so much he had three (3!) servings, and then ate it every day for a week.  

This is a cookbook recipe, so there's no original to link to. I tried to find a link to the book, because it's filled with many recipes that I can't wait to try, but I couldn't find it for sale anywhere!  My husband's credit card company sends it to us every year, and every year he says he's going to cancel it, but knowing now how hard the books are to find, we aren't going to cancel the subscription! 

Easy Chicken Pot Pie 

with Peas, Garlic Scapes, and Capers

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 14" x 10" sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I used Dufour - see NOTE at bottom)
• 2 large egg yolks, beaten with 1 T. water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups of garlic scapes, sliced 1/4" pieces (I used frozen)
  
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 c. flour (I used sprouted oat flour)
• 2 cups chicken bone broth
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 4 cups cooked chicken (I used home-canned) 
• 2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (I used frozen)
• 1/4 cup capers (I used salt cured*.  If you use capers in brine, rinse them first)
• 2 T. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Unfold puff pastry sheet and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly score a 1/8" deep crosshatch pattern into pastry using a paring knife, spacing rows about 3/4" apart.  Brush evenly with beaten egg.  Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating pan after 15 minutes. Let pastry cool on pan until ready to top pot pie.  Do not turn oven off.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high,  Add leeks, onion, garlic scapes, carrot and celery.  Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly , until a film starts to form on bottom of skillet, 1-2 minutes. Gradually stir in bone broth.  Bring to a simmer over medium and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 6 minutes.  Stir in cream, chicken, peas, parsley, and capers*.  Taste and adjust salt (I didn't need to add any).  Add coarsely ground pepper to taste - we like this SPICY, but you may prefer less.  Keep warm on low heat until pastry is cooked.

Transfer the filling to a 11" x 15" baking pan.  Place the cooked puff pastry over filling.  Bake at 400F until filling is hot and bubbling, 5-8 minutes.

Let pie cool 5 minutes before serving. 

*The capers I use are cured in Italian sea salt, and I'm loath to throw that out, so I never rinse them before using, I just reduce the salt in the recipe.  If you use capers in brine, you should rinse them first and add salt to taste.

NOTE: My baking pan is exactly the right size for the Dufour puff pastry sheet.  If your pan is smaller, or you use a different brand of puff pastry, cut the sheet 1/2" smaller than your pan before you bake it, and use the extra for something else. 

  

This is what the book looks like.  You can see how many recipes I've flagged!

RECIPE: Carrots with Vadouvan Spice and Yogurt

I saved this recipe 10 years ago - in 2015 - but I've just recently sourced the Vadouvan, from Curio Spice.  The carrots we're using now were harvested last September, and they're full size, so I should have known to cook them longer than recommended.  Except for that, the flavor was delicious, and I will definitely be making them again!  

There's an interesting write-up on the history of the Vadouvan blend here.

I'm looking for a recipe to mix my own and will add it once I find one I like.

Original recipe: Tandoori Carrots with Vadouvan Spice and Yogurt

Carrots with Vadouvan Spice and Yogurt

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 T. Vadouvan
• 2 garlic cloves grated, divided
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 5 T. olive oil, divided
• Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, tops trimmed, scrubbed
• 1/4 t. ground turmeric
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• Very coarsely chopped cilantro leaves 
  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F.  I used our toaster oven.  

If your carrots are large, like mine were, peel them and cut into sticks about the size of small young carrots.  Mix vadouvan with half the garlic, 1/4 cup yogurt and 3 T. oil until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add carrots and toss to coat.  Roast on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred in spots, 20-25 minutes.  

Meanwhile, heat turmeric in 2 T remaining oil in a small skillet over medium-low, swirling skillet, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Whisk lemon juice, remaining garlic, and remaining yogurt in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place carrots along with crunchy bits on baking sheet onto a platter.  Drizzle with yogurt mixture, turmeric oil, and top with cilantro.  

I served this, without the cilantro, as a side for chicken meuniere, and it was delicious.

 

 

RECIPE: Mushroom Pasta with Greens

While I'm trying to catch up on last year's posting drought, I have been adding those recipes that can be made now, with what's currently in the farm store (or with things you froze last summer).  I'm saving those like ketchup and relish for when there are cucumbers and tomatoes in the farm store.  This recipe, though, can be made year round because it uses mushrooms, which our farm doesn't grow.  The only farm produce used is garlic and onions, and broth if you make your own, but there haven't been many bones lately.  

Two years ago, I had this in a restaurant, and it was so good I decided to recreate it.  It's the most intense mushroom pasta ever!  It's also very rich, and needs the green garnish to balance it.  In winter, when there isn't arugula in the farm store, you could use peas, frozen in spring.  If you grow microgreens (I used to do this), they would be good as well.

I combined several recipes to create the sauce.  

Mushroom Pasta with Greens

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For mushroom sauce:

• 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 T. ghee
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 t. each ground dried rosemary, thyme and sage
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup beef broth
  

For pasta:

• 1 pound pasta, preferably cascatelli, mafaldine, or another shape with ruffled edges
  
• 2 T. butter
• 1.5 pounds mixed mushrooms - baby bella, shiitake, and maitake, sliced 1/4" thick
  
• 2 T. sprouted oat flour
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional, for garnish:
  
• 1 pound baby arugula or other tender green, mixed with 2 t. olive oil and 1 t. lemon juice
  
• shavings of Pecorino cheese for garnish 
• toasted pine nuts for garnish
  
• Espelette, Aleppo, Silk, or another mild flake chile for garnish
  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Make the sauce:

Combine dried mushrooms and warm water in a medium bowl and let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the liquid squeezing excess liquid from the mushrooms back into the bowl.  Reserve the liquid, place mushrooms in another bowl.

Heat the ghee in large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until brown, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute.  Add wine, increase heat, and boil until most liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.  Add herbs, reconstituted mushrooms, and both broths.  Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid (I pour it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth) leaving any sediment behind.  Boil until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.  Transfer into a blender jar and puree.  Set aside.  Set aside the saute pan, you will be using it again.

Make the pasta:

If you're using mafaldine, break it into 1.5" pieces. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions, until al dente (the white center has just disappeared).  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in the large saute pan on high heat.  Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they're crisp on the edges, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add the flour and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Return the pureed mushroom sauce to the pan and stir to combine.   Add the cream, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then drop the heat to medium-low until the pasta is cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce.  Stir to combine and use the reserved pasta water to thin it, if it's too thick.   

Serve garnished with the arugula, shaved pecorino, pine nuts and a generous sprinkle of pepper flakes.

RECIPE: One Pot Thai Chicken with Carrots and Spinach

In the photo, this looks like it has a creamy orange sauce, which I thought was due to the red curry paste, but the orange color comes from grated carrots!  I used more spinach than the 3 cups the recipe called for, and wished I had added even more, so I doubled it in my recipe.  

Original recipe: One Pot Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

One Pot Thai Chicken with Carrots and Spinach

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 T. coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. minced ginger, or 2 t. ground
• 2 t. ground coriander
• 1 13-ounce can coconut milk
• 1.5 cups shredded carrots
• 2 T. Thai red curry paste (use more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
  
• 1 t. himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 t. cayenne
• 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves ( I used one handful = 1 cup)
  
• 1 T. lime juice
• Optional: 1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (I didn't have any so I left these out)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring and flipping often, until both sides are cooked. 

Add the ginger, garlic and ground coriander and cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly.

Add the coconut milk, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium and allow mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes or until liquid volume has reduced and the sauce thickens slightly.  This will fully cook the chicken and soften the carrots a little.  

Add the spinach and lime juice and stir to combine.  You may need to do this in two batches.  Cook until spinach is wilted and tender, 2-3 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

I served this with a little basmati rice, but it was good the next day all by itself!

(I used 5 generous handfuls of spinach and would have liked one more!  Use less if you aren't a spinach fan.) 

RECIPE: Fish with Brown Butter, Capers and Lemon Cream

When I need an easy dinner, one of my standbys is this recipe, which is a riff on 'meuniere'.  I always have either cod, haddock, or salmon in the freezer so I use what I have.  You could also use shrimp, scallops, or chicken breasts.  I had several friends over once and made both chicken and fish, in two separate pans, so people could choose what they preferred.  I did the chicken in one pan, and cod and salmon in the other.

Fish with Brown Butter, Capers and Lemon Cream

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 6-oz pieces of skinless cod, haddock or salmon filets
  
• 4 T. flour (I use sprouted oat flour)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. ghee
• 4 T. butter
• 1 T. capers, chopped
  
• 1/4 c. heavy cream*
• 1-2 fresh organic lemons or limes 
• Pinch of espelette, aleppo, or cayenne pepper
  
• Optional: Chopped fresh dill for garnish
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Scrub the lemon or lime, zest it, then squeeze the juice.  If you don't have 1 T. juice, do the other one.

Pat the fish dry and remove any bones.

Sprinkle the salt on the fish then dredge it lightly in the flour.  

In a small saute pan, melt 1 T. ghee over medium-high heat.  Add the fish in one layer and brown one side.  When it releases easily from the pan, flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate.

Add the butter to the pan and stir until the milk solids brown, about 3-5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the cream, and add the capers, lemon juice and zest, and the hot pepper.  Return the fish to the pan, good side up, and simmer until it's cooked through.

Serve, with some of the sauce, and sprinkled the dill over all. 

 

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cheese, Olives, and Parsley

Oh, my goodness, these were good!  This is another way I used the abundance of cauliflower we got from our CSA this year.  

Original recipe: Cheese Topped Cauliflower Steaks

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Cheese, Olives, and Parsley

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium cauliflower heads, cut into 3/4" thick slices (I got 4 slices per head)
• 1/2 cup ghee, melted
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 slices raclette 
• Cayenne pepper
• For serving:
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup parsley chiffonade (very thinly sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oven to 400F.

Place cauliflower slices on rimmed baking sheet(s), brush both sides with melted ghee, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake, rotating halfway, until fork tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.  

Top each cauliflower steak with a slice of raclette and a sprinkle of cayenne, and bake until golden and bubbly, about another 15 minutes.

Serve, topped with some fresh mozzarella, a few sliced olives, and a sprinkle of parsley.

NOTE: These are good at room temperature, too!

RECIPE: Cauliflower Gratin

There was TONS of cauliflower in the farm store this year, and I was able to freeze quite a bit of it.  This is my new favorite way to use it.  I combined several recipes so there is no 'original'.  

I thought I had more photos, but this was the only one I could find!  I had transported the cooked gratin to a good-bye party for our interns so it's a bit messy looking! 

Savory GF Cauliflower Gratin with Leeks 

 Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• One large head of fresh cauliflower or two 1# bags of frozen cauliflower defrosted
  
• 3 T. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 t. dried thyme (or 2 t. fresh) 
• 3 T.  sprouted oat flour
• 1.5 cups cups hot milk
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
  
• 1/4 t. grated nutmeg
• 2.5 c. grated raclette cheese, divided
• 1/2 c. grated pecorino or an additional 1/2 cup of raclette

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

If you're using fresh cauliflower, cut the head into large florets and blanch them in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain.  If you're using frozen, skip this step.

Melt 3 T. butter in a medium saucepan on med-high.  Add the leeks and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the flour and stir to incorporate it.  Stir constantly for about 2 minutes (you're making a roux).  Reduce the heat to low and add the hot milk slowly, stirring vigorously to prevent it from clumping.  If the milk is hot, it should not clump. Raise heat back to medium and simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. 

Remove from heat and add 1 t. salt, the cayenne, the nutmeg, 1.5 cups of raclette, and the pecorino.  Stir until the cheese melts.

Pour one third of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 11 x 2 baking dish.  Place the drained cauliflower on top, then spread the rest of the sauce over the cauliflower.  Sprinkle the remaining raclette over all, and sprinkle with salt and cayenne.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is browned and bubbling.

Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: Bison Fajitas

We get our ground beef and our stew meat from our CSA farm, but I'm not able to get steaks or roasts from our farm so we have started using bison.  When we serve a chateaubriand roast, or raclette, I always buy the whole tenderloin, remove the chateaubriand, and then use the ends for other things, primarily stroganoff and fajitas. It's much cheaper to do that.

In a restaurant, fajitas are usually made on a grill, which gives them a smoky flavor.  I don't want to mess with charcoal so I make them on the cooktop, and add chipotle pepper powder, which is made from smoked jalapeno.  This can be spicy, so adjust the amount to your tolerance. 

Bison Fajitas

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound bison, cut from either end of the tenderloin, or inside skirt steak
  
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 hungarian banana pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1-2 jalapeno, serrano, cayenne or other hot pepper, depending on your heat tolerance, minced or thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 c. ghee, lard or tallow
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ground coriander
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. paprika
• 1 t. chipotle powder (this can be hot, use less if your heat tolerance is low)
  
• 1 t. Mexican oregano (use marjoram if you don't have this)
  
• 1/2 t. himalayan pink salt 
• additional salt and pepper to taste
  
• For Serving:
• guacamole
• grated cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• chopped scallions
• cilantro
  

Note: We make fajitas often; so, when peppers are in season, I slice them and then freeze them to use until the next harvest:

Multicolored peppers ready to be vacuum sealed

INSTRUCTIONS:

You will be slicing the bison against the grain into thin strips.  This is easiest when the meat is partially frozen. 

Cut the bison into 2" wide batons and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to facilitate slicing thin.

While you're waiting for the bison to firm up, slice the onions and peppers.

Mix the herbs, spices and 1/2 t. salt in a small bowl.

When the bison is firm, slice the batons against the grain into strips about 2" long, 1/2" wide, and 1/8" thick. It's important that the meat is sliced against the grain or it will be chewy.  Combine the bison strips with the spice mixture and massage the spices into the meat.  Set aside.

Melt 2T. fat in a large saute pan on high heat.  Add the onion and sear, stirring frequently,  until it's starting to caramelize.  The reason you want to use high heat is to sear the onion without cooking it through - it should be translucent but not mush.  Push the onions to the side of the pan.

Add the peppers and stir until they are caramelized, too.  Again, you don't want them to loose their crunch or their skin.  If the onions are in danger of burning, mix them into the peppers. 

Reduce the heat to low, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and remove them to a bowl.  Cover and keep warm while you fry the meat.

Bring the heat up to medium-high and add the remaining 2T. fat to the pan.  Add the bison to the pan in a single layer and allow one side to sear.  Stir and barely cook the other side.  It should be medium or medium-rare.  

Add the vegetables back to the pan.  Stir briefly to reheat them.  By the time the vegetables are hot, the meat should be just cooked through.  Serve!

My husband eats these on tortillas, I prefer them 'neat', with guacamole, grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro and chopped scallions.

 

Bison fajitas with guacamole, grated cheddar, and cilantro lime sour cream.

RECIPE: Chickpea, Spinach, Red Pepper and Harissa Hummus Dip

I think this is the best "hummus" I've ever made!   And, it was easy!

Wikipedia defines hummus as "a Middle Eastern dip made with cooked mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic," which my "hummus" certainly is but I also, almost always, add additional spices and cooked vegetables - arugula, roasted broccoli, eggplant, tomato paste, pesto, Thai chile paste, or curry.  

There are several other recipes for hummus on this blog: parsnip, chard stalk, and super smooth with multiple seasoning options.  Recently, I've been seasoning it with berbere, an Ethopian spice mixture, but my FAVORITE flavor is spinach, roasted red peppers, and harissa. 

Pimiento peppers make the tastiest roasted peppers so, this summer, my husband grew them for me.  I roasted them, peeled them, and then froze them. If you can't get pimientos, use red bell peppers.

In the fall, when the farm store is full of spinach, I blanch, chop, and freeze as much as I can!  So, for me, this comes together with things I have in my freezer.  If you plan ahead, it can for you, too!

To make harissa, I use hot peppers that I've dehydrated and ground.  For this recipe, I used cayenne, which is about 35,000 on the Skoville scale, or middle of the road heat-wise.  If you can't tolerate spicy, make it with sweet paprika so you'll get all the other flavors in the condiment.

One thing I did differently this time was to use the entire lemon pulp, not just the juice.  I don't know if that's why it tasted so good but I'll be doing that from now one since there's less waste.

Chickpea, Spinach, Red Pepper and Harissa Hummus Dip

Makes about 3 cups.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 whole organic lemons, scrubbed, zested, peeled and seeds removed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. well-stirred tahini
• 1 29-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and 1/2 cup of liquid reserved
• 4 t. harissa made with cayenne
• 1-2 t. himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 4oz blanched spinach (weigh after blanching and squeezing out liquid), chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Squeeze the lemons over the bowl on a food processor or blender, then drop in the pulp.

Add the minced garlic and let it sit in the juice for 5-10 minutes to tame the flavor.

Add the tahini, chickpeas, 1/2 cup of chickpea liquid, 2 teaspoons harissa, and 1 t. salt.  Process for a looooong time, until it's very smooth.

Taste and add more harissa and/or salt.  I used 4 t. harissa because we like spicy.

Add the roasted red peppers and spinach and pulse until distributed.

Taste and adjust harissa and salt.

Stir in the lemon zest and enjoy.   

I love this with sliced carrots.  My husband uses Mary's Gone Crackers or cassava chips.

RECIPE: White Beans in Spicy Tomato Cream

The original recipe calls for these to be served under a pile of dressed salad greens, which is how I originally made it.  I found the beans to be very rich - they needed the greens to lighten them up - but, it's the middle of winter here and my husband isn't interested in salad, so he had the beans as a side dish with leftover Cajun Meatloaf, and he LOVED them!   I now make it without the greens....

Original recipe: Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens

White Beans in Spicy Tomato Cream

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T. ghee
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. Silk or Aleppo pepper 
• 1/3 c. tomato paste
• 2 14-oz cans great northern beans, or cannellini (I used great northern)
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
• 2/3 c. finely grated Pecorino or Romano cheese (I used Pecorino) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Drain the beans, reserving their liquid.

In a medium skillet, heat the ghee over medium.  Add the onion and Aleppo, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute. 

Add the tomato paste and stir until darkened and the mixture is combined, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the beans, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes. If it seems too thick, add a little more of the bean liquid.

Stir in the cheese, then taste and season with salt and pepper.