October 18th Newsletter

Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market, Inc

Sarah’s Corner

From our friend Sarah Fritschner

What follows in the wake of an economic meltdown isn’t necessarily all bad, futurist Gerald Celente told Pam Platt of the Courier-Journal this week. The big-box stores and other corporate giants that were given tax breaks and incentives to grow at the expense of independently-owned stores will now shrink, he says, and he predicts a renaissance of the mom-and-pop stores and the strengthening of small communities.

My thoughts go directly to independent restaurants. The commissary sameness of the pre-portioned frozen food served at the likes of Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Denny’s doesn’t appeal to me much. Further, these mega-chains make a profit by exploiting human, animal and environmental resources. All great reasons not to patronize them.

Supporting independently-owned restaurants means supporting restaurants that have relationships in the community, where chefs and owners can buy locally-produced food. Think of Bruce Ucan, who in the early days of the Bardstown Road Farmers Market sold sopas and other snacks from his Mayan Gypsy truck.  He opened the Mayan Gypsy, now the Mayan Café, still featuring much local food on his menu. And the food is way more interesting than Applebee’s.

Supporting local restaurants that support our local farmers is a vital part of decentralizing the food economy, an action critical to the personal health of Americans and environmental health of the country, as Michael Pollan pointed out in Sunday’s New York Times magazine. And it tastes yummy.

Italian pan-fried chicken

You may use white meat chicken for this dish, but if you use boneless, skinless chicken breast you'll need to increase the heat (to brown them faster) and cook for less time.

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper

1 1/2 pounds drumsticks (or bone-in thighs)

Combine herbs, salt and pepper in a small dish, then sprinkle the mixture over all sides of the chicken. If you have the spare time, allow the chicken to stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Put a wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, put the chicken in and cook 15 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook 20 minutes more. Turn the chicken this way or that to brown it well all over, cooking it about 40 minutes in all (depending on how big the pieces are and how cold it was when you put it in the pan). Lower heat if the chicken appears to burn.

Remove the chicken from the pan to serving plates or platter.  Pour off most of the fat accumulated in the pan. Add 1/4 cup water (or chicken broth, or white wine) and use a spoon or spatula to scrape up bits from the bottom of the pan. Spoon this pan juice over chicken.

Serves 4. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes and kale or other seasonal fall green.