#regencyrv – A Magnolia's Culinary Chronicles

I know. I know. COVID-19 is highly contagious and we need to flatten the curve. Got it. Nevertheless, small businesses and their employees are sinking, or have already sunk, all over the country. The government money will not reach most of them fast enough. If we don’t collectively support all the special places and people that we love, we’ll end up with an America that has nothing left but massive chains and corporate box stores. Don’t get me wrong. I do like Target. I order things I cannot get in my small town from Amazon. But now is not the time for all that. Now is the time to get take-out from your local mom and pop restaurant that’s still trying to stay open curbside, or the little boutique that does online orders and local front porch drop-off delivery when you need to purchase a baby gift. I recently started getting all of our vegetables, fruit and meat from our local farmers who are usually at farmer’s markets. As I’ve said before, these are the folks without big supermarket contracts, these are the guys that have struggled financially as they made the righteous yet costly choice to organic conversion and certification, and they are the people that always have a piece of fruit or a sticker when my four-year-old comes with me to the market. So, I have pledged to do my produce shopping through them from here on out. I’ve been writing about this adventure over on Regency RV‘s lifestyle blog, but I thought I would share the recipes with you here at amagnoliasculinarychronicles.com as well! Let me know what you think and please share your ideas for helping your local small business owners as well! So, without further adieu, here’s this week’s article:

This week’s recipe from my local farmer’s produce box arose from a gnawing conundrum. What the heck did I want to eat with a Rutabaga in it? In the past, I’ve had them roasted akin to a turnip or mashed like a sad alternative to mashed potatoes. Neither of these options blew my much-in-need-of-a-salon-appointment hair back. I had an idea. I peeled some of the skin and tasted it raw. Bingo. It was nutty, buttery and delicious. So, I forged ahead.

Thanks to a reality check in the meat section of my local grocery store, I have started buying our meat directly from Keegan-Filion Farm who I know from Farmer’s Market. Now our meat, veggies and fruit are all coming from small farmers in our area – ie: the people who need it the most right now.

I had a lovely set of Keegan-Filion Farm’s artisanal Andouille Sausage ready to hit the grill. So, I out set out to make a vinegar-based slaw (a favorite) with my farmers box Rutabaga, Carrots, Green Onion and a few Brussels Sprouts. Honestly, I enjoyed the Rutabaga more than I do the classic cabbage slaw. So, if you’re looking for a little something quick and a bit different to go with Brats or Sausage on the grill, give this Rutabaga & Carrot Slaw a whirl this week.

Ingredients:

Slaw:

1 Rutabaga, spiralized or slice julienned
2 Carrots, spiralized or slice julienned
3 Brussels Sprouts, finely shaved
2 Green Onions, greens only chopped (I saved the white section for salad the next day)
1 Tb Orange Zest

Dressing:

1 tsp Celery Seed
1/3 cup Raw Sugar
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of ½ a Lemon
½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First, I chopped all the veggies and mixed them up in a large bowl. I used a spiralizer for the Rutabaga and Carrots, but you can definitely julienne them by hand. This option was just incredibly fast and looked pretty. Once all your vegetables are chopped, scatter the orange zest throughout and mix it into the ingredients.

Add all the dressing ingredients, celery seed, raw sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon and olive oil, to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil while stirring. Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble a touch, it’s ready. Pour the hot mixture over the slaw and stir. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve dinner.

Vinegar based slaws are one of my favorite things to pop into my Regency RV when we’re headed on a trip. They keep for about four days and they brighten up just about any meal. I’ll definitely use this one again next time we’re able to hit the road.

In the meantime, stay safe, happy cooking and bon appétit!

I recently posted this dish on Recipes from the Road for Regency RV, but I was so delighted with the delicious concoction that I felt compelled to share it here. All of you regulars know by now that I harbor a deep, abiding love for all things Hatch Green Chile. Well, it’s that time of year again and this recipe may be the most mouthwateringly divine vessel for the green pods of heaven yet!

This New Mexican-inspired dish is a culinary mashup of Hatch Green Chiles and Quail. Stuffed with chile-infused wild rice and wrapped in Roasted Hatch Green Chiles, this semi-boneless quail is an effortless centerpiece that will bring a new twist on the Land of Enchantment’s cuisine and will delight any night of the week.

If you live outside the southwest and can’t lay your hands on some in your local grocery, you can always order Hatch Green Chiles online. Here’s a useful link from Saveur that lists a few reliable purveyors: https://www.saveur.com/best-hatch-green-chiles-order-online/

As for the quail, you can also use Cornish game hens as an excellent substitute for this recipe, but I prefer the beautiful texture and inimitable flavor of quail. One of my fondest memories of quail was eating it stuffed with wild rice at the Dallas institution, Old Warsaw. Although it’s no longer part of the updated menu in their new location, it continued to linger in my sense memory, which inevitably led me to conjure up this New Mexican twist on the classic dish.

So without further adieu, here goes – Roasted Quail Stuffed with Hatch Green Chile Wild Rice:

Ingredients:

For the Wild Rice:

2 Tb butter
¼ t marjoram
¼ t sage
A pinch of cayenne pepper, or more according to your preference
1 Tb red chile powder
1 Tb cumin
1 Tb onion powder
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Hatch green chiles, minced
1 cup of wild rice
3 cups of chicken stock

For the Quail:

8 semi-boneless Quail
4 Hatch Green Chiles, sliced vertically in half
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Instructions:

In a Dutch oven, like a le creuset or even an instant pot, heat two tablespoons of butter on low until it just starts to bubble then add the rice and stir until fully coated. Add the mixture of spices as well as minced green chiles, shallots and garlic and continue to stir until the lighter rice turns an even, golden brown. Add the chicken stock then turn the heat up to medium. Keep the heat up until the pot reaches a boil then turn it down to medium-low and cover. Continue to stir the pot every few minutes to avoid any sticking on the bottom. This should take roughly 40-45 minutes.

In the meantime, dry the quail fully, massage with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the rice is ready, remove from the pan and set aside. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat then sear the quail on both sides for two minutes each. Pull the quail off the grill, stuff with the rice, coat once more in olive oil then wrap each quail in a Hatch Green Chile slice. Coat the bottom of a glass dish with olive and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Arrange the stuffed quail on a plate and serve as a stand alone or alongside sautéed okra with a spice mix from the recipe. As a pairing partner, a bottle of Cabernet Franc from Chinon in France’s Loire Valley is an unrivaled winner.

As always, bon appétit, y’all!

Tag: #regencyrv

What We Can Do…Carrot & Rutabaga Slaw from My Local Farmer

Roasted Quail with a New Mexican Twist