Say Cheese! ~

These dishes were submitted by Carolyn Esau, a faithful market shopper who enjoys creating meals around the finds of her Saturday morning market basket. 

Market Basket

Everona Dairy Rapidan Spread

Simply Cheddar, 8 oz ball

Reynolds Grassland chicken

Double H Farms bacon

Roundabout Farms garlic

Vintage Virginia Apples -- “Rubinette”

Rapidan Chicken

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs.)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large tub Rapidan Spread

1 cup mixed black and green olives

3 large garlic cloves

1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons chicken stock

Gravy

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons drippings from the roasting pan

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 large tub Rapidan Spread

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Combine the olive oil and Rapidan Spread. Rub the spread under the skin and then on the top of the skin and on the inside of the chicken.

Place the olives, garlic, and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Add the wine and chicken stock.

Place the chicken on a rack on top of the olives in the roasting pan.

Roast in the oven until the chicken's internal temperature reaches between 170°F-175°F, about 1-1 1/2 hours (check at the thigh). Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest outside the oven for 10 minutes before carving.

Coarsely chop the olives, separate the onions, cut or mash the roasted garlic.  Either serve on the side or add to the gravy.

Make gravy:  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the drippings. Sprinkle the flour over the fat and whisk. Whisk flour and fat for 1 to 3 minutes until the flour turns a golden brown color and it bubbles. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the wine and Rapidan Spread and simmer until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the cream and allow it heat through for about 30 seconds.

Alternately (or for leftovers), bone and skin the chicken.  Add the meat and roasted olives, onions & garlic to gravy.  Serve over mashed potatoes, cooked rice, or cooked egg noodles.

Apple-Bacon-Cheddar Swirls

2 small apples, cored, grated

6 slices cooked bacon*, chopped

8 ounces Simply Cheddar, at room temperature

1 tablespoons sugar*

1 teaspoons ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 package (17.3 ounces) puff pastry Sheets, thawed

Heat the oven to 400°F.  In a mixing bowl, beat together the grated apples, bacon and cheddar cheese, sugar & spices until well blended. 

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spread half the cheese mixture on the pastry to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll up like a jelly roll.  Press the seam to seal.  Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.

Cut each roll into 20 (1/2-inch) slices, making 40 in all.  Place the slices, cut-side down, onto 3 baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

*Note: See the last newsletter (August 2009 edition)- I generally use the sweetened bacon from the Cabbage with Bacon recipe and you can substitute 1-1 1/2 tablespoons Powder Douce for the sugar & spices.