Recipe: Farmers Market Chicken with Garlic and Fennel Seed

Farmers Market Chicken with Garlic and Fennel Seed

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs and legs from local farmer market free range chicken
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fennel seed
¼ Teaspoon hot red pepper
2 Cups chicken stock
Cloves from one head of garlic, pealed

salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Heat oil on medium heat in skillet large enough to hold chicken in one layer

2) Add fennel seed, red pepper and pinch of salt and let cook for 30 seconds (if the fennel burns the oil was too hot, start over)

3) salt and pepper chicken on all sides and place skin side down in hot oil, pressing into the fennel seed

4) When the skin is nicely browned on one side, turn over and cook until other side of legs are brown

5) Add as much chicken stock as possible without covering the the browned thighs and legs.

6) Add garlic cloves and cover, cook until thighs and legs are done (check with thermometer if you are uncertain) and sauce is thickened. Add more stock as needed if sauce thickens too much before the chicken is done

Serve two pieces of chicken per person with a little of the sauce including pieces of garlic around the chicken

Sugar Lake Lodge "Wine Down" to "Sun Down"

We went out to Rutger's on Sugar Lake last weekend to check out their new evening offerings on the Otis' Deck at the main lodge. This is not to be confused with Jake's Grill at Rutger's which has a full menu and bar. The Otis' special menu has a limited list of appetizers and a selection of wines (beer is also available, I am not sure about full bar service). It is served Monday through Saturday from 5-9 PM on the deck overlooking the lake.

We tried two of the appetizers and two of the wine selections. Along with the wine, they brought us a good crusty bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in.

Marcia ordered the "Moules Provencal", Mussels in garlic and white wine sauce with grape tomatoes. It was a very large plate of mussels with a an extra large bowl to handle the spent shells. The garlic, wine and tomatoes created a nice sauce to sop up with bread.

I ordered the "Pettinidi Gorath", described as cornmeal crusted jumbo scallops with lemon garlic dill sauce. As a result of a mixup, what I got was the "Piccante Gamberi". This was a large dish of sauteed shrimp in a mildly spicy creole sauce. There was a cocktail sauce provided for dipping. They were wonderful, although messy to eat since the shrimp were oily with creole sauce and required shelling before dipping into the cocktail sauce.

I was not disappointed by the mixup of my order, except that I ordered a glass of white wine in anticipation of the milder scallops. I much prefer red wine and Marcia ordered a red Malbec that was much better.

We treated the appetizers as a meal and they were plenty filling. Either would have been plenty alone as a snack for a couple of people to go with glasses of wine or beer. The deck has sun on it and is a great spot to sit an look out at the lake. There were even a couple of hot games of croquet to watch just below the deck.

We planned to ride out bikes out to Rutgers (its about 10 miles from Grand Rapids) along 63 and 17. The ride includes a separate bike trail for a portion of the ride and wide shoulders for the rest. But we ended up driving this time. We will no doubt be making that bike trip this summer. Its a really a great spot to sit in the sun in the evening and relax with some interesting menu choices. If you want a full meal after your appetizers, its just a short walk over to Jakes.

Brewed Awakenings

We have eaten at Brewed Awakenings many times. Unlike many coffee shops, the food is not a sideline. Its a reason to go there for lunch whether you like coffee or not.

As you would expect from a coffee house, they serve espresso, made with Alakef coffee from Duluth, with a variety of homemade sweets. For more nutritional fare they offer a variety of sandwiches made on Great Harvest breads and unique soups that change every day. They offer a few other food specials, including a vegetarian lasagna. There is a link to their full menu on the right

In addition to their own unique fare, they also offer panini and gelato in multiple flavors. The gelato is made on site and is excellent. The panini are good, but you will find similar sandwiches at many coffee shops.

They have also created one of the nicer spaces to eat in Grand Rapids with rotating variety of works by local artists. With free wi-fi its a place to sit and work for many people. They also occasionally have music.

You can also buy Alakef coffee and loaves of the Great Harvest bread to take home.

Bella's Cafe - Bovey MN

We have visited this cafe located in Annabella's Antique Mall on old Highway 169 in downtown Bovey. Its only a couple blocks off the Mesabi Bike trail and makes a nice stop on a ride from Grand Rapids. The first time we stopped, we were really there for coffee, but I got one of their latte shakes which is essentially espresso and ice cream. It was great. Marcia got a plain latte that time.

Then yesterday we stopped again just before closing at 5:00 PM. It was getting close to dinner time but we were only looking for a light snack to hold us for the rest of the ride. So we split a Cesaer salad which came with tasty home baked artisan rolls made with whole wheat flour and a little honey. We also got another one of the espresso shakes, which was again great.

We didn't try the house specialty, sarma, since it has pork in it and Marcia does not eat red meat. But there were people there the first time we stopped talking about how good it is.

The Cafe has free wireless. Its menu includes salads, soup and sandwiches as well as a variety of soft ice cream concoctions and other sweets.