Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda in the Kitchen
Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda in the Kitchen
This spring chicken went to market, and a few things went awry ...
Part of my contribution to our community is to generate recipe ideas, try them out, and share the results here. Last weekend, after coming home from the farmer's market—loaded with ramps, radishes, rhubarb, green garlic, and fiddleheads—I was excited to focus today's post on spring vegetables cooked and paired with chicken.
And I still am. Only this story isn't all daffodils and tulips. You know how it goes in the kitchen sometimes: There are occasionally things you would have, could have, or should have done another way. Even the very best intentions for creating delicious food can run afoul. We're dealing with heat, liquid, and semi-precious seasonal ingredients, after all. And since my goal is to make mistakes so you don't have to, I'm pulling back the curtain on the sausage-making in these three "Spring Chicken" recipes:
Woulda-Made-More Radish Salad
Coulda-Added-Herbs Braised Chicken and Rhubarb
Shoulda-Waited Roast Chicken and Spring Vegetables
The details appear in each recipe where they will live forever as a testament to second guessing. Through truth we can all be redeemed to our full potential, especially the dear vegetables.
All recipes provide substitution ideas, including different protein options. And there are links at the end to more chicken recipes from The Bittman Project Recipe Index.
And with that, we’re off …
Woulda-Made-More Radish Salad
Makes: 3 or 4 side portions
Time: 15 minutes
This is a great waste-not, want-not, roots-to-leaves chopped salad that goes with or can become almost anything. It's perfect for filling tacos and wraps, and a big tumble goes extremely well alongside grilled or roasted pork, shrimp, or chicken. Baby turnips, carrots, or beets—with their greens—would also be excellent this way. And if you let the salad marinate in the fridge for a couple of days, it morphs into a swell relish. So why didn't I make at least a double batch? Fortunately we’re at the beginning of radish season; consider yourself better advised.
Ingredients:
1 bunch radishes with good-looking greens (8 ounces)
1 or 2 young spring alliums (like green onions, garlic, shallots, or leeks)
1 lime, halved
4 teaspoons olive oil
Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
1. While you scrub and trim the radish roots, pluck off all the tender leaves and rinse them, too. Pat them dry with clean towels or crank in a salad spinner to remove excess water. Let them drain with the radishes.
2. Trim and slice the spring alliums (I used very young green garlic) and put them in a salad bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the olive oil, and stir to combine.
3. Chop the radishes and radish greens. Add them to the bowl and toss until shiny. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve right away or chill for up to 3 days.
— Recipe developed by Kerri Conan
