Chicken with Orange-Balsamic sauce

Ah, summer.

I haven't felt much like cooking these past months. Maybe it's the warm weather, the recognition of how short the season really is here in the Kingdom; maybe it's garden-variety malaise; maybe it's the disagreeable relationship I've had with my bathroom scale.

Whatever the cause, I've adopted what my mother-in-law would have called a 'grab it and growl' approach to menu planning lately. And it's suited the season.

Keeping with that, but yearning for something a little more constructed than a salad or unexpected than a burger tossed on the grill, here's a quick chicken dish that's high on flavor, low on effort. We prepared it last night with some success, based on the absence of leftovers.

You've got a bowl of oranges in the kitchen, don't you? A little balsamic hanging around? Then you've got a classic waiting to happen.

Chicken with Orange-Balsamic Sauce

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 large navel orange, peeled, sectioned, and diced

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/4 cups orange juice, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon Better than Bullion Organic Chicken Base (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Set aside.

Make the sauce. Peel and section a large navel orange, and chop into small pieces. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the orange pieces and saute a few moments. Then add the onion and garlic and cook together a few minutes until fragrant.

Add 3/4 cup of the orange juice, the balsamic vinegar (I had an inexpensive 'white' on hand that worked well -- since this is cooking down, any decent though low-priced balsamic you like will do), the brown sugar (add more if you have a sweet tooth) and the Better than Bullion, if desired. Stir well and, over medium high heat, simmer the mixture until it thickens, stirring frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Don't let the mixture cook down too much; if it burns, you'll have to start over.) Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat a little olive oil to a non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken tenders on both sides, in two batches so not to crowd the pan. Remove to a plate. Drain off any excess oil. Deglaze the pan with the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix together well and bring to a brisk boil. Allow the mixture to bubble for a few moments in order to reduce a bit. Return the chicken to the pan, lower the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. Stir in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reheat a few moments longer, coating the chicken well. Serve hot.

This would work beautifully with a wild rice almondine, but pared well with simply prepared new potatoes from the farmers' market and sauteed zucchini out of the garden.

Dinner accomplished. Let us therefor resume our reprobate summer ways. To the hammock!

Remembering my mother, on her birthday

Josephine Berretta Buel

May 26, 1924 - December 21, 2006.

Deeply missed, much loved.

Argentinian Malbec, Well-Marbled Steaks, and the Earth Moved

Let's be honest: we've had some rough sledding lately. The demise of the magazine, budget cuts at school, and -- oh -- that delinquent tax bill arriving in the mail. Hum. Well, we took care of that right away! But it's left us a little depleted, in more ways than one. By mid-week, I had to have a real meal.

Spent twenty minutes at the meat counter, selecting the perfect steaks. Let's not dwell on why it took so long. But select I did. Then grabbed a bag of Vermont potatoes and a bottle of Alamos Malbec, an Argentinian go-to of choice.

"I want mine bloody," I announced, slapping the steaks out on the counter, then getting to work peeling and slicing the potatoes for oven fries. I seasoned the spuds with salt, pepper, and a spicy garlic and onion blend, then tossed them onto a oiled baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or so, flipping a couple of times until they were golden and gorgeously brown here and there.

Fabulous.

And those steaks. No grill at hand, no interest in cleaning a broiler pan either . . .so we pan seared them. Started them in a cold non-stick pan set over nearly the highest flame. Turned after four or five minutes and cooked the other side. Mine was sort of still kicking, so we lowered the temperature and kept the other on the flame.

Fabulous.

I don't eat a lot of steak, but when I do, one could say that I genuinely enjoy it. In short, I find a succulent cut of beef cooked to perfection something of a, well, earth-moving experience. It's hard not to feel sorry for vegetarians, no matter how deep their affection for asparagus or broccoli might be.

For lunch I ate the leftovers cold. And for dinner now I'm about to roast a very plump chicken, which -- given my appetite -- I might consume entirely by myself. Perhaps it's not been a great week in terms of calorie or cholesterol counting. Or dollar counting, for that matter. But we've eaten well, with gusto, and with appreciation for all our gifts.

We're counting those blessings, you can be sure.

Photo: Dinner at Lomo, a Buenos Aires steakhouse -- Philip Choi.

A heartfelt thank you to our readers

Dear NCC readers,

A few years ago, my Aunt Ada Virginia --- no children of her own, widow of a big, tall oilman --- passed away, leaving me what seemed a small fortune. Shrewd investor that I am, I blew the bulk of it on a three-week trip to Italy with my daughters to celebrate their graduation from Lyndon Institute and to see a few places our ancestors had walked. We had a blast, and we built memories that will last a lifetime. The rest of my aunt’s bequest went to starting and keeping afloat North Country Cooking. And while it was money well spent, spent it is. Alas.

I’ve had a wonderful year sharing in this literary-culinary passion. It’s been great fun, and I’ve learned a lot: chiefly, though, that I am a far better short-order cook and bottle-washer than entrepreneur, and that a bone-fide business plan probably can’t be adequately sketched out on a cocktail napkin.

Our March issue, therefore, will remain our last. Over the summer months, I will evaluate what sort of venture makes sense for NCC. Perhaps we will re-emerge as a less ambitious quarterly; perhaps a cookbook will seem both fun and fiscally sound. We'll hold our post at the stove and sink, and carry on with our blog, and see what the Universe has in store. In the meantime, I’m arranging for our subscribers to receive complimentary subscriptions to the ever excellent Cook’s Illustrated.

Thank you, readers, for believing in the magazine, for staying with us when at every turn there are more and more demands on your time and attention. I've appreciated the boots-on-the-ground support you’ve shown, and the fine work our writers and readers alike have submitted over these months. I’ve enjoyed it all, as I hope you have, and I am very grateful.

Very best,

Denise

Limoncello Yogurt Cream

"The desserts," a friend of mine said yesterday, "were over the top."

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I wasn't sure at first if this was a good thing. I mean, we aimed to please and impress, not confound. But as dessert buffets go, I've got to believe that we assembled a pretty terrific one for last Saturday's fundraiser: amazing Tiramisu, dense chocolate torte with blackberry cream and glaze, luscious cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and lovely lemon pound cake with a tangy-sweet Limoncello yogurt cream. We had several requests for the recipe for that last offering, which had at least one appreciative dinner savoring the very last dollop.

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My son, Alex, was taster extraordinaire last week for me, as we finessed the recipe. It's so easy I'm a little tempted to keep it to myself. But it'd be selfish not to share. While it was perfect over the pound cake, it would be equally fabulous ladled over a slice of delicate white cake and adorned with fresh berries -- raspberries are a natural match for lemon, but we'll try blueberries this summer for sure. (Hard to beat the ubiquitous combination of cobalt and lemon-yellow found on hand-painted pottery from Capri and the Amalfi coast.)

Limoncello Yogurt Cream

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk plain, unsweetened yogurt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons Limoncello

Beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Add the yogurt and beat again. Sift in the sugar, and beat once more. Stir in the Limoncello. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Mixture will thicken, but retain the consistency of a sauce rather than a whipped cream. Serve over sliced cake with fresh fruit.

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Photo by designatednaphour.

Julia wore pearls in the kitchen . . . .

. . . and so will I.

This Saturday's Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser in St. Johnsbury is sold out, and I'll be behind the scenes, stirring sauce and twirling pasta with a crew of volunteers. On the menu: chicken and eggplant Parmesans, and a dessert buffet guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth. Many folks from the South Congregational Church, Habitat, and North Country Cooking have volunteered to bake lemon pound cakes, chocolate tortes, tiramisu, and cheesecakes. Calorie counting is most definitely not allowed on Saturday.

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NCC writer and cook extraordinaire Susan Williams and I met with Jerry Prevost of St. Johnsbury Academy this afternoon to finalize the game plan. He and his Culinary Arts students are in charge of preparing the entrees, and we couldn't be in better hands. Susan and I were treated to a sample of the chicken Parmesan -- fork-tender, juicy, flavorful, and -- important! -- sauced to perfection. I am seriously picky about the sauce.

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(PS -- Susan and I agree: Jerry is wonderful.)

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While I've thrown the occasional ungainly party for a few dozen or so, this seated affair for 100 is quite a different kettle of fish. I'm honored and humbled to have been asked to take part. It felt great to be in the South Congregational Church kitchen this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the first dinner guests walking through the door to the sight of linen-topped tables and gorgeous young servers swirling about, the aroma of herb-infused sauce and fresh garlic bread filling the air, wonderful music playing in the background.

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And in a nod to Julia, I'll wear my Tahitian pearls along with the requisite apron and hair-in-a-bun. I'll aim to imitate her on-screen collected cool. For this one evening, we'll do it up right.

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Sour Cream Cheesecake

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We're gathering recipes for the Habitat for Humanity Fundraising dinner on April 17th. For our dessert buffet, we'll offer Tiramisu, Chocolate Torte, Lemon Pound Cake with Limoncello cream, and Cheesecake with assorted toppings.

Cheesecake was my mother's signature dessert, and raspberries her favorite accompaniment. She often served it with her own raspberry sauce, or spread rich preserves over an almond crust before topping with the creamy filling and baking. A holiday was simply incomplete without a luscious serving.

My mother made this so often she never bothered with writing it down. It's impossible to capture the magic she brought to baking, but here's the basic method.

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SOUR CREAM CHEESE CAKE

This makes a very creamy cheesecake. Best made the day before serving. My mother would often substitute 1/2 cup heavy cream for the sour cream. Often, too, she would separate the eggs, and whip the whites, then blend the yolks into the cream cheese mixture, and finally gently fold the whites into the mixture. This makes the cake fluffier and lighter, but is more trouble. I'm usually too lazy . . . Can use less sugar -- I have a sweet tooth.

Prepared graham cracker or almond crust, on bottom only of 9 inch spring-form pan. (Recipe below.)

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3 8-ounce packages cream cheese (not low fat)

1 ¼ cups sugar

¾ cup sour cream

2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

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All ingredients MUST be at room temperature before you begin.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until well combined and again, very smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. With the beaters running very slowly, mix eggs into the cream cheese mixture only until incorporated. Avoid overbeating or beating on too high a speed. This will toughen the cake.

Pour into the spring form pan. Place pan on top of a cookie sheet, and place in center of preheated oven.

Bake for one hour. Turn off oven and open door. Hold the door ajar with a knife. Allow cake to sit in oven for 30 to 40 minutes longer.

Remove from oven. Run knife around edges of pan. Allow to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours of preferably over night.

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Standard recipe for the crust, adapted for bottom only:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (finely ground in processor

from about 12 whole graham crackers)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

3 tablespoons melted butter

Pinch of salt

Blend graham cracker crumbs, sugar, flour, and pinch of salt in processor. Add melted butter and process until crumbs are moistened. Lightly butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Transfer crumb mixture into pan; press mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes. Cool crust in pan completely. Be sure to lower oven temperature before baking the cheesecake.

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