Cider Hill Farm Takes the Slow Food $5 Challenge

Writes Jessica Hose

"What a great dinner we just had! Between some frugal cooking, a visit to Cider Hill Farm on Wednesday and the last of the garden's bounty we had an absolute feast! We estimate the entree came to $3.06 per person and dessert was about $1.17 per person. ($4.23 total). 

Here's what we had:

Chicken & Dumplings - Serves 4

3lbs bone-in chicken, cut into parts

3 cups onion, diced

1.5 cups celery, diced

1.5 cups carrot, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2T olive oil

1t salt

1T white pepper

1 bay leaf

1T thyme 

2 large sage leaves

water or chicken stock, about 1 quart

Dumplings

1 cup AP flour

1/2T baking powder

1/2t salt

1.5T butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

sage, pepper & nutmeg to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add chicken and brown. Remove chicken and saute mushrooms until browned. Add onions, celery and carrot and cook until beginning to soften. Return chicken and any juices to pot. Cover with water or stock. Add herbs and simmer over low heat, covered, about 2 hours. Adjust seasoning to taste. 

For dumplings, combine dry ingredients plus butter in a mixing bowl. Combine with fingertips until butter is incorporated. Make a well in center and crack egg into well. Whisk egg and slowly add milk. Incorporate dry ingredients into wet until batter is consistent throughout. 

Drop by large spoonfuls into hot soup. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot. 

For complete photos as well as the recipe for my Cardamom-Ginger Peach Cobbler please see my blog here: http://cake-o-cake.blogspot.com/2011/09/slowfoods-5-meal-challenge.html

Bon appetit!

Jessica Hose

Kudos!—Slow Food Boston