Spring in Michigan is often a practice in patience. Just when you think she’s here for good, you wake up to a hard frost or an inch of snow. Our tomato starts in the greenhouse struggled against stiff north winds and low temperatures. Yet hope for spring returns when you step inside that greenhouse and are greeted by a bright green hum. You plant seeds with the hope that each one produces the miracle called a plant. It’s an exercise in faith. I could never live in an area of the country where the seasons never change. Seasons remind me to pay attention to the earth’s rhythms. As farmers, we are hyper-sensitive the many signs that nature provides; our livelihood depends on it.
Today, after helping our neighbor Lynne start rehabbing her pontoon, I wanted something simple and fast for dinner. I love recipes that use ethnic flavors with common ingredients. Inspired by a recipe from the NY Times, I made some slight alterations and came up with a dish that balances warm spices with cool yogurt. The arugula sprouts and baby potatoes, reminded me of the newness of spring. You can adjust it to feed a few or a crowd.
Roasted Chicken With Baby Potatoes and Spicy Yogurt:
2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs
1-2 lbs. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. sriracha or thick hot sauce of your choice
1 tsp. ground cumin
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. lemon zest, plus 6 lemon wedges
1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1-2 cups arugula sprouts
Spring fresh, arugula sprouts
Combine chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with 1 tsp. of the salt and all of the pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the sriracha, cumin and 3 Tbsp. of olive oil. Pour over chicken and potatoes and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange chicken thighs and potatoes on sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until everything is golden and slightly crisped.
While the chicken cooks, whisk together the yogurt, chives, garlic and lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, spoon yogurt sauce over chicken and potatoes. Scatter arugula sprouts over mixture. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and squeeze a few lemon wedges over the whole thing. Pass extra yogurt sauce.
Serves: 4
Contrasts in flavor
“Each experience leaves an imprint, its transformation into something useful is a choice.”
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