Savory Chicken and Heart Stopping Potatoes

Dave suggested the name for this post - I couldn't resist. Indeed, the chicken was savory and the potatoes were heart stopping! Since I didn't buy any non-local veggies this winter, I'm finding myself enjoying spring even more than usual......

When I got home from work on Tuesday night, Dave already had this JenEhr pastured chicken stuffed and on the grill. He stuffed it with local apple, onion from the farm, and a very non-local ataulfo mango from Mexico. Ataulfos are the best mangos ever, and I've been indulging recently..... I suggest you do the same!

He slow cooked the chicken on the grill for a few hours.

Which gave me plenty of time to shower and figure out how I was going to incorporate ramps in the meal. These are baby wild leeks from Harmony Valley Farm that I got at the farmer's market on Saturday. I missed them when I was in California - no one there seemed to know anything about them.

I had a bunch of potatoes from the farm (they're from last year, but still holding up well!). I decided to make a cheesy layered scalloped potato dish. First, I sliced the potatoes nice and thin....

and arranged them in a buttered pie plate.

Next came a nice layer of ramps. These are even beautiful when they're chopped up!

Next came some shredded cheese (mild cheddar is what we had, so that's what I used). and then another layer of potatoes.

Next came a little butter, more ramps, more cheese, more potatoes, more butter, and a little salt and paprika.....

I poured a little milk over the top, and finished it with a nice thick layer of cheese. It went in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes and then I turned it down to 350 for another 20 minutes of so.

Here's the result! It couldn't have been more perfect! I really like layered dished like this, they're so easy, and they usually turn out really well - heart stopping if you will....

While the potatoes were finishing, I made a quick salad with some greens from the farm and these gorgeous radishes. They're exceptionally sweet and crunchy. I'm not usually a radish lover (they usually seem pretty unexciting and bland), but I'm really enjoying these.....

They made for a beautiful salad topped with chives from our garden.

The chicken also turned out perfectly - it practically melted in your mouth - not dry in the least.....Dave is getting really good at this grilling thing! We saved the stuffing to make stock with....and an excellent stock it was too!

Not bad for a Tuesday night meal!

---

Cheesy Ramps and Potatoes

4 medium red or gold potatoes, sliced thin
1 bunch of ramps
Butter
2 cups or so Shredded Cheese, whatever kind you like
1 cup milk
Paprika
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter the bottom of a pie plate. Arrange a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Sprinkle half the ramps on top of the potatoes. Layer a little less than 1/3 of the cheese on top of that. Add another layer of potatoes, add a few dabs of butter (about 1-2 tablespoons), followed by the rest of the ramps, a little less than 1/3 of the cheese, and more potatoes. Pour the milk over top, sprinkle on some paprika and a little salt, a few more dabs of butter, and then the rest of the cheese. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

share on: Facebook