Sometimes I Screw Up Badly

this one rocks.. buy your ingredients at a farmer's market

Wow....that sounds better than the other recipe you gave me a few months ago. I'll have to try this within the next week or so.



As far as your post...I have found that cooking is A LOT of trial and error, trying to find that perfect taste and texture, blended with the perfect seasonings. And you're right...sometimes simple is better, and the fresshest ingredients make the dish.

Yummy! I'll have t pass the recipes on to the men in the family.

also it helps if your olives are home cured:-)

Here's a recipe that will make you a star when your tomatoes ripen





Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives (Poulet Provencal)

Gourmet | March 2008

Shelley Wiseman



Featuring olive oil and the combined herbs and produce of the south of France, this one-dish country dinner will transport you to a café table in Aix in a heartbeat.



Yield: Makes 4 servings

Active Time: 25 min

Total Time: 1 1/2 hr



1 pound tomatoes (3 to 4 medium), cut into wedges

1 large onion, cut into wedges, leaving root ends intact

1/2 cup drained brine-cured black olives, pitted if desired

4 large garlic cloves, sliced, plus 1 teaspoon minced



3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)



Equipment:

Equipment: kitchen string

Accompaniment: crusty bread

Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley



Preheat convection oven to 400°F for regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.

Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.

Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.



I tripled the amount of tomatoes and added a 2lbs of new potatoes. Steam the potatoes before addng them and they will be the perfect consistency when you serve...

That what I hear every great chef say, "fresh ingredients!"

I'm waiting patiently for my tomatoes to turn red...