Art Festival Weekend

11/9/08

Well, it's been 2 weeks since i blogged--there never seems to be enough time, especially when Len is out of town and I have to do all the chores (5 cats produce a lot of soiled litter!).
This has been a good week and an even better weekend. We went down to Pensacola for the huge, annual art festival held in Seville Square. As usual, it didn't disappoint, and I did my part to support local artists by buying some neat things like beautiful glass beads, and some beautiful hand-sewn garments that will make a great outfit for our cruise in December. The weather was beautiful, the crowds tolerable (I guess there's one upside to the failing economy), and I had some good crawfish etouffee and the best cinnamon roll I've ever had in my life (from a local place called Tasty Bakery).
The only downer came when i ran into my old friend, Julie, who told me her husband had died fairly suddenly last year from pancreatic cancer...that was disturbing, especially since he was actually younger than me. I felt so bad for Julie, who also lost her mom and her sister to cancer, and has survived a nasty bout of melanoma herself.
Not 5 minutes later i ran into my good friend, John, who had unfortunately lost his job the day before. I am again reminded that anything can happen to anyone at any time, and i really have to count my blessings and live in the moment. Both of these friends are very positive, upbeat people, who despite their respective tragedies, still had a great attitude. I am reminded of a saying I read recently:

"You can't control the wind, you can only adjust your sails" --anonymous

I would be remiss if i didn't make note of the historic event that happened this week. The country finally got it right (in my opinion) and voted in a very smart, thoughtful, articulate candidate for president, who just happens to be black! Needless to say, as an Obama supporter, I was ecstatic with the results. My only regret was that Len was out of town the night of the election so I didn't have anyone to celebrate with.

The only "porch event" of note was that I saw my first Pine Warbler of the season--a sure sign, along with the beautiful red and gold falling leaves, that winter is on the way.


Cuisine

As promised, here are the recipes for 2 of my favorite dishes--Tuscan Sausage, Beans and Greens soup, and Chicken with Wine and Tomatoes. I make these every few weeks because they are simple, healthy and delicious, with ingrediants I usually have on hand.

Sandra's Tuscan Sausage, Beans and Greens Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Chicken and Apple sausage, diced or sliced in rounds (I like Applegate Farms brand)
1 large vidalia or yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large, or two medium carrots, peeled and diced (or sliced in rounds)
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
lots of fresh thyme (at least 1 tbsp + a few sprigs)
1 bayleaf
2 14-oz cans canneloni beans (or any white beans), drained and rinsed
8 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
1-2 tbsps maple syrup
1 or 2 large bunches of swiss chard, cleaned, and loosely chopped with large stems removed, or
can substitute 10oz package of fresh spinach
salt, pepper, and Tony C's to taste

In a large heavy-bottomed dutch oven or soup-pot saute the sausage in the olive oil, until lightly browned (1-2 minutes). Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and saute onions until soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add garlic, carrots and red pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add a little of the chicken broth if it starts to stick. Add the sausage, thyme, bay leaf, and beans and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, maple syrup and seasonings to taste. If using chard, add it after about 5 minutes, if using spinach, don't add it until 3-5 minutes before serving. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve with good crusty bread.
Note: This recipe makes several servings (at least 10) so I usually freeze half of it.

Chicken with Wine and Tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness
salt, pepper and Tony C's
1/3-1/2 c. finely chopped shallots
1/2 c. medium dry white wine, or vermouth, or dry sherry (or can use dry white wine + 1 tbsp honey)
1-2 tbsps sherry vinegar
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 large, or 3 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced ( 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes can be substituted)
1 tsp dijon mustard

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over med-high heat. Cut chicken into 4-6 oz pieces, sprinkle each side with salt, pepper, and Tony C's and saute until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside. Turn heat down to just a hair above medium (on a gas stove) and saute shallots for 2-3 minutes until soft. Deglaze pan with the white wine, scraping up any brown bits and simmer until reduced by about half (3-5 minutes). Add sherry vinegar and dijon mustard and cook for another couple of minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat slightly, and add chicken back in. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
For a nice variation, I add a package of grilled artichoke hearts to the sauce just before adding the chicken.
Serves 4-6