The Trek to California
Imagine, if you can, a Dodge Van filled almost to the brim with college textbooks, camping and backpacking equipment, a double mattress, linens, cameras, cookbooks, my trusty seasoned Lodge cast iron frying pan, a rice cooker, a wok, my electric mixer, cuisinart, and assorted pots and pans. Not to mention two completely bewildered kitties, who were leaving their beloved Connecticut college farmhouse and meadow filled with butterflies and field mice to bounce along the highways and byways. Westward ho — we were our own little Lewis and Clark expedition, seeking the Pacific Ocean.

Our journey from the green rolling Connecticut hillsides across America was quite an adventure — we stopped at every national park within proximity and countless campgrounds as our van meandered from the east coast across the heartland with endless acres of grain and corn until we approached the majestic Rockies and Pike’s Peak, then down towards the Grand Canyon, across the blazing Arizona and California deserts toward our destination — La Jolla — the “jewel” of the Pacific.

California ! The rugged coastline, the crashing Pacific Ocean waves, the cool ocean breezes — everything was so different from life on the East Coast. I was in heaven with all the fresh produce — asparagus, artichokes, orange and lemon trees in your own backyard, figs, the best cherries and apricots I had ever tasted. And chickens and fresh eggs! Speaking of chickens . . .

The very first time that I dined at the upstairs cafe at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, I enjoyed the most delicious roasted chicken I had ever tasted. It was organic, succulent, perfectly roasted, and infused with an array of fresh herbs.

I recently discovered Mary’s Free Range Organic Air Chilled Chicken at Bianchini’s Market (San Carlos) and urge you to purchase one or two. These plump little birds are fed a vegetarian diet, with no antibiotics or hormones, and make a wonderful quick dinner. While I do not agree with Julia Child that you should wash chickens in hot water, I do give my chicken a good bath with cold running water. As always when cooking with raw poultry, wash your hands and cooking utensils well in warm soapy water!

ROAST CHICKEN

(Preheat oven to 400 degrees F)

• 1 fresh Mary’s Fee Range Organic Air Chilled Chicken (usual weight is around 4 lbs)
• Butter (softened)
• 1 Small Onion or Shallot – sliced
• 1 Small Lemon – sliced
• Fresh Herbs (rosemary can be overwhelming — I favor fresh thyme)

Remove chicken from refrigerator about one hour before roasting. Wash chicken. Pat dry and salt cavity. Stuff cavity with small pieces of sliced lemon, onion or shallot and fresh herbs. Place in roasting pan, breast side up. Rub entire bird with softened butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked thoroughly — this should take approximately one hour for this size bird. Check for doneness at 50 minutes. If you are using a convection oven, the cooking time will be slightly less. When done, let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. One bird will serves two with chicken left over for fresh Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Caesar Salad, or nice composed Cobb Salad — the possibilities are endless!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
Note: Lynn has been a RSCA Board Member since 1994