On my first day of law school I sat down next to this wonderfully intelligent, beautiful and exciting young woman named Tracy. Being that we were both intelligent, beautiful and exciting it was only natural that we become immediate friends – and we did by the end of our first Contracts class. Thus began our many adventures from bar games and bar exams, roommateness to dreams of T & A Detective Agency. T & A never happened but our brains and beauty have worked out pretty good for each of us thus far.
This is Target Field. Tracy had a hearing the day I arrived back in Minneapolis after a 3 year absence so she she sent me to the Twins game with a bunch of other lawyers. I was very impressed by the live organ music and how the field is sutured in between Target Center and all the rest of downtown Minneapolis. But I digress…
My recent visit to Minnesota was purely to see my midwest dwelling friends and family. Tracy was first on my list to spend time with. She and I decided to celebrate my long delayed reappearence in the Twin Cities by making dinner in our old roommate style i.e. Angel coaching her brilliant friend into an equally capable chef. This episode, for a little lack of creativity on my part and a small obsession with roasting chickens, I decided it was time that Tracy learn to cook a whole chicken.
Above is the result of Tracy's first try and her iPhone's photo application that applies retro looking filters to photos. Our string was also very retro – as it was from her friend's aunt's string collection. However, the yellow was nice and on theme and a very complimentary color to the seasoning.
We started our cooking adventure at the grocery store with Tracy's 4 year old son in tow. At the largest organic member owned co-op that I know of in the country Max decided that I, Auntie Angel, was his best friend in the whole world and then found the ice in the watermelon cooler. After expressing himself with the ice quite exuberantly he helped me pick out some yellow beets, lemon balm, parsley and lemons.
Here are our lemon balm and grapeseed oil yellow beets pre-roasting in with a 1977 filter by Tracy. I think these beets could make it into Good Housekeeping.
Now back to our adventure – upon the completion of Max's assistance picking out the herbs and vegetables Tracy went to the butcher counter and picked out her first whole chicken. Expressing esquisite excitement for the experience of stuffing the chicken crevice with onion and lemon.
On the way out of the co-op we picked out three lovely heirloom tomatos and salad greens to ensure a full and balanced family meal was on its way.
Here are our heirloom tomatos in a salad with grapeseed oil and lemon dressing – no retro photo filter.
The theme of the meal – lemon and yellow, tasty and organic. Tracy being a career woman and a mother wanted a basic recipe that could be easily prepared but pack a punch for flavor. We succeeded – happy to report Max ate his very first beet!
Roasted Beets
1 sheet of tinfoil
1 or more beets any variety
pinch salt
splash of olive oil (or any other fancy oil you might have lying around)
1 sprig of a fresh herb (rosemary, lemon balm, thyme, parsley)
Cut the beet greens and the root of the beet off. Place the beet or beets in the center of the tinfoil. Splash a little olive oil over the top and follow by sprinkling a pinch of salt on top of them. Place your optional herb sprig over the top of the beets then roll off the tinfoil so the beets are in a little tinfoil packet. Place the beets in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees.
Lemon Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken
1 whole lemon
1 small red onion
Handful of lemon balm and parsley
1 Tbsp lemon pepper
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp dried oregano
3 Tbsp scotch
First make the chicken rub by mixing the salt, lemon pepper, oregano and chopped fresh herbs together. Pour the scotch into the spice mixture.
Prepare the chicken by rinsing it thoroughly and then pour a little bit of the wet rub mixture inside the chicken. Next chop the lemon and onion in to quarters and stuff the chicken crevice with both. After the inside of the chicken is full take the rub mixture and smooth it all over the chicken massaging the spices into the skin.
Tie the legs together with string place in a pan and bake for 1.5 hours at 350 degrees.
Lemon Grapeseed Oil Salad Dressing
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
2 Tbsp of Grapeseed Oil
Pour over salad just before serving.