Our Garden of Delights

As you may have guessed I've been making a bit of basil pesto in my spare time and freezing it for those cooler autumn and cold winter days when comfort food is at its height. It will be refreshing and bright to have on hand and savour the flavour of our summer.  

 

More than a handful however here are just some of the many juicy tomatoes that have come from our wee garden and made it to our kitchen. Nestled in sandwiches, tossed in salads, simmered in sauces or ate as is, nothing compares to their fragrancy, bright bold colour and taste.  

Here is the infamous basil plant that has given so much and created some flavourful dishes. It was much taller before I took this photo but then again we have used so much already. The regrowth of this plant is amazing and I am sure by the end of the season we will have a bunch of lovely dried basil. The oregano plant we chose to leave inside, is much smaller, is thriving so well too.   

Our glorious tomatoes in action and blazing in the hot sun. Regrowth has been steady which has made for such a great tomato year in our garden. We also have peppers, both sweet and hot and their offering although fruitful has been a bit slower especially with the sweet peppers.  Last year we had such a wonderful yield with them that I had to freeze the remaining ones at the end of the season. Which was great as it provided us with peppers throughout winter. This year I think the hot peppers will exceed the sweet peppers, which is absolutely fine.  

Moroccan Chicken Stew

The blend of flavourful seasonings adds much warmth to this stew while the cherry tomatoes and golden raisins give it a touch of bright sweetness. The chickpeas and chicken absorb most of these flavours making this such a pleasant well rounded meal bursting with spicy sweetness. 

Moroccan Chicken Stew

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Serves 6

3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs

2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (156 ml) tomato paste

1 medium zucchini, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

4 teaspoons Moroccan Spice Blend

1 pint (551 ml) pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 can (398ml/15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes, until just brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate, then set aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Next, add the tomato paste and cook it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Next, add the zucchini and carrots and cook together for 10 minutes. Season the vegetables with turmeric, Moroccan spice blend, and the remaining salt and black pepper, then toss in the cherry tomatoes and golden raisins.

Add the chicken broth and chickpeas to the pot, then bring the stew to a boil. Next, add the chicken thighs in the stew, then cover with Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the stew from the oven and dress it with the parsley before serving. 

Notes: if you can not find Moroccan Spice Blend then mix together the following spices to create your own: 

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder