Vermont’s Date of Statehood – March 4, 1791
What do you think of when you think about Vermont? I think of maple syrup, mountains that go on forever, and fresh air. I see Vermont as a beautiful gem of a state with a simple, but refined palate. And this meal surely FEELS like a farmer’s market field day! Fresh produce and clean flavors make this a must have farm-to-table experience. It’s also the first time I’ve ever made a galette, but I can assure you that I will be experimenting many more times with this fantastic pan-less pie!
Tips and Tricks
- When making chicken dishes, use chicken thighs if you can. They are a really nice middle ground between white meat (which can be dry) and dark meat (which can be greasy or gamy.) PLUS, chicken thighs are VERY forgiving. You can overcook them and they remain tender and delicious!
- When you are making any kind of dough, a good indicator of whether or not you need more moisture is the EDGE test. Take your dough and form it into a relatively flat disk (just with your hands, no need to be precise.) Now, lay the dough disk on a clean counter and start to press it flat with your hands or a rolling pin. Do the edges of the dough immediately crack? If so, your dough is too dry. Add a little bit of liquid (water, milk, oil…whatever you are using) and mix it thoroughly. When you are able to do that first press on the edges without it cracking, you have enough liquid.
- Beets can STAIN everything in sight if you aren’t careful! Clean up beet juice immediately, store sliced beets in a separate container from everything else and wash your hands with soap and water after preparing beets. Otherwise, that juice will dye everything a delightful red.
- Don’t just throw away those juiced lemons, put them to good use. Tossing a lemon half or two down a garbage disposal and running it (with plenty of hot water of course) is a great way to clean and freshen your sink’s drain!
Vermont Maple Chicken
Serves 4
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1/4 Cup Butter, melted
- 1/2 Cup Vermont Maple Syrup
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- Zest from 1/2 Lemon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2: Grease a shallow baking dish and place the chicken thighs inside it, begin sure that chicken isn’t touching.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and sliced almonds. Once this mixture is well combined pour it evenly over the chicken thighs.
Step 4: Place the dish, uncovered, in the hot oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Step 5: Remove the dish from the oven and place the chicken thighs on serving plates. Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken and serve hot.
Beet and Sweet Potato Galette
Serves 8
Dough
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Sticks of Butter, softened
- 3 Tbs Ice Water
Filling
- 8 oz Package of Goat Cheese, room temp and mixed until spreadable
- 1 Large Sweet Potato, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 1 Large Red Beet, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices (set aside in its own bowl)
- 3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, leaves only
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbs Butter, cut into small pieces
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the 2 sticks of butter to the flour and, using your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is fully incorporated and the flour looks coarse, like cornmeal.
Step 3: Add the ice water and mix until the dough comes together. Knead the dough with your fingers for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and well combined.
Step 4: Shape the dough into a flat disk. Place the disk onto a piece of parchment and, using a rolling pin, roll out to a circle that is 1/4-inch thick.
Step 5: Carefully move the parchment and dough disk to a large baking sheet.
Step 6: Spread the room temperate goat cheese evenly on the dough, leaving an untouched 1-inch boarder of dough around the outside edge. Alternate slices of beet and sweet potato on top of the goat cheese until you run out of vegetables. Several layers of beets and sweet potato are ok.
Step 7: Gently fold the bare edge of dough inwards over the filling, working around the entire circle. Season the top of the galette with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Dot the top of the galette with the remaining 1 Tbs of butter.
Step 8: Place the baking sheet into the hot oven and bake for 1 hour or until the vegetables are cooked through and the crust is golden brown.
Step 9: The galette can be served warm from the oven or allowed to cool.
Garlic and Lemon Butter Green Beans
Serves 4
- 1 lb. Fresh Green Beans, ends trimmed
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 4 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Step 2: Add the trimmed green beans to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3: When the beans are just tender, remove them from the water and allow to dry.
Step 4: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the butter. When the butter is melted add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until it starts to turn golden brown.
Step 5: Add the lemon juice to the pan and stir.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked green beans. Toss the beans to thoroughly coat them in the lemon butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 7: Serve hot.
Fun Facts about Vermont: 1. Vermont became the 14th state in 1791; it was the first admitted after the thirteen colonies. Before that, it was its very own country. Founded in 1777, the Vermont Republic operated a post office, issued its own currency called Vermont coppers, and abolished slavery. 2. It takes about 40 years for a sugar maple to grow large enough—at least 10 inches in diameter—to tap. Then it takes some 40 gallons of sap to produce a single gallon of syrup. 3. The Von Trapp family that inspired The Sound of Music moved to Stowe, Vermont in 1942. Descendants are still running a family ski lodge. 4. It was the first to grant women partial voting rights (in 1880), abolish slavery (as a republic and a state), and legislate same-sex marriage.
Edible U.S. 