An Organic "Gift" Box of Veggies and a Roast

I blogged a few days ago about wanting to purchase organic fruit and vegetables directly from a farm - Confuzzled told me about Wensleydale Farm. I immediately went onto their website; it is located 45 kilometers north-west of Joburg and the owners have farmed organically for over 40 years. Wow, it looked so promising! I couldn't wait to get started. It is so easy - you register, order and pay online and your box can either be delivered on a Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday - depending on your area. I asked for my box to be delivered to the Bryanston Organic Market - where they also have a stall.

I was like a kid on Christmas Eve - I was so excited I couldn't sleep. At the crack of dawn I raced to the market to collect my gift - I ordered the standard box, consisting of 12 different items for R125. The box was huge and heavy! After struggling a little to carry it to the car - I raced home again - my heart beating with excitement. I almost flew up the stairs in anticipation. What was going to be in my box?

I lifted the lid, holding my breath, and hoping I would get some good stuff. I exhaled in relief; in my box was a plethora of veggies - spinach, baby potatoes, carrots, baby marrows, broccoli, beetroots, onions, giant leeks, celeriac, avos, sweet potatoes, and radishes. Wow - I felt like a real "chef" - all professional, buying organic veggies. My fridge and cupboards were packed with all this glorious goodness. Now the mission, what was I going to do with all these veggies? Hmmm...

I wanted to make something special for me and Dre, to mark the occasion - I don't usually make roasts - but that is exactly what I was going to make!

I had some deboned chicken thighs in the freezer and thought these would make an interesting roast. I still had half a head of cauliflower left over from last week's challenge - so decided to make a refreshing salad.

Roast Deboned Chicken Thighs with Veggies:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

4 - 6 Deboned Chicken Thighs
1 - 2 Onions, Cut into Quarters
4 Carrots, Cut into Chunks
2 - 3 Potatoes, Cut into Wedges
Rice, for 2
Corn Starch for dusting
Thyme
Canola Oil
Herbal Salt and Pepper

Cauliflower Salad:
Half a Head of Cauliflower
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
Squeeze Lemon Juice
A Drizzle of Lemon Infused Olive Oil
Herbal Salt

Gravy:
1 Cup Vegetable Stock
Fresh Thyme
Herbal Salt
Fructose
1.5 Tsp Corn Starch dissolved in 1/4Cup Water

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Season corn starch with herbal salt and pepper
Lightly dust potato wedges with the seasoned corn starch
Add veggies and potatoes to an oven pan and lightly toss in canola oil, herbal salt and pepper
Add thyme to the pan
Roast in the oven for about half an hour
Put rice onto boil and set aside once cooked and rinsed
Turn veggies and potatoes over in the pan
Lightly dust chicken thighs with the seasoned corn starch and add to the roasting pan
Roast for another half an hour
Cook cauliflower florets until al dente
Toss in the rest of the salad ingredients - set aside

Turn the veggies and chicken over - remove any veggies that are cooked
Turn the grill on and grill the chicken and potatoes
Turn over after 5 minutes
Remove the chicken and the rest of the veggies
You may need to roast the potatoes for a few more minutes until they are crispy
Make the gravy in the roasting pan - on the stove - remove any burnt bits
Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock
Add in the corn starch and the rest of the ingredients
Stir well until a thick sauce has been created
Strain the gravy through a sieve
Serve

The carrots were beautfully sweet and the onions tasted so lovely - I know I am going to enjoy cooking with my organic veggies over the next 2 weeks. Keep a look out for more recipes with my organic veggies.