But what I am really on a quest for right now is heritage chicken. What is that? Something other than Cornish Cross, the chicken that has been bred to mature in six or seven weeks and to be so fat and indolent that it scarcely has the energy to find its own food, nor the same vitality to resist weather and disease as its slower-growing counterpart. Don't get me wrong - I do appreciate the farmers who are raising free range Cornish Cross chickens, because that is infinitely preferable to the factory chicken that now appears so utterly disgusting to me. At least these chickens are treated humanely and fed well. (Apparently you have to be careful not to overfeed Cornish Crosses, because they don't know when to quit on their own). Anyway, if anyone is reading this and knows of a good local source for slow-growing chickens, please let me know.
Here's a yummy summer dish I cooked this weekend:
2 T olive oil
1 T butter or other oil
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 small zucchini, julienned
2 tomatoes, peeled & sliced vertically
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 T grated Italian or organic Romano or Parmesan (optional)
Slowly carmelize the onions and garlic over medium low heat until lightly brown. Remove from pan and reserve.
Add zucchini to the pan, a little more oil if necessary, and saute until almost tender. Add tomatoes and onion/garlic mixture, and cook briefly until tomatoes are hot and flavors combine, about three minutes. Add basil & sprinkle with a good Italian romano or parmesan cheese right before serving, if desired. If you are using the cheese, use less salt.
