Chicken Skewers with Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette
added 03/07/08
Serves 6
1 Tbs. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red onion, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
8 cups arugula or spinach, washed and loosely packed
Lemon wedges, for serving
Light a grill or preheat
a grill pan. In a small bowl, mix the paprika with 1 teaspoon of the garlic,
the oregano, and cumin. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the olive oil and season the
paprika oil with salt and pepper.
In another small bowl,
combine the parsley, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, cayenne, and the remaining
1/2 cup of olive oil and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
Thread the chicken
pieces onto 6 skewers. Brush the chicken and onion slices all over with
the paprika oil and arrange on the grill. Cook the onions for 4 minutes,
turning once, until they are slightly softened. Grill the chicken for
12 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is cooked through.
Arrange the arugula
on a platter. Spread the onions and chicken on top, drizzle with the vinaigrette
and serve with lemon wedges.
-Food & Wine
Co-op Month and More! October is Fair Trade Month Too
October is not only Co-op Month. Vicki Grilli samples Fair-Trade coffee during an in-store tasting and demo event to honor October as Fair Trade month. What is Fair Trade? Think about it like this: When you spend money on food, only a small percentage actually reaches the people who work hard to grow and produce the food itself. Particularly in developing countries, many food producers labor for long hours on small plots of land far removed from markets—especially if those markets are in the West. The Fair Trade movement shortens the path from farm to table, reducing the amount of high-priced middlemen in-between and providing a living wage for the farmer. Fair Trade started with individual companies called Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs), who made a commitment to work directly with indigenous peoples and to market their products directly to consumers.
Edgewater Farm
Plainfield, New Hampshire
The temperature is headed into the 90s, and the fruit is gently warm in the hands of the pickers. Before lunch on an average day in strawberry season, the folks at Edgewater Farm will harvest 800 quarts of strawberries, many of them for sale at the Co-op. Pooh and Anne Sprague have been raising strawberries along the shady banks of the Connecticut River since 1974. Over time, the operation grew to include other summer fruits and vegetables, as well as extensive greenhouses and pick-your-own.
