Inspiration Found In An Open Air Market

Today’s Menu: Maple mustard chicken with rice and peas, served with homemade cheddar jalapeno bread and zucchini loaf for dessert.

Today’s dinner was inspired by ingredients that I found when I was at the market today in St. Jacob’s.  With produce being at its peak, and so many vendors selling delicious foodstuffs, it’s a great time to pick up some new things that are going to be a lot fresher than what you may find at your local grocery store, and you support the hardworking farmers of St. Jacobs, Elmira and the surrounding communities at the same time-a definite win-win arrangement all around.  If you can’t make it out to this neck of the woods, definitely visit the market from afar by checking out the St. Jacobs Farmers Market website.

Now, I have made a few adjustments to the chicken recipe, but only its cooking method, the recipe remains true to its ingredients.  The recipe for the chicken calls for grilling.  I opted to bake my chicken in the oven at 350F for approximately 30 minutes.  Here’s the recipe for the chicken.  This recipe is courtesy of Lynda Ebel and was found on allrecipes.com

•    1/2 cup maple syrup
•    3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
•    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
•    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•    2 garlic cloves, minced
•    3/4 teaspoon pepper
•    6 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Grill 6-8 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting with the reserved marinade and turning occasionally.

For the first time on my blog, I’m making dessert.  With fresh zucchini in hand, I went on the hunt for a very tasty zucchini loaf recipe and I managed to find it.  It’s simple, straightforward, and I think for all of those people who think they won’t like zucchini in the form of a dessert, you’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised.  This recipe is courtesy of ~Leslie~ and was found on food.com

•    3 eggs
•    1 cup oil
•    2 cups sugar
•    3 cups shredded zucchini
•    2 teaspoons vanilla
•    3 cups flour
•    1 tablespoon cinnamon
•    1 teaspoon baking powder
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    1 teaspoon salt
Optional
•    1 cup raisins
•    1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans.  Mix eggs, oil and sugar and beat until creamy.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes.

Happy Eating!