I am so starved for spring color that freshly washed cars look like candy to me. I said the other day, “Oh my gosh, that red car looks absolutely delicious.” My teen son looked at me and asked, “Why do you live in Minnesota?”
It’s a fair question, given my oft-bemoaned sensory deprivation, and given that at this time of year, when it’s officially spring but bleak is the real reality, it seems impossible that color will return. Of course, I know that it will… In fact, I know that I’ll soon be complaining that there is no way, no how I can eat another bulb of kohlrabi from my CSA veggie box.
Which is why I’m digging the idea of the Farm & Table CSK (Community Supported Kitchen) box that Corner Table Restaurant chef/owner Scott Pampuch pitched a couple of weeks ago to an enthusiastic group of (us) local food bloggers. Instead of a box of just produce, Corner Table’s CSK box will deliver the makings for whole, locally-sourced, scratch-prepared meals. The contents will vary weekly, but might include marinated chicken, beef, pork, or duck, ready for the oven or grill; seasoned and prepped sides; pickled vegetables or preserves; house-made sausages, bacon, or pork rillettes; local cheeses; stocks or seasonings; and/or a selection of seasonal produce.
Each week the box will include hand-selected bread from Solveig Tofte’s newly opened Sun Street Breads Bakery. That, my friends, is good news.
Sign-ups for weekly, biweekly, or single CSK boxes will begin this Friday, April 1.
The sandwich below was put together with ingredients from a typical CSK box—a roasted (at home) marinated half chicken, pickled mustard seeds, pickled red onions, and a baguette from Sun Street Breads. A quick orange marmalade pulls it all together for a colorful (yes!) march into spring.
Bonus: It tastes so much better than a clean car.
Roast Chicken Sandwich with Pickled Marmalade
Scott Pampuch/Corner Table Restaurant
Makes 4 sandwiches
1/2 marinated chicken
1 orange
2 tsp. pickled mustard seeds
1 tsp. pickled red onion, minced (plus more for the sandwich)
1 baguette, halved lengthwise and cut into 4 equal sections
Roast chicken at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F. Let chicken cool, then gently pull meat apart into long strands.
Meanwhile, peel just the zest from the orange, leaving the thick white pith behind. Holding the orange over a bowl to catch the juices, peel away and discard the pith from the orange. Cut along the orange segment membranes to release the orange sections, dropping the segments into the bowl as you go. Discard the membranes.
Finely mince the orange zest (knife or processor) and add to a small saucepan. Add the orange segments and accumulated juice, as well as sugar, pinch of salt, and additional orange juice. Simmer uncovered over low heat, breaking up orange sections with a spoon, until juices are thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in mustard seeds and minced onion, and cool.
To make the sandwich: Spread bread with pickled marmalade. Layer in chicken, lettuce, and pickled onions. Serve.
