Time: 5-6 hours (easy to make, but waiting for the chicken to slow cook takes time)

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients (First List)

• Whole chicken (approximately 3 lbs; remove the “innards”)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 large onion – chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley – chopped
• 2 stalks celery with leaves – chopped
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 6 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon dried celery seed
• Dash of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (Second List)

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• ¼ cup minced onions
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• Salt and black pepper to taste (can add a little cayenne as well if you like a kick)
• ½ cup rice (uncooked) OR 1 lb fusilli or rotelle

Recipe

• Combine first list of ingredients above: chicken, water, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorns, bouillon/soup base, bay leaves, celery seed, thyme and salt in large pot (water should cover chicken so don’t use a pot that is too large/wide).
• Cook over low heat for 3-4 hours and keep covered.
• Remove chicken from pot and allow it to cool.
• Strain vegetables and spices from broth and discard (because all flavor has been sucked out).
• Put broth in refrigerator to cool for 30-90 minutes.
• Remove skin and bones from chicken – cut or tear meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Skim/remove fat from top of cooled broth.
• Bring broth to a boil.
• Add second list of ingredients to the broth, including the chicken.
• In a separate pot, cook the pasta according to instructions (if you cook it separately, it keeps the soup from getting too starchy)
• Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not too soft – this makes a large bowl of soup so if you are making it to reheat again later they’ll get softer.

Wine Suggestions: If you enjoy the complimentary flavors and textures – then a creamy white, such as a buttery California Chardonnay, is a nice compliment to this soup. However, if you prefer something more contrasting, I think a crisp white with good acidity is wonderful to cut through the oiliness that comes through in the chicken. The photo above was when we tried it with a a very light, fairly high-acid red (Arbois) and it was nice, but not a fantastic pairing.  I’d have prefered a light White Burgundy with some beautiful lemony flavors.

Time: 5 minutes once sauté pan or grill is hot

Inspired by: My friend, Dan, grows these in his garden plot nearby. He put some on the grill at a dinner party several years ago. I couldn’t believe how delicious they were.  My local Whole Foods market carries them in the summer as well. They make an easy, delicious, simple and healthy appetizer. Their cousin, the Shishito Pepper, is a nice alternative and almost always mild. I think Padrónes are more flavorful, and while they are often mild, they can also be quite spicy. It’s usually a surprise!

Ingredients:

• Padrón peppers – rinsed and dried well

Preparation:

• Toss in olive oil with a bit of salt, put them on a hot grill for a few minutes and then turn over for another few minutes.
• Alternatively, toss with a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium to high heat for 4-8 minutes.

Wine Suggestions: Gruner Veltliner or another crisp white is a good option. When they are spicy a Riesling is an even better pairing.

Time:  10 minutes

Serves: 2

Inspired by: I spend a lot of time in Mexico where my cooking is often limited to stove top only, but where I also have access to fresh fish daily. I can easily purchase fish hours after it is caught. I’ve learned that just about any white fish is quick and easy to cook stove top – even without a good hood/fan. This was an experiment with Robalo – a type of sea bass –  it was delicious.

• 12 ounces of fish (I plan for 6 ounces per person, but on a big surf day perhaps a bit more)
• Olive oil
• Lemon or lime, herbs, salt and pepper

Preparation: Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once it is hot, add the fish seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice, and cover with a lid to keep the heat in. Cook for 4-6 minutes (depends how thick it is) and use a spatula to turn it over. Drip some lemon or lime juice over it and cook for another 3-5 minutes. When the fish feels firm to the touch it is done. When it is uber fresh, I tend to cook it a bit less.

Wine Suggestions: I prefer light white fish with Chablis or White burgundy, but any crisp white wine is a nice option, or when in Mexico, a light crisp beer such as Pacifico is often the best choice.