From the Farmhouse

For me, nothing is more comforting and soothing than a big bowl of soup. It's the food equivalent of a great, big hug. It warms me, both figuratively and literally.

In the winter, I'll make a pot of soup at least once a week. I still make soup in the summer, but less frequently.

Except this summer.

While we didn't have many rainy days, we did have the cool, mountain summer I have been waiting 9 years for. And those cooler days provided me with a few extra opportunities to make soup for dinner.

I made this soup on what I knew would be a particularly busy day for me. This recipe was ideal because there wasn't a lot of prep work involved, and the slow cooker does all the work. The soup is light, yet comforting. And it was a great opportunity to use the zucchini I had picked from the garden.

So as autumn approaches, add this recipe to your arsenal. It'll warm your soul to walk in the house, the scent of the soup wafting through the air, and filling your belly after a day outside preparing for the winter ahead.

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Crock-Pot: One-Pot Meals
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers, corn, zucchini in the bottom. Add chicken, broth, garlic, and thyme. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 20 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
3. Meanwhile, debone and chop chicken. Return to slow cooker. Stir in half-and-half, peas, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on servings, if desired.

Note: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Kid Cooks Saturdays

My son loves to be in the kitchen.

Maybe it's because when he was a toddler I would sit him in his high chair and explain what I was doing as I cooked dinner. Maybe it's because we watch a lot of Food Network, Top Chef, and MasterChef. Maybe he was just born with an interest in food.

Whatever the reason, the older he's gotten the more his interest has grown, and the more he's demanded a role in making our meals. This came to a head over the summer when he saw an episode of Master Chef Junior. He took one look at all those kids on step stools cooking elegant dishes and gave my husband and I a look as if to say You've been holding out on me! I can do more in the kitchen!

And while he's only five, I decided if he wants a more active role in the kitchen he should have one. He may not be the world's next great chef, but odds are he will live on his own at some point and will need to feed himself. And I thought the extra responsibility would help him build confidence, positive self-esteem, and a healthy relationship with food. So for Christmas we gave him a cookbook and declared Saturdays "Kid Cooks Days." He gets to pick the meal we cook on Saturdays, and takes a more active role in its preparation.

Saturday was the first day we did this, to much success. Our son took a few days to flip through his cookbook before deciding chicken chow mein should be our first meal. He helped me with the shopping list, and while he typically goes food shopping with me, the trip had a new level of excitement since we were buying ingredients for his meal.

As for the preparation itself, he made the sauce and sauteed the chicken and vegetables. He was so excited! And he really enjoyed the meal, too, going for seconds. Overall, our first "Kid Cooks Saturdays" was a huge success!

Chicken Chow Mein

Recipe modified from Little Cookies
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 15-ounce can baby corn spears
• 12 ounces snap peas
• 2 cups frozen Asian-style sliced peppers, thawed

Directions:

• To make the sauce, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
• In a lrage saute pan or wok over high heat, warm the canola oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the baby corn, snap peas, and peppers to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, add the noodles, and toss to mix.

Note: The original recipe called for the following ingredients, which we omitted due to personal tastes. Mix and match ingredients to your preference.

• 1/2 pound small shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 3 heads baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Family Traditions

On my mother's side, it's easy for me to trace my ancestry. My great-grandfather, Samuele, came to America from Sarno, Italy in 1906. And over the years, my family has certainly assimilated with American culture. Italian went from the only language spoken, to spoke by adults so the children wouldn't understand, to not spoken at all. Names went from Assunta and Philomena to Karen and Stephanie. But there's one thing that didn't change much: our love of food.

We have strong food traditions, especially on holidays, like Christmas. But my grandfather had another tradition: pasta or macaroni every Wednesday and Sunday. EVERY Sunday and Wednesday. No exceptions.

I can clearly remember dinner with my grandparents. My grandfather, scraping his fork against his plate to get every last drop of sauce. My grandmother, yelling at him to stop it, that's what bread is for.

In honor of those Wednesday night dinners, here is a recipe for spaghetti bolognese, modified from Giada De Laurentiis. My grandfather may not approve, swapping out ground beef for ground turkey. But my mother would probably approve of the heart-healthy measure. I made some other modifications as well, but the biggest one was the love I have for my grandparents and those dinners we shared.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes about 1 quart; Serves 4 over a pound of pasta as a main course

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 20.8-oz. package ground turkey
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheeese

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrot and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning, and sauté until meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Let reduce 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, basil, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cooking spaghetti according to package directions.
6. When sauce is done, stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Note: The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.

Unfortunately, no photo this week. We were so hungry when I finally got it on the table, I didn't remember to take one until the table was cleared and the dishwasher loaded and running. I'll have to snap one the next time I make this dish.

Success the Second Time Around

Back in September I went to a childhood friend's wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, the view was breathtaking, and the food was fantastic.

The one station we kept going back to for more was the chicken parm sliders table. They were delicious. For something so small, bite-sized, they packed a punch of wonderful flavor. And I remember sitting at the table with my friends and saying, "I need to make these at home."

And finally, one Saturday in February, I did. Unfortunately, my first try left a lot to be desired. They patties were more burger-sized than slider-sized, and they cooked unevenly as a result. I tried to get creative with the flavors as well, but in the end, I felt it tasted like I was trying to hard to put my own spin on it, as opposed to honoring the classic flavors of chicken parmesan.

Then one night, something I heard Rachael Ray say years ago came to mind: "It's all about the method. Once you've mastered that, you can change up the ingredients." I knew what I had done wrong, and with that quote, I knew how to fix it.

For a few years now I've been making a recipe from a newlywed message board called "Beefed Up Biscuits," a big hit with my family. This was my method. All I had to do was swap out the ingredients.

And my recipe for sloppy chicken parm sliders was born!

Sloppy Chicken Parm Sliders
A Country Cooking Original Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, plus more
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more
• 1 can refrigerated flakey biscuits
• Provolone cheese slices
• 1 tsp. jarred minced garlic, divided
• Olive oil
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat skillet coated with cooking spray. Add chicken and brown. Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper.
3. When chicken is cooked through add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese to skillet. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Coat 13x9 pyrex with cooking spray. Arrange the bottom half of the biscuits in the dish. Spoon chicken on top of each biscuit half. Top each with provolone slices and top half of biscuits.
5. Brush each top with olive oil. Sprinkle each top of Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and 1/8 tsp. of jarred minced garlic.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.

Winter with a Taste of Spring

It's March, the weather is getting warmer -- it's been usually warm for March for two weeks now -- and I am just itching for the flavors of spring and summer. Trouble is, the produce is not in season. And while I can find some of it in my local supermarket, it's just not as good as when it's in season and I get it fresh from my local farmer's market.

How to I satisfy the crave then? Sun-dried tomatoes. I swear, you can taste the sun in this chewy treat. And since the first time I cooked with sun-dried tomatoes was on a warm April day, the flavor is forever associated with good weather for me. So the sun-dried tomatoes stir up memories of spring and summer, all the while utilizing produce that's in season: winter squash.

It's the best of both worlds.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Sausage, Broccoli, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Original recipe from Health magazine
Modified by Country Cooking blog
Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook: 92 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/4 pounds)
  
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
  
• 1 cup hot water
  
• 1 lb. fresh chicken sausage, casings removed (I like to use Nature's Promise's sun-dried tomato chicken sausage)
  
• 1 16 oz. package steam fresh broccoli florets/cuts
  
• 3/4 cup marinara sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Pierce spaghetti squash 7 or 8 times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Cool. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands. Keep warm.
   
3. While squash bakes, combine sun-dried tomatoes and 1 cup hot water in a bowl. Let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Chop the tomatoes.
   
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add sausage to pan, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
   
5. Once sausage has browned, add onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté. Add marinara sauce and heat through.
   
6. Cook broccoli according to package directions. Add to sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
   
7. Combine the squash with the sausage mixture and toss gently. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Notes from the Chef:

• The recipe originally called for 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into thin strips. I used the sun-dried tomato chicken sausage instead, to keep that tomato flavor.
  
• I always have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in the house. When I'm done with the tomatoes, I save the jar with oil, and use for sautéing sometimes, to mix it up from straight olive oil. When cooking the sausage, I used the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes instead of straight olive oil.
  
• This recipe is pretty easy to veganize. Simply omit the sausage or substitute tofu.
  
• The original recipe called for steamed fresh broccoli. I used frozen broccoli in the steam fresh bag instead, just to make life a little bit easier.

All-Star Appetizer

Buffalo wings and football go together like peanut butter and jelly. But what if you're looking to do something just a little bit different?

Give this recipe a try! It has all the wonderful flavors of buffalo wings without the sticky fingers.

This recipe was a winner of a game-day snack competition on The Rachael Ray Show in 2009. I was looking for ideas for that year's party, and I knew I had found a winner in this dish. I make it every year, and every year it's a crowd-pleaser with the dish all but licked clean.

Scoop corn chips were recommend to serve with this dish, but they can break easily. I like to spoon some on crackers, and celery sticks work well for that true buffalo wing feel. Whatever your pleasure, I highly recommend this dish for your own game-day gathering. You won't be disappointed.

David Garrard's Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe from an episode of The Rachael Ray Show
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
  
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
   
2. Cover the bottom of an 8x8-inch dish or pie plate with cream cheese.
   
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wing sauce and butter, and pour over the cream cheese-filled dish or pie plate.
   
4. Top with just enough blue cheese dressing and mozzarella cheese to cover. (Adding too much cheese will cause a thick skin to form that will make eating the dip difficult once the cheese cools.)
   
5. Heat the dip in the oven for 20 minutes.

Lovin' Leftovers

It's a popular belief that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Trouble is, I get tired of turkey sandwiches real quick. So, what else is there to do with all that turkey?

Turkey & Biscuits, but of course!

This recipe calls for chicken, but last year I made it with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. It was equally delicious. And this dish easily works with your leftover sides as well. Or serve it up by itself. It's chock-full of veggies and is a meal all by itself.

Chicken & Biscuits

Recipe from Kraft Food & Family
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
  
• 3/4 cup sour cream, divided
  
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
  
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  
• 1 cup baking mix
  
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix soup and 1/2 cup sour cream in 8-inch square baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables and cheese; mix.
   
2. Place baking mix in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and milk; stir until stiff dough forms.
   
3. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into 6 mounds over chicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is hot and bubbly.

Just like Grandma's ... I Think

Believe it or not, I've never had chicken and dumplings. It was just something my mom never made, for whatever reason. But on a visit to my parents' house a month ago, I flipped through my mom's slow cooker cookbook. In there was a recipe for chicken and dumplings. It looked super simple, and I knew I had to give it a try.

Now, seeing as how I've never had chicken and dumplings before I can't say whether or not this recipe was "just like Grandma's." But I can say it was absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to make it again.

Like Grandma's Chicken & Dumplings

Recipe from Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken
  
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
  
• 2 soup cans water
  
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 can buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients, except biscuits, in crock pot.
   
2. Cut biscuits into quarters and gently stir into mixture. Cover; cook on low 4 to 6 hours.

Notes from the Chef:
1. If you don't have leftover cooked chicken on hand, poach some. Dark meat works best for this dish.
2. I used one envelope of low-sodium chicken bouillon granules. It's a little less than 2 teaspoons, but the dish still works.

More Fake-out Take-out

Last winter, in an effort to cut back on our food budget, we ate out less. That meant no take-out either. At first, it was hard. But with a bit of research and effort, we are now at a place where we prefer to make our versions of our favorite take-out dishes rather than actually order them out.

We started with pizza and calzones. So good, and great family fun, too! Our son loved to get in on the action, helping to spread the sauce on the dough, sprinkle the cheese all over, and even find the perfect spot for that slice of pepperoni.

Once we had Italian take-out nailed down, I decided to try my hand at chinese. My first attempt was Lighter Sesame Noodles. Once I perfected that dish, I was ready to take on another one. I tend to order various chicken dishes from Chinese restaurants, so I decided to try my hand at sweet and sour chicken. The recipe I found looked nothing like take-out sweet and sour chicken. But it was from Cooking Light, and they had yet to steer me wrong, so I decided to give it a try.

Boy, am I glad I did!

Take-out sweet and sour chicken is no more my house! This recipe is so tasty, that whenever I'm craving Chinese, this is the dish I make. I serve it over boxed fried rice. If you're feeling ambitious you can make fried rice from scratch. Plain white or brown rice would work fine, too. Also, I highly recommend sprinkling the chopped cashews on top. Peanuts will work well in a pinch, but there's something about the cashews that's just really delicious, and the dish truly benefits from the texture and crunch from the nuts.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Recipe from Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
  
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
  
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
  
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
  
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted chopped cashews

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper, and chicken to pan; saut&aecute; 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken mixture from pan; set aside.
   
2. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan, and saut&aecute; 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Add 1 cup pineapple chunks to pan; cook 30 seconds. Reserve remaining pineapple for another use. Combine the reserved 1/2 cup juice, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and sugar in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
   
3. Return chicken mixture to pan. Stir in juice mixture; bring to boil. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cashews.

An Oldie but Goodie

When I first moved in with my husband and started cooking dinner, the bulk of my recipes came from one of three places: a 4-ingredient cookbook, a 6-ingredient cookbook, and the boxes of Lipton soup mixes. It was the butt of many jokes among the family, but the truth was, many of those recipes were quite delicious. But as my cooking skills improved and my tastes grew, the majority of those recipes fell out of the rotation.

But when you have an abundance of beautiful, perfect plum tomatoes, you starting looking through all your recipes, in search of new ways to incorporate those delicious jewels of summer into meals. And that's when I rediscovered this recipe, courtesy of Lipton Soup Mix. There aren't many ingredients, but that's what makes it wonderful. It's easy, quick, and yet, so scrumptious the second time around you may find yourself making a double batch.

Cheesy Garlic Chicken

Recipe from Lipton Soup Mix
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
  
• 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 envelope Savory Herb with Garlic soup mix
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• 1 tablespoon water
  
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
  
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, arrange chicken; top with tomato.
   
2. Blend soup mix with water and oil. Pour over chicken.
   
3. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Top with cheeses and bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is no longer pink.

Notes from the Chef:

• I swap out the breasts for boneless skinless thighs. I increase the cooking time from 20 to 30 minutes.
  
• Rice is a great side dish. Pour the extra sauce from the pan over the rice. Yum!

Gettin' My Southern On

I am notorious for finding recipes, ripping out of magazines, and then not making them for, say, five years. And that's what happened with this recipe for Bourbon Chicken. I had gotten it from an issue of Southern Cooking & Lifestyles magazine one summer, filed it, then forgotten all about it. I came into some bourbon last summer, and decided it was high-time to give this recipe a go.

I'm only sorry I waited so long! (So don't wait five years from reading this to try it.) It was finger-licking good and equally delicious cold the next day. It pairs up perfectly with corn on the cob, too.

Bourbon Chicken

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken breasts (I used thighs)
  
• 3/4 cup bourbon
  
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
  
• 2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
  
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  
• 1 tsp. dried ginger
  
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
  
• 1 tsp. onion powder

Directions:

1. At least 8 hours ahead, or up to a day before, prepare the marinade. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Loosen the skin on the chicken. Then place them in a large zippered plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag. Toss back and forth to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate. (I like to put the bag in a glass pyrex, just in case it leaks. That way I won't have a mess in my fridge.)


2. When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain the marinade into a saucepan. Let the chicken sit uncovered for about 20 minutes at room temperature.


3. Fire up the grill for a two-level fire for cooking first on high heat and then on medium-low heat.


4. Bring the reserved marinade to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for several minutes. Set aside.


5. Grill the chicken uncovered over high heat for three to four minutes, turning to sear all sides. Move the chicken to medium-low heat. Base with the marinade and continue grilling for an additional 12-15 minutes, turning every three minutes or so. Baste several more times but not in the last five minutes, giving the skin a chance to crisp. Watch for flare-ups and keep the chicken out of flames. The chicken is done when juices run clear when the pieces are pierced.

"Country" Defined

After creating this blog I mulled over the title. "Country Cooking" ... What is it about my cooking, exactly, that makes it "country," other than my physical location? (Although others from the region will tell you I live "in town.") To me, "country cooking" means simple, yet full of flavor.

The recipe below is a perfect example of that.

Originally in the January issue of Real Simple magazine, this recipe does require you to turn on your oven. But some of the ingredients -- grape tomatoes and fresh herbs -- are wonderful to use this time of year. Thankfully we always manage to get a cool day or two in the summer, days that make us pull the jeans and sweathshirts out from the back of the closet and turn on the oven to take the chill out of the house. This recipe is perfect for that kind of day.

Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes
Recipe from Real Simple magazine

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannelloni beans, rinsed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 springs fresh oregano, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lbs. total)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425º F. In a 9-by-13-inch (or some other large) baking dish, toss the beans and tomatoes with the thyme and oregano sprigs, garlic, red pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.


2. Pat the chicken dry and place on top of the bean mixture, skin-side up. Rub with the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.


3. Roast until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with oregano leaves.

Tip from the magazine: For even richer flavor, add 1/2 cup dry white wine to the bean and tomato mixture before cooking. Serve the dish with country bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Note from the chef: I used rosemary instead of oregano because that’s what the supermarket had, and it was delicious.