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Katerina's Oven-Roasted Chicken with Wine-Soaked Raisins, Walnuts & Citrus

The Chicken & The Feast: Our Farmhouse Sundays

You know, Sundays at our farm? They always smell like magic. That mix of warm spices and chicken roasting, it just fills our kitchen. It’s our special Sunday ritual, all those yummy sizzling sounds promising a delicious meal. But outside, in the sunny yard, there’s another happy sound – our chickens! They're always clucking and scratching, just being their busy selves, and it's such a comforting noise. Like the happy background music to our life here.

Just last week, I was teaching one of our cooking classes here at the farm, sharing our "farm-to-fork" experience with wonderful guests. As we gathered fresh herbs from the garden and talked about the rhythm of farm life, I looked out and saw our chickens happily pecking away. It reminded me so much of how our Sundays begin, and it struck me again how truly special this place is.

When we first started the farm, there were just a few. And oh, I knew every single one by name: Lili, Lula, Lola, Lala, Lela… so many L-names! Their happy chirps and soft coos were the sweetest things. Now, years later, our flock has grown, and I can't name them all anymore, but I still absolutely adore having them around. They’re not just farm animals; they’re a big part of how our farm works. All our kitchen scraps, the bits from the garden – they gobble it all up! They turn what would be waste into good food for themselves and give us the most beautiful, rich, yellow-yolked eggs.

Now, here’s the interesting part: We don’t eat our chickens. It’s a bit of a funny thing, and I think about it often. They’re truly part of our family, living their lives freely, pecking around. Their eggs are a lovely bonus we share with friends. When their time comes, it’s usually because they’re old, or sometimes, a clever fox visits. It feels a little strange, I know, because we do eat meat, and we absolutely love chicken dishes! The delicious, tender chicken we cook comes from the butcher, always chosen with care and prepared with respect. It might seem a little odd, this line we draw, but the thought of cooking one of our girls? We just can't do it.

My love for these chickens – for their happy clucking and their busy scratching in the dirt – it runs deep. It’s such a special joy, knowing they transform our leftovers into amazing eggs and healthy soil. Even though it's a bit of a puzzle (we love other chicken recipes but not our own flock!), it's a rule we just don't break. They're our companions, a big part of the farm's heart, living their full lives until they get old or a fox shows up. This special way we see things, even if it doesn't make perfect sense to everyone, is very real for us. It means our Sunday dinners are happy celebrations of food and family, with our happy feathered friends playing in the garden, a sweet reminder of the beautiful, interconnected life on our beloved farm.

Despite this, my recipe collection for chicken is huge, filled with dishes that bring so much joy to our table. One of my favorites, a truly festive recipe, mixes the richness of walnuts with the unexpected sweetness of raisins. It sounds a bit different, but it’s delicious! As the chicken roasts slowly, those raisins get soft and melt, making the meat gently fruity. And the magic really happens at the end: after I take the chicken out, I add a splash of warm water or broth to the pan. I stir it all up to get all those yummy caramelized bits from the bottom. The sweetness from the raisins, mixed with the savory chicken juices, creates this amazingly creamy sauce – with no actual cream at all! It’s rich, comforting, and just perfect for a special Sunday dinner with the family. All while our chickens, happy and oblivious, keep dancing playfully in the garden, their happy clucks a gentle reminder of the beautiful, interconnected life on our beloved farm.

This dish is truly special – full of flavor, mixing sweet and savory, and those wonderful smells, with the rich walnuts. When you blend the sauce, raisins, and walnuts at the end, it makes the chicken taste incredibly luxurious and unique.

This recipe makes the most tender chicken, covered in a sauce that’s sweet, savory, and a little bit tangy. And the roasted walnuts and plump raisins make it extra, extra good.

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Photography: IXIE Media

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