Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

with fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

with a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

for summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells."

-"To Autumn", John Keats

Fall has become my favorite season of the year. The excitement of approaching holidays, the vibrant oranges and ambers of leaves still clinging to their branches, breathing in the crisp morning air that holds a hint of winter, and hearty foods that evoke memories of family dinners past.

In many cultures, families have solid traditions of eating meals together at the dinner table. This is the one time of the day where everyone is together, enjoying their meal and sharing various events from their day. Sadly, the fast pace of today's American society encourages quick meals on the go. Many families are too busy to sit down and spend an hour together enjoying a homemade meal. I was very blessed to grow up in a family where we had a sit-down meal together every night. I remember sitting on a barstool at the kitchen counter with my dad, munching on chips and salsa (some things never change!) while my mom prepared dinner. Once dinner was ready, my family would sit down around the table and say grace. One at a time, we would each state one thing that we were thankful for; be it a good day at school, for the wonderful meal before us or for all of the cute kitties in the world. The daily ritual of coming together over a meal strengthened our family bond and established cooking as something to share with loved ones.

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Apples is a wonderful dish to prepare on a week-night. Everything is cooked in one pot, making clean-up a much easier task. The apples and onions add a vibrant bite of flavor to the chicken. The chicken simmers in the broth-honey mustard mixture and stays incredibly moist throughout cooking. This would pair nicely with a side of mashed potatoes. Next time I will double the amount of apples from two to four; they are truly amazing with the chicken. Always use caution when handling the pot after removing it from the oven; those handles are hot!

Honey-Mustard Chicken and Apples

Food Network Magazine, October 2010

Active: 30 min Total: 40 min. Serves: 4

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 2.5 lbs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, cut into large chunks

2 cooking apples (such as Cortland), cut into chunks (I recommend 4 apples)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 to 3 tablespoons honey mustard

1.5 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened

1 to 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, then transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

2. Add the onion and apples to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Mix the broth with the mustard, then add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, in the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Mix the butter and flour to form a paste. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken, apples and onion to plates. Bring the pan juices to a simmer, whisk in about half of the butter-flour mixture and boil to thicken, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, adding more of the butter-flour mixture as needed to make a slightly thick gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy!