CUISINE
Spring Chicken
The Island-Grown Industry is Booming
By Tina Miller Photography by Alison Shaw
It is that time of year again; you’re in a trance waiting in line at the post office to buy one stamp when you hear small frantic voices. “Cheap, cheap cheap” There are baby chicks in the mail waiting for their final destination, an Island farm. There is clearly a boom in farming on the Vineyard, a whole new generation is involved in creating sustainable food and this includes meat. In the past many just grew enough meat for their family and some lucky friends. Now we are seeing a small industry blooming especially in Island grown chicken.
In asking around I came up with a dozen or so island farmers who now raise chickens for meat birds. Not all, but most are permitted to sell the chickens they raise. This means in the warmer months as the supply holds up you can get fresh outdoor, free range, bug eating, grass stomping chicken.
This budding new business is due mostly to the hard work of the Island Grown Initiative (IGI) who’ve worked with local and state officials and in 2007 purchased mobile poultry processing unit. This unit goes from farm to farm processing safe, local poultry that is humanly raised and processed. Since the mobile processor arrived Island farmers are finding raising chickens can be good business and is definitely good eating. IGI says production of island chicken was at over 5,000 between the farm institute and private farms last year.
Jefferson Monroe of the Good Farm and Richard Andre of Cleveland Farm manage chicken processing on the Island and raise chickens themselves. Jefferson is looking at having fresh chicken available throughout 8 weeks of summer. Jefferson is trained and is the on the ground man when processing. I saw him in action last fall with calm, grace and professionalism, he made the journey for birds incredibly humane.
Richard Andre works with state and local government to keep this program successful. “Chickens brought in $90,000 in revenue and paid about $28,000 in wages” Richard says. In my opinion, this is not chicken scratch and this is only the beginning. IGI is looking next for a slaughter processing station for four legged animals.
I bought chickens from my neighbor Bea Whiting last fall and I asked her routine in this relatively new business. “I wait until late April to start my chickens, It is less of a struggle if it’s warmer” Bea says. Bea gets her chicks from a hatchery in Pennsylvania. “I wish we had a hatchery here, maybe that’s next” says Bea. For now Bea’s chicken arrive in the mail, like most who raise meat birds on the Vineyard. Bea has tried several breeds and prefers Kosher King chickens. She says they take a few weeks longer, 9-10 weeks than the chicken she call “White Chickens”, which is a Cornish Rock cross that tends to be “breasty” and grow a bit faster.
The Kosher Kings are fierce foragers and she found had less issues. How you farm is like raising kids, it’s personal and what works for you, is the right way to go. Basically any chicken that is raised outside is going to be a great eating bird.
The Farm Institute is certainly one of the biggest producers on Island, raising 10 batches of 185 birds. Half of those are the Kosher Kings for the exact reasons Bea Whiting said, great foragers that do well in pasture. The other half is the Cornish Rock cross. They offer birds May- November through their meat CSA, for sale at the farm and hopefully available at some retail markets this summer as well. Because they also process turkeys the Farm Institute has its own processing facility, its just too much poultry, not to have their own facility.
Chicken certainly is the main stay to many diets, cuisines, trends and styles. Its versatile, light, and pretty much all kids who eat meat like chicken. I probably end up cooking chicken 2 out of 7 nights either in sausage, breast, thighs, whole birds, teriyaki, burritos, soups and salads. It is never ending. The one time I will not eat chicken is at a nice dinner out. At that point it becomes a bus-mans holiday and I have to draw the line and order something I would not cook at home. But there is nothing so comforting, simple, fancy, generous and open minded as chicken. Even if you are back in that trance but its at the market trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, chicken is the savior willing to go anywhere you want in your kitchen.
When I was 13, I spent the winter in Key West where I fell in love with Cuban chicken with black beans. To this day I can never get enough of that garlic and lime throughout the baked chicken and the beans. This is simple, but ever so satisfying.
Chicken Thighs with black beans, rice and lime
Serves 4
1 ½-2 lbs chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lime juice
Zest of one lime
1 cup Rice, your preference, I like brown basmati, it takes about 20 minutes
1 can Black Beans with liquid, I love Goya Black Beans
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 onion. Small, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
Salt & Pepper
3 scallions. Sliced on a bias white and ¾ green part
Preheat oven to 375
Rinse and dry chicken thighs. Cut any extra fat from thighs. In a medium bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, chili
powder, mustard and lime. Add chicken thighs, cover refrigerate and let sit at least one hour. In a heavy glass or ceramic baking dish add chicken and marinade. Bake for at least 30 minutes for skinless, 45 for with skin. Cook rice as to your preference, time it out to be ready with the chicken and the beans. For beans, take a medium saucepan; add Canola oil and heat to medium. Add diced onions, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add red pepper and chopped garlic. Combine and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add black beans and season to taste. To serve divide rice to 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with beans, then chicken thighs. Sprinkle sliced scallions over plates for garnish. Serve with lime wedges.
In asking around I came up with a dozen or so island farmers who now raise chickens for meat birds. Not all, but most are permitted to sell the chickens they raise. This means in the warmer months as the supply holds up you can get fresh outdoor, free range, bug eating, grass stomping chicken.
This budding new business is due mostly to the hard work of the Island Grown Initiative (IGI) who’ve worked with local and state officials and in 2007 purchased mobile poultry processing unit. This unit goes from farm to farm processing safe, local poultry that is humanly raised and processed. Since the mobile processor arrived Island farmers are finding raising chickens can be good business and is definitely good eating. IGI says production of island chicken was at over 5,000 between the farm institute and private farms last year.
Jefferson Monroe of the Good Farm and Richard Andre of Cleveland Farm manage chicken processing on the Island and raise chickens themselves. Jefferson is looking at having fresh chicken available throughout 8 weeks of summer. Jefferson is trained and is the on the ground man when processing. I saw him in action last fall with calm, grace and professionalism, he made the journey for birds incredibly humane.
Richard Andre works with state and local government to keep this program successful. “Chickens brought in $90,000 in revenue and paid about $28,000 in wages” Richard says. In my opinion, this is not chicken scratch and this is only the beginning. IGI is looking next for a slaughter processing station for four legged animals.
I bought chickens from my neighbor Bea Whiting last fall and I asked her routine in this relatively new business. “I wait until late April to start my chickens, It is less of a struggle if it’s warmer” Bea says. Bea gets her chicks from a hatchery in Pennsylvania. “I wish we had a hatchery here, maybe that’s next” says Bea. For now Bea’s chicken arrive in the mail, like most who raise meat birds on the Vineyard. Bea has tried several breeds and prefers Kosher King chickens. She says they take a few weeks longer, 9-10 weeks than the chicken she call “White Chickens”, which is a Cornish Rock cross that tends to be “breasty” and grow a bit faster.
The Kosher Kings are fierce foragers and she found had less issues. How you farm is like raising kids, it’s personal and what works for you, is the right way to go. Basically any chicken that is raised outside is going to be a great eating bird.
The Farm Institute is certainly one of the biggest producers on Island, raising 10 batches of 185 birds. Half of those are the Kosher Kings for the exact reasons Bea Whiting said, great foragers that do well in pasture. The other half is the Cornish Rock cross. They offer birds May- November through their meat CSA, for sale at the farm and hopefully available at some retail markets this summer as well. Because they also process turkeys the Farm Institute has its own processing facility, its just too much poultry, not to have their own facility.
Chicken certainly is the main stay to many diets, cuisines, trends and styles. Its versatile, light, and pretty much all kids who eat meat like chicken. I probably end up cooking chicken 2 out of 7 nights either in sausage, breast, thighs, whole birds, teriyaki, burritos, soups and salads. It is never ending. The one time I will not eat chicken is at a nice dinner out. At that point it becomes a bus-mans holiday and I have to draw the line and order something I would not cook at home. But there is nothing so comforting, simple, fancy, generous and open minded as chicken. Even if you are back in that trance but its at the market trying to figure out what to cook for dinner, chicken is the savior willing to go anywhere you want in your kitchen.
When I was 13, I spent the winter in Key West where I fell in love with Cuban chicken with black beans. To this day I can never get enough of that garlic and lime throughout the baked chicken and the beans. This is simple, but ever so satisfying.
Chicken Thighs with black beans, rice and lime
Serves 4
1 ½-2 lbs chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lime juice
Zest of one lime
1 cup Rice, your preference, I like brown basmati, it takes about 20 minutes
1 can Black Beans with liquid, I love Goya Black Beans
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 onion. Small, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
Salt & Pepper
3 scallions. Sliced on a bias white and ¾ green part
Preheat oven to 375
Rinse and dry chicken thighs. Cut any extra fat from thighs. In a medium bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, chili
powder, mustard and lime. Add chicken thighs, cover refrigerate and let sit at least one hour. In a heavy glass or ceramic baking dish add chicken and marinade. Bake for at least 30 minutes for skinless, 45 for with skin. Cook rice as to your preference, time it out to be ready with the chicken and the beans. For beans, take a medium saucepan; add Canola oil and heat to medium. Add diced onions, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add red pepper and chopped garlic. Combine and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add black beans and season to taste. To serve divide rice to 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with beans, then chicken thighs. Sprinkle sliced scallions over plates for garnish. Serve with lime wedges.