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September is California Wine Month and to celebrate the season, here are two magnificent recipes, courtesy of DiscoverCaliforniaWine.com.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH WARM HARVEST BREAD SALAD

Serves 4 to 6

Roasted chicken is versatile, delicious and easy to prepare.  Here, it is seasoned simply with fresh thyme and served with a salad of artisan bread, fall pears, black olives and the last of the season’s cherry tomatoes.  Both the chicken and the salad will welcome a range of wines so bottles of California Chardonnay and California Pinot Noir can be on the table.  Those who prefer breast meat will want the Chardonnay, while the dark meat is best with the Pinot Noir; the bread salad welcomes both.  To serve just one wine, consider a dry California Rosé.

INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, preferably pastured, about 4 1/2 lbs.
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
5 fresh thyme sprigs
Warm Harvest Bread Salad (recipe follows)

At least 1 hour before cooking and as long as 1 day before, set the chicken on a clean work surface and pull out the chunk of fat near the main cavity.  Discard or reserve for another use.  Rinse the chicken under cool running water inside and out.  Drain thoroughly, pat dry with a clean white tea towel, wrap the chicken in the tea towel and let rest 15-20 minutes so the towel absorbs as much liquid as possible.

Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.  Wrap in a clean tea towel for at least 30 minutes or as long as a full day.  Refrigerate.

To finish, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Put 5 thyme sprigs into the chicken’s main cavity.

Heat a ridged pan–cast iron is ideal–over high heat and when it is very hot, set the chicken in the pan, breast side down.  Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Carefully turn the chicken–use tongs or a carving fork–so the breast faces up.  Cook 10 minutes more, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and cook 40 minutes more. Remove from the oven, cover with a tent of aluminum foil and let rest 15 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, make the salad.

Use a sharp knife to carve the chicken, removing both breasts first and cutting each breast into 3 diagonal pieces.  Cut off the drumsticks and the thighs.  Arrange the chicken alongside bread salad and spoon the remaining dressing over both the salad and the chicken.  Serve immediately.
Nutritional information:  180 calories per 6-ounce serving of chicken

WARM HARVEST BREAD SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 one-pound loaf artisan bread, preferably a day old
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons pear vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 firm-ripe pears
3/4 cup pitted black olives of choice, halved
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, preferably Sweet 100’s, quartered
3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Set the bread on a clean work surface and cut it in half crosswise.  Stand one piece, cut side down, on the work surface and use a sharp bread knife to remove the crusts and about 1/4 inch of the bread.  (Set these pieces aside to make croutons or little sandwiches.)  Cut the second piece of bread similarly.

Preheat an oven broiler.  Brush the bread very lightly all over with olive oil, set it on a sheet pan and broil until the bread takes on a little color; turn and continue until all surfaces have been lightly toasted.  Cool, tear into 2 inch pieces, put the pieces into a wide shallow serving bowl and cover; there should be about 4 to 4 1/2 cups of bread.  Set aside.  This can be done up to a day in advance.

To finish the salad, put the shallots into a small bowl, season with 1 teaspoon salt, add the sugar and vinegar and agitate the bowl gently to dissolve the sugar.  Add the thyme and let rest for 15 minutes.  Stir in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, taste and if it seems a bit too tart, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Spoon half the dressing over the bread and toss.  Set aside.
Put the butter into a medium sauté pan.

Working quickly, peel the pears, cut them in lengthwise quarters; remove the seed cores and cut into 3/4-inch dice.  Melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the pears and sauté, turning gently with a spatula, until they are lightly browned all over.  Remove from the heat and add to the bread, along with the olives, cherry tomatoes and parsley.  Toss the salad and mound it on one side of the dish.
Nutritional information:  318 calories per serving of bread salad, based on 6 servings.

A note about leftovers: Pull leftover chicken from the carcass, wrap it and store in the refrigerator. Reserve the carcass to make stock. If there is leftover salad, cover and refrigerate. The next day, make more vinaigrette, toss the leftover chicken and salad together and bring to room temperature. Drizzle with dressing and serve over fresh salad greens. Serve with a chilled California dry Rosé.

Enjoy!