oven baked chicken kabobs with tzatziki
plus a "real talk" life update
I’m not sure where to even begin, so I’ll just start by saying that the past few weeks have been an emotional tornado, and it’s been one of my more difficult seasons.
Over the past month or two, we’ve been introducing solid foods to our sweet baby girl, Hudson. This is my second time through the process of introducing solids, and it’s always felt daunting and scary, but Hudson has done amazing and is super adventurous about all the new foods she’s trying. About three weeks ago, as I was introducing a small amount of peanut butter for the first time, Hudson had a sudden allergic reaction. Thankfully, her breathing was not effected (mostly it was hives and swelling around one eye), but it was terrifying to watch, and as a mom I felt totally helpless. I immediately got in touch with our pediatrician and set up an appointment with an allergy specialist. I learned how to use an infant epipen and was instructed to carry it with me at all times.
As all this was unfolding, I was crushed with guilt and anxiety, convinced that this allergy was my fault. I should have introduced peanut butter sooner, I should have gone more slowly, I should have done this, I should have done that… the racket in my head was deafening. I became consumed by anxiety and spiraled to a dark place where I could barely eat, and my weight dropped to the lowest it’s ever been. As we waited for our appointment with the allergy specialist, we were instructed to continue introducing more potential allergens (eggs, soy, sesame, tree nuts, etc), which meant that every day over the past few weeks I’ve been on edge, carefully (and fearfully) introducing new foods, worried and watching for any more allergic reactions.
The good news is that (so far) Hudson hasn’t had any other reactions. The bad news is that after meeting with the specialist and doing blood and skin tests, we’ve confirmed that Hudson does in fact have a peanut allergy. And unlike most other food allergies that often go away over time, I’ve learned that only 20% of kids grow out of a peanut allergy. As soon as we got the confirmation, I was flooded with new waves of grief and anxiety. How will we keep her safe? Can she still live a normal life? Will she get to travel and explore and enjoy food without fear? Honestly, those questions sometimes still keep me up at night. I’ve cried more in the past three weeks than I have in the last three years, and I still struggle with feeling like it’s all my fault. (Mom guilt is a real b*tch, IYKYK). And while all this has been going on, the farm season is at its peak and everything needs harvesting/trellising/weeding, our toddler has really been struggling with some big emotions, and Matthew has been traveling nearly every week for work.
So yeah, it’s been a lot. But it’s getting better. I know that wallowing in anxiety won’t change anything, and it definitely won’t help Hudson. And I know there are many worse ailments that we could be facing. Talking about it (and writing about it here) helps.
Last night, after the kids were tucked into bed, I went outside to do some harvesting as the sun was setting. As I picked cucumbers, the wind picked up and a gentle rain started to fall. I kept working, focused on the cucumbers filling up my bin, until I stopped for a moment and looked up. I rocked onto my heels and literally (like, *literally*) gasped, as I saw the most epic rainbow stretched across the sky.
Not to get all woo-woo on you guys, but after the rollercoaster of the past few weeks, that rainbow healed me a little. I know it’s just a rainbow, but I took it as a sign from the universe that I’m in the right place, doing work I’m meant to do, raising our family where we are meant to be.
(Side note – if you have a serious food allergy, or if you love someone who does, and you have any words of advice or encouragement, please send them my way)!
Okay. Enough of all that (and thanks for listening). This little farm is still churning out some freaking gorgeous veggies… we’re nearing the end of the spring goodness (carrots, beets, cabbage) and just starting to dip into summer crops (zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, etc). The first few cherry tomatoes have begun to ripen, making the best ever mid-day snack for a tired farmer.
Here’s a snapshot of what our CSA members received in their large-sized boxes for the first week of our Summer CSA: lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, beets, and the first of the potatoes!
Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack (and my ever-growing recipe index) to help you eat like a farmer:
Burst Cherry Tomato & Basil Risotto by yours truly (one of my most popular summer recipes!)
Whole Wheat Tonnarelli with Peas & Lemon by
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Keep reading for today’s recipe for Oven Baked Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki, available for ALL subscribers this week!
If you made it through the beginning of this newsletter (bless you), then you know it’s been a rough few weeks, and you can probably guess that I haven’t exactly been in the mood to cook. Which is a damn shame, considering all the veggie bounty that is growing like crazy about 100 feet from my kitchen.
But this week, I put my my big girl pants back on and mustered the energy to make a proper dinner, using as many of our summer veggies as humanly possible… kabobs to the rescue! Specifically, oven baked kabobs – mostly because we have a weirdly complicated wood fired smoker grill that I can never get to work – but you can totally take this same recipe and throw the kabobs on the grill if you want.
The beauty of kabobs is that they’re wildly adaptable – I use zucchini, bell peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes for the veggies in this recipe, but just use whatever you’ve got. And if you’re not feeling chicken, substitute with steak or shrimp. Just promise you won’t snooze on the tzatziki sauce! The tzatziki brings this whole meal together with its tangy, herby, lemony, garlicy goodness, and it tastes fabulous on just about anything.
Alright friends, put those big girl/boy pants on and get cookin’ good lookin!
PS – Today *everyone* gets access to this week’s new seasonal recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal, farm-inspired recipe every week, consider becoming a paid subscriber! Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, bonus content and you’ll get to join our private community chats.
Oven Baked Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki Sauce
Makes 10-12 kabobs
INGREDIENTS
For the kabobs
½ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced (3-4 tablespoons juice)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or use 1 tablespoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2lb boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1” pieces
2 zucchini, cut into ¼” thick rounds
2 sweet bell peppers, cut into 1” pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1” pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Tzatziki Sauce
1 large slicing cucumber
1 ½ cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Marinate the chicken – In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients until emulsified: ½ cup olive oil, the juice of one lemon, 2 large minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or use 1 tablespoon dried), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cut 2lb boneless chicken thighs (or breasts) into 1” pieces and place them in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, toss to coat, and put the bag in the fridge, letting it sit for at least 30 minutes and ideally for a few hours.
While the chicken marinates, make the tzatziki sauce – Grate 1 large slicing cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Toss the grated cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and set over a fine mesh strainer (or on some paper towels) to drain for a few minutes. While the cucumber is draining, mix together remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl – 1 ½ cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt, 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated cucumber. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Assemble and bake the kabobs – Thread the marinated chicken onto kabob sticks, alternating with your prepared veggies (2 zucchini cut into ¼” thick rounds, 2 bell peppers cut to 1” pieces, 1 red onion cut to 1” pieces, 1 cup cherry tomatoes). Place the assembled kabobs on the prepared baking sheets, then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temp at least 165F) and the veggies are softened and beginning to brown. For a little extra char on your kabobs, at the very end of roasting turn on your broiler for a few minutes (just make sure you don’t walk away and let the kabobs burn).
Enjoy the baked kabobs over rice, topped with hefty dollops of tzatziki sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed, please tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment… your engagement really helps new people find my work. Thank you so much, I’m thrilled you’re here. :)
Made this for dinner on a girls trip to Morehead City last weekend and it was so good especially the tzatziki. Served with and orzo salad with Kalamata olives and feta. Yum
You are awesome!! So glad you saw the rainbow telling you the same thing.