Notable this year were pies by young bakers: a fresh cherry pie and a peach and blueberry pie baked by 9- and 11-year old sisters Charlie and Elliot Ward.

Peach and berry pies were abundant as bakers took advantage of the season’s bounty, but there were some interesting outliers — a couple of lemon pies, an amazing raspberry chiffon pie, and a savory French potato caramelized onion pie — all prize winners.

Although judging a pie contest sounds like a dream job, it takes concentration, and experience with benchmark baking to distinguish a merely good pie from a prize-winner.

Points are awarded for appearance, flavor, crust, aroma and texture with a total of 100 points possible.

Good judges write comments on their score sheets, and all told judging the pie contest is a serious task, with pie entrants, their fans, and potential pie tasters hovering around the tables, watching the process.

This year’s judges were Celeste Muncie of Mim’s Bakery, and Miguel Maldonado of Live Life Juice Co. Jessica Jones of Upper Crust Bakery, and last year’s first-place contest winner, Janet McMurray. They were a stellar group, and although each voted independently, their scores were often in perfect agreement.

Peter Hansen’s Lemon Pie

First prize went to Peter Hansen for his lemon pie, which judges said had spectacular flavor. Inspired by his backyard Meyer lemon tree, he looked up a recipe online and make a few expedient alterations, like omitting meringue because he just “didn’t want to fool around with it”.

Peter arrived in Chico as a freshman from San Jose and never left. He works at Chico State as an IT consultant, has a wife, two kids, a mortgage and a prize-winning pie recipe. Life is good.

INGREDIENTS:

For the graham cracker crust:

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 11-12 full sheets of crackers
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

For the lemon pie filling:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 5 large egg yolks-

INSTRUCTIONS:

Graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and all of the crumbs are moistened.

Scoop the mixture into a 9-9 1/2-inch pie plate and firmly press it down into an even layer on the bottom and up around the sides of the dish.

Bake at 350°F. for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes while you make the filling.

Keep the oven temperature at 350°F.

Lemon pie filling

Combine the lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined.

Pour the filling into the slightly cooled graham cracker crust and spread it around into one even layer.

Bake at 350°F. for 18-22 minutes, or until the top of the pie is set. The pie will still be jiggly.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature for about 2 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 5- 6 hours or overnight.

Once chilled, top with homemade whipped cream, (Peter did rosettes around the edge of the pie with his yard-sale-find whip cream dispenser).

Serve and enjoy! Leftover pie may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Ellie Azzarito’s raspberry chiffon pie

Ellie Azzarito took second place with her raspberry chiffon pie which smote one judge so completely, all he could say was “OMG.”

Originally from upstate New York, and more recently from the Bay Area, Ellie’s love of baking was sparked by her grandmother.

A Chico resident since 2012, Ellie volunteers at the Food Locker, the Cancer Center, and St John’s Catholic Church and bakes for various church hospitality events.

This spectacular pie, inspired by her husband’s love of raspberries, is a labor of love, and worth every minute.

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool

For the fruit layer:

• 12 ounces frozen raspberries
• 3 Tablespoons pectin (sure-jell original formula, in the yellow box)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

For the Chiffon Layer:

• 3 Tablespoons raspberry-flavored gelatin
• 3 Tablespoons boiling water
• 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

For the topping:

• ¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

To make the pie crust, lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and well-blended, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the dry ingredients on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until large clumps of dough begin to form, about 30 seconds.

Reserve 3 Tablespoons of the dough and set aside.

Gather the remaining dough into a ball and flatten into a 6-inch disc. Transfer to the pie plate. Using the heel of your hand, gently press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Using your fingertips, continue working the dough evenly until it covers the sides and bottom of the pie plate completely.

On a floured work surface, roll the reserved dough into a 12-inch long rope. Split the rope into 3 equal pieces and roll each of these into an 8-inch rope. Use the 8-inch ropes to edge the circumference of the pie plate and squeeze them together to join them at the ends. Use your fingertips to mold a fluted edge. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prick the bottom of the crust evenly with the tines of a fork. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the fruit layer, add the frozen berries to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pectin and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and salt and return the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much of the puree as possible.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the raspberry puree for use in the chiffon layer. Gently fold the fresh raspberries into the remaining puree and spread the mixture in the bottom of the cooked pie crust in an even layer.

To make the chiffon layer, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese and the reserved raspberry puree and beat on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Add the heavy cream and beat on medium-low until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. Beat on high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.

Pour over the fruit layer in the pie crust and smooth into an even layer with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe over the chilled pie. Slice and serve.

Christine Dickinson’s French potato pie with bacon and caramelized onion

Christine Dickinson, winner of the coveted third prize, is originally from Redding and worked in the dental field for many years with Dr. Bob Ryan, DDS.

Christine loves all things French and follows the blog of Corey Amaro, a Willows girl who writes from France. Christine figured everyone would be baking peach and berry pies, so she decided to go a different route and chose a savory French Potato Pie recipe.

It was unexpected, delicious and beautiful — arrived hot out of the oven, still bubbling.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces bacon cut into pieces
• 2 onions, thinly sliced, 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups grated Comte cheese
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• salt, pepper and herbes de Provence
• double recipe of tart dough
• 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon cream for egg wash

Tart Dough: 

Double this recipe for a two-crust pie

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes and chilled
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tablespoons cold water

Mix all tart dough ingredients in mixer until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In medium pan heat 1 teaspoon olive oil, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon olive oil and caramelize the onion and garlic. Add seasonings. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Divide dough in half. Roll out 2 rounds, 12 inches for base, 9 inches for top. Layer potatoes, onions and cheese, (2 layers), sprinkle with nutmeg and top with pats of butter. Place other round and cutouts over top. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 400°F. for 45 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Thanks to wonderful local bakers and diligent judges! Keep your eye out for the pie recipe you want to perfect for next year’s contest!

There are two schools of thought on classic lemonade: macerating and slightly crushing sliced lemons in sugar until they surrender their juices, or juicing halved lemons and mixing the strained juice with a simple syrup made of one part sugar to one part water.

I like the physical involvement and visual appearance of method one, but be warned: It is for immediate consumption as the white lemon pith will make it turn bitter if left in the refrigerator overnight. As a quick refresher, here are a couple of basic recipes, and one for a single glass of lemonade, if you need immediate gratification and don’t require a pitcherfull.

Cook’s Illustrated lemonade recipe

10 to 12 medium lemons, sliced very thinly

1 1?4 cups granulated sugar

5 cups cold water

Mash lemons and sugar in a large, deep bowl or saucepan with a potato masher or wooden spoon until lemon slices give up their juice, sugar is dissolved, and juice is thickened to syrup consistency, about 4 minutes.

Pour half the lemon slices and syrup through a large sieve over a bowl, press on solids with back of spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids; transfer liquid to serving pitcher. Repeat process with remaining lemon slices. Stir in water until blended. Chill well and stir to blend before serving over ice. Makes 1.5 quarts. I like to put the smooshed lemons from the second batch in the pitcher with the juice. It’s about transparency. You know for sure that this lemonade is made from fresh lemons.

Classic Lemonade with Simple Syrup

1 cup water, plus 3 to 5 more cups for diluting

1 cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

Make simple syrup by boiling sugar and 1 cup water until sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour syrup and lemon juice into a pitcher, along with 3 to 5 cups of water, depending on how much you want to dilute the sweetness of the lemonade. (I went with 5 cups, and the lemonade was plenty sweet.)

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve, or load the pitcher up with ice cubes.

Stir and enjoy cold. Preferably in a lounge chair in a shady back yard on a nice warm day.

Barefoot Contessa Classic Pink Lemonade

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)

1?2 to 3?4 cup superfine sugar, to taste 1 cup crushed ice

4 cups water

2 teaspoons grenadine

6 maraschino cherries

Place the lemon juice, sugar, ice, water, and grenadine in a blender and process until completely smooth. Place a cherry in the bottom of 6 glasses and pour the lemon juice mixture in the glass. Serve.

Single Serving Lemonade Recipe

(10-ounce glass of lemonade)

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons white sugar

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon

3/4 cup cold water

Ice cubes

In a medium measuring cup, heat up a 1/4 cup of water in the microwave until it’s hot. Stir in the white sugar until it’s dissolved and set it aside.

Squeeze lemon juice from one lemon and run the juice through a strainer to remove the pulp and seeds.

Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the 3/4 cup of cold water into the hot sugar water.

Fill a glass with ice and pour in the lemonade. Serve immediately.

For the culinarily creative, there are lots of riffs on the classic lemonade theme: you can add gently bruised basil leaves to the pitcher, steep lavender or lemon verbena from the garden in the simple syrup to flavor the lemonade, add rosewater and a cut rose garnish to make it pretty.

If you plan ahead, you can freeze raspberries and blueberries in lemonade ice cubes to infuse the lemonade with a fruity flavor and give it some color.

Mint is a refreshing ingredient either as a garnish or gently muddled and steeped in the simple syrup. Limonana, a slushy-textured lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and mint leaves is a popular summer refresher in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. A testament to the power of advertising, it was created in the early 1990s in Israel after an advertising agency promoted the then- fictitious product on public buses. The campaign generated consumer demand for a drink yet to be produced, which is now quite popular.

Limonana, Frozen Mint Lemonade

From theshiska.com Servings: 4

1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)

1 3/4 cups water (divided)

1 cup fresh lemon juice

3 1/2 cups ice

1 cup fresh mint leaves

6 mint sprigs for garnish (optional) Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and sugar. Heat over medium, whisking constantly, till the sugar dissolves. Let the water cool to room temperature.In a blender, combine the sugar water, fresh lemon juice, ice, fresh mint leaves and 3/4 cup of water. Pulse for a few seconds, then blend for 1 minute till the ice is thoroughly crushed and the drink takes on the texture of a thick slushy. Taste. This recipe produces a mildly sweet limonana. Add more sugar to taste, if desired, and blend again. Pour into cold glasses and serve. Garnish with sprigs of mint, if desired.

If you want to forego the sugar, try a pitcher of Lemon, Cucumber & Mint “Spa Water” that is purported to flush excess water and impurities out of your system as well as provide a tasty sip.

Lemon, Cucumber & Mint “Spa Water”

Thinly slice 2 large washed lemons and 1?2 unwaxed cucumber into a 1—gallon pitcher of water. Add 10 mint leaves and steep for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

You hardly ever see lemonade stands around Chico anymore, but they are a fun way for kids to learn about business, money, setting goals, marketing, and good old American entrepreneurship. Michael Holthouse, Houston-based entrepreneur and philanthropist used the lemonade stand as a model for his Lemonade Day, a May 1 celebration of entrepreneurship that began in 2007 in Houston with 2,600 lemonade stands across the city and grew to 120,000 kids participating in 31 cities by 2011.

According to Holthouse, “There are lots of summer jobs for kids, whether mowing lawns or walking dogs, but lemonade stands are just the quintessential first business. And, if you do it properly, you can cover every single aspect of starting, owning and operating any business.”

In preparation for Lemonade Day, Holthouse partners with a local church or youth group that gives out registration forms. Youth in the participating community find an adult to partner with them in the stand, and then the registered lemonade stand teams receive a backpack full of support and start-up materials. Lemonade Day, May 1st, is the publicized kickoff that solicits community support for the stands, but the businesses can continue through the summer.

At the end of Lemonade Day, kids are encouraged to think about their money in thirds: Spend some, save some and give some. During Houston’s Lemonade Day 2010, kids sold $4.1 million worth of lemonade in one day and gave over $1 million back to the community. “Some of these kids didn’t have two nickels to rub together when they started this process and here they are giving money to the fireman or their church,” said Holthouse.

This seems like an idea that would be fun to try in Chico if the right group stepped up to partner with the kids. Our community supports kids and entrepreneurship in many ways.

In other lemonade news, lemonade stands provide a catalyst for altruism and social reform. Three young entrepreneurs, Aidan and Sophia, both 8; and Zach, 6, decided to give all their lemonade stand profits away and handed a check for $36.50 to the Utah Food Bank along with a charming note;

“Dear Utah food Bank ? I wanted to contribute the money I made from my lemonade stand to help feed the hungry.” Salt Lake Tribune, 6/12/13.

Five-year-old Jayden Sink set up a lemonade stand for peace outside the Equality House across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Equality House, owned by nonprofit Planting Peace, campaigns for human rights, gay rights and anti-bullying. Jayden’s banner. “Pink Lemonade for Peace: $1 Suggested Donation” raised $400 during the day as well as the ire of the church that attempted to close the stand and stop the stream of supporters. To date, she has raised more than $16,000 online in her campaign to spread peace and love by way of a little pink lemonade stand. Huffington Post, 6/18/2013.

Carl built Molly a lemonade stand when she was 7, and she and Hanna set up their little business every year during the Watermelon Sidewalk Sale. Much planning went into the colors for the banner, the price of the lemonade and what to wear as the stand stayed the same size and the girls grew. As lemonade progressed from concentrate to fresh-squeezed, the little stand was replaced by a table with a big umbrella for shade. The stand always did well, and the girls were always amazed by the support they got. It was awesome lemonade.

Nancy Lindahl features the vast culinary choices that abound in our farmers markets and backyard gardens. Sweet Basil and the Bee runs the second and fourth Wednesdays. Email to zookeeny@gmail.com.

Two English Ladies make fresh citrus curds — a jam-like spread, out of local lemons, oranges, and limes, every week. Very much a family business, the mother-daughter team are using a recipe from a British cookbook that belonged to Holdstock’s mother, and the business started as a fundraiser for Holdstock’s granddaughter who was raising money for a mission trip to Mexico. As Maddie sold the fresh lemon curd to friends and neighbors for her trip, Holdstock was encouraged by many saying, “You really should do something with this.”

The original product, lemon curd, has been joined by orange curd, lime curd, and most recently Two English Ladies scone mix. There is nothing better than a warm, freshly baked scone with a spoon of lemon curd and a dollop of clotted cream, according to the ladies.

Holdstock and Stephens started the business in April 2010, and have been “bowled over by the response.” There’s a certain amount of education involved, introducing the taste of British curds to an American audience, but market-goers love the intense citrus flavors of the spreads, and having access to such a fresh product.

Two English Ladies’ curds are made fresh every week and held in refrigeration until they are purchased either at one of the markets, or online at www.2englishladies.com.

There are no preservatives; the curds are all natural and made from local products. Many of the lemons used for the lemon curd are gifts from friends and customers who have lemon trees and can’t use all the fruit.

It’s a busy time for the business. In addition to making the weekly supply of curds for the market, all the citrus fruit for next year’s curds must be bought, juiced, zested and frozen while it’s in season and at peak flavor. This is where Holdstock’s husband, Bob, becomes indispensable. Although the business is Holdstock and Stephens’, Bob is the star employee. He hand juices every fruit that goes into the curd recipes, does the heavy lifting and stand set-ups, runs the company’s Internet presence, and is an all-round marketing wizard and and aide-de-camp to the fledgling business.

Holdstock’s real profession is nursing, and you can find her at Dr. Incaudo’s office when she isn’t making or selling her curds. Elegant, sincere and unafraid of hard work, she is the ideal pastor’s wife, which was her role when the family moved from Brighton England to Auburn, Calif., and then to Virginia. After six years in Richmond, Va., the Holdstocks elected to settle in Chico to be near their daughter Claire and her family. Another daughter, JoAnne and her family live in North Wales.

The Holdstocks like the small-town feeling of Chico and the camaraderie and community of the markets, which each have a different personality. They like the diversity they find in Chico and are especially impressed with how cooperative and supportive people are: “They want you to succeed.”

In addition to their day jobs, their production day to make the curds, and their Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday night market commitments, the ladies and Bob attend various faires and festivals around the north state and plan the future of their company.

An apple and cinnamon curd they are making now will probably become a seasonal offering and be available only in the fall; there are plans for a grapefruit curd as a seasonal product, and they are researching clotted cream, another British essential for scones and afternoon tea.

For now, Holdstock and Stephens are absolutely enjoying the business, and feel rejuvenated and excited when they get into the commercial kitchen and start the week’s batch. All the cooking is done exclusively by Holdstock and Stephens, who aren’t ready to delegate that most important job.

Holdstock’s favorite use for the curd is on toast, or on bagels with cream cheese; Bob likes it on salmon as well.

They are all watching the mail, waiting for their invitation to WIlliam and Kate’s wedding April 29. Stop by the Two English Ladies’ stall for a taste of the curds and Royal Wedding updates. If you don’t shop the markets, Two English Ladies curds and scone mixes are available at The Galley and Zucchini & Vine in Chico, and at Enjoy the Store on Placer Street in Redding.

Two English Ladies Traditional Scone Mix has a lovely texture and makes a classic English Tea Scone. Scones are essentially a kind of biscuit, and the mix is a great starting point for many savory or sweet scones that can be served warm out of the oven as an accompaniment to soup or dinner, or as a breakfast item.

Adding currants, raisins, chopped dried apricots, lemon or orange zest, cranberries, or chocolate chips results in a sweet or fancy scone. Adding grated cheddar cheese and dill, feta and green onions, sour cream, black pepper and chives, or grated parmesan and garlic creates a savory dinner scone, and adding black pepper, chopped bacon, grated cheddar and green onions makes a great breakfast scone. The mix lasts for about a year, and is a versatile addition to the pantry.

Lemon curd tarts are probably the most famous use for lemon curd after a spread for toast and scones. These two-inch tartlets by former Chez Panisse chef, Tasha DeSerio for Fine Cooking, December 2010, can be either savory or sweet and used as a canap? or sophisticated dessert.

Rosemary-Lemon Tarts with Pine Nut Shortbread

Recipe uses 2-inch tartlet molds, (you’ll need 25), which turn out elegant two-bite tarts. Makes about 50 2-inch tarts.

Lemon Curd

2 jars Two English Ladies lemon curd.

For each jar add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest,

and 1 tablespoon very finely chopped rosemary.

Stir additional zest and rosemary into each jar, and refrigerate.

Garnish

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.

1/4 cup pine nuts

Kosher salt

Shortbread dough

7 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 oun ces (1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 cup pine nuts, very finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

Nonstick cooking spray

Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar, pine nuts, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed to combine.

Add the butter and continue to mix on low speed until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Divide the dough in thirds. Wrap each piece in plastic and press into flat disks. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Bake the Shells in two batches:

Spray 25 fluted tart shells with cooking spray. Working with one round of the shortbread dough at a time, roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 25 circles. Gather any scraps and refrigerate for re-rolling.

Using a metal spatula, transfer the rounds to the tartlet pans and press the dough into the pans. Trim the tart dough so that it’s flush with the edge of the pan by pressing along the rim of the pan with your thumb.

Prick each tart shell several times with a fork, arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the tartlet shells until they are deep golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Transfer the shells to a rack to cool. Remove the shells from the pans and store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Repeat rolling and cutting the remaining dough and scraps, which you can re-roll once, to yield 25 more circles. Bake, cool and store as above.

Make the garnish

Heat the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the pine nuts. Toss the nuts until browned, 30 seconds, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Assemble the tartlets

Spoon the lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe the curd into the tartlet shells and top each with three pine nuts. The tartlets may be assembled up to four hours ahead.

Nancy Lindahl features the vast culinary choices that abound in our farmers markets and backyard gardens. Sweet Basil and the Bee runs the second and fourth Wednesdays. E-mail to zookeeny@gmail.com.

]]> https://www.chicoer.com/2011/02/23/sweet-basil-and-the-bee-brittish-curd-flavored-with-north-state-citrus-mdash-two-english-ladies-bring-fresh-citrus-curd-to-market/feed/ 0 470660 2011-02-23T00:00:00+00:00 2018-06-01T02:00:43+00:00 https://www.chicoer.com/2009/02/25/sweet-basil-and-the-bee-city-chicks-backyard-hens-can-be-entertaining-useful/ https://www.chicoer.com/2009/02/25/sweet-basil-and-the-bee-city-chicks-backyard-hens-can-be-entertaining-useful/#respond Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.chicoer.com?p=514370&preview_id=514370 CHICO — Last summer we inherited four geriatric hens, converted a shed into a chicken coop and were delighted all summer with their busy-quirky presence in the backyard. The hens, way past their egg-laying days, were a gift from Marianne who was anxious to start a new flock and needed a home for the last of her old pets.

Although I had a small flock 20 years ago, I had forgotten everything there is to know about chicken behavior, resulting in some human antics that must have given these chickens a chuckle. Chickens have to be secured at night, because they are vulnerable to dogs and other predators when they are sleeping, but how to get them back in the shed after a day of pecking around the yard?

When the sun went down, each sleepy chicken would roost wherever it was — in the low branches of a tree, under a bush, behind the wheelbarrow. I would grab Carl and Hanna with flashlights and we would run around the yard clucking and searching the bushes for sleeping chickens to be put to bed. On the third night, growing weary of the bedtime ritual, we noticed the chickens lined-up around the shed door at 5 o’clock waiting to go in — 8 o’clock was way past their bed time, and that’s why they fell asleep in the bushes. We came to terms with the fact that these hens knew more about being chickens than we did and for the rest of the summer respectfully let them do their thing.

Chickens have become the mascot of the local food movement and are a natural complement to backyard gardening, raised vegetable beds, composting and other home-based projects that result in fresher more wholesome food than what is available commercially. The underground “Urban Chicken” movement, keeping chickens in the city, is an interesting trend that is sweeping across the United States inspiring grassroots campaigns to alter municipal codes, and creating new spin-off business ventures in coop-building, poultry advice and mobile slaughtering.

According to Ben Block from the Worldwatch Institute, the trend began in London with the invention of the “eglu”, a chicken house marketed by the Omelet company which looks like a late-90s Macintosh computer, costs about $500, and comes with a chicken run and a feeder. Large numbers of city dwellers in Seattle and Portland embraced the Metro Chicken concept. The idea has spread to cities where raising hens was already legal, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago and New York City. Other cities, Anne Arbor, Mich.; Ft. Collins, Colo.; and Madison, Wis. have all voted in the last year to allow residents to raise backyard poultry.

Is there a flock in your future? Caroline Cummins, writing for the Web site Culinate says there are all sorts of reasons for keeping chickens, and third on the list is “fun” since chickens make social goofy pets. Second on the list is typically “your garden” because chickens eat weeds and bugs, including slugs, aerate your lawn, and provide plenty of fresh compostable manure. Eggs are first on the list. They are the freshest possible and “since your birds presumably spend at least part of their lives outdoors eating green stuff, worms, and insects, the eggs are also the healthiest possible.”

An egg from a backyard chicken can be in the pan in minutes, a commercial egg can take two or three days to go from its production facility to a distributor according to Linda Braun, consumer services director for the American Egg Board. It can then sit in a warehouse for as long as a week before being delivered to a store. Home raised chickens can have stronger shells, brighter, richer yolks, and higher levels of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids than commercial eggs according to Catherine Price, New York Times. A backyard flock of six hens will produce nearly three dozen eggs every week; three hens will lay about two eggs a day.

Chickens are more work than a goldfish and less cuddly than a puppy, but after the initial set-up they are relatively cheap to feed and maintain, (a year’s supply of organic food for two hens costs less than $50), and are entertaining yard companions. DIfferent breeds have different eggs and laying rates — Ameraucanas, for example are good layers and produce beautiful blue-green eggs. Some chicken breeds are more sociable than others, although most chickens, if handled when they are chicks, are quite tame. John Henderson, a reference librarian at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. has a flock of 50 chickens and has developed a comprehensive breed comparison Web site including the Handy-Dandy Chicken Chart.

In the City of Chico, chickens are regulated by Code Enforcement and the Planning Department. In general, most R-1 single family residences can accommodate three to four hens, but no roosters, with a permit as long as they are not offensive to the neighbors in regard to noise, dust or odor. The permit is expensive, so for Chico to be chicken-friendly some work needs to be done. For more detail you can call the City Planning Department at 879-6800

If the idea of backyard chickens is intriguing to you there are several helpful Web sites including Backyard Chickens, and Culinate which will get you started. The City Chicken features “Hen House of the Month,” a gallery of original coops and chicken set-ups, and “Keep Chickens! Tending Small Flocks in Cities, Suburbs, and other Small Spaces,” a fresh, funny book by Barbara Kilarski covers all the details.

Northern Star Mills and Wilbur’s Seed and Feed are good sources of chicken advice and supplies as well as chicks. Baby chicks arrive March 5 at Northern Star Mills, and mid-March at Wilbur’s. Skyway Feed also has poultry supplies and baby Cuckoo Maran and Welsummer chicks which lay dark chocolate brown eggs are available now. Look for pullets — female chicks, and avoid cockerels, male chicks. If you want fresh local eggs without the chickens, check out Chris’ Eggs at the Farmers Market.

Marianne’s Special Market Recipe will be at Chris’ Eggs stall this week.

Nancy Lindahl and Marianne Brenner feature the vast culinary choices that abound in our farmers markets and backyard gardens. E-mail to zookeeny@gmail. com.

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