| I wanted to have a very New York Weekend this Labor Day weekend, and everyone knows you can't have a New York Weekend without doing brunch. Ishita, my partner in crime and amazing food blogger, suggested Tom Colicchio's Riverpark for brunch. Riverpark is known for it's farm right next to the restaurant and views along the east river. This was perfect since I signed up for the 2012 Locavore Challenge. What could be more local than a restaurant that sources from a garden in it's own concrete backyard? We had an amazing watermelon dusted with merken to start that was picked from their farm. Unfortunately, they would not disclose the purveyor of their meat. I hate when restaurants do that. I just kind of want to be like, "why are you being so shady?" 
| 
|
After that fabulous brunch, we went over the Union Square Green Market and picked up some local veggies. I wanted to make something super yummy and also super simple to continue the lazy weekend, so I decided to go with this recipe that I found on Eat. Live. Paleo. Honestly, I was surprised at how phenomenal it tasted, considering it was beyond easy. I got the chicken from Grazin' Angus Acres. They only sell chicken parts during the end of the summer. I was lucky to get it just in time.
| Spicy Paprika Chicken 1 lb chicken breast, skin on 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 tbsp garlic powder 1 tsp cayenne power 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 2-3 Tbsp olive oil Preparation: 1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2) Combine spices in a bowl and add lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well until it becomes a paste. 2) Cover chicken breast with the marinade paste and marinate for 15 minutes. If you have more time, marinate for longer, but if not, 15 minutes will do the trick. 3) Place chicken in oven and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through. 4) Turn on broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes so the skin can crisp. Roasted Green and White Beans 1 lb green beans 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon Salt & pepper to taste Preparation: 1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2) Cut off ends of green and white Beans. 3) Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. 4) Spread out in baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. 5) Take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle minced garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest on green beans and place back into oven for another 4-5 minutes. | 
|