boo . dill chicken . recipe

Being far away from the farm and still engaged is like - a photo hung upside down. Like a hot fire beside an open door. Like honey and a sledgehammer.

May 15, 2025

We race on looking back over our shoulders as we pour into the next phase of our life.

Below is Boo. 👇🏼 A classic Boo photo actually. He is such a cuddler that dog.

I look hard into the photograph of his eye. Looking for a message.

Apparently Ton (no photo yet) has obediently taken his medicine, (he has always been an obedient dog) is liking his new dog food and is doing better. The farm family are under instructions to put him outside in the morning and leave him out there in the spring sunshine. He has the back verandah with the dog beds and he also spends a lot of time under the front deck watching the ducks in the pond. I think this latest health scare episode is over. With his new food regime he can go back to quietly aging. But I think we have been put on notice. The aging is moving into a geriatric stage.

I look at all the photos from the farm and wonder who is washing all those buckets, why are fencing materials in a pile on the ground. Look at Tima - she looks like she would love a scratch. Where did they load the first cut of hay.

Being far away and still engaged is like - a photo hung upside down. Like a hot fire beside an open door. Like honey and a sledgehammer. Everything is just a little bit wrong. But right and ok at the same time. But I can’t settle this time.

I think a lot of my fretting is because of the trouble at the entry points into the US, the extra questions and interrogations. So many people led into side rooms. My confidence in easily getting back to the farm is shattered. I was brought up Catholic we always feel we are guilty of something. I worry that the longer I am here the harder it will be to get back there into the states. And I will be here in Australia for a while yet. My work has only just begun here. Actually not even begun.

I think the red truck is broken down again.

That little black pig looks happy.

A little dinner recipe for you: This recipe is requested by every family and every grandchild as I travel. It is on their rotation and is literally called Mama’s World Famous Dill Chicken. It goes like this: Grandma can you make Mamas World Famous Dill Chicken tonight?

They say that if you have dill in your garden once, you will never be without it again. I found a bunch of dill with roots in the Farmers Market a few weeks ago so naturally I planted it! 😂 Though it is taking a while to catch on.

To dry dill: Gather small bunches. Tie into bouquets. Then peg upside down from a string in a dark airy space. My outside writing space is a perfect drying shed.

When dry and crumbly; store in a jar. Date and label. (I just write on the jar with vivid). You can collect the dill seeds too - dry them on the plant and store them in jars as well.

Roast, dry and grind. Roasting a seed before grinding brings out a whole new range of aromatics.

For Mama’s World Famous Dill Chicken I use dried dill leaves. Lots of them.

Daughter, being vastly pregnant, requests Mama’s World Famous Dill Chicken weekly.

Pop over and put on an episode of The Secret Garden while you cook.

The Secret Garden.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett read by Cecilia from TKG

Cecilia At The Kitchens Garden

May 10

Read full story

To follow along, as I read, you will need to upgrade. Once the whole book is read it will join the others on the 2025 books page where you can listen for free. Then you can downgrade until you see another book you want to listen along to, just don’t lose me. Stay subscribed.

Mama’s World Famous Dill Chicken

This will take 30 minutes to prepare and serves three (or two and a half😌).

Ingredients:

2 cups spiral pasta (fusilli or rotini work best)
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
Dried Dill
2 zucchinis, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
a tiny sprinkle of dried chilli flakes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 big handfuls of tiny tomatoes (cherry or grape), whole or a can of chopped tomatoes and a tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking)
2 tablespoons dried dill
1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions:

Marinate the Chicken
In a large bowl, mix the cubed chicken with olive oil, lemon juice, dried dill, salt, and pepper. Let it sit for at least 15–20 minutes while the flavors mingle. Put the lemon halves aside for cooking later.
Boil the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spiral pasta and cook until just al dente. This will cook while you assemble the rest of the dish. Drain, but reserve a splash of the pasta water.
Sauté the Chicken and Garlic
In a large pan, (I use cast iron) cook the garlic in a little olive oil until just golden. Add the lemon halves face down. Add the marinated chicken, and pan-fry until fully cooked and lightly browned. Remove the chicken and set aside in a bowl. Leave the lemon in the pan. Do not wash the pan.
Cook the Veggies
In the same pan, add the zucchini and a further drizzle of oil if needed. Sauté for 3–4 minutes, then toss in the whole tomatoes or can of tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes soften. Gently squash about half of them to release their juices and form a light sauce. Remove the lemon pieces.
Combine and Simmer
Return the chicken to the pan with the tomato and zucchini mixture. Stir gently. Squeeze the lemons over the mixture.
Add pasta
Toss in the drained pasta along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Cook over high heat, stirring lightly to deglaze the pan and combine everything. Let it cook until the water evaporates.
Add cream
Pour in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Let the mixture simmer gently until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the pasta.
Serve hot
Dish it up hot, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a handful of bright green fresh dill if available.
Make a fast green salad to accompany the pasta and maybe serve with a little freshly baked crusty sourdough bread to mop up the sauce.

Mama’s Tip:

Let the tomatoes do their thing - don’t rush them. And always use more dill on the chicken than you think you need. Feel free to add more cream if everyone is not quite at the table. This dish is meant to be creamy.

We always eat at the table - Do you?

That’s the Mama magic.

(I have looked through my publications and my ebooks and I cannot believe I have not published this recipe before. This one is an original family recipe and has evolved over years. I used to make it with left over mutton, more tomatoes and no cream).

The creamy version is my favorite of course!