Local Vegetable Stir Fry

Nothing is faster or more satisfying than a quick stir fry of local, summertime vegetables! With all the incredible vegetables our local farmers are growing these days, you can enjoy a different creation every time.

Ingredients:
½ C Chicken or vegetable broth
1 Tbl Soy sauce
½ Tb. Oyster sauce
1 Tbl Arrow root
1 oz Water
1 ea Garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Ginger, fresh, minced
¼ C Scallions, minced
2 lb Assorted fresh local vegetables
1 lb Organic or Natural Chicken Breast, thinly sliced
1 Tbl Soy sauce
As Needed Corn Starch
As Needed Vegetable Oil
2 Tbl Chives, minced

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients and whisk well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to stir-fry.

Cut all local vegetables in bite size pieces. For any hardy vegetables (like carrots), blanch in boiling salt water. Remove from boiling water and shock in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain, dry well and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the chicken, simply combine in a large bowl with a tablespoon of soy sauce and toss well. Sprinkle the chicken with enough cornstarch to just coat each piece, then stir in just enough oil to the chicken so all the pieces separate. Cook the coated chicken in boiling water until just cooked through, roughly 1 minute. Drain, shock in ice water to stop the cooking process and drain again. Pat dry and refrigerate until ready to stir fry. This method of cooking the chicken is known as "velveting" and can be applied to other meats as well.

To start the stir fry process, begin by heating a large wok or large non-stick pan over high heat. The pan should be smoking hot. Make sure every component to this dish is lined up within arms reach.

Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil into the hot pan and immediately add the ginger, garlic and scallions stirring constantly to prevent burning for about 20 seconds or until very fragrant. Add any raw vegetables and toss well. Cook until they turn bright in color and are just beginning to brown. Add the chicken and cook briefly to color. Add the blanched vegetables and cook until lightly browned and heated through. Finally, add the liquid mixture and toss well. Bring to a simmer and cook until glossy and thick. The stir fry is ready to serve once the sauce is thick and all the vegetables are heated through.

To serve:
Fold in the freshly minced chives and serve immediately over jasmine rice, noodle or nothing at all.