1

Melt the butter in a 4-quart Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft -- about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sauté until no longer pink on the outside -- 5 minutes more. Stir in the marjoram, sage, salt, pepper, stock, and vegetables, and keep over moderate heat while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings:

1

In a medium-size bowl, mix the parsley with the flour. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk until the dough just holds together and is soft but firm; if too stiff, mix in 1-2 tablespoons more buttermilk.

2

Bring the mixture in the Dutch oven to a boil, uncovered, over moderate heat. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dumpling dough on top without letting them touch. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes without removing the lid.