Roasted Chicken with Peaches

I've had the idea of making a chicken dish with local peaches from the farmers market ever since I took my first bite of a lusciously ripe peach this season. Melissa Clark, a columnist for The New York Times food section, had the same idea. Last Wednesday she published a lovely recipe for roasted chicken thighs with peaches, basil and ginger. I tried it, adjusting for ingredients not on hand, and Henry and I both enjoyed the result. This recipe is very easy to put together and cook. I think it would also work well with chunks of boneless chicken breasts.

Since posting this recipe Peggy and Elaine both told me that grilled peach halves are heavenly. So, for a grill version- grill some chicken pieces of your choice ( can marinate first in extra virgin olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, garlic and ginger). When just about done, grill some peach halves and sit down to a great summer meal.

1/2 pound hard peaches (about 1 large or 2-3 small ones, see notes)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch strips

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tblsp. dry (fino) sherry

2 tblsp. chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch long piece of fresh ginger root, grated

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve peaches, remove pits and slice fruit 1/2 inch thick.

In a 9-by-13 inch pan, toss all ingredients except 1 tbl. basil. Roast until meat is cooked through and peaches softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and garnish with remaining basil. Sauce will be thin, so serve with crusty bread for sopping or over rice.

3 servings

Notes: Ms. Clark advised that peaches can be any stage of ripeness but firmer ones are easier to work with.

I used dill, instead of basil and substituted sherry wine vinegar for the dry sherry. I served the chicken with bulgur wheat and sauteed mixed veggies.

Next time I will double the recipe so that there is enough for a second meal.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

For the past few years I have seen many recipes for this very strange sounding salad. I finally decided to try one of the versions floating around. I adapted the one posted on Domesticgoddess.ca. It is refreshing and delicious. The combination of sweet watermelon and salty feta works. Don't worry about exact proportions here. Whatever you do, the salad will turn out fine. Just be sure to serve it cool.

4 cups watermelon cubes

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

good quality extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

salt and pepper to taste

Serves 3

Combine watermelon, feta and most of the parsley. Toss gently. Sprinkle remaining parsley and drizzle olive oil on top of salad. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes: There are all sorts of variations on this basic idea. Add sliced red onion, olives, prosciutto or pine nuts. Substitute ricotta salata for the feta. Try other herbs such as mint or dill. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve on arugula or in watermelon rind "plates". You get the idea. If you enjoy this salad and like to experiment come up with your own version.

Balsamic-Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts

Just imagining the flavor of balsamic-honey glazed chicken excites my taste buds. I found this easy to prepare recipe in Against the Grain by Diane Kochilas. I made a few minor changes which suited me. The saucy chicken is delicious served with brown rice or a mixture of brown and wild rice. Carrots and white beans seasoned with oregano are wonderful accompaniments. The biggest challenge is making sure that the chicken is not overcooked. I did not meet that challenge but the sauce was so good that my eaters didn't seem to notice.

2 tbl. olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions

4 garlic cloves, slivered

1/2 cup pureed fresh or canned tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

4 tbl. balsamic vinegar

2 tsps. honey

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and saute, turning once, to brown lightly on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tbl. of fat from the skillet.

Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and garlic and cook until wilted, about 6-7 minutes. Add the tomato puree and broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the skillet to gather up any bits of chicken that are stuck to it.

Transfer the chicken breasts to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate.

Whisk together the vinegar and honey in a small bowl and pour into the pan, stirring. Simmer for 5 to reduce the sauce. While the sauce is simmering, slice the chicken breasts. When the sauce is reduced, return the sliced chicken to the skillet and simmer for one minute more to reheat the chicken.

Serves 4-6 depending on size of the breasts

Grilled Trout with White Beans and Caper Vinaigrette

This delicious trout recipe appeared in the current issue of Bon Appetit. I sent it on to Deb since it sounded like a dish that she and Jeff would enjoy. Deb made it last night and reported back. Dinner was a great success and Jeff said it was the best thing he's eaten this year. Wow! Deb is a fantastic cook so this is high praise indeed. Now it's time to get the recipe out to everyone.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 tbl. olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tbl. white balsamic vinegar

1 tbl. drained capers

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

2 10 ounce cleaned, boned butterfly trout

1 cup coarsely sliced arugula

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Cook butter in small skillet over medium heat until brown, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in oil, shallots, vinegar, capers and rosemary. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix beans, lemon peel and 2 tbl. vinaigrette in medium skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush a little vinaigrette over flesh side of trout; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place skillet with beans on edge of grill to warm through. Grill trout, flesh side down until brown, about 2 minutes. Turn trout over; grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer trout to plates. Mix arugula into warm beans; spoon alongside trout. Rewarm remaining vinaigrette; spoon over trout and beans.

Serves 2

Notes: If you are avoiding butter, substitute olive oil.

Barbecue not handy? Preheat broiler and broil the trout 4-6 inches from the heat, turning once. It is done when the skin blisters and inside looks pale (about 5 minutes). Warm the beans on the stovetop.

Braised Green Beans

Before you turn up your nose at vegetables cooked beyond al dente, I urge you to try these. Although really fresh green beans from the farmers market are best, supermarket beans will also taste great. You don't have to watch the pot to catch the beans when they are perfectly bright green. Relax. Let them cook slowly as they turn into a homey, deeply flavored vegetable dish.

1 tbl. olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound green beans, stems trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the green beans, including any water that adheres to them. Season with salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients, cover the saucepan and lower the heat. Stir occasionally and add a few tablespoons of water if the vegetables look dry. Cook until the beans are dark green and tender, about 18 minutes. Add lemon juice, if desired. Can be served warm or room temperature.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Notes: I served the beans for dinner last night along with baked grouper and potatoes dressed with olive oil, vinegar and mustard. I'm looking forward to the leftovers tonight.

Chopped tomatoes, added to the pot along with the green beans, would be a delicious addition.

Quinoa Salad

I have been asking my friend Lourdes to give me a traditional recipe from Bolivia to post on my blog.  I've never seen a Bolivian restaurant or cookbook and am very curious about the cuisine of that country. Lourdes came to my rescue last week with a recipe for this lovely dish and two boxes of Quinoa.  I made Quinoa Salad for a July 4th lunch and it was a hit. Usually quinoa needs to be washed before cooking to remove a protective coating.  But Lourdes gave me Ancient Quinoa Harvest Brand which is prewashed and ready to cook. Pronounced Keen-Wa, this grain was a staple food of the Incas and is protein rich and loaded with iron, potassium and other minerals. 

1 cup quinoa

2 red tomatoes (medium size)

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (parsley can be substituted)

fresh juice of 1 1/2 limes

Serves 4

Cook the quinoa as the package directs (cooks in 15 minutes)

Chop all vegetables in small squares. Mix all of them with the cooked quinoa.  Add the cilantro and lime juice and toss.

NOTES: Lourdes suggests serving the salad with grilled fish or chicken. I took her advice and served it with grilled salmon.

The salad is light and fresh tasting.  Notice that it contains no oil. The cilantro and lime juice give it a very special flavor.