Too hot to cook (not me, the weather): chicken salad

Last week I thought it was just too hot to cook most nights. So salads ruled the table. Fortunately I got the most lovely lettuce in my CSA share this week - and more cabbage too. (I pickled the cabbage with some onions thrown in too and added it to almost everything. Maybe I'll do a "Portlandia" inspired pickle it! blog post sometime.)

See - isn't it pretty? I think it looks like a rose.

I made a really nice chicken salad, made even more wonderful by the Red Flame Grapes in my share and the addition of cucumber from my parents' garden. 

Ingredients for about 4 servings:

• 2 cups chopped chicken (I used some leftover rotisserie chicken. Tuna would work too.)
• 3 oz. non-fat Greek yogurt (half a container)
• 2 tsp. mayonaise (whatever kind you have)
• 1/4 C finely diced onion
• About 1/2 - 3/4 C grape halves
• Herbs (I used about 1.5 Tbsp. fresh basil and 1.5 tsp. dried tarragon. I LOVE tarragon in chicken salad!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups salad greens with whatever veggies you want/have (I had shredded carrot and chopped cucumber in mine. I'm not going to tell you how to make green salad.)

Directions:

Gently mix everything except the last ingredient (salad greens). Divide greens among 4 plates - or just put what you want on your plate. Top with about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture. If I'd had celery, I probably would have added diced celery to the chicken mixture. You could also add chopped nuts or sprinkle some on top. 

 Simple, delicious, and didn't heat up my kitchen.

So this was the cold plate on my table in the hot moments of mid-summer. Hope what is on your's is just as cool and satisfying. 

Patty Pan Squash - Cute & Versatile

Patty pan squash are so darn cute you'd think I would have taken a bunch of pictures of them. I didn't. Sometimes I just enjoy the moment and not try to capture it, alright? I'm sure you all know how to google search and find a picture to oh and ah over.

They are also versatile. I chopped one up to put in a mix of roasted veggies. I sliced one into rounds for  squash parmesan. I stuffed and grilled three others. You get the idea.

The patty pan squash parmesan was a favorite. It tasted decadent, but was secretly healthy. I have a deal not to tell my tastebuds.

Ingredients:

• Patty pan squash (I used the biggest one I got for this - may have been 4" diameter at most.)
• Olive oil - I still don't measure this
• Tomato sauce (buy or make your own. I used tomato paste mixed with red wine until it had sauce consistency and added dried italian herbs, salt, garlic until it tasted good.)
• Grated parmesan cheese - enough to lightly cover the surface of each slice. Amount will depend upon size of your squash.
• Gremolata: 4 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup finely diced onion, olive oil/buter, 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs, 6-8 basil leaves torn or cut into small bits
• More basil for garnish - because it is prettier that way

Directions:

Slice the squash about 1/4" thick. Brush with olive oil. Roast or grill at 400 for about 7-10 min. and then flip. Top with sauce and cook another 5 min. Top with parmesan cheese and cook until melted. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, prepare gremolata on the stovetop. Cook garlic and onion in oil and/or butter over medium heat until soft and golden. Mix in breadcrumbs, stirring frequently until toasted. Add basil and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Top squash with gremolata and broil or keep on grill until lightly browned/crisp. (I didn't quite use it all - but put remainder on top of stuffed patty pans later.)  Top with basil chiffonade just before serving. See, I told you adding the basil just before serving made it look pretty.

Finished product. Somewhere between eggplant parmesan and a mini-pizza.

I swear to you that the cooked patty pan squash tastes like (and almost has the consistency of) butter. If you think you or your family doesn't like squash, you've probably made one of two mistakes:

1. Used one of those giant, seedy, watery ones. (Smaller is better with squash.)
2. Not given it the royal treatment it deserves: garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs.

Plenty of patty pan and other summer squash on my table at the moment. Counting the ways I love it. Hope you are too!

Fair to Share: Marionberry Rosemary Scones

There were Marionberries in my share this week! This was a fantastic surprise. Marionberries are indigenous to Oregon. They are a kind of blackberry, but are larger, sweeter, and juicier than other varieties. You can use other kinds of berries here, but if you can get ahold of some organic, Oregon Marionberries I suggest you grab them.

Since these were early season berries, I decided to bake with them. This scone recipe is perfect for sharing. I gave some to my parents, some to my friends Eric and Lisa at Eric's birthday party, and some to my friend Shannon just before we went to the Oregon Country Fair. (Which, like the Marionberry, is unique to Oregon.) Sharing food makes me happy!

This is a sign from OCF that I thought was apt.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1.5 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 heaping cup marionberries
• Optional: additional egg and cinnamon/sugar blend

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400. Sift dry ingredients together. Add rosemary. Add butter and mix in mixer or by hand until pea-sized crumbles appear. Add egg and sour cream; mix to combine and just bring together. (Add a bit more sour cream, or milk or water if needed to bring together.) Need lightly and bring dough into a ball. On a floured surface, press out in a circle about a 1/4" thick. Put berries on half and fold the dough over. Press edges to seal. (You could brush edges with beaten egg to help seal if you want.) Cut into pieces - whatever size or shape you want. I sort of did triangles and ended up with 13 pieces.) Place pieces on a baking sheet - line with parchment paper if you also hate clean up. If you want, you can brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar blend, as I did. You could also ice (flavored with lemon or almond would be nice) or leave plain. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool long enough that you don't burn your mouth on the berry filling - trust me. 

 Yummy even if they are different shapes.

It is important to sample before you share. 

You could also make this without the rosemary or with another herb. I think lavender would be yummy or lemon thyme. Let me know if you come up with something marvelous. 

With Eric's birthday and OCF, the weekend was also about silly fun. I attempted to get into the themes.

Princess Leia buns for Star War's themed birthday & OCF flower child braid w/honeysuckle from yard

Hope you are all enjoying - and sharing - what is on your table at the moment too!

This is why I run: Bread and Wine (Grilled Veggie Panzanella Salad)

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, 

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou 

Beside me singing in the Wilderness-- 

Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow! 

 

- Edward Fitzgerald's translation of Quatrain XII of Omar Khayyam's The Rubaiyat

Credit to Andi Graham for this photo taken at a local winery on a GNO.

Yes, I admit I run because I like to have bread and wine... and chocolate... and... you get the point. Or at least that is why I started running. (Ok, it is slow running AKA jogging.) Now I also run because I like to hear my breathing, smell the changing things in bloom, feel myself moving forward. It's also fascinating what goes through one's mind when it is allowed to wander. But I digress. You are here for the Panzanella. 

My second CSA share was filled with goodness. The mix called out for roasted veggies. I also had some leftover rosemary artisan bread. And it was too hot to turn on the oven, thus the grill. 

Salad Ingredients:

• 3(ish) cups assorted vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces. I used: zucchini, yellow squash, fingerling potatoes, broccoli, onion, sugar snap peas (these added when other veggies were mostly done.) Use whatever you have. Since things like potatoes and carrots take longer to cook, either put them in first or parboil them first. 
• Olive oil, which I rarely measure and don't plan to start
• 1tbsp fresh rosemary cut up a bit (or other herb - thyme would be nice, too)
• 4 slices french bread - or artisan bread or any bread you have around
• 1.5(ish) cups salad greens (I had salanova lettuce, but any will do fine)
• Optional protein: Dice leftover meat, nuts or beans

Dressing:

• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1.5 tsp. dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper as you like

Directions:
Toss veggies with olive oil and rosemary. Put in grill pan on the grill and cook at about 400 degrees until slightly charred, soft, and yummy. Time will really depend upon your grill and the veggies chosen. You can also roast them in an oven and it will probably take around 20-30 min. When about done, brush bread with olive oil and put on grill for about a minute on each side to toast and get the edges just a little charred. (Could be done under broiler if not grilling.) Remove all from grill and dice bread.

Put the salad greens in a serving bowl, top with grilled veggies. Top that with diced bread. Add protein if using. Drizzle with dressing and lightly toss. (Oh yeah, you should put all dressing ingredients in a container with a good lid and shake it like crazy.) You can top this with cheese and or fresh herbs (basil and oregano, perhaps) if you like. I thought it was rich enough without the cheese, but I'd never stand between someone and their desire to add cheese to anything.

Enjoying the meal al fresco with house Pinot Noir.

I understand that traditionally panzanella has tomatoes in it. If I'd had them I would have added to the grill pan, but they aren't quite in season yet in Oregon. I actually ate half of this and didn't dress the other half until the next day. I warmed it just a tiny bit to take the refrigerator chill off and the greens survived just fine.

This is what was on my table. Okay, so it wasn't in this moment, but I am thinking about it in this moment and I wanted to get a couple of recipes up to start the blog. Just one seemed lonely. Enjoy what is on your table.

First CSA Share: Asian Chicken Slaw

I've wanted to get a  CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share for a long time. But I was never thinking about it at the right time or was lazy or busy or something. I've been working on having healthier habits and all that stuff we are supposed to do, blah blah blah. One day I just decided to go for it. I signed up and picked up my first share.

It was like Christmas in July. A weekly surprise present - just for me. Aww... you shouldn't have... wait, yes, you definitely should!

This is a picture of what was in that first lovely share.

Oh, the possibilities, the recipes dancing in my head. My mouth watered. I decided to make something that would use as may of the things I received as possible. Go big or go home. And so, Asian Chicken Slaw I made. You can easily make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken. Add your favorite protein to make a complete meal.

Slaw:

• 1/2 head Napa Cabbage (or other variety), finely sliced
• 3 carrots, julienned
• Big handful of sugar snap peas, sliced 1/2" pieces on diagonal
• 1/2 apple (golden delicious or other sweet variety), cut into match sticks
• Chopped or torn fresh purple basil, mint, and/or cilantro - about 1/3 - 1/2 cup total
• 1 grilled chicken breast, diced (I seasoned with Asian Seasoning blend)

Dressing:

• 2 Minced garlic cloves (I had big spring garlic cloves, so its an estimate since the cloves are still kind of forming.)
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground ginger (use fresh if you want. I love fresh ginger, but like ground in dressings)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper as you wish

Directions:

Mix all the slaw ingredients together. Put all dressing ingredients in a small container with a good lid (a small canning jar, tupperware dressing mixer thing, repurposed jelly jar - all will work) and shake it until thoroughly combined. NOTE: It helps if you dance around your kitchen while you do this. It makes for happy, thoroughly blended dressings. Pour dressing over slaw and toss to coat.

This is a picture of tossing the dressing into the slaw.

It was good the next day, too. If you have somewhat different veggies on hand to add to the cabbage, just use those. Best if they are somewhat firm if you want to have leftovers that aren't soggy. If you don't have the fresh herbs to add, you can get by without them. If you just aren't an herby person, well I can only think I haven't fed you before. Because they are delicious.

That is what is on my table in this moment. Hope you enjoy what is on yours.