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Yesterday was the first day of summer, the longest day of the year. For the past few weeks, the weather has been rather unpredictable. Lovely 80-degree days turned to a high of 94 on a recent Sunday.
Summer wrecks havoc in my kitchen. I have learned to adapt quite well. If it is as hot as Hades, we sup on cold foods. I refuse to put the oven on although I will cook foods on top of the stove.
The only thing I love about summer is my herb garden and colorful flowers. I sometimes allow my fragrant herbs to dictate what will turn up on the dinner table.
For the past few months, I have been keeping chicken thighs in my freezer. I buy the family pack at Whole Foods, which is ridiculously inexpensive, and ask Sebastian, my butcher, to pack them for the freezer six to a pack. I have fun using the chicken as the base for any number of delicious dinner concoctions.
Sometimes I get inspiration from watching a cooking program on television. Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, recently made a salade Nicoise which inspired me to prepare chicken thighs with a Provencal theme. I served the chicken with pan-grilled asparagus and steamed basmati rice.
We have been enjoying chicken thighs once a week but the side dishes always change. I recently prepared oven-roasted potatoes with olive oil, garlic and rosemary from my garden.
Summer dictates tomatoes are on hand, along with jars of imported black and green olives in the fridge. I keep a big, copper bowl filled with shallots, garlic and onions on my kitchen counter. Recently, Vidalias and sweet red onions have been keeping company with their yellow cousins.
Chicken Niçoise
Ingredients:
Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a 5-quart pot
2 large shallots, sliced
1 large onion, diced
6 fat garlic cloves, sliced
1 handful of pitted black olives, such as Kalamata or Gaeta
1 handful of pitted green olives, such as Niçoise or Picholine
1 16-ounce package of assorted Heirloom tomatoes, larger ones cut in half
6 meaty chicken thighs on the bone, wiped dry with paper towels
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of dry white wine
1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, snipped with scissors
2 bay leaves
Directions:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the shallots and onions and sauté them for about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about three minutes. Add the olives and tomatoes and sauté them for about five minutes. Remove them to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Place the thighs, skin side down, in the pot. Cook them for about eight minutes on each side depending upon the thickness. Season with the salt and pepper.
Turn the thighs skin side up. Add the vegetables and remaining ingredients, bring the contents of the pot to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice.
Serves three.
Note from Phyllis: Recipe can be easily doubled. If you are serving four people, cook eight chicken thighs. A handful of ingredients is about the size of a deck of cards.
Pan-Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
20 thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Thyme from 4 fresh sprigs
Handful of fresh Italian parsley leaves, snipped with scissors
Directions:
Wash the asparagus but do not dry them.
Heat the oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and remaining ingredients. Lower to a simmer and cook the asparagus, turning them from time to time, until they are tender but retain a bit of crunch.
Serves four.
Oven-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 jumbo Idaho potatoes, scrubbed clean and diced into one-half-inch cubes
Olive oil for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Leaves from 3 large rosemary sprigs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Line a shallow pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle on the oil and toss well to coat. Add remaining ingredients and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Serves four. SPR
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