Chicken Parmesan

As you know, tomatoes are at their peak this time of year. As wonderful as they are served freshly sliced in a caprese salad, per esempio, it’s really not a tragedy to simmer them into a thick marinara sauce. In fact, doing so concentrates their already sun-condensed sugars even more to create a lusciously sweet tomato sauce that you would swear had a teaspoon of sugar tossed in for good measure. But there’s not. Tomatoes are running the show here and they wouldn’t stand for it. In this case, I used two pints of grape tomatoes, which are very sweet – the perfect foil for the Parmesan breaded chicken.

Eggplant Parmesan is a dish that I often helped my mother make when I was growing up. By high school I’d mastered the Parm and it became a frequent go-to dish when I lived on my own in college. Though we rarely made Chicken Parmesan when I was a kid, I ventured to make it on my own.

I recently asked my mother why it was that we mostly stuck to eggplant, and her response was quite logical, “I hardly ever make Chicken Parmesan, nor did my Mother make it often.  I always felt that chicken can be done so many ways more than eggplant.” Excellent point, Mom.

For the chicken pieces, I use chicken tenderloins, pounded to one quarter inch in thickness. This allows the meat to cook quickly so that the breading doesn’t get too dark as it fries.

As nice as it is to try new things and experiment with different flavors in cooking, sometimes a classic comfort food is nice too. And to me, Chicken Parmesan fits the bill.

Chicken Parmesan - serves 3 – 6

1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 C buttermilk
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
2 T tomato paste
1 – 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 t finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
1 C plain bread crumbs
3/4 C finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C flour
1 T dried oregano
1 egg
1 – 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella
1 lb cooked pasta
Grapeseed or canola oil

Start by pounding the chicken tenderloins with the flat side of a meat tenderizer (or the bottom of a pan) until they are about 1/4 inch in thickness. Place in a shallow bowl or marinating dish. Pour buttermillk over the chicken, being sure each cutlet is coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, start on the sauce by heating the diced garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a simmer. Add diced tomatoes, cover and bring to a low boil. Lower heat slightly and allow to simmer for 2 hours, covered.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. In a large, shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, flour and dried oregano. Working one piece at a time, dip the marinated chicken cutlets into the egg. Allow excess egg to drip off before dredging in the bread crumb mixture. Press each cutlet between both hands to help the moisture from the egg absorb into the bread crumbs. Allow the the pieces to rest for 5 minutes. Doing so allows gluten strands to form between the moisture and gluten in the crumbs, which will help the breading to stick to the chicken and not fall off.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the oil into a saute or frying pan to 1/4 inch depth. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Carefully place the the cutlets into the oil, two pieces at a time. Fry for 2 minutes on either side until the crumbs turn golden brown. Drain on a dish or cooling rack lined with paper towels.

Arrange the chicken cutlets in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese slices and a little bit of the tomato sauce.

Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Toss the pasta with the sauce and plate with one to two pieces of chicken per person.

Gazpacho

Hot. Humid. Availability of fresh, local vegetables. Yup. Perfect conditions for gazpacho.

As you may be aware, tomatoes are best served fresh from the vine at the height of summer, because they taste like – brace yourself – tomatoes! Sweet, juicy, luscious tomatoes. Freshly picked summertime tomatoes are completely different from the crimson, grainy guys found in supermarkets. Fresh local tomatoes have that deep, almost gleeful magenta color throughout the fruit and a happy-go-lucky sweetness too. They’re just joyous little beings, like doughnuts ready to be snacked.

Fortunately, it is now the height of summer. If you have a garden, great. I advise that you check for plump red tomatoes. Go now. I’ll wait. If not, perhaps you live in an urban area, make friends with the nearest neighbor with an urban garden or one of those upside-down hanging tomato planters. Do what you need to do in order to get in on freshly picked perfectly ripe tomatoes while their hot – or still warm from the afternoon sun.

Gazpacho is a great way to showcase the sweetness of fresh tomatoes. I also used fresh local cipollini onions, garlic, green peppers and a cucumber, all of which were generously bestowed upon us by a friend whose cup runneth over with CSA produce. Always happy to help a fellow locavore, we gladly accepted the veggies. Thank you, if you are reading this!

Some like to blend gazpacho. I do not. Because a blended soup is a wonderful, light treat. A cold soup is a wonderful, refreshing treat. A blended cold soup is a cold vegetable smoothie eaten with a spoon. Not my idea of a fabulously satisfying meal. If it is going to be served chilled, the least it can do is provide a little tooth.

Tomatoes contain plenty of vitamin C, vitamin K and lycopene. Onions and garlic – originally consumed for medicinal purposes – also contain vitamin C and are said to offer antibacterial and cardiovascular benefits. Despite the heavy glug of olive oil in this recipe and the bread, I consider gazpacho to be a supremely light. Refreshing, light and nutritious – the perfect food for summer.

Gazpacho - serves 2 – 4

4 fresh medium tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 cipollini onion (small to medium in size)
1 t ground cumin
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C water
3/4 C cubed baguette
1/2 t salt

Finely dice all of the vegetables. Combine in a large, non-reactive bowl. Add cumin, vinegar, olive oil, bread, and salt. Salt is important because it will draw the liquids out of vegetables to make the  gazpacho more soupy.

Refrigerate for one hour. Using a masher or the back of a slotted spoon, mash the soup until the bread bits are broken up and the juices are rendered from the vegetables.

Serve cold.

Peach Bacon Greens

I’ve always been a proponent of balance. Savory and sweet come to mind, but also nutritious and not-so-nutritious. A big dish of veggies is great, but why not add a little cheese or bacony goodness to even the playing field between good and wicked? What would good be if there wasn’t a wicked? What would greens be without bacon? Just fine of course, but isn’t everything better with bacon? You’re getting all that lovely nutrition, why not add a little something to it?

I concocted this dish a few weeks ago when I noticed a peach from an earlier visit to the farmer’s market was looking a little peaked. Not bad, just a little past its prime. I couldn’t in good conscience let the poor little thing go to waste – after all he was a local. I decided to cook it somehow.

Then I thought of how lovely it would be sliced and caramelized with a little bacon. But that would be silly wouldn’t it? I could never serve bacon and peaches as a side dish on its own. Or I could, but if I did, it would have to be one of those things I kept to myself – like the cream I pour over berries sometimes when no one is looking, but you didn’t just read that.

Our very generous neighbor had once again gifted us with a fresh assortment of greens from her garden: young kale, chard and New Zealand spinach. Just what this dish needs to become a respectable side dish. It turned out to be fantastic. To be safe, I made it again tonight, this time using mostly young kale and chard.

The best part is that the greens do more than just make this dish respectable. They add that substantial, sunshiny, almost bitterness that would otherwise be lacking in a simple combo of peaches and bacon. A cup of greens contains a day’s supply of folate, peaches are packed with vitamins A and C, and bacon contains baco-endorphins that are essential for omnivore happiness. I made up that last part, but doesn’t it seem a little bit true? A tiny bit?

Cooking peaches with a little bacon fat caramelizes the surface area for a smoky, crisp crust, while the peach juice condenses and sweetens. Tossed with the bacon you have sweet and smoky, salty perfection. With nutrient-rich greens, no less.

Peach Bacon Greens – serves 2

4 slices of bacon (about 4 ounces), cut into 1 inch strips
1 peach, diced
2 – 3 cups fresh young greens (kale, chard, spinach, etc.), stems removed

In a large frying pan, brown the bacon over medium high heat until most of the fat is rendered. Drain.

Lower heat to medium-low and add peaches. Saute for 3 minutes until peaches become slightly translucent and begin to form a golden brown crust.

Add the greens and toss with the bacon and peaches. Continue to cook until the greens are just wilted – about 2 – 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the leaves).

Remove from heat and serve to people who trust your judgment.

Ingredient origins: bacon – Vermont; peach – Massachusetts; greens – right next door.

Broccolini with Bacon

It has been a long few days. I’ve just completed the first half of the graduate program in which I am enrolled. To complicate things, I’m moving in a few days. It’s just the time for simplicity in cooking.

That said, while this dish is quite simple, it’s also quite appetizing, as it fills the kitchen with that most comforting of cooking aromas – bacon. The key here though, is to cook the bacon slowly so that it crisps without browning the pan. Broccolini is packed with vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and folate. This dish makes a great side for a lighter main.

Broccolini with Bacon – serves 2 – 4

3 oz. bacon (about 4 slices, depending on the cut)
1 lb. broccolini, chopped into 1 – 2 inch pieces

Slice the bacon into small strips, about a 1/4″ by 1″. Cook in a frying pan over low to medium-low heat for about 25 -30 minutes (I know. It’s a long time.) until the fat is melted down and the pieces are crisp.

Remove the bacon and drain the fat. Frugal tip: Save the fat and use in other cooking applications, like frying eggs.

Add the broccolini to the pan, cover and raise the heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes until tender-crisp.

Toss with the bacon. Serve.

Creamy Potato Salad

Potato salad is the obvious side for a barbecue. Sure you can buy a tub at the market, but it’s really not difficult to make at home. This recipe comes out thick and creamy. Red and green onions add color and flavor, and dill mellows out the mix.

It’s also a pretty fast recipe. The potatoes are peeled and cubed before simmering, so they cook in less than 7 minutes. It’s also great to make in advance, as the longer it sits refrigerated, the more the potatoes absorb the flavor.

Try it out. Then when your friends and neighbors come over to your next barbecue and say, “Yum! This potato salad is wonderful! Where did you buy it?”, you can smile proudly and say, “I made it myself, thank you very much!”

Creamy Potato Salad – serves 4 – 6

6 – 7 medium golden potatoes
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 C red onion, diced
3 T green onion, finely chopped
1 T dried dill
1 t sugar
salt to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes, about 1/2 inches wide. Drop into salted, boiling water, lower heat to and allow to simmer for 5 – 7 minutes. Take one out, allow it to cool and test to make sure the potato is cooked. They should be just soft enough for a knife to come out easily, but not smooshy. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes until cool.

Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, onions, dill and sugar in a large bowl. Add potatoes. Mix gently to avoid crushing the potatoes.

Transfer to a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.