SUMMER MEAL

Is there anything better than summer meals?
They are easy, delicious and so good for you.

Here is what I made last night. As you know I made my weekly trip yesterday to the farm for produce. So our humble little chicken strips last night were surrounded by natures bounty.

I made early in the day a container layered with sliced thick walla walla onions, cukes in short spears and juicy sliced tomatoes both from our garden. I mixed together in a 2 cup measuring cup, 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar, a splash of cold water, three tablespoons of granulated sugar, salt and a healthy grinding of black pepper. Mixed until the sugar dissolved and poured over the layers of veggies. Plopped them in the fridge so they would be icy cold when served.

While watching the news I snapped the ends off the green beans I purchased at the farm and cleaned a couple ears of corn also just picked at the farm that morning.
I put two pots to boil, dropped the beans in one and the corn in the other and started my skillet for my panko chicken strips.
When the green beans were cooked to the bite, I plunged them into a ice water bath to stop them from cooking and to hold their color. I grabbed a saute pan, added some olive oil, and thyme from my herb barrel and a clove of smashed garlic, added the drained beans, a healthy dose of salt and ground black pepper. Then added dollop of butter to smooth out the sauce and bring it all together.
The corn was cooked perfectly requiring no honey butter as it is the sweetest corn this time of year.

As I plated our dishes I thought this is a grand summer meal. Crispy chicken strips in the center of the plate surrounded by golden glistening corn on the cob and bright green beans with the scent of garlic and thyme.
A small dish to the side held the bright red tomato,cucumber and onion mix.
A dab of blue cheese dressing for the chicken dunk and our meal was complete.

Today we are going out for lunch. A new deli combined with a brew pub opened a few weeks ago in our Whitiker dist. here in Eugene. This area is a crazy mix of funky eateries, brew pubs, wine tasting rooms and people. We are looking forward to splitting their signature sandwich, a pastrami on marble rye. Both the meat and the bread are made in house. Hubby will wash his half down with a micro brew and I will have a glass of Oregon wine tapped from the barrel.There is a patio that seats 35 so we will eat outdoors if an umbrella adorns our table as it is to get very hot today.

I must now get on with my day. I have a few things that must be attended to.
Have a nice hump day.