A Sandwich fit for Panera

The skinny: French baguette cut horizontally, turkey, mustard, mesclun lettuce mix, red onion, feta

Food Network Kitchens: Chicken Salad

The recipe:

• 4 cups diced poached chicken, recipe follows
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1/4 cup sweet onion cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions and herbs. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bits and Bobs:

I substituted the poached chicken for pan-fried organic chicken breast tenders, that I seasoned with freshly ground black pepper and Kosher sea salt. this simplified and sped up the prep time substantially; make sure you use a celery stalk from the center of the bunch. these stalks are more blanched and tender; this recipe was very simple to make on a weeknight and was full of flavor.

-M

Jamie Oliver's Grilled Fillet Steak and the Creamiest White Beans and Leeks

The original:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/grilled-fillet-steak-with-the-creamiest

Bits and Bobs:
use a tender cut of meat and don't over cook it as I've done here; in general the more tender the cut of meat the shorter the cook time; the leeks were wonderful in this dish. I sweat them for 20 min in a cast-iron casserole; I used a California Moscato wine for the beans; Moscato is a white wine perfectly suited for a summer evening.
-M

Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Beetroot Salad with Pear and Feta

The original:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/soup-and-salad/crunchy-raw-beetroot-salad-with-feta-and

Bits and Bobs:
this is a great summer recipe; it would be great for a summer get together; make sure to cut the beetroot like matchsticks for presentation; I used fresh mint from my garden. make sure to pinch out the very young and tender mint leaves from the tip of the meristem; I also used yellow beets instead of red for variety; very tasty!
-M

The Garden Is Growing 2009!

Lot's of vegetables were planted in my Orchard Downs garden last Saturday including: Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, potatoes, and eggplant! Can't wait to make some fresh eats from what I reap.