Its hot.

If its scorching in Vermont, I don't even want to think about the weather in Jersey, let alone Philly. Anyways, its time for dinner and I'm saving the cold, crisp, refreshing salad for tomorrow's rumored 98 degrees.  Did I mention that I'm living sans air conditioning?

Unless you're on the raw foods diet you're probably used to having some sort of a cooked meal, but who the hell wants a hot plate with heat like this??  I came up with a happy medium tonight; its hearty enough to be dinner, but light enough to suit a sweltering summer:

Balsamic BBQed Chicken with Pesto Farfalle & Arugula.

Let's get the chicken started first, because it needs to marinate for at least 3-12 hours.

You will need:
6 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs. bone-in is fine, but nix the skin.


marinade:
2 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp cracked Black Pepper
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Kosher Salt

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Put the chicken thighs into a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top of them. Using a spatula, finger, or chicken thigh, make sure there is no honey lingering in the bottom of the processor and get it into the bag with the meat.
• Seal the bag, pressing out excess air, and work the meat to be sure each thigh is completely covered.
• Move it to the fridge & let chill for 3-12 hours.
• Preheat your grill, or grill pan, to medium-high. Once the grill is hot place the chicken on it, leaving enough room between pieces to rotate them. Allow the chicken to sit, undisturbed for about 4.5 minutes, then rotate the thigh 90 degrees and allow to cook for another 4.5 minutes [if using bone-in thighs, increase cooking times by 2.5 minutes each].  Flip the chicken over and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Necessities for the Pesto Farfalle & Arugula:
1/2 box DeCecco Farfalle pasta
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1/2 lb Baby Arugula, for for organic
1/2 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/4 Cup Pesto [recipe will follow]

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil & 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente, DeCecco usually advises accurate cooking times.
• While the pasta is cooking, put the pesto & tomatoes in the bottom of a large glass bowl with a tiny pinch of salt to season the tomatoes.
• Strain the pasta and quickly add to the bowl, its OK if some of the pasta water comes along with it, its extra flavor. Toss to coat.
• Allow the pasta to sit for about 5 minutes and then fold in the arugula. 
• Eat.

Pesto:

1/2 Cup Basil Leaves

1.5 Tbsp sliced Almonds

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar

1.5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Blend in food processor until mostly smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Use immediately or store in fridge. To prevent oxidation or browning of the pesto, pour a little olive oil over top, gently press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the oil and then wrap the container with another piece of plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Do yourself a favor and make this dish for your next cook-out, I promise it will be a big hit [and you won't miss sweating over a hot grill, trying to scrape off the gloopy, burnt bits of BBQ sauce].

flavors of summer

Move over mayo! Sweet grape tomatoes & fragrant basil embody all that is summertime. Try this simple pasta salad for your next cook out or family meal:

Here's what you will need:

1- 1lb box of your favorite pasta shape [I fancy rigatoni for this dish] 
1 pint of Grape Tomatoes
1 bunch of Basil, leaves only, chopped or hand torn
5 cloves of Garlic, peeled and sliced [I love garlic, but if you are concerned about your social life, feel free to reduce the amount]
Extra virgin olive oil [2.5 Tbsp for the tomatoes, 2 Tbsp for the dressing]
3.5 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Now what?

• Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Get a large pot of water on the stove, unsalted, and bring it to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add about 2 Tbsp of salt [this will flavor your pasta while it is cooking] and a little oil [to prevent the pasta from sticking together once you drain it].
• In the meantime, slice the tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and throw them on a non-stick sheet tray or cookie sheet. Season them liberally with salt & pepper, and then coat them with 2.5 Tbsp of olive oil. *do not line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. the acid from the tomatoes will leach the aluminum into your food and you do not want that in your body, or in your salad! Place the tomatoes in the oven and roast them until the skin is blistered and the edges of the tomato are deeply caramelized [about 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven].
• Dump your pasta into the salted, boiling water and stir.  Cook the pasta just 1 minute short of the suggested cooking time on the box. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
• While the pasta is cooking, get your sliced garlic and remaining olive oil in a small saute pan and heat it through on low heat; this will infuse the oil with delicious garlic flavor as well as gently cook the garlic & denature its harsh, spicy qualities.  Once the garlic is slightly sizzling turn off the heat and simply let it steep.
• Using a plastic spatula or wooden spoon, guide the tomatoes off of the sheet tray into the bowl with your pasta, be sure to include any yummy juices from the tomatoes as well. Add the garlic & the garlic oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, and gently toss until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the pasta is coated.
• Taste it! Is it salted enough?  Do you get a nice little kick from the fresh cracked pepper? If not, add a little more.  If the flavors are not popping enough, sprinkle in a touch more vinegar. This is good served at room temperature, or you can make it earlier in the day and hold it in the fridge until game time. 

*Barilla Plus is an excellent whole grain pasta substitution.

** A pound of baby spinach or arugula make great additions to this salad.  Empty the green into the bottom of the bowl, season them very lightly with salt, and then pour the hot tomatoes, right out of the oven and the garlic & oil on top of them. The tomatoes will gently wilt the spinach or arugula, and then follow the rest of the recipe.

To be fair, I cannot take credit for creating this recipe.  I learned it from my mom :o)