Summer evening

Yay! We bought a gas grill yesterday. Hopefully this will cut down on complaints of how hot our kitchen is:)
I tried something really new for me tonight and am really happy with the results.

Garden grilling cocktail...photo by Kristin
First, was a beverage for grilling, a new favorite of mine: white port with cucumber, strawberries and mint, with sparkling mineral water. The strawberries and mint were picked fresh from the garden.
Tonight's venture, tandoori chicken, required a little planning ahead--for overnight marinading--but turned out to be less involved than I thought. I picked up about 3.5lbs. of chicken thighs, skinned them and pricked them several times with a fork. Then I mixed up a "tandoori paste" (recipe below) and covered the chicken with this mixture and placed it, covered, in the fridge until I was ready to grill tonight.

Tandoori chicken on the grill...photo by Kristin
"Tandoori" refers to the clay oven used in India, but a grill works almost as well. From what I've read, this can also be made in the oven, but as a last resort. Before you're ready to grill, pull the chicken out and let it sit about 20-30 mins to come to room temperature. Then, shake off excess marinade and grill as usual--about 30-40 mins or until juices run clear.


To accompany tonight's chicken, I made a ceci(chickpea) flat bread and a cucumber and onion salad. A tip for raw onions: Soak or rinse in cold water for a few minutes. This takes some of the bite out of them. I used my mandolin to make strips of cucumber to match the slices of onion and tossed it all with lemon zest, lemon juice and cilantro(also from our garden and optional if you don't like cilantro). YUMMM. It was really good. I had seconds on the chicken--a rarity for me. We will be seeing this again this summer!

Tandoori Chicken
~3-3.5lbs. chicken pieces, skinned and pricked all over with a fork. I recommend dark meat because it will stay more moist. If you want to use white meat, shorten the cooking time. Also, taking the skin off is important so the marinade gets good and in there(with the help of the holes from the fork)
~1 cup full fat the real thing whole milk yogurt. This is non-negotiable! Low fat and/or no fat doesn't work with the high heat of the grill. Unless you like curdled yogurt.
~juice from two limes(or lemon in a pinch)
~2-3 Tbs. fresh grated ginger (tip: peel ginger root and keep in freezer in a freezer bag. It makes it a breeze to grate w/ a micro plane)
~2 tsp. salt
~2 Tbs. garam masala
~1 tsp. turmeric(optional--for coloring)
~1 tsp. paprika(optional--for coloring)
~cayenne pepper--to taste or omit

In a non-reactive container with a lid, mix all ingredients together and completely cover chicken, making sure to thoroughly work it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least over night, but not more than two days. Remember to remove from fridge about a half hour before putting on the grill. I recommend a med high to high heat grill. Once they're on the grill, don't touch them for at least 10-15 mins. Oh, and oil the grill prior to putting the chicken on. Duh. They should be done in 30-45 mins. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over chicken just before eating.

taking a page...

A few years ago, I picked up the above book second hand for maybe five bucks. I was drawn to the cover because it reminded me of my early days of art making--hanging out at my friends house, drinking wine, and making water color paintings of fruit. Her mom has one of my cherry paintings hanging in her kitchen. And I think I thought the sound of "summer cooking" just sounded maybe a little romantic or nostalgic or something. Like swimming and bug bites and late summer afternoon sun. I had an interest in cooking then, but I really didn't know what I didn't know then.
I started reading through it again this week and it's such a different book to me now than it was then. Funny how that happens.
The author wrote it in 1955, with an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients that are quickly prepared and perfect for savoring the sun while having some great food.
I was thinking of this when I made my lunch yesterday. I saw the pretty purple, red and white radishes I had and knew that I had to put together something mentioned in the book. A chunk of baguette, some butter , sliced radishes and some salt.

Spring radishes...photo by Kristin

It was surprisingly delicious and took 2 minutes to make.

In the coming weeks, I hope to feature more from this great book. It just makes you want to pack a picnic basket and find a shady tree next to the water and watch the sun go down.