Dinner: Monday, June 21, 2010

Counting down the days and the remaining to-dos before our Grand Tour. I didn't get a taste of the chicken thighs with Jeff's rub, hickory smoke, and Gates' BBQ sauce on Saturday (field reports were exemplary!), so I needed some-a that love. Coupla 1-3/4 inch thick pork chops from our CSA box, no smoke, but between the rub and the sauce and perfect grilling, it was oh so mighty tasty. Alongside we had another riff on one of my go-to summer side dishes. The ordinal version has me sauteing some chopped red onion and poblano chile in some olive oil. Then I add some diced summer squash (zucchini, crook-necked, patty pan) over high enough heat that the squash gets some toasty brown edges. Then I add 2-3 cobs worth of sweet corn cut off the cob, and (salt and pepper, of course) sauteed until the corn is tender. Finish with finely chopped fresh basil or cilantro or both.

This time, I had only the red onion, a few zucchini and some slightly tired cilantro. (Thought I'd include some roasted piquillo peppers to represent the capsaicins, but I found, yet again, that jarred roasted peppers have a very short shelf life once they're opened before they mold) Not to worry. Thawed some frozen organic corn under running water, and once onions, zucchini, and corn were sauteing nicely, I added one minced chipotle in adobo. Tasted it with the slightly meager handful of cilantro and decided it needed a little zing along with the smoky chili-ness, provided by the juice of half a lime.

Finally, garnished some butter lettuce with sliced french radishes and scallions, crumbled sheep's milk feta*, and dressed with sherry wine vinegar and olive oil.

*I wanted sort of the salty / crumbly quality which is associated with cotija to go with the radishes, etc., but most of what I've ever found here is kind of rubbery and bland and corporate. The feta gave me what I wanted to soften the flavors of the salad while adding some character.