The Perfect Summer Supper
by Tom Herndon
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Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad
Serves 4
4 large heirloom tomatoes, cut in ½-inch wedges
4 large peaches, pitted and cut up (peelings left on)
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lime
2-3 tablespoons of good olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Slice onions and place in ice water for at least 30 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, peaches and onions. Whisk together lime juice and olive oil and toss with tomato peach mixture. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour.
CHEF’S NOTE: Peaches should have good acid and be not too sweet. For best texture and color, use a variety of colors and sizes of the heirlooms, including a few whole cherry tomatoes. This salad is dressed very lightly. You want to taste the tomatoes and peaches, not the dressing.
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Oven-Fried Chicken
Serves 4
Brine:
1/2 cup sea salt
1/4 cup dark agave syrup
3 pieces bay leaves, whole, crumbled
Chicken:
4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast (separated into four halves)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup rice cereal, crushed (Perky’s Nutty Rice)
2 large eggs (possible allergen – can use eggs whites instead)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
FOR THE BRINE: In a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag, combine the salt, agave, and bay leaves. Pour the mixture into a large nonreactive bowl, stockpot, or Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Immerse the chicken in the brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, 1 to 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine and shake off the excess.
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet pan with foil and set a large flat wire rack over sheet pan.
FOR THE CHICKEN: Drizzle the oil over the crushed rice cereal in a shallow dish or pie plate; toss well to coat. Mix the eggs, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne (if using) with a fork in a second shallow dish or pie plate.
Working with one piece at a time, coat the chicken on both sides with egg mixture. Set the chicken in the cereal crumbs, sprinkle crumbs over the chicken, and press to coat. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. Gently shake off the excess and place on the rack in the pan.
Bake until the chicken is a deep nutty brown and juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Internal temperature, at the thickest part, should be 125-130 degrees.
Chef’s Notes: To make coating, place the Perky’s Nutty Rice Cereal in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Leave some “crumbs” the size of small pebbles in the mixture, but most should resemble coarse sand. You can also remove the skin of the chicken before breading.
