Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme

Anyone remember that line from a Simon & Garfunkel song? If you added basil in there, you would have all of my favorite herbs. When I first started working at Erling Jensen's 12 years ago, I would have to stem herbs for hours... literally. My hands were stained from all the thyme I had to stem! I love using fresh herbs in my food. It is a wonderful, healthy way to add a lot of flavor to any dish. I would suggest going to your local Home Depot or Lowe's and purchasing some herbs for your garden. Much more affordable than buying them. Tonight, my focus is on rosemary for my chicken, basil for my warm bread & tomato salad, and italian parsley in my succotash. Enjoy :)

Lemon, Garlic, & Rosemary Chicken

1 whole chicken; cut into 8 pieces
1 lemon; zested
2 lemons; juiced
4 cloves garlic; minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rosemary; minced
Kosher Salt & Pepper
4 tablespoons Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350

Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken well with salt & pepper. Heat a grill pan (or cast iron skillet) to medium high heat. Cook the chicken about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is browned. Transfer to the oven and continue to cook for 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon slices.

Succotash

4 ears of corn; shucked
2 garlic cloves; minced
3 shallots; thinly sliced
1 container cherry tomatoes; halved
1 cup frozen lima beans
2 tablespoons italian parsley; chopped
1/4 cup white wine (drinkable quality, of course)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the corn and shallots. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, lima beans, and garlic. Season everything with salt & pepper. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, Add the white wine and cook until it is absorbed. Garnish with fresh basil.

Warm Tomato & Bread Salad

2 cups of baguette or boule garlic bread. cut into 1 inch dice
8 tomatoes; large dice
3 cloves garlic; minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoon fresh basil; thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cubed bread and cook until lightly browned and toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Remove cubes and put in a bowl.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt & pepper, balsamic, and sugar to the pan. Cook until the tomatoes have softened. About 5 minutes. Place the the bread cubes back into the pan and stir to combine, making sure the bread is soaking up the liquid from the pan. Add the fresh basil and parmesan.