BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas with Cherries and Corn

I was kind of dreading Father�s Day this year. All of the first holidays and events without him are hard. But the impending punch in the gut of Father�s Day�all of the gift guides in my inbox, the grilling recipes for dad online, the Father�s Day golf/BBQ/fishing/woodworking/drinking themed everything everywhere�it had me in a major funk these last few weeks. Luckily we celebrated in the most amazing way possible, which really helped me (and my sister and mom) get through the day. Rather than having a somber memorial last summer, which he would have hated, we waited until last weekend, and had a big blow-out celebration of life. He loved being a dad, and he loved summer solstice, so there was no better time to raise a glass and toast an awesome man, who lived life to the fullest.


My dad loved good food, good drinks, laughter, jokes, friends, and family. He was a good-timin� kinda guy, and we sent him on his way in true JFK (my dad, not the pres) fashion. Friends and family (about 70 people!) came from all over the place: southern, northern, and central California, Oregon, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and all over Washington. We ate an insane amount of smoked meat, toasted terrible shots of slivovitz, told tons of stories, and looked through years and years of hilarious and fantastic photos. Evan and our friend Robb arranged an epic bean bag/ corn hole tournament: three courses, 19 teams, 39 total games. Amanda and I were The Zombies (which was my dad�s old horse-shoe team name), and we came in second (we lost to the, ahem, Bunghole Bros).

That night we had the most beautiful pastel painted sunset, my dad�s favorite kind� his little gift to us. I miss him like crazy, but man, I feel so lucky that I got to have 29 years with him. So much thanks to my ma for working her little tail nearly clean off, to all her helpers, and to all our friends and family who came to celebrate. It was so cool to be surrounded by so many people that loved him. And it made this Father�s Day way less sucky.

So anyway, long story short: I just haven�t really been in the kitchen lately. Totally unrelated to everything above, I did manage to make quick grilled flatbread pizza, and figured you should probably know about it. Since it�s officially summer, we�re putting a bunch of summery goodness on a flatbread, and then grilling it up. Fresh corn and cherries, plus BBQ sauce, grilled chicken, and smoked mozzarella. Hello summa!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

3 chicken tenders (or 1 large chicken breast, cut in 3 thin strips)
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
2 flatbreads or large naan (like these)
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1-1.5 cups grated smoked mozzerella
8-10 fresh cherries, pitted and halved (and sliced again if they�re big)
1 ear of corn, kernels cut from cob
2 green onions, sliced

Heat grill. Brush chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, and cut into thin slices.

Spread BBQ sauce on one side of each flatbread, and top with cheese, cherries, corn, green onions, and chicken. Grill until cheese is melted.

To make without a grill, prepare chicken as you like, then heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place flatbreads on a baking sheet, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is totally melted.

Fried Green Tomato Salad

Just when you think summer is over�.whammo! Sun! This is good news, because I have an end-of-summer recipe for you. I've been wanting to make this since July, then time just got away from me. But today, thanks to a free afternoon and some awesome tomatoes from my friends Ben & V's garden, I bring you fried green tomato salad! 

When I was in Sonoma for Amanda's 30th, we went to the Girl and the Fig, and I had this amazing plate of fried green tomatoes. I also had an incredible duck confit hash, but...we're here to talk about tomatoes. They were mixed in with arugula, fresh sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and a tangy vinaigrette, and topped with creamy fresh ricotta. I had only had fried green tomatoes on their own, dipped in ranch or the like, so this dish blew my mind. 

Also� right now I'm reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (the book behind the Fried Green Tomatoes movie), so I mean, obviously the timing is good here. It's always a little disappointing to watch a movie after reading the book, but I kind of like doing it in reverse order�reading the book after watching the movie. In this case, it's been so long since I've seen the movie that I'm still surprised by everything that happens (and, a lot more happens in the book), but I can still picture Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch, and Mary Stuart Masterson as Idgie� and I love those two gals.  

Anyway�this recipe is totally from my memory (and a scroll through my instagram photos), so I'm not sure how similar it really is to the original, but this take is pretty damn tasty. There are a few steps, but all in all, for just a bit of effort, you get great big flavor. 

Fried Green Tomato Salad 

Inspired by a dish at the Girl and the Fig

Arugula

2-3 thin slices red onion 

Vinaigrette (recipe below)

1 large, ripe heirloom tomato, sliced

2 fried green tomatoes, still warm (recipe below)

One ear of sweet corn, kernels removed 

Ricotta mixed with fresh thyme from 2-3 sprigs, and a pinch of salt

Salt & pepper

Make the vinaigrette, slice the red tomatoes and corn, whip up the ricotta, and then fry the tomatoes. To assemble, toss onion slices and a big handful of arugula with enough vinaigrette to coat. Place arugula and onion slices on plate, and layer fried and fresh tomatoes on top, add a pinch of salt, and top with corn. Top with dollops of ricotta, and drizzle with additional dressing. 

Vinaigrette 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice from 1 small lemon

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped chives

Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together. 

Fried Green Tomatoes

2 large, firm green tomatoes

1/2 cup flour with a pinch of salt and pepper

1 egg 

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

vegetable oil for frying

Slice tomatoes 1/2 thick. 

Set up your breading station:

1. Flour, salt, & pepper

2. Egg and milk, whisked

3. Panko & cornmeal 

Dip tomato slices in flour, then egg and milk mixture, then panko and cornmeal mixture.

Add about 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed skillet, and heat over medium until good and hot. Add half the tomato slices, and fry for a few minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. 

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Green Chiles

I know it's September, and football is happening (go UW!), and there are pumpkin recipes everywhere, and storefronts are filled with boots and scarves. I get it. But can't we still enjoy summer�just for a few more weeks!? Days??

I had all these summer recipes I wanted to make before the season swapped over to fall, and I took a pulse check on Facebook to figure out which of those summer bucket-list recipes I should make first. The big winner? Corn chowder! Unfortunately, I might only get to one or two more summer recipes before chicken wings and chili just get too tempting. But lucky for you, corn chowder is one of 'em! 

This has totally been the summer of corn for me. You could even say I'm a child of the corn. Or maybe not� that's creepy. Let's just say I love corn.

Most of the corn chowder recipes I've seen out there are filled with heavy milk, cream, and potatoes. That just sounds wintery to me. And guys� I just wanted something summery here. And obviously green chiles=summer. And obviously bacon=awesome. 

Speaking of summer and awesome, this soup is awesome. And summery-like. It's a little tangy from the lime and chiles, salty and smoky from the bacon, and nice and sweet from the fresh corn. Rather than adding milk or cream, I just blended half the soup, that way it's thick, but not heavy. Top it off with a swirl of sour cream, some cheese, and cilantro? You'll be thinking it's early August. 

Also, if your produce section is running low on last of the season corn, or you decide to whip this up in December, no worries! You can totally use frozen corn. Then you can have summer anytime. Yep, you're welcome. 

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Green Chiles 

Serves 4-6

8 ears of corn, raw (or 8 cups of frozen corn, thawed)

4 slices of bacon, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or a pinch dried)

2 sprigs of fresh oregano (or a pinch dried)

4 cups chicken broth 

1 four oz can roasted green chiles (mild or hot, depending on your taste)

Juice from half a lime

Salt & pepper

sour cream

lime wedges

cilantro

cheese (crumbled cotija or shredded cheddar or jack)

Cut kernels off corn cobs, and then run the back off the knife or a scrape a spoon along cobs to get the last of the liquidy goodness out of the cobs. Set aside.

Heat a stockpot or dutch oven over medium, and add bacon and onions. Cook until onions are translucent and starting to brown, and bacon is cooked through (it won't necessarily be crispy). Add the garlic, thyme, oregano (and olive oil, if necessary), and cook a few more minutes. Add corn and green chilies, and stir to combine. Add broth, and turn heat to medium-high, bring to a boil. 

Add lime juice, and reduce heat to low. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. 

Remove from heat, and (carefully) run emersion blender through soup one or two times. You don't want to fully blend, but want about 1/2 blended, half still chunky. You could also scoop 2-3 cups of the soup into a blender, blend until smooth, and stir back in. Be careful blending hot soups, it could splatter. 

Server with sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, and cheese. 

Southwest Quinoa Burrito Bowl...Salad

Some of my gal pals are really into the no-salad-salad, as they call it. The no-salad-salad is basically a big bowl of salady stuff that isn't leafy green and lettuce-like. They throw in a whole bunch of veggies, beans, and baby corn. 

Ugh. Can I tell you something? I hate baby corn. It totally freaks me out. When I was a little kid I loved it...until one time, at a fancy restaurant (ahem, it was the O'Callahan's restaurant at the Shilo Inn in The Dalles, OR... which I thought was like, the fanciest of fancy...it wasn't) I yoinked a baby corn off of Mel's plate when she wasn't looking, and it was pickled or something, and it tasted awful, and I threw up. I've been super anti baby corn ever since that day. PS. this is totally not food-blog friendly, but I have a lot of stories that end with "and then I threw up." 

But I digress, this post really has nothing to do with baby corn or my wimpy stomach. It's all about no-salad-salad.

So anyway, whenever I try to make the standard no-salad-salad, I feel like it doesn't come out quite as good as when my friends do it. It feels like a big, jumbled, incoherent mess. That's why I like themed no-salad-salads. Like Greek-style salads loaded with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives. Or, my favorite: a no-salad-salad with southwest flair. Otherwise known as a burrito bowl. Can we just call it a Southwest Quinoa Burrito Bowl�Salad? 

This one has so much goodness in it: sweet corn fresh off the cob (not the baby variety, thankyouverymuch), avocado, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, black beans, and cotija cheese, all doused with fresh squeezed lime juice. You could definitely eat this as is. Or you could make it even better by tossing it with quinoa and a creamy southwest sauce. I vote you do that. I vote you do that right now. 

Southwest Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad

Serves 4

Creamy Southwest Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon of each: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano

Splash hot sauce (I use Tapatio) 

Juice from half a lime

Salt & pepper to taste

For sauce, whisk together sour cream through hot sauce, until smooth and creamy. Save the other lime half for salad. Salt & Pepper to taste. 

Salad 

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

1 avocado, diced

Fresh corn off the cob from 1 ear

2-3 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Juice from half a lime

Creamy Southwest Sauce

Cook quinoa: Rinse until water runs clear, drain. Add to a medium pot with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and cool before mixing with salad. 

Stir together black beans through cotija cheese, and toss with lime juice. Add cooled quinoa, and stir until just combined (gently, so you don't moosh up the avocado). Salt and pepper to taste. To eat, either mix in the sauce, or add sauce to each serving. 

Summer Corn Kernel Sugar Cookies

SUMMER!!! It's here! You know what that means? Sweet, juicy nectarines! Bright red tomatoes (on rustic bread with a schmear of mayo, please!)! Crunchy carrots that actually have flavor! Crisp, sweet corn on the cob! 

I'm obsessed with corn right now. I just can't seem to get enough. Grilled on the cob, in salads, in salsas, in cookies. Wait� in cookies? Yep, you heard me. You read me. In cookies. I love when sweet little kernels of corn pop up in cornbread, so I thought "hey, why not in a sugar cookie!?" And you know what? It works, people, it works! I mean, you can eat these cookies as a vegetable side dish. You're welcome. 

I used a tried and true chewy sugar cookie recipe, and just folded in some fresh-from-the-cob white corn kernels. When the cookies are warm, the corn is a little weird and like "why is there cooked corn in my cookie?" But once they cool, the corn adds a perfect little pop of sweet freshness. 

Summer Corn Sugar Cookies

Adapted from this recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 egg

1.5 cups + 1 tablespoon flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 ear of sweet white corn, kernels cut off cob

3/4 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, and beat until combined (about another minute). 

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture, and mix until combined. Gently fold in corn kernels. 

Put turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Scoop about 1.5 inch balls of dough and roll in turbinado sugar to coat. Put balls on cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart. Don't flatten!

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes (no longer). Cool on cooling rack.