Everyone loves a good “Q”—once the warm weather’s warming our patios, we flock to stoke the coals and flip the fare. Everything tastes better cooked on the grill.

It’s nice to start your meal with a little grilled rustic bread—crusted over the coals then served with a selection of tasty toppings. These provide a wonderful assortment of color and texture, and their flavors come together perfectly. Artichoke & Garlic Jumble is zesty and and Goat Cheese & Chive Smear is smooth and creamy.

Then move on to the main course—an array or whatever your pleasure, be it meat, fowl, fish or veggies. I love to use Callison’s Seasoned Skewers—they season from the inside out! Just skewer your fish, meat, poultry or vegetables for big flavor in mere minutes. My favorites are their Citrus Rosemary, Thai Coconut Lime and Indian Mango Curry. The skewers are available through my website; in the Northwest at Thriftways, Fred Meyers and Metropolitan Markets; and nationally at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma.

I’ve included a recipe for Citrus Rosemary Chicken & Veggie Skewers. Served alongside Grilled Rustic Bread with spreads and a Big Green Salad, it’s a great summer meal.

The Menu:

Grilled Rustic Bread
with Artichoke & Garlic Jumble and Goat Cheese & Chive Smear

Big Green Salad from your Farmers Market!

Citrus Rosemary Chicken & Veggie Skewers
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Grilled Rustic Bread
Makes 8 servings

24 slices rustic Italian bread (about 1 large loaf, sliced)
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
Artichoke & Garlic Jumble (recipe follows)
Goat Cheese & Chive Smear (recipe follows)

Prepare toppings in advance. When ready to start grilling, brush the bread slices lightly with oil. Grill bread on each side until lightly grill-marked and toasty, and serve with a choice of toppings.

Artichoke & Garlic Jumble
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 (13.75-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toss ingredients together well.

Goat Cheese & Chive Smear
Makes 1 1/2 cups

4 ounces chevre-style, soft goat cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

Place chevre and cream cheese in a mixer with a paddle attachment and whip until fluffy. Gently fold in chives.  Copyright © 2003, Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Citrus Rosemary Chicken & Veggie Skewers
Serves 4

4 Citrus Rosemary Seasoned Skewers
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 12 pieces (1 1/2-inch chunks)
8 cherry tomatoes
8 slices (about 1-inch thick) zucchini or 8 tiny baby squash
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak skewers in white wine for 10 to 15 minutes.
Thread onto a skewer in the following order: chicken-tomato-zucchini, using 1 piece of each. Repeat 1 more time and then add 1 more piece of chicken to secure the vegetables. Repeat with remaining skewers.
Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes in refrigerator.
Lightly brush skewers on each side with olive or vegetable oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place on a preheated medium-high grill and cook skewers until chicken is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Recipe © Callison’s Seasoned Skewers – created by Kathy Casey

For more great recipes that I created with Seasoned Skewers visit www.seasonedskewers.com

Summer Picnic Recipes - as heard on KOMO Radio
Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Bruschetta Tomato Topping
New Century Overnight Layered Salad
Curried Orzo Spinach Salad

You can pack up a picnic basket for a day at the beach or take theses dishes over to a friend’s house when you’re asked to “bring something.” All the recipes are easy and tasty. And another appealing feature is that they’re intended to be eaten chilled or at “room temp,” that is, slightly tempered from their ice-cold storage temperatures. The weather’s hot—you want the food cold! So, don’t forget to slip in plenty of ice packs.

Foods which will be eaten chilled should generally be seasoned a bit more highly than food which will be served hot. So, for my Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Bruschetta Tomato Topping, I’ve incorporated tangy Dijon mustard—and be sure to use a really high-quality, full-flavored Parmesan. With its crunchy, savory crust, the chicken breast, thinly sliced, is wonderful atop nutty arugula then topped in turn with juicy bruschetta-style tomatoes.

You can make the components in advance—then separately pack up the arugula, the chilled chicken, and the topping ingredients in plastic containers in a cooler or insulated bag. Tuck a small cutting board and good knife in with your non-refrigerated items, then slice the chicken when you assemble the dish on site.

Big flavors are especially good to meld into summer salads, and a pasta version is always a sure bet. My Curried Orzo Spinach Salad, with exotic pistachios and sweet-tart apricots would be a fine partner to grilled lamb, chicken, or salmon.

This pasta salad is at its best when tossed together an hour or two in advance and is still tasty up to 24 hours later, but I wouldn’t make it farther ahead than that. The secrets to delicious pasta salads are bold flavors, correctly cooked pasta, and combining the ingredients just early enough to let the flavors “marry.” If the various components are mixed too soon, the salad may “bland out.” The salt in the dressing can leach moisture from the vegetables and the salad may become bland and watery. Or, even more often in my experience, the pasta absorbs most of the dressing and a dry, flavorless salad results.

And you can never go wrong with a great potato salad. My recipe for Mediterranean Red Potato Salad with Feta Vinaigrette is big flavored but lighter than traditional mayo based salad.
 

Whether you pick several of these dishes to build a picnic menu or just choose a favorite to carry along to a friend’s pot luck barbecue, these recipes offer you a scrumptious selection of palatable portables for any summer soiree.

Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Bruschetta Tomato Topping

You can bake the chicken the day before serving, then slice and serve the chilled chicken with the fresh tomato topping.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
1 1/4 cups shredded, high-quality Parmesan cheese

Bruschetta Topping
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped vine-ripe tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

1 bunch fresh arugula, washed and spun dry

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk Dijon and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place chicken breasts on cheese, then dab the pieces around so the bottom surfaces pick up all the cheese. Repeat with remaining Parmesan, pressing the other sides of the chicken breasts into the cheese, so both sides are nicely coated.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, lay out chicken pieces, spaced apart. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pan. Then refrigerate until ready to serve.

To assemble the topping and serve the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine all the bruschetta ingredients. Slice the chilled chicken in 1/2-inch diagonal slices against the grain, being careful not to disturb the Parmesan coating. Arrange the arugula on a large platter and top with sliced chicken. Spoon the bruschetta topping down the center of the chicken. Garnish by sprinkling with a little shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese if desired. © 2004 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

 
Curried Orzo Spinach Salad

Makes 8 - 12 servings

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (about 2 cups) dry orzo pasta
1 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced small
1 large red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 cup tiny-diced red onions
3/4 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup small-diced dried apricots

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, curry powder, hot sauce, garlic, sour cream, oil, and black pepper. Reserve.

Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions or until al dente. Drain but do not rinse. While pasta is still fairly warm, toss it with the reserved dressing. Let mixture totally cool, then toss in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate if made ahead. Salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance. © 2004 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Mediterranean Red Potato Salad with Feta Vinaigrette
Makes 8 cups

2 pounds red potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup halved pitted calamata olives
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 cup tiny-diced red onion
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup crumbled cheese)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Steam potatoes until very tender, about 12 - 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, oregano, salt and pepper.

When potatoes are still warm, toss them with the dressing and set aside until cool, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
© 2008 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Today is the start of my new blog Dishing with Kathy Casey and also my farewell Dishing Column for the Seattle Times.  I have been dishing up stories and recipes for the Seattle Times for over 12 years and loved every minute of it, but, it’s time to move on to new culinary adventures. Here, in my new venue to dish, you can expect a daily dose of new and exciting recipes, restaurant reviews, cookbook reviews, food trends, tasty travel  and kitchen gadgets. Today I’m starting you out with one of my favorite recipes, Chardonnay Braised Chicken. I love to serve this dish with buttered noodles or lush mashed potatoes. Come back tomorrow for more hot dish. And please, telll me what you think. I love feedback, so leave a comment!

Chardonnay Braised Chicken
Makes 4 - 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large chicken (about 4 pounds), cut in pieces (standard 8 pieces: 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seed
3/4 cup large-diced onion
3/4 cup large-diced celery
3/4 cup large-diced carrot
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup large-diced red bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 3/4 cups Chardonnay wine
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a braising pan, large Dutch oven or wide soup pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Meanwhile, lay chicken pieces out on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In hot oil brown the chicken well, about 4 minutes on each side, doing it in 2 batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding pan. Remove browned chicken to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high, add the fennel seed and onion and cook for about 10 seconds. Add celery, carrot, mushrooms and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Then add the garlic and stir in, cooking 30 seconds more. Place the chicken back in the pan, tucking it between the vegetables. Add the fresh thyme and the wine. Bring to a boil, then cover pan. Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid from chicken and cook for another 30 minutes or until chicken is very tender and cooked through.
5. Remove chicken and vegetables to a platter and keep warm. Measure liquid; it should be about 2 cups. Return liquid to pan and place pan back over medium-high heat. (If liquid is more than 2 cups, boil for a minute or so to reduce.)
6. In a small cup mix together the water and cornstarch. Whisk the mixture into the sauce mixture in the pan, then add the cream. Cook, whisking continuously, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 2 minutes or until saucy.
7. Remove pan from heat, stir in chives and parsley and spoon sauce over chicken and vegetables.
Copyright 2000, Kathy Casey Food Studios