Farmers’ Market + Costco = Simple Summer Dinner
Farmers’ market and Costco? The two don’t immediately seem to go together. When most people think of Costco, they think giant-sized boxes of diapers, frozen processed food, etc. But I would argue that the rotisserie chicken from Costco is the unsung hero of any busy mother. No, it’s not organic. Yes, it’s salty. But it’s also relatively cheap and delicious, and hey, you don’t eat it every day.
When people think “farmers’ market,” they think fresh produce, locally grown . . . but often they think of ingredients that have to be massaged into something bigger in terms of making a meal of them. In other words, food that is inconvenient to prepare. But with some choice ingredients from the market, coupled with the Costco wonder-chicken (or any rotisserie chicken from any vendor), you can whip up an easy no-cook hot-summer-day supper.
After the gym today, I needed to make a return at Costco, so while there, I swung around to the back to grab a chicken. It’s in the fridge waiting for me. This afternoon at the Belmont Farmer’s Market, I scored some beautiful sweet corn, gorgeous tomatoes (all different varieties, sizes and colors), a ball of fresh mozzarella that was made this morning and a nice bunch of basil.
Here’s my plan:
1/2 hour before dinner time, I will remove the chicken from the fridge and let it warm up a bit to room temperature, then I’ll carve it and put it on a platter.
Then I’ll slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a plate so that they don’t overlap, or so that they overlap only slightly. I’ll salt them lightly with some Kosher salt, then scatter some slivered basil over the top. I’ll then drop some slices of the mozzarella on top, and then drizzle some nice olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the whole lot. Tomato salad – done.
Boil up the corn and serve that alongside the chicken and tomato salad with butter and salt (or brush it with more good olive oil).
Oh, and in the meantime, I’ll make some pasta for my pasta-loving, veggie-hating kid to eat with her chicken.
Voila. A simple, no-heat in the kitchen, fresh and tasty summer dinner for everyone to enjoy.
© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.
