I've finally found a group of like-minded individuals, those who appreciate- nay, overtly worship the very same things I do. Namely, I've found the Barefoot Bloggers. I was too late last month to participate and enjoy the pesto pasta salad, but I am taking it for lunch all week this week. In addition, we made it a very Ina week by making both the chicken and the salad for this month's challenge in the same evening.
Unfortunately, though we are very, very close to acquiring a grill, it has not yet come to be. There is a community grill at the clubhouse, but they unfortunately do not believe in glass bottles or other containers at the pool. This is understandable, but it clashes with the delicate nuances of sauvignon blanc. Luckily, I know how to work the broiler. Although it surely isn't the same as charcoal, it does cook the meat, which I suppose is a good thing.For the salad, I took the trouble to make Julia's French bread again, which is a nearly bi-monthly occurance anyways. This batch turned out really well; I started it the night before I baked it, and let it take the second rise in the fridge overnight. I divided it into six miniature baguettes, one of which is just right to serve two in the form of this salad.
The salad, by the way, was the big hit of the night. Although we both agreed it could use more tomatoes, we enjoyed it so much that Amy's already thinking about making it for lunch next week, and I'm trying to figure out if I have time
to make more bread so we can have it later this week! Amy suggested that we might buy a loaf. Pffffffft on that!The chicken, on the other hand, while adequate, was not really anything special. I did enjoy learning the boning process as a part of the recipe, but simple salt and pepper would have done it much better in our opinions.
Amy here, reporting from my front-row couch olympic viewing seat-I think there was too much lemon on the chicken. It made my gravy taste like fruit- not chicken-y goodness. I rarely get to make gravy from REAL meat (usually it's the stock-in-a-box variety), but it really was too weird. The highlight was, however, our new acquiescience of arrowroot, which is far superior to cornstarch. Did I mention I love bread, and a toasty bread salad RULES? :)
