WEDNESDAY

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings  |  Strawberries, Blackberries & Cantaloupe with Fresh Mint

“Right food, right place, right time.  It is my belief…that this is the best recipe of all.  A crab sandwich by the sea on a June afternoon; a slice of roast goose with applesauce and roast potatoes on Christmas Day; hot sausages and a chunk of roast pumpkin on a frost-sparkling night in November.  These are meals whose success relies not on the expertise of the cook but on the more basic premise that this is the food of the moment - something eaten at a time when it is most appropriate, when the ingredients are at their peak of perfection, when the food, the cook and the time of year are at one with each other.” ~ Nigel Slater, The Kitchen Diaries

The Summer Solstice marks the official beginning of summer, but I have always identified the start of the season with July’s arrival and the heat we have been experiencing here in the Bay area this first week of July confirms that summer is indeed upon us.

One of my greatest pleasures during summer is eating from our simple garden…herbs, berries and heirloom tomatoes.  We have been harvesting basil for a few weeks now and have been enjoying it in dishes such as this one and that one.  The mint is flourishing and I cut a sprig to be used in our salad this evening…

And while our berries continue to fill out and ripen…

We are enjoying these gems from local farms…

And that really is how our salad this evening came about…mint trimmed back from the garden, together with berries that caught my eye at the local farmers’ market and, after reading this passage from Nigel Slater in his book, Ripe…

“You look at a bowl of jet-black berries and melting, orange-fleshed melon and instantly know the time of year.  If the melon is truly ripe and fragrant and the berries are not too sweet, such a dish is a delight for the senses.”

I couldn’t help but add this to the mix…

I simply washed the fruit, hulled and quartered a large handful of strawberries, cut and diced half of a cantaloupe, and added a handful of blackberries combining all in a large bowl.  Half of the leaves from the sprig of mint were finely chopped and gently tossed with the fruit while the remaining leaves were left whole and added as garnish.  The resulting salad was beautiful and full of the flavor of summer. Neither a piece of fruit, nor a single mint leaf, was left in the end…

 

The grilled chicken wings are so incredibly easy and can be enjoyed as a main entrée {as we did tonight} or as an appetizer at a summer barbecue.  Be sure to make extra, they make an amazing lunch {served cold} the following day.  If you are having these as your dinner, plan on 4-5 wings per person {8-10 for any growing teen-age boys in your house}.  To serve as an appetizer, plan on 1-2 chicken pieces, per person.  Note:  the original recipe for the marinade called for equal parts of balsamic vinegar, honey and hot chili sauce but I have found that this yields a marinade that is too runny and does not adhere well to the chicken.  By adding more honey, I have achieved a marinade that clings well to the chicken and is good for basting during the grilling process.

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings {adapted from the She Wears Many Hats blog}

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  
• ¾ cup raw honey
• ½ cup sriracha sauce {or other hot chili sauce}
• 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken wings

1. Combine first three ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.
2. Wash and thoroughly dry the chicken wings and place chicken pieces into a large roasting dish.  Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and gently toss to coat.  Reserve the remaining marinade to baste the meat while grilling.  Let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare your grill.
3. Place wings on grill over low, direct heat. Grill 10-15 minutes per side, basting chicken with sauce.  Turn the chicken pieces, and continue to baste until done, and desired crispness, color, coverage is reached.

This evening’s simple summer dinner…

Before I go, look what I picked today {just in time for our Fourth of July barbecue}…

My first heirloom {Paul Robeson, Beefsteak} tomato!  Welcome Summer!!!

 

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!