Kitchen is a buzzin....

Lots to talk about today... let's start off with the sweet side of things.

I mentioned yesterday that we would be pairing some succulent strawberries with black pepper of all things. I choose this recipe for two reasons; the ingredient paring intriged both of us, and it was a dessert for two! Strawberry-Black Pepper Tart for Two starts out by making a simple, yet delicious pastry crust. This crisp, flaky and slightly sweet crust is spiked with the nutty addition of walnut oil that enhances the whole wheat pastry flour. The crust comes together in minutes and I can't wait to use this as a base for many other ideas I have floating around.The filling part of the recipe is a combination of sliced fresh strawberries, sugar, black pepper and flour/cornstarch to thicken the syrupy juices. After rolling out the crust, the strawberries are piled in the center and the sides are folded onto the berries, leaving a deep red center exposed. This tart for two is baked until the center is bubbly and the crust turns a rich golden color. The groovy combination of the sweet berries with the bite from the chunky black pepper was surprisingly pleasing to us. Next time I think I might try a small drizzle of fine quality balsamic before serving (and that might be tomorrow as we really liked this!)

On to tonight's dinner... keeping with a sweet theme for the day, I made Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. I highly suggest starting this the night before so the chicken will have plenty of time to be infusedwith this full-flavored marinade. Instead of discarding it, the marinade it is simmered into a thick, smoky and spicy sauce. I didn't happen to see any fresh cherries in the store yet (a bit early still I think?) so I used some frozen dark sweet cherries from Trader Joe's. The heat comes from the small addition of chipotle peppers in adobo (smoked jalapenos) - while it is hot, it is not overwhelmingly spicy. Be sure to watch the chicken as it cooks, because of all the sugars from the marinade, the outside of the chicken can easily burn.

We found some first of the season fresh sweet white corn at the market this weekend and I thought of a recipe I just marked to try. Roasted Corn with Basil-Shallot Vinaigrette begins by mixing the corn kernels and some olive oil, then roasting them in a very hot oven until they begin to take on a golden hue. Right before serving, the corn is dressed with fresh cut basil, red wine vinegar and seasonings. Clean, sweet, simple and a delicious summery treat.

Tip of the day - To ease the cutting of the kernels off the cob, I stuck the cob in the center hole of a bundt pan. As you cut down the cob, the kernels fall in the pan and not all over the floor!

Recipes
Strawberry-Black Pepper Tart for Two
Roasted Corn with Basil-Shallot Vinaigrette
Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce