Garden Fresh Salad with Herb Chicken Paillard

It has finally warmed up in New York and actually feels like summer. As the heat climbed today I thought a salad would be a perfect lunch. We could sit outside, enjoy the garden and dine on a fresh crisp summer inspired meal. I picked fresh oregano, rosemary and thyme, tore them into pieces and mixed them with garlic, lemon, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
I marinated chicken cutlets in this mixture for about 30 minutes while I cleaned the last of the radicchio and lettuce from the garden.
When the grill was hot, I lightly cooked the chicken just a few minutes on each side.
I served it on the greens garnished with radishes, cucumber, red onion and wonderfully flavorful grape tomatoes. I tossed it with a Dijon Vinaigrette and garnished it with chives from the garden and a bit of grated cheddar cheese. Served with a glass of Rose and a piece of Herb Slab from Acme Bread in San Francisco, it was a perfect lunch to begin a relaxing vacation!
Herb Chicken Paillard

6 chicken cutlets, sliced thinly
A few sprigs of oregano, thyme and rosemary
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pull the herb leaves from the stems, give them a
rough chop and place in a medium size bowl.
Peel the garlic clove and put it through a garlic press right into the bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Whisk to blend. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill, when hot add the chicken. It will cook fairly quickly. When the side is marked by the grill give it a turn and cook just another minute or two until done.

Dijon Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.
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