Fun fact: I overestimated my ability to consume cherry tomatoes when I planted my garden.
I purchased about 8-10 red and orange cherry tomato plants and two Roma plants.
Remember, this garden is for two people.
As the Farm Guy Next Door and I were putting up tomato cages he kept asking, “how many more?” and I kept responding, “uh, I think just a couple!” …then I’d proceed to find more plants.
10 cages later, and we have a lot of cherry tomatoes that we need to put to good use!
If you also have more tomatoes than you know what to do with, here’s a super fresh, delicious recipe.
It doesn’t get much better than grilled chicken paired with garden fresh vegetables for a summer meal.
Ingredients:
Grilled Chicken
- 1.25 – 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
Caprese Salad
- 3-4 C. red or orange cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 8 oz. package fresh mozzarella pearls
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 – 1/3 C. packed fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade* (measure after basil is cut in a chiffonade)
*see tip at the bottom - (optional) 1/4 C. finely chopped or very thinly sliced red onion
Directions:
If using chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into smaller strips, like chicken tenders. These will cook faster on the grill and allow more surface area for seasoning.
Place chicken in a gallon sized plastic bag. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, then sprinkle with garlic powder, italian seasoning, oregano, and salt & pepper. Close the bag and shake the chicken around to mix well and evenly coat with the olive oil and seasonings.
Place the bag of chicken in the fridge to marinate for 10-15 minutes while you pre-heat your grill.
While the grill is pre-heating, mix up the caprese salad. Add all the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until evenly combined and covered with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Once your grill is pre-heated, grill the chicken to your desired doneness–it should no longer be pink in the middle. It is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees when tested with a meat thermometer.
Serve chicken immediately with the caprese salad either on the side or on top of the chicken.
TIP: How to chiffonade basil: Stack, roll, slice. Stack the basil leaves on top of each other, gently roll them into a cigar, and then use a sharp knife to slice them into thin ribbons.