There isn’t much that’s better in the food world than in-season produce. Everything tastes so much better when it’s in season, and late summer is prime time for zucchini, corn, and tomatoes.
Adam and I went to Connecticut to spend Labor Day with my parents, and my mom and I whipped up this dish on Saturday night. It was easy peasy. The only labor intensive part was the chopping, but as I told my mother, I am a prep whiz.
This was delicious. The warm corn and zuchinni sauce wilted the arugula and the salty cheese on top. Sooo good.
I might try it next time with breaded chicken cutlets — kind of a play on a milanese. The grilled cutlets were good, but I could have used a little extra crunchy texture in there.
Hurry — go grab the last of the summer harvest and try this one. It’s a winner. And don’t be shy with the spice. It was a perfect addition to this dish.
- 1 lemon, zested; 1/2 a lemon, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 5 – 6 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
- 4 6-8 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
- 2 small or 1 medium zucchini – halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
- 1 bunch scallions, whites sliced and greens reserved for another use
- 1 small red chile pepper, such as Fresno, seeded and finely chopped, or about 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, tarragon or basil, chopped
- 4 cups baby arugula
- A chunk of parmigiano reggiano, shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler, for garnish
- In a shallow dish, combine the lemon zest and juice with half of the garlic, 3-4 tbsp. of the EVOO and the thyme.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high.
- Butterfly the chicken pieces: Open them up like a book by cutting into them horizontally without going all the way through. Once butterflied, pound the meat into thin cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Turn them in the lemon-thyme marinade. Let stand.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high. Add the corn and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, scallion whites, chile pepper and the remaining garlic to the corn; season. Cook to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, creating a creamy sauce. Remove the zucchini-corn sauce from the heat and toss with the tomatoes and herbs.
- Grill the chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to plates.
- Top each chicken cutlet with a cup of the baby arugula and some of the warm zucchini-corn sauce. Top with the parmigiano reggiano curls.