This summer weather has been rough across the country, as well as here on Cape Cod. It's been hot, humid, and extremely dry with only one sprinkle in the past month. The last thing I want to do is turn on the oven to make dinner. So, grilling is the ticket.

The following recipe is one of my favorite go-to easy summer meals; it can be done a day in advance when you don't want to stress over what's for dinner: Summer salad made with marinated, grilled chicken thighs. This is one of my favorite go to easy summer meals. First, trim most of the skin (or use skinless if that’s you're thing), leaving a small amount, marinade overnight with minced garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano), cracked black pepper and a dollop of mayo. Reserve 1/4 -1/3 of a cup of marinade to use later. Toss remainder with the thighs and place in a covered glass or stainless-steel container in the refrigerator. The following day, remove and allow to come to room temperature. Then sprinkle all the thighs with a couple of pinches of salt just before grilling.

Place your fuel, charcoal, or wood to one side of your grill for indirect cooking. Place the thighs evenly across the grill but not directly above the open flame (unless it’s a gas grill). Cook the thighs until a nice deep golden brown all around. If you have any of the marinade from the bag left, apply to the thighs once they are turned, repeat when flipped again. If you prefer to have crispy bits on your chicken. Finish the cooking directly over the heat source until the thighs have a 168F internal temperature. Allow five degrees under for carryover cooking. If using straight away, allow thighs to rest before serving. If done in advance, let cool completely, then refrigerate till needed.

For the assembly of Summer Chicken Salad

Place cleaned lettuce of your choice (we love to mix Boston/bibb, kale & arugula), red onions thinly sliced, fresh garden tomatoes cut into chunks, cucumbers, pitted Geta or Kalamata olives, good feta crumbles, and boiled red potatoes. Chicken meat (warm or cold) is torn into strips and set aside. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a little red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to the reserved marinade. Whisk and drizzle over the salad, using small amounts, till you reach the desired dressing amount. Top each plate with a heap of shredded chicken. Enjoy.

My query this week is, do you make easy summer meals ahead to serve hot or cold? If so, please share. Stay cool and enjoy the summer.

Live well always

Dog days of summer

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