Salad Suppers

In the hot humid days of August we often have a salad for dinner. With homegrown tomatoes,drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar and a few shreds of basil, and an ear of fresh sweet corn, boiling the water for the sweet corn is what takes the longest.

Most of my summer salads start with chicken. Yesterday I watched a video on Gourmet.com about poaching chicken breasts Here is the link:

http://www.gourmet.com/food/testkitchen/2009/07/minifie_how_to_poach_shred_chicken

I usually prefer to roast chicken breasts on the bone when I need to start with cooked chicken using Ina Garten's method.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place chicken on a baking pan. Rub with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. (A meat thermometer should read 160 degrees F.)Let rest until the chicken is cool enough to handle.

The easiet method of all, is to use the meat from a roasted chicken purchased at the supermarket!