Jonesin' for summer

The truth hurts...and the truth is that; other than those two weeks left of playoff football, there isn't much to look forward to for the next month or so.  Just as the Winter Blues start hitting me hard, Ashley finds a recipe to perk us right up; "Fried" Chicken Salad with corn and heirloom tomatoes and a sour cherry cobbler for dessert.  (I should just let you know right now that we are calorie counting and have discussed starting a running regiment in attempt to both drop 20 pounds by this summer so everything we will be posting for awhile will be from low-calorie recipes.  Cobbler comes in at 230 and the giant salad comes in at 650.)

This is a nice quick meal that really does feel summery. I liked that the subtlety of the dressing doesn't overpower the combination of flavors, which by themselves aren't typically dominant. I learned you have to be more careful when flipping the chicken, as the tongs kind of destroy the breading if you're not delicate. I also learned that faster and more forceful is the way to cut such delicate breading into strips with a chef's knife. If you go slow, it just tears the breading away. However, if you use a controlled butcher knife-esque approach, you'll end up with picture perfect 1/2" slices. Be sure to choose the thin chicken cuts, they cook up fast and give you a good breading to meat ratio. Much like the ratio of teeth to gums in a person's smile, you don't want too much meat or the effect is lost. We also used matzo meal for crumbs because we ran out of breadcrumbs and it still turned out well.  The heirloom tomatoes were an excellent choice at a time when produce isn't top drawer. The corn off the cob is also a key and, after the cherry cobbler a la mode for dessert, I felt just like it was a nice August evening.

Makes 4 small or 2 large servings

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 pound thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets
4 ears corn, husks removed
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons rinsed, dried, and chopped fresh mixed herbs
1/2 garlic clove, minced
2 tomatoes, sliced 1/3-inch thick
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup dried bread crumbs
6 cups loosely packed arugula

Combine 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large kettle over high heat. Add the corn; return the water to a boil. Remove the corn immediately and set on a plate to cool slightly. Cut the kernels from the cobs.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk, the mayonnaise, herbs, and garlic; add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Sprinkle the tomatoes on both sides with salt and let drain on a rack.

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot; reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the bread crumbs on a pie plate; remove half the chicken from the buttermilk and dip it in the bread crumbs to coat well. Add to the skillet and cook until golden on both sides and just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining chicken and bread crumbs. Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch strips.

Arrange a bed of arugula on each of 4 plates; top with slices of tomato and a mound of chicken. Sprinkle with corn and drizzle with the dressing.