Summer is such a perfect time to enjoy dinner in the garden. Living in the Northwest, it is a crap shoot whether it will drop to 60 as soon as the sun sets, if it will rain or just be too hot to move.
Fortunately for me, i had a little dinner party and the weather was perfect!! I was hosting a dinner for 4 of my favorite people, plus their little ones.
Carl and Darlene are my friend Kaatje’s parents and i adore them. Carl is from Belgium and LOVES Belgium and beyond that he LOVES everything french. Darlene, his beautiful wife, loves him and everything he loves. So, that being said, i decided to capture the essence of my recent trip to France and make a lovely fresh summer meal in the garden. Kaatje and Mike were able to join us and their 2 beautiful children came too..
Here is the menu:
Foie Gras wrapped in porc pate (from my favorite spot in france)
fresh tomatoes from the garden ( i had 2 that were juicy ripe!)
olives
frozen cantaloupe wedges (slice it and toss it in the freezer, it is a perfect summer treat)
Prosecco Rose
Champagne
Grilled Tarragon Butter Chicken Breasts (recipe at the bottom)
Green Garlic and Leek Souffles (using my eggs!)
Fresh green beans
Arugula Salad with cucumbers (from the garden)
with roasted walnut oil
Fresh Figs (YEAH IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!!)
Mondiva Cheese
Treats from PIX(thank you Kaatje!)
Ponzi Late Harvest Ice wine
The weather was absolutely perfect and remained warm all night.
The chickens came over to visit us while we ate and were fed treats (god they are just like dogs!)
It was a really fantastic evening.
Here is the recipe for the chicken. It was AWESOME!
Grilled Boneless Chicken Breasts with Tarragon-Mustard Butter
Excerpted from Summer on a Plate: More Than 120 Delicious, No-Fuss Recipes for Memorable Meals from Loaves and Fishes. Copyright 2008 by Anna Pump and Gen LeRoy. Used by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, NY.
4 servings
The Tarragon-Mustard Butter should be made the day before, wrapped and refrigerated, giving the flavors time to blend. Grilled summer squash and grilled bread will round out this meal beautifully.
Tarragon-Mustard Butter:
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16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
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2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
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1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon (i used more)
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 2 pounds
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2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ( i used an entire lemon)
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2 tablespoons dry white wine (i used 2 cups)
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1/4 cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons honey
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1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Fresh tarragon sprigs, for garnish
1. To make the tarragon-mustard butter, combine the butter, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and tarragon in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Place a piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Scrape the butter onto it and roll to shape into a short roll. Twist each end of plastic wrap to seal it. Refrigerate overnight, if possible.
3. Butterfly the chicken breasts by slitting each horizontally down the center, but not all the way through, so that each piece opens like a book. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow casserole. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, wine, olive oil, honey, pepper flakes, and salt. Pour it over the chicken. Turn and rub the mixture into the chicken to coat. Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the grill to very hot.
4. Lay the chicken on the hot grill. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Turn, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer, or until just cooked through.
5. To serve, place the hot grilled chicken on a platter. Cut tarragon-mustard butter into 1/3-inch slices and lay these over the chicken, allowing the butter to melt into a flavorful sauce.
Note: Substitute basil or cilantro for the tarragon in the butter and take this chicken dish into a whole new flavor direction.
I then took the marinade and brought it to a boil to cook out the raw chicken business and whisked in some of the tarragon butter i had made.
this was an excellent sauce and with teh added wine, it make about a cup of sauce for bread, beans and more chicken sauce…in case you didnt get enough 
