June 18th: Garlic and Basil Chicken Sandwich/Berries with Ginger Cream

Chicken


I love this chicken sandwich, which, minus the mess factor, is perfect picnic food and in any case, perfect summer food. I make this at least once a year. It requires cooked chicken (a whole chicken for the full 4 servings, or, in our case, 2 breasts for 2 big servings). The sandwich is made on a baguette spread with a garlic-mayo mixture, topped with goat cheese, chicken, tomatoes, more goat cheese (!) and fresh basil. Simple but powerfully flavourful. I use the full amount of mayo on the half sandwich. From September 2005's Chatelaine: Bistro Chicken Sandwich.

Berries


This recipe has a slight pain-in-the-butt factor, but is so good I make it every year when local berries start popping up everywhere. We're just getting into strawberry season now, a little later than usual for Ottawa. This is essentially berries topped with cream, but in this case, the cream is drained yogurt (pain-in-the-butt factor: requires several hours sitting in the fridge) mixed with ginger juice (pain-in-the-butt factor: grating ginger root), sugar and cardamom. Cardamom may be my favourite scent in the world. I like to open my bottle of cardamom and inhale lightly when I am stressed out. TMI? Possibly.

I've modified this recipe from the original version, from June 2006's Chatelaine, which required phyllo pastry, one pain-in-the-butt factor too many. My version is healthier too. Here tis:


Berries with Ginger Cream

• 3 cups (750 mL) plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely grated fresh peeled ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom (optional)
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (500 mL) raspberries
• 1 cup (250 mL) each blackberries and blueberries
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) honey

To make ginger cream, line a sieve with a single layer of paper towel. Place over a medium-size bowl. Scrape in yogurt. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Discard liquid in bottom of bowl. Scrape thickened yogurt back into bowl. Place grated ginger in a sieve set over a small bowl. Using a spoon, firmly press on ginger to extract juice. Discard grated ginger. Juice should measure 2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 mL). Stir into yogurt with cardamom and sugar. Mixture will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 4 days.

To serve, place berries in a bowl. Drizzle with honey. Toss to coat. Divide into serving bowls and top with ginger cream.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Berry choices are to your own taste.
I just drizzle a bit of honey over each bowl of berries and then top with cream.
(I use more cream than pictured!)