Grilled Chicken Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers

So, in my humble opinion, this is a case of a good recipe gone bad. As many of you know, I read cookbooks and cooking magazines cover to cover, but rarely follow the recipe exactly. I use the recipes as inspirations to find new flavor combinations and ideas I haven't tried before. It really, really bugs me when cook books and cooking magazines take something very simple and make it overly complex. I think this alone intimidates a lot of people from trying new recipes because you think you have to make them to the letter in order for them to taste good.

This week we picked up our first farm share from the CSA program at Arrowhead farm. This week's lot included two types of lettuce, green onions, beets, peas (Rob actually had to climb down the hill and pick the peas himself, the visual alone is very funny to me), broccoli, cauliflower, golden cherry tomatoes and radishes. I cannot recall the last time I ate a radish. Quite honestly, my last memory of radishes was when my mother was making little rosettes out of radishes as a garnish for some type of dish at a holiday meal...I think I was about 8. So, I was at a loss for what to do with said radishes. I went to www.epicurious.com, which is an awesome recipe site that pulls recipes from magazines like Bon Appetit and Gourmet that my friend Julie turned me on to. I searched for recipes with radishes, and the salad below caught my eye. I was very interested in the unique flavor combinations....but it all seemed a bit over the top for a simple salad! So, I've included the full recipe here, but I made the following changes and it was still a very tasty, light summer salad:

• Rather than make the tarragon pesto, I made a vinaigrette with olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced shallot and minced tarragon, seasoned with salt and pepper. I skipped the whole pesto step.



• I used leftover grilled chicken from a previous meal.



• I used romaine lettuce because that is what I had on hand.



• I added a tomato because I just happen to love them.



• I used a regular cuke...not the fancy Japanese kind.



• I sprinkled fresh shelled peas on the salad for some sweetness. Fresh peas are great...my new favorite...you don't even need to cook them!

All in all it was a nice combination of flavors that I enjoyed, but I can't say I would have like it so much had I gone to the trouble of making the recipe to the letter.

1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 teaspoons chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons chopped shallot
6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing
4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens
1 cup thinly sliced radishes (from 1 large bunch)
1 cup thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers (about 1 1/2)

Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.
Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.
Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.