We had some leftover chicken hiding in the refrigerator from the roasted bird the other night and while its soup weather here in the deep southwest, Big Guy had a yen for salad because he says I make the best. I don't know about that when it is really all about making use of what you have in your pantry and veggie drawer and building on the flavors used when you roasted the bird in the first place. Am I being too modest here?
Last night I simply used chopped celery, sweet onion and diced carrots and added zest from 2 meyer lemons and the juice of one, picked fresh off our tree. (I sure am going to miss that tree!) Combined with lots of mayonnaise and fresh tarragon from the herb pots going strong on the patio, for a second there I thought I'd gone overboard with the lemon juice but solved the issue by adding some meyer lemon marmalade that I made last year.
Served with some of the dough boy's croissants hot from the oven and slathered in butter, it was a dinner without pretense if you know what I mean. Best of all, there's lots of salad left to pile into a couple of soft rolls, or between two pieces of crusty toast. It'll come in handy while we're packing boxes this afternoon.
In case you're wondering, personally I had a yen for this Chicken and Wild Rice Soup we enjoyed a while ago, or the Chicken Pot Pie soup from 2009, or especially a pot of Mulligatawny full of curry and apples and all those good things, but they'll have to wait for another time.
Well, if my guy whispered such sweet somethings to me about my chicken salad - you can bet I would make some for him in a hurry! You, my dear, are much too modest! This version sounds so delectable! The soups sound good, too - it is finally chilly here! We had - get this - frost on the ground this morning!
Posted by: Lea | 12/22/2012 at 08:52 AM
Lea - yeah for cold weather. It is here too in fact they're predicting a high of 58 Christmas day. I think there's a big pot of gumbo in our future. What are you cookin'?
Posted by: June | 12/22/2012 at 09:34 AM
The big guy has a way doesn't he? I love a well made chicken salad, it is one of my favorite things to do with leftover beer-can chicken. This sounds like a good one with the lemon and tarragon.
Posted by: Lorraine | 12/23/2012 at 08:07 AM
Lorraine - yes, I agree he does have a way! He certainly has acquired the fine art of manipulation and all the psychology he took in school obviously didn't hurt either. LOL
Posted by: June | 12/23/2012 at 12:34 PM