By Memorial Day and George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis Monday. By Thursday the city was on fire in a different way than COVID — protests, some of them turning to unrest, the National Guard. Ryan worked extra shifts. I was at home watching the news and making food and feeling the specific helplessness of knowing that what is happening is wrong and not knowing what to do with that. Some of my students are Black children on the southwest side of Chicago who are also in the middle of a pandemic. I think about them every day and this week I thought about them more.
I went to a protest on Saturday — kept my distance, wore my mask, stood with a lot of people I did not know but felt like I knew. I came home and did not write about it on the blog, not because it did not matter but because I did not have the right words yet and I do not want to perform politics I have not sat with. I donated to the Chicago Community Bond Fund. I called my co-teacher, who is Black, and listened.
Cooking this week has been functional rather than expressive. Grilled chicken thighs because we have a small grill on the balcony next to the now-operational hammock, and grilling is what you do in late May when everything is heavy. Ryan manned the grill on his off day and said it felt like the most normal thing he had done in months. I believe him. We ate outside on our tiny balcony and did not talk about anything important and it was exactly what we needed.
The blog was quiet this week — I posted a simple pasta with garlic and olive oil and did not have much to say beyond the recipe. Sometimes that is all there is to say. People seem to understand. The comment section has been kind in a week that has required a lot of kindness from a lot of places.
The chicken thighs Ryan grilled that afternoon — the ones he said felt like the most normal thing he’d done in months — became this salad. I pulled them off the grill and let them rest while I sliced tomatoes and whatever melon we had, and it became something brighter and more alive-feeling than the week deserved, which is maybe exactly why it worked. Sometimes you need a recipe that doesn’t ask anything of you emotionally, one that just lets color and cold fruit do the work. This is that recipe.
Tomato-Melon Chicken Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cubed cantaloupe or honeydew melon
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups arugula or mixed greens
Instructions
- Prep the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Clean and oil the grates.
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub all over with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Grill the chicken. Place thighs skin-side down on the grill. Cook 8–10 minutes without moving, until skin is deeply golden and releases easily. Flip and cook another 10–12 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the thickest part. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing. While the chicken rests, whisk together red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and honey in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the salad. Spread greens on a large platter. Scatter melon, tomatoes, and red onion over the top. Slice or pull chicken from the bone in large pieces and arrange over the salad. Drizzle dressing over everything and finish with torn basil.
- Serve immediately. Best eaten outside, even if outside is just a small balcony.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg