Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Summer is not my favorite season. It’s not even on the list of my favorite seasons. If it were up to me, summer would be outlawed. (Perhaps, environmentally speaking, it’s a good thing I haven’t been trusted with great influential power.) Summer is, however, my family’s favorite culinary time of year. It’s corn on the cob season! My husband’s eyes will involuntarily drift to the corn fields around mid-June, scoping out the crops to see if they are getting close to “knee high by the fourth of July”. We are blessed to live near Amish country and love to take full advantage of living so close. Tim’s commute involves driving right past farms with roadside stands of just-picked-this-morning veggies. We do our part to help farmers maintain their land. No need to thank us for this sacrificial act.

By the way, looking for perfect corn on the cob every time? Cobs in pot, covered in cold water. 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice in the water. Bring to a full boil, leave at full boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit 10 minutes. Serve immediately! OK, on to the real reason for this post…

What to have with our delicious corn? I went with balsamic glazed chicken tenders. It’s slightly sweet, slightly tangy, altogether delicious. Throw some summer fruit on your plate alongside the corn and chicken and you’ve got yourself a pretty healthy summer dinner.

OK… and butter. Because corn on the cob without a little butter is just fundamentally wrong.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar, divided

1 cup chicken broth, divided

4 Tbsp white sugar, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced and divided

2 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning

4 skinless, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, ½ cup broth, 2 Tbsp white sugar, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning. Pour into a gallon zip bag and add the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least a half hour, flipping the bag halfway through.

Repeat directions for the marinade, setting the second batch aside to use after the chicken is cooked.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan, place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Add the second batch of the balsamic mixture into the pan, increase the heat and cook until it reduces down and thickens into a glaze, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, turning each piece to coat and to reheat through.