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Cheese and Crackers
Grilled Harissa Chicken ∙ Baby Greens with Greek Vinaigrette
Peach-Vanilla Crisp ∙ Vanilla Ice Cream
The summer-into-fall transition is the best time of year, isn’t it? In New England it starts in late August when the slant of the sun sinks lower and a few impatient trees show red tips on their leaves. In early September the humidity drops. Change is coming.
On one of those first fall-like days we took a day trip to Newport. The sky was a blinding bright blue. It was warm in the sun and strolling through town, but we needed jackets for the harbor tour and to walk along the breezy cliff overlooking the Atlantic.
It was the first time we’d done anything at all touristy since the pandemic began, and it felt good just to be out of the house, breaking up our routine. But it also made me realize we’d been right to cancel our beach vacation this year. The streets and shops were crowded; everyone was wearing masks and trying to social distance, but it wasn’t always easy. And this was the off season – what must the crowds have been like in mid-summer. To be there for one day, have a pampering lunch and a boat ride, do a little window shopping, and then come home to safety and solitude, that has to be enough for now.
Newport is close enough that we were able to enjoy almost a full day there and still be home by late afternoon. We wanted to prolong the vacation-y feeling, though, which meant dinner had to be special, but easy.
We started with a small plate of cheese and a glass of wine out on the deck, then lit up the grill for this easy Grilled Harissa Chicken – which had been marinating busily while we were gone – and tossed together a simple salad of baby greens and homemade vinaigrette.
Dessert was Peach-Vanilla Crisp, baked the day before and reheated, topped with soft, melty vanilla ice cream.
I named this blog for our Saturday night Frank Sinatra habit, so it’s kind of surprising that I haven’t posted a Sinatra playlist yet. September would seem an appropriate time, since September of My Years is the best Frank album of all time. My September of Sinatra playlist draws heavily from that album but includes a lot of other favorites. Listen on Spotify.
The Game Plan
- Start the chicken one or two days ahead – it needs time for two rounds of marinating, first in brine, then in the yogurt and harissa.
- The vinaigrette dressing can be made earlier in the day, or up to several days ahead.
- The Peach-Vanilla Crisp can also be made earlier in the day, or a day ahead.
- Most cheeses taste best a room temperature, so take any cheeses you plan to serve on your appetizer platter out of the fridge a couple of hours ahead.
- The chicken takes a little less than an hour to grill and rest before serving. At the last minute, carve the chicken, toss the salad, and arrange them on a platter or individual plates.
- After dinner, reheat the crisp in a 300 degree oven until just warm, about 15 minutes. For those same 15 minutes, leave the vanilla ice cream out at room temperature to soften.
- For a detailed plan with step-by-step instructions and timing, download the Game Plan document linked below:
Saturday September 12 2020 Game Plan
