Weekend Away

How blessed I am to have wonderful daughters! This weekend I got to spend time with the younger one. It's always a treat to travel with her--we spent time at the gym, we read, we enjoyed the band in the Great Hall on Friday night, we shopped a little, we watched a movie last night in our room. 

We always look for good food on our trips. Last night we enjoyed dinner on The Sunset Terrace. The weather was perfect. Even the rain shower just a few feet from our table was nice. 

Saturday we spent the better part of the day prowling through the shops in Biltmore Village. We had lunch at the Corner Kitchen. It's located just across the street from a favorite yarn shop. The Corner Kitchen always has a crowd outside waiting, but it's worth a wait. Great food, reasonably priced. Hard to beat. As we were finishing, the waitress asked if we had enjoyed everything and I commented that everything was really good but the potato salad was wonderful. Possibly the best I've ever had. 

In just a minute the waitress returned and handed me this recipe. She says they share their recipes--if she thinks you are a nice customer. So glad we were polite! I could have made a meal on just this one thing--although the Chocolate Mousse Cake was pretty special, too. But I didn't want to press my luck and ask for another recipe. 

I doubt I will make 10 pounds of potato salad but I'll certainly be making a home-size version of this. Half the recipe might be just right for a church dinner or family picnic. Jessica and I decided that "S & P" mix means salt and pepper.

But the best meal we had this weekend was the one Jessica made tonight after we got home. It was so quick to make and absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe that she got from a Jamie Oliver cookbook:

Tray-Baked Chicken

dried oregano
sweet paprika
a pat of butter
4 (6-ounce) skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon
2 ounces of cherry tomatoes
4 slices smoked bacon
a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary

Turn the heat under the empty frying pan to high. Get out a large sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle over a good pinch of dried oregano, salt & pepper, and parka, then drizzle over some olive oil and add a lug to the hot frying pan now too, along with the pat of butter. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the parchment paper and roll them in the flavors. Add to the hot pan and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden on both sides. While this is happening, clear away the parchment paper and wash your hands.

Get out an 9x13-inch roasting pan, then quarter the lemon and chuck it in the pan along with the tomatoes. Tip in the chicken breasts and any juices from the pan. Use tongs to arrange everything nicely, then lay the bacon on top of the breasts. Put the frying pan back on a medium heat, add the sprigs of rosemary to the pan, and move them around so that they get coated in the juices. Pop them into the pan, then put the pan under the broiler for at least 14 minutes, until chicken is done. 

She can come back and cook for us any time.