Breaded Chicken With Market Tomatoes

When it’s tomato season it’s time to go to your local farmers market and buy fresh vine ripened tomatoes. Unlike supermarket tomatoes that are bred to be shipped from some distance farm, the market tomatoes actually taste like a tomato is supposed to taste like. Imagine that! No wonder the French call them pomme d’amour, a love apple.Since the season is generally short, it’s nice to find ways to eat your share of tomatoes while they last. Gazpacho is a great option, salads, blt’s, or a caprese salad with a fresh made buffalo mozzarella andsweet basil.And here’s a simple way to embellish a basic breaded chicken with these tasty delicacies.

Ingredients

• ½ lb. boneless

• skinless chicken thighs or breasts

• Olive oil (anice high-quality virgin oil is best)

• Bread crumbs

• Flour

• 1 egg beaten

• Salt and pepper

• 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

• Basil leaves torn or chopped

Preparation

Pound the chicken with a mallet until the pieces are thin.(Tip: to avoid splattering chicken bits around the kitchen, lay a piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board, place the chicken in the middle and cover it with plastic.) If you are using a chicken breast you should slice it into two thinner pieces first and then pound it. Season with salt and pepper.

Chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add some olive oil and the basil leaves and mix together. Set aside.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the following order: flour, egg and bread crumbs. (A helpful way to remember the order is February or FEB.)

Heat a frying pan and add enough oil to cover about half the thickness of the chicken. When the pan is hot turn down the heat to medium and add the coated chickenpieces. Cook until they are brown and crispy (about 2-3minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken) and turn over and cook until brown.