Summer Chicken and a Bento

I have again been trying to use up some of the courgettes from the garden, luckily I am now in somewhat of a lull, they are too small to use at the moment which is good as I am away all next week. The beans are also doing well, why is it that veg always tastes better when you grow your own?

Last week I made a Courgette, Feta and Olive Rice Salad for a bento. It is something I dreamed up last year when my Mum had too many courgettes. It is based on a risotto recipe but is really nice as a rice salad. I had this with raspberries from a pick your own, waffle and a bunny of sugar for dipping.



Then I snuck some into a recipe that didn't call for courgettes at all. This is a really lovely good food recipe which is perfect both in summer and on long dark winter nights when summer is just a memory. I served it with home grown peas, beans and colcannon.



Summer Chicken (adapted from Summer in Winter Chicken, Good Food Magazine, February 2005)
(Serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken legs, skin on
200g pack cherry tomatoes
1 courgette, sliced
3 tbsp pesto
3 tbsp crème fraîche (half fat is fine)
fresh basil, if you have it

Preheat the oven to 200C. Season the chicken legs all over with a little salt and pepper, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 40 mins or until the skin is golden and crispy.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the courgettes until they are golden brown. Halve the tomatoes and throw them into the pan, stirring them around for a couple of minutes until they start to soften. Reduce the heat and stir in the pesto and crème fraîche until it makes a sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, scatter with a few basil leaves if you have them and serve.