Made for the Shade

Warm weather and outdoor dining go hand in hand. There’s something about eating in the shade of a patio or under an umbrella poolside that just seems to make food taste better.

This menu works well as a lunch or light supper. The blue cheese in the citrus chicken salad lends an unexpected bite to the coolness of the orange and grapefruit. The bread sticks are soft and chewy, and the poppy seeds and sea salt add crunch. Wash everything down with plenty of fresh lemonade and enjoy your cool shady spot.

MENU

Poppy Seed Bread Sticks

Chicken Citrus Salad

Pomegranate Lemonade

Staples:

Garlic

Salt and pepper

1 bunch fresh thyme

Dijon mustard

White wine vinegar

Butter

Poppy seeds

Coarse sea salt

Sugar

SHOPPING LIST:

3 grapefruit

5 oranges

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 large head romaine lettuce

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 pound blue cheese

1 (1-pound) package frozen bread dough

4 to 6 lemons

Game Plan:

Night before: Make marinade for chicken. Make dressing for salad. Make syrup for lemonade.

2 to 3 hours before: Add chicken to marinade. Thaw bread dough.

1 hour before: Grill chicken and cool. Make lemonade and refrigerate. Form and bake bread sticks.

Just before serving: Combine salad ingredients and toss.

CHICKEN CITRUS SALAD

CITRUS DRESSING

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

Whisk together orange juice, grapefruit juice, mustard, vinegar, garlic, oil and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.

SALAD

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced thyme

4 (4- to 6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts

1 large head romaine lettuce

1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

Combine grapefruit juice, orange juice, garlic, salt, pepper to taste, olive oil and thyme in large bowl. Add chicken breasts and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cool to room temperature. Slice chicken into strips.

Chop or tear romaine lettuce and place in large serving bowl. Add pine nuts, blue cheese, orange and grapefruit sections and chicken. Toss with Citrus Dressing and serve at once.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

352 calories; 492 mg sodium; 63 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 0.78 gram fiber.

POPPY SEED BREAD STICKS

Flour

1 (1-pound) package frozen bread dough, thawed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

Sprinkle work board with flour and roll thawed bread dough out to 18x12-inch rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter, then top with poppy seeds and salt.

Cut dough into 12 strips, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Twist dough 3 or 4 times and transfer to greased baking sheet. Immediately, without allowing to rise, bake at 375 degrees until browned, 12 to 14 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

337 calories; 1,859 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 62 grams fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0.14 gram fiber.

POMEGRANATE LEMONADE

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 cups water

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Tart pPomegranate molasses, which is available in most Middle Eastern markets, gives an exotic twist to the usual summer lemonade.

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and boil 2 minutes to dissolve into syrup. Cool. Add lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Chill and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

296 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 77 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber.