A Summer Dinner

You have to know that I really, really like a recipe when I have made it twice in two weeks, AND, both times were for company. Because I like this recipe, and because I like making lists even more, here is a list detailing the virtues of Jamie Oliver's Crispy Chicken and Sweet Tomatoes (I think of it as An Extravagance of Basil and Tomatoes).

1) It tastes good: the chicken melts off the bone while the tomatoes and basil (and chicken fat) form a lovely sauce, perfect for spooning over couscous and sopping up with bread.

2) It is beyond easy: it almost makes itself and then it cheerfully simmers in the oven for an hour and a half, or more, while you do the dishes and chop some zucchini.

3) It is relatively inexpensive: if I grew my own basil and tomatoes, which I hope to someday, it would be very inexpensive (and Trader Joe's has a great deal on all-natural chicken legs).

4) It is simple and nutritious: Rowan loved this dish, including the whole cloves of garlic that we fed him right along with the bites of silky chicken.

5) It is cheerful, colorful, and charming: if I knew how to take good pictures you could see that for yourself-instead, you will have to imagine a deep blue roaster full of bright green basil, red tomatoes, plump cloves of garlic and golden chicken. It's delightful.

So, here you go.

Crispy Chicken and Sweet Tomatoes
Adapted from Jamie's Dinners, by Jamie Oliver
(Note: I, like Jamie, am fond of general guidelines on recipes like this. You cannot really mess it up, believe me.)

About 4 lbs of chicken legs (or thighs)
A couple of pints of cherry tomatoes
A couple of sweet tomatoes
1 bunch of basil
1 jalapeno
1 whole head of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the chicken legs in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and season them, generously, with salt and pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chunk the other tomatoes, then scatter them over the chicken. Chop the basil leaves coarsely and finely chop the stems: scatter these over the chicken as well. Mince the jalapeno and scatter. Finally, divide the head of garlic into cloves and throw the whole cloves into the mix (you do NOT have to peel them-you will have delightful cloves of roasted garlic to coax out of their skins and onto your bread). Push the ingredients around a bit until the chicken legs are near the top, drizzle with olive oil (again, generously), and put in the oven. In about an hour and a half, possibly two, the chicken will be golden and falling off the bone, the tomatoes will be saucy, and it will be ready to eat.

Now, you could serve this dish with anything (Jamie suggests mashed potatoes or pasta or beans). I, however, am extremely fond of couscous or quinoa, quickly prepared and tossed with sauteed zucchini and parmesan. I think that's all you need, except, if you are me, chewy bread and a glass of wine.