Chicken Gorgonzola Salad with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Admittedly, this salad may not be brimming with innovation or creativity...but it is fresh and light, and  perfect for a summer weeknight meal. Our tomato forest is finally starting to produce the most beautiful sweet, bright and colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes - I think the endless Southern California marine layer this year has had the plants a bit confused. The fruit has been there forever and only now is it starting to ripen. It's so exciting to see beautiful pops of red, and yellow after weeks and weeks of checking nervously to find only more tiny growing green babies as well as growing signs of caterpillar destruction!

I have found the best way to prepare this salad is by boiling and shredding chicken breasts. Of course, you can grill the chicken if you like, and even serve the breast in it's entirety if that's your thing, but there is something texturally about the shredded chicken that really floats my boat. Now let's spend a moment on boiling chicken. It is very important (and I mean very) to not overcook the chicken. This is best avoided by keeping the water at a very gentle rolling boil - if you cook it at a high boil, you'll end up with dry, rubbery chicken and that a happy eater does not make. Once the water is boiling, add the chicken and a pinch of salt. After six or seven minutes (or less, depending on the size of the breasts) check the chicken often by cutting down the center. You want the chicken to be just barely cooked through, as it will continue to cook a bit once you take it out of the water. Let it cool slightly, then shred.


          1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded
          8 oz. mixed greens
          1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
          1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
          1/4 cup pine nuts

Toss all the ingredients together with your favorite vinaigrette.

Makes two large, or four small portions.