Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 29th, 9:27am By Sandy Starks

Buffalo Rising’s Sunday Suppers, in association with Slow Food Buffalo, hopes to encourage readers to share a simple one-dish meal with family and friends featuring the bounty of area producers. This month’s recipe will allow you to impress your guests with a refreshing meal, with minimal effort and clean up.

Restaurants come and go in this city, but a few manage to stay alive because of their commitment to serving up freshly prepared food and combining it with prompt, friendly service and comforting ambiance. The Bijou Grill in the theater district of downtown Buffalo has been doing that for 18 years. And Chef Michael Greco has been the maestro of that kitchen for 16 of those18 years.

Owner Bea Militello and Chef Michael Greco make the magic work at the Bijou. Their commitment to support local producers and their community, while creating a varied menu with some standard and innovative fare is a more than a good reason to feature them in this month’s Sunday Supper series. Bea is part of the famed Militello family that has been on the Buffalo entertainment scene for many years.

This month the Bijou Grille is sharing their recipe for a Mediterranean Chicken Salad that was just added to their summer menu. I decided to make this salad for a group of friends using what was at the local farmers market.

Finding the fresh fruit is easy this time of year, and I found some early grapes and added them to the mixture too. The chicken was purchased from Thorpe Farms, a100% certified organic farm on Route 78 in East Aurora. As a member of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, members also have the option to purchase farm fresh eggs, certified organic chickens, beef and homemade baked goods. The lettuce I used was from my weekly share--a mix of baby red lettuce, arugula, Boston lettuce and frieze. Non-CSA members can also drive out to their farm stand and purchase whatever is available that day.

When I get my chickens in the summer, I cut them up for grilling or roasting. Then I freeze the portions for future use. This recipe is perfect for some of the grilled chicken I socked away. To complete this meal, I added a loaf of Tuscan bread purchased from the Artful Table at the Bidwell Market and some creamy tub butter that I bought at the Broadway Market. A New York State Riesling was a nice accompaniment and we ended our “slow” dinner with a raspberry pie I bought at Thorpe’s. Keep in mind that boiled shrimp, grilled scallops or roasted pork tenderloin can be substituted for the chicken in this recipe.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad
2 servings

2 cups mixed greens (leaf lettuce, romaine, mesclun)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced New York State apples
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
1 cup cubed honeydew
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of grated or crumbled cheese


Season chicken breasts with a light coating of olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill until juices run clear. Take all of the fruit and slice or cube, place aside. Set greens on a dinner plate and place fruit around and on top of lettuce. Thinly slice the chicken breast and place on top of fruit and greens. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, ricotta salata or to keep it local, try some plain cheese curds from Yancey’s Fancy. Dress lightly with a simple mixture of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.

Bijou Grille
643 Main Street
Buffalo, NY
www.bijougrille.com
716.847.1512

Thorpe's Organic Family Farm
The Thorpe Family
12866 Route 78
East Aurora, NY 14052
716.655.4486