Woodpeckers are NOT food - or are they??

Today, here in the 20141, is the last day of school. Friday, so looking forward to the weekend. Father's Day weekend - plans are to eat out and to see Toy Story 3-D. The quiet of the morning has given way to the vibratious pecking of our local woodpecker - ON OUR HOUSE! Mind you we have vinyl siding and prefer to not have holes in it.

Last week we were sitting on the deck and our neighbor's tree which had been his/her home was struck by lightning and the upper portion, full of perfectly round holes, had toppled over and had to be removed. As we were observing the damage we noticed the woodpecker circling the remaining trunk in an obviously confused manner trying to find his pecking sites. My thoughts as I try to work this morning, amid the rattling noise and sprints to the outside to yell at this industrious bird, has given way to the desire to look up fowl recipes! Ok, don't get your feathers ruffled - I'm not going to harm the woodpecker . However, I do have chicken in the freezer!

Thinking ahead to dinner and what I have on hand - herb citrus marinated chicken breast grilled with zuchini and summer squash sounds like a plan. The marinade - Rosemary (rough chop to release even more of the aromatics), Chopped Garlic Scapes, Olive Oil, Lime juice, fresh ground pepper and a touch of smoked salt sounds like a winner to me. I just throw all of the ingredients in a large ziplock bag add the chicken and put in the fridge till we are ready to grill. (See no woodpeckers were harmed in the development of this blog entry)

For the squash - well I was raised in a Southern cooking home so its pretty simple how we deal with these summer vegetables. Depending on the size of the squash, small use 2 each, large use 1 each. Heat a cast iron pan on medium add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter - once melted throw in your sliced (1/4 inch, unpeeled) squash, a large Vidalia onion sliced, hit with a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper move heat to medium high and cover. I haven't ever timed this dish as its all about the texture and doneness that floats your particular boat. We usually let it go till the centers of the slices fall apart and the outer circle of flesh and the onions are somewhat translucent. I do stir the veggies quite frequently and add butter if necessary to keep them tender and moist. Voila - side dish done!

Thinking about cornbread with this dinner...but we'll see! Have a great weekend and don't forget to call your Dad on Sunday!!

Cheers,
Cheryl