This is my first post in about 10 days, due to the fact that we just returned to our house in Almonte for the summer. We love the apartment, but I am delighted to be back in my house kitchen, with my beloved gas stove. And I am over the moon about being able to barbecue again for the first time almost five months. There is also tarragon in the garden, so I decided to make Chicken Skewers with Tarragon-Pistachio Pesto from the April 2011 issue of Bon Appetit. It is dead easy to make: thread chicken, onion, red pepper and lemon slices on skewers; whirl parsley, tarragon, pistachios, lemon juice, garlic and oil in the food processor to make the pesto; brush some of the pesto on the skewers, and grill. The recipe calls for chicken tenders, but I used chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Tarragon-pistachio pesto

Grill the skewers until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender

Serve the remaining pesto with the cooked skewers.

Chicken Skewers with Tarragon-Pistachio Pesto

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use all-natural pistachios and fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons unsalted natural pistachios

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, peeled

¼ cup olive oil

16 1-inch pieces red onion (1/3 inch thick)

16 1-inch squares red bell pepper

8 lemon slices, halved

1 pound chicken tenders (about 8 large)

Special equipment – 8 metal skewers

Preparation:

Puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Add ¼ cup olive oil and blend until slightly coarse paste forms. Mix in 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons pesto to small bowl (for brushing chicken and vegetables); reserve remaining pesto.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Thread 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, 1 lemon slice half, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), then 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, and 1 lemon slice half alternately on each of 8 skewers. Brush vegetables and chicken on skewers with olive oil, then with 3 tablespoons pesto from small bowl. Sprinkle skewers with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with reserved pesto. Serves 4.

From the April 2011 issue of Bon Appetit