Tales of Tailgating: Watermelon Salsa, Seared Chicken Thighs, and Mercer Football

Football has returned to Macon! After 70 years of being without a football team thanks to Mercer’s (male) college students’ involvement in WWII, the Bears are back on the field! Friends Eleta and Alex and Andy and Heather have done a bang-up job of organizing what is surely the best and tastiest tailgate Mercer has ever seen!

See: this shitty photo for evidence of the awesome.

The best part about this tailgate is that we have a lot of folks who like good food, and that means amazing pre-game snacks and bevs (in school-sanctioned orange solo cups, of course…).

For week 2, pre-total field domination of the Warner Royals by the Bears (61-0, baby!!!), my contribution to the tailgating festivities was my watermelon salsa, a summer stand-by that is sweet and spicy and has many uses. It can be made with peaches or nectarines depending on what you find both ripe and available.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed watermelon (I almost never recommend using seedless watermelons, because I think they are lacking in flavor, but here it would definitely be in your best interest.)
• 1 cup peeled, cubed peaches (or nectarines)
• 2 seeded and minced jalapeños (If you’ve never worked with jalapeños before, please be careful. It is not child’s play, unless you are talking about the 1998 film where a doll named Chucky comes to life and murders people. That might be similar to the pain of jalapeño in your eye.)
• 3/4 diced Vidalia onion
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Enjoy with chips and friends. Then use the leftovers (if you have any) for this tasty dish!

Heat up a tablespoon of oil on medium heat. I used this magnificent cinnamon and chili infused peanut oil from Oliver Farm in Wilcox County, GA. I met Mr. Oliver at the Mulberry Street Market a few weeks ago and sampled his delicious infused peanut, pecan, and sunflower oils. This is the one I walked away with:

Shop local, y’all.

Once the oil is nice and hot, gently lay in some salt-and-pepper seasoned chicken thighs and let them cook slowly for 20-30 minutes, uncovered. I bought boneless and skinless because that’s what was on sale at the Kro-zhey, but the bone-in ones will have even MORE flavor than these babies. Flip once they are golden and fat-rendered on one side, and cook for another 20 until thoroughly done, tender, and flavorful.

While you’re cooking the chicken, heat your oven to 350* and place some ears of corn (husk on) directly onto the oven rack. Let them roast for about 30 minutes as the chicken is readying itself. (If you lose the corn, I believe this becomes paleo-friendly. Do as you wish.)

Remove the chicken gently from the pan, top with watermelon salsa, and strip the corn of the husk (the silk will pull right off in one big chunk after being in the oven for so long). Rub a little butter on the corn and top with chunky sea salt and a tiny squeeze of lime juice, should you so desire. Enjoy this meal as summer weather comes to a close and we all start dreaming of sweaters and falling leaves.

*sigh*

Mango Curry Chicken Salad

Please excuse my absence, but I’ve been neck-deep in new job and moving. My new loft is right in the heart of Downtown Macon, which means I am two blocks from work and a hop, skip, and a jump away from all my favorite places to eat! The new job has left me little time for cooking, but tonight I made my first official meal in my new kitchen. *cue heavenly lights and angelic choir* My mom makes a divine curry chicken salad, but I decided that I wanted a simpler, sweeter version of the same. Don’t be weirded out by the ingredients – I promise it will all be alright in the end. Super simple, super tasty!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise (f’real f’real)
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Sriracha (awwww yeeeeah)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked to your idea of perfection and chunked thoroughly
• 1 mango, cut into small cubes
• 1 or 2 scallions, sliced thinly
• lettuce of your choice

Mix together the first six ingredients in a bowl. This is your delightful dressing. Toss with the chicken and mango and gently add the scallions. Mound on top of a fresh bed of lettuce and sprinkle with a few more scallions. Tangy with a hint of spice. Add more Sriracha if you want to feel the burn. Nom!!

Oof. Yes.