Zucchini Bisque & Chicken Panne

After trips to local markets we have just made a couple of our favorite dishes: zucchini bisque and chicken panne. Both of these are adaptations of James Beard recipes. The soup from a Cuisinart cookbook written by James Beard in the early 1970's and the chicken from a course my mother took at Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery in the late 1950's.

Zucchini Bisque my way:
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 pounds zucchini, shredded
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
8 leaves fresh basil, about 1 Tablespoon chopped
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper

Saute the onion in about a tablespoon of butter and/or olive oil until limp, but not brown.
Add the shredded zucchini and chicken stock, enough just to cover the zucchini.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Puree in a blender or food processor with nutmeg, basil, salt and pepper.

This can be served hot or cold. If serving cold, garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Make this in July, August and September when the zucchini at the farmers' markets is fresh. Choose firm, medium sized zucchini. Don't use the older ones. They are pithy and have very little flavor. Make extra and freeze it for a taste of summer next winter. I freeze it in a pyrex bowl. Once it is frozen, I dunk the bottom of the bowl in hot water to release the frozen chuck of soup and then put it in a freezer bag and back into the freezer after labeling the bag with contents and date.


Another favorite is Chicken Panne.
This serves 4 people.

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves trimmed and pounded very flat.
Dip into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper.
(I make my bread crumbs by grinding old bread in my food processor.)
Place chicken pieces between layers of waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to cook. Melt butter to cover the bottom of a heavy iron pan over high heat. Heat until the butter is bubbling. Brown the chicken quickly on both sides. The pieces will be cooked through, as they are very thin. Add 3 tablespoons of warmed brandy and light it while pouring it over the chicken. If you have had the fan on, turn it off for this part to prevent a fire in the duct. Also back away from the stove. I have heard of some people who have burned off the hair on their arms at this stage of the process. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm in an oven set to 200 degrees. Remove the pan from the stove.


Blend 2 egg yolks with 1 cup of cream, half & half or milk (depending upon your caloric desires). Add it to the pan just used to cook the chicken. Stir constantly over low heat until the sauce has thickened. Make sure it doesn't boil or scrambled eggs will result. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour it over the chicken. Serve with green and/or yellow beans, maybe some beets and some little potatoes.