Serves 4

How often do you buy a bunch or herbs (or two or three) for a recipe, and later that week find the remainder of those herbs laying listlessly in the vegetable drawer, with only days to live?  It’s so aggravating to less them go to waste, but sometimes you’re not in the mood to be hyper-creative about finding ways to use them up.

This is a simple, versatile recipe that allows you to turn most any kind of fresh herb into an uncooked sauce for dinner, kind of like an herb pesto, without the nuts.  I served it over sliced chicken breasts, but it certainly would work over fish and seafood or pork, or even beef. If you have an herb garden, you can keep trying different combos all summer long.  This is nice served with orzo, couscous or rice.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup or so mixed fresh herb leaves, such as basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram and parsley
• Coarse or kosher and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the chicken
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat the grill to medium (or preheat the broiler).  Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and gri or broil for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Let the chicken breasts sit for 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the herbs, salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and puree until completely combined.

3. Slice the chicken attractively on the bias, and drizzle/dollop the herbs sauce over the fanned out slices.  Serve warm, or at room temperature.

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