1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbls. hot pepper sauce
2 Tbls. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1 large onion, sliced
12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks), not boneless

1 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 Tbls. butter, melted

Wash chicken pieces; pat dry. Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion, then chicken and turn to coat. Cover; chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Whisk breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in large baking dish to blend. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Add
chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on racks on baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Salad
In this classic salad, infused broth provides the base for a basil sauce that can stand in for the traditional pesto or vinaigrette.

Blanching the basil leaves briefly in water brightens the color and intensifies the flavor. Dress the salad just before serving to preserve the brilliant colors of the tomatoes.

Basil Sauce:
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup vegetable broth (if unavailable, chicken broth will do)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt (3/4 tsp. regular table salt if unavailable)

Salad:
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices yellow tomato (1 1/2 lbs.)
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red tomato (1 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

To prepare basil sauce, cook 1 cup basil leaves in boiling water 15 seconds; drain. Plunge basil into ice water; drain and pat dry. Combine basil and broth in a blender; process until smooth. Let mixture stand 2 hours at room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Add vinegar and salt, stirring with a whisk.

To prepare salad, arrange yellow and red tomato slices alternately on a large platter. Drizzle with basil sauce; sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Top with 1/2 cup sliced basil. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

1 3/4 lbs peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, sliced
1 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup peach preserves, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 (1/2-pint) baskets fresh raspberries

Toss peaches with lemon juice in medium bowl. Add preserves, sugar and cardamom and toss. Let stand 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Add raspberries and toss gently.
May be served with a dollop of whipped cream.