If you’ve ever had a Labrador retriever you know how much they love the water. We would take our dog, Lucy, to the lake and throw tennis balls or anything that would float and she would retrieve it. At some point we decided it would be a good idea to buy a ski boat. The first day we took the boat out on the lake Lucy and our three elementary school age children crammed into the boat and Doc took off from the dock.

It was pretty much bedlam. Lucy was jumping from one side of the boat to the other, climbing all over the children and me, trying to bite the water that was spraying. We were in the middle of the lake and Doc was driving fast. I was watching the kids to make sure no one fell out when all of a sudden Lucy took a flying leap out of the boat. All four of us started yelling at Doc trying to tell him the dog jumped out of the boat. The children are standing up pointing to the location of the dog. Well don’t you know Doc spun that speeding boat around and two kids almost went overboard. Now everyone was screaming at Doc!

When we finally found the dog and tried to get her in the boat, we realized she didn’t know how to climb a ladder. All the kids jumped in to help. It was a sight to behold. One child was demonstrating how to climb the ladder while explaining to Lucy how to do it. “You see Lucy, you put your feet on the rungs of the ladder and you hold on here…” (Just think about this for a second… a dog has no hands!) A second child had his hand around her collar and was swimming with her to the boat while the third child was pushing her from behind. She never did figure out how to climb the ladder but she loved all the attention! Doc finally just picked her up and she promptly shook water over all of us to say thank you!

When we got home late that afternoon this would have been a great recipe because it is so easy to make. Since it marinates in the refrigerator overnight it is perfect for those days you spend hiking, swimming or boating.
When you get home your chicken is ready for the grill.

Grilled Greek Chicken with Fresh Tomato Salsa– Makes 4 to 6 servings
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Combine first 8 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag.
Add chicken, remove air, seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Before grilling, remove chicken from refrigerator and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.  Grill chicken to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove chicken from grill. Tent with foil and rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with Fresh Tomato Salsa and feta cheese. Tip: If you don’t have fresh herbs substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves and 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

1 yellow tomato, seeded and cut in cubes
1 red tomato, seeded and cut in cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Place red and yellow tomatoes in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a mason jar. Shake to combine and stir into tomatoes. Reserve. Enjoy!

Published in The News and Neighbor on July 26, 2017