Hello Friends, I was going to post this on Saturday so that you could have it for Mother's Day, but things don't always go according to plan. Oh well, there's always Father's Day coming up in June. Hope that everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day anyway. This simple lick-your-fingers, glaze-y chicken is perfect for a small cookout. The glaze has just the right amount of sweetness and can be made ahead. To get the mix of thighs, drumsticks, and breasts you’ll need, buy two whole chickens and cut them into parts yourself, or you can look in your butcher’s display case for bone-in parts that are about the same size—legs about 5 oz. each, thighs about 6 oz., and breast halves a little more than a pound each. Serve the chicken with Potato Salad with Olives, Scallions & Garden Herbs and Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Arugula & Basil Dressing, along with Lemon-Buttermilk Pudding Cakes for dessert. Grilled Chicken with Apricot-Balsamic Glaze 
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup apricot preserves (preferably without corn syrup; I like St. Dalfour's)
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil for the grill
Two 4-lb. chickens, each cut into 8 pieces, or 5 to 6 lb. good-quality bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, and breasts, each breast half cut into two pieces
Freshly ground black pepper In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the preserves, vinegar, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and a large pinch of salt; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Prepare a medium gas or charcoal grill fire. Using a stiff wire brush, scrub the cooking grate thoroughly. Dip a folded paper towel into vegetable oil and, using tongs, rub it over the grill grate. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Set the parts skin side down on the grill. Cook, covered, until the skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stay near the grill, especially during the first 10 minutes, to manage any flare-ups, by moving pieces out of the way. If the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the heat down slightly or close the vents partially. Flip the chicken and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of each piece, 5 to 10 minutes more. The thighs, legs, and thinner breast pieces are apt to cook a little faster than the thicker breast pieces. Transfer each piece to a platter when done and tent with foil. When all the chicken is done, brush it with the glaze on all sides. Return the chicken to the grill and cook for another minute or so on each side to caramelize the glaze. Brush the chicken with any remaining glaze and serve. Serves 6-8. This potato salad is best made several hours ahead so that the flavors have time to meld. Feel free to experiment with different herbs in place of the mint, such as tarragon, oregano, or thyme. Keep the parsley, though; it makes a nice foundation. Potato Salad with Olives, Scallions & Garden Herbs 
3 lb. small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
1/4 cup best-quality white-wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 cup very thinly sliced scallions, both white and green parts
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint leaves Put the potatoes in a 6-quart Dutch oven or similar pot and cover with cold water by at least one inch. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. salt, bring to a boil over high heat, and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes from when the water comes to a boil (stir gently and don't overcook, or the potatoes will fall apart). Meanwhile, in a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the vinegar and mustard. Whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the potatoes in a colander and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. While they're still hot, drizzle them evenly with 3 Tbs. of the dressing. Let cool completely. Transfer the cooled potatoes to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the olives, scallions, parsley, and mint. Pour about 1/2 cup of the remaining vinaigrette over the salad. With a large spoon or rubber spatula, gently toss. Take care to break as few of the potato slices as possible. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least an hour so the flavors can blend. (You can make this salad up to 12 hours ahead; just cover and refrigerate, and then return to room temperature before serving). Just before serving, season to taste again with salt and pepper and add more dressing if the salad seems dry, however, you may not need all of the dressing. Serves 8. Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Arugula & Basil Dressing 
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 strips lemon zest about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, white pith removed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 lb. fresh slender green beans, trimmed (long ones snapped in half)
2 cups arugula, rinsed and spun dry
2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 3/4 lb; preferably a mix of red, orange, and yellow), halved
1-1/2 cups (10 oz.) 1-inch-diameter fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper Fill an 8-quart stockpot three-quarters full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Put the basil and lemon zest in a metal sieve, immerse it in the boiling water, and blanch for 5 seconds. Remove, tapping the sieve over the sink to shake off excess water. Turn off the burner but leave the water in the pot with the cover on. Roughly chop the lemon zest. Put the basil and lemon zest in a blender and pulse a few times. With the blender running, pour the olive oil through the lid’s fill hole and purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Transfer to a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and cover. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad. Return the water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 Tbs. salt and the beans. Cook until the beans are crisp-tender or fully tender, depending on your preference, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread the beans on a large rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate to cool completely. If making more than an hour ahead, cover and refrigerate. (You can cook the beans up to a day ahead, just spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate. The basil dressing can also be made a day ahead, but wait to combine the beans and dressing until just before serving, as below).
In a large bowl, combine the cooled beans with the arugula, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Toss with the basil oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon juice. Serves 8. Finally, these cakes have a thin layer of pudding on the bottom and a cheesecake-like layer on the top. Lemon-Buttermilk Pudding Cakes 
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus about 2 tsp. more, softened, for the ramekins
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1-1/8 oz. (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)
1 cup fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or sliced strawberries, for serving (optional) Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter eight 6-oz. ramekins and arrange them in a roasting pan or in two 8x8-inch Pyrex baking dishes. Fill a kettle with about 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the egg yolks until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Whisk in the buttermilk, milk, flour, and salt just until smoothly blended. Whisk in the lemon juice. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) on medium speed until frothy, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat just until the whites hold soft peaks—the peak should flop over immediately when the beater is lifted—30 to 60 seconds. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and very slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. If necessary, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed until the whites hold medium-firm peaks—the peak should hold its shape pretty well when the beater is lifted, but the tip will curl over on itself—30 to 60 seconds. Spoon one-third of the whites onto the egg yolk mixture, sprinkle with the lemon zest, and gently whisk to blend. Using the whisk, gently fold and stir the remaining whites into the batter. The batter will be light and foamy but thin. Spoon the mixture evenly among the ramekins—you can fill them to the top. Put the roasting pan with the ramekins in the oven and pour enough hot water from the kettle into the pan to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the tops of the cakes are light golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. They should spring back slightly when touched. Take the cakes out of the water bath and let cool on a rack to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. Top the cakes with a small dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a few fresh berries, if using. Makes 8 Individual Cakes. 
Have A Wonderful Weekend, Phil
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