Gourmet Girl Cooks: Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken Topped w/ Fresh Tomato Gratin

This evening I made a quick and easy dinner. I got the inspiration after picking lots of ripe tomatoes from our patio garden when I got home. It seemed like they all turned ripe at the same time and there were way too many for us to eat "fresh/raw". As I sat there staring at the bowls of freshly picked tomatoes and wondering what to do with them (knowing full well that there would be more ripe tomatoes to pick tomorrow)...the idea came to me! Since I had already planned to grill some spice rubbed boneless chicken thighs (sprayed with olive oil and then seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning), I decided to make a simple Fresh Tomato Gratin with the tomatoes on the grill to cook right alongside the chicken. Cooking them on the grill would also keep our kitchen nice and cool.

I cut up several cups of assorted tomatoes into chunks...plum, grape, cherry and regular slicing tomatoes. I tossed them into an ovenproof skillet along with a couple of minced cloves of garlic and a generous splash of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. I placed the skillet on the hot grill and cooked them for about 10 minutes until they began softening and the juices began to ooze out of them. I stirred in several generous heaping tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan along with some freshly picked thyme, oregano, basil and Italian parsley and let it cook about 10 minutes more. I topped it with large shavings of Parmesan cheese and let that melt into it for a few minutes. I served the grilled chicken topped with the Fresh Tomato Gratin. This meal was even better than "farm to table"...it was more like "patio to plate"...LOL. The tomatoes were still warm from the sun when I was cutting them up -- it doesn't get any fresher than that, not to mention all the herbs were freshly picked and placed directly into the gratin without ever setting foot in the house. I ended the meal with a piece of my Zucchini Walnut Bread. It was a simple fresh meal that screamed "summertime". Check out the photos below. Enjoy!