This summer my garden is overflowing with tomatoes. Both cherry and fresh vine ripe varieties were growing at what seemed to be light speed this year. Having such an abundance of this delicious fruit (botanically speaking) made for some fun recipe experimentation.

Portobello & Cherry Tomato Chicken with Gruyere


1 chicken breast
1 large Portobello mushroom
10-15 cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 slice of gruyere cheese
1/2 lime (juice of)
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
splash of red wine

Combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Marinade the chicken for as long as possible in this mixture. Throw it on the grill for 7 minutes on each side, flipping only once (the more you flip, the longer it takes to cook and thus, dries out the chicken).


While the chicken is grilling, melt 1/2 Tbsp of butter and toss in the garlic. Wash the fresh spinach and add it to the butter and garlic, even if it's still a little wet. Sprinkle the spinach with some salt and pepper, sauté until the spinach is wilted and set aside.


Slice up the Portobello mushroom and cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Melt the rest of the butter and sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes. Splash the mixture with some red wine and let reduce.


Once the chicken is ready, remove from the grill and top with the cheese and then Portobello and tomato mixture. Serve with spinach and garlic sauté.


by Diana Petrina
images by Sabrina Tenace

What is your favourite way to enjoy tomatoes in season?