Name: Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon; 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 3 cups diced cooked chicken (from one 3-pound purchased cooked chicken); 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 3 ounces); 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces); 1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives; 1/3 cup dried currants; 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers

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Mediterranean Chicken SaladSusan Gentry McWhinney

Paulette Sexton of Tustin, California, writes: "Although I've loved to cook since I was a kid, I didn't really hone my kitchen skills until my husband and I started entertaining frequently. When we were first married, we had dinner parties several times a week — it got to the point where people would call me around 4:30 in the afternoon and ask, 'What's for dinner?' We're still having people over and we're still informal, especially in the summer. Everyone sits around the large island in our kitchen, drinking wine and eating appetizers. Usually there's grilled chicken or fish or a simple main-course salad for dinner. It's our favorite menu."

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