In this column, Scout contributor and food enthusiast Maciel Pereda shares her personal recipes aimed at solving everyday cooking conundrums. Possibilities are endless, ingredients are local, and cravings are always respected. Today Maciel shares a seasonal recipe celebrating the harmonious coming together of three very different textures and elements: crispy chicken, crunchy salad, and creamy dip.

The Vancouver Farmers Market is back in my neighbourhood, and with it comes a reassuringly recognizable sense of footing and purpose to my Saturday mornings. Once again, I get to initiate the weekend by revelling in the sensory dreamland of the Trout Lake Market. Although the really exciting, heavily seasonal stuff keeps popping up with more and more frequency, there are still times when I either have to (or want to) lean into the familiar and more reliably available offerings, like radishes, cukes, and soft leafy herbs. You see, deep down I know that if I have many leafy, crunchy, vibrantly coloured produce items crowding my fridge, my sensible need for balance will start whispering deliciously tempting phrases like “crispy chicken cutlets” and “soy sauce-spiked ranch dressing” until I happily succumb to its demands…

When I do, I lazily panko-bread pounded-down chicken breasts and shallow-fry them to golden bliss, before topping with homemade ranch(ish) sauce and said crunchy, leafy veg. Then I eat them and sit awash in my smug affirmation of the fact that my dinner is, in fact, the best of the dinners.

Serves four, in the sense that it makes four cutlets (but I can personally easily demolish two of these on my own):

Ranch + Salad
½ cup full-fat sour cream, plain yogurt or crème fraiche
½ cup mayonnaise
Juice from 1 medium lemon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dried chives (optional, but they definitely increase the ranch vibes)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 bunch radishes, any kind
4 baby cucumbers (everyone calls them that, right?)
1-2 handfuls of assorted soft herbs`
Lemon wedges, to serve

Cutlets
4 chicken cutlets (or 2 boneless skinless breasts, cut in half, then pounded flat + thin)
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko crumbs
2 tsp dried oregano
Neutral oil, for shallow-frying (you will need at least ¾ cup if not more)

Start by making the dip: in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, dill, chives (if using), soy sauce, and plenty of freshly ground pepper until creamy and smooth. Taste and add more of whatever is needed: sour cream for fatty richness, lemon for brightness, and/or soy for seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The salad itself is very free-wheeling, so cut the radishes and cukes to your liking (I thinly slice my radishes and use a vegetable peeler to shave long strips of cucumber). The herbs follow the same “no-right-way” theme: you can lightly chop them, scatter the leaves whole, or do some combination of both. Personally, I like the mix of chopped mint and basil, paired with whole parsley leaves.

Get out three shallow bowls/deep plates. In the first one, mix together the flour and garlic powder, along with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. In the second, beat the eggs until smooth. In the third, mix together the panko and oregano, along with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Next to the panko bowl, set out a plate or baking sheet to place the dredged cutlets on. Using a designated “wet hand” and “dry hand”, take each cutlet through the process of dipping in flour, then egg, then panko. Each piece should be completely coated in a thick layer of panko before being placed on the plate or baking sheet.

Pour your neutral oil into a large skillet so that it reaches about a ½-inch depth. Set over medium-high heat until the oil starts to just shimmer – not smoke! You can test this using tongs to dip the edge of a cutlet into the oil and checking if it immediately sizzles hard – that’s when it’s good to go in. Fry the chicken until beautifully golden-brown, flipping partway through. Cook the cutlets in batches to avoid crowding the pan, and keep the heat low enough to avoid burning, but high enough for things to keep bubbling. Set a few layers of paper towel on top of a cooling rack and transfer the crispy cutlets there once done, immediately sprinkling generously with salt.

To serve, place cutlets in a large serving dish or on individual plates. Drizzle with a hefty spoonful (or two) of ranch, then garnish with radishes, cukes, and herbs. Offer lemon wedges and extra dip on the side. Inhale!

Plot out your own Farmers Market Chicken-Salad-Dip Trifecta shopping spree here.