Grandpa John's Tangy Lemonpalooza Table
Grilled chickens paired with sweet and tangy lemon sauce, as bold and as memorable as the man who created the dish
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Can you believe it’s June? It’s already 100 degrees and counting here in the desert! Spending time outside is fleeting for some of us, making the joys of summer—grilling, cooking, and dreaming about ice cream, popsicles (big sticks), and watermelon—all the more precious. With the summer solstice right around the corner (June 20th), it’s time to embrace the season. Are you ready for summer?
My Grandpa was as tangy as his lemon sauce!
Sometimes sweet, often tart, we grandkids never knew what to expect when Grandpa John was around. He liked to grill, and he was proud of his work. He played poker until he won. Even if a grandkid won the game, it continued until he won! He had a bromance with Jack Daniel’s whiskey. He rocked himself right off the back of a lake house patio, head over feet, splash, into the lake. He taught his nephew how to drive as close to a bridge as possible without hitting it. He brought an alligator home after a sales trip to Florida and kept it in the family bathtub for a month. That must have been a stinky month for all!
John Augustus Baker, a character, was born in Sulphur Springs, Indiana, on December 8, 1920, to Clara and Jesse Baker. He grew up in Hagerstown with his sisters, Mary Lou and Sally.
He attended Hagerstown High, trained to support the athletic team’s needs, and contributed to the high school newspaper, the Exponent, covering Athletics. He worked for Perfect Circle in Hagerstown, Indiana, like his father, until he was drafted into WWII at the age of 21.
He married Mary Jane Carnes on May 28, 1940, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at the even younger age of 19. Robert Bryson was his best man. Grandpa was friends with Bob his entire life. I remember Bob always smiling and helping my parents wrangle their three little girls. It was remarkable how much fun Grandpa and Bob had together; they were the best of friends.
My Grandma was pregnant with their first child, Linda, when Grandpa was drafted. Stationed in Italy, he was able to travel home to meet his new baby girl before returning to war, and finally made it home, for good, with a Purple Heart. They had five children…Linda, Joy, Eric, Kathy, and Steve.
Grandpa died on December 2, 1998, in Albion, Wisconsin, at Eric and his wife Cindy’s home. He was 77. He was buried in San Antonio, Texas.
Grilled Chicken with John’s Tangy Lemon Sauce
Grandpa John’s lemon sauce can be used on anything that needs a tangy boost…chicken, steak, pork, tofu. It will keep your protein moist and give it a juicy burst of lemony goodness. It pairs perfectly with Tricolore Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and/or Basmati Rice. Lemon sorbet for dessert delivers the final refreshing lemon pucker, closing the evening’s dinner with a punch! Try Open Nature Lemon Sorbet or Talenti Lemon Sorbetto; both are delicious and available at most grocery stores.
Serves 4
Kitchen Tools
Cast Iron Grill or Outdoor Grill
Ingredients
Chicken breasts, 4
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. Worcestershire
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup parsley
Instructions
Prep, salt, and pepper the chicken. Slice the chicken in half vertically if it’s pretty thick, so the chicken cooks evenly and stays tender.
Oil the grill, then heat to medium-high.
Add all the lemon sauce ingredients to a saucepan; heat on low, stirring occasionally, and keep warm on the stovetop until ready to baste the chicken.
Add the chicken to the grill; using the lemon sauce, baste the top of each chicken.
When the chicken begins to pull away from the grill, turn it and baste the other side. Cook until the other side pulls away, then remove from the grill and cool for 2-3 minutes.
Serve the chicken, remaining lemon sauce, salad, and/or rice. Enjoy!
Wine Pairing
Choose a crisp, unoaked Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast or the Willamette Valley, or select a Chablis or a White Burgundy from France. Avoid oaky, buttery Chardonnays, which overshadow the dish’s citrus flavors.
So important to me to read these special stories about my family Going back in time to the years when I was growing up in Hagerstown with sisters brothers and relatives is such a wonderful experience for me. I feel very lucky to review those years and see the good foods we would enjoy on a summer evening Thank you