Grilled salmon and okra
Nate & I picked up some fresh Alaskan salmon at the farmer's market this weekend. If you've only ever had frozen, farm-raised salmon from the grocery store, you REALLY need to get some fresh caught salmon! The taste is completely different, and much better.
My favorite way to eat salmon is grilled on a wood plank. The wood adds a great smoky flavor (and scent) and also keeps the salmon from falling through the grill. Nate prepared the salmon by spreading a layer of homemade pesto sauce, then adding chopped onions and lemons on top.
We put the salmon on the grill for about 10 minutes, while I made the bbq okra I first made a couple of weeks ago. Then we added the okra skewers to the grill for another 10 minutes or so. The okra was on the top of the grill so it cooked a little longer than the first time when I had it directly over the flame.
We also made a mixed green salad with spinach, green leaf lettuce, mizuna, arugula, sliced radishes, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh farmers cheese, and topped with the homemade balsamic basil salad dressing. Somehow I did not get a picture of the salad creation. I picked up the farmers cheese at Udder Delights when I picked up my CSA bag this week. It is fresh made from the milk from Superstition Farms and is simply delicious. It is flavored with garlic and pepper, and added a lot to the salad, but is also lovely on crackers. Overall it was a very filling yet healthy meal!
Another way I used eggplant last week, baba ghanoush! It's great as a dip or a spread, easy to make, and lasts for quite a while in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteCSA Veg: 2 eggplants, garlic
Other Stuff: Tahini, lemon, parsley, olive oil
I baked the eggplants for 30 minutes or so at 350, turning them over every 5-10 minutes. Then dunked them in cold water so I could handle them, and peeled off the skins. Next step was to smash up all the eggplant guts. I could have used a blender but decided to just give them a good chopping with the chef's knife.
So now they're mashy, and in need of a bowl. I added to this bowl a couple scoops of tahini (found it in the peanut butter section. It's like peanut butter, but made from sesame seeds), a squirt of about half a lemon, a dabble of olive oil, garlic (squished through the garlic press) and some chopped up parsley.
Did a little bit of "add this, add that" until I thought it tasted pretty good, and then put it in a tupperware to use later.
I ended up using it as a spread on some wraps that I brought in for lunch at work this week. And of course the wraps contained all sorts of good CSA and farmer's market veggies; arugula, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, parsley, basil, etc. Yum!
Next time I think I'm going to try an old Greek method on the eggplant. I've heard you can fire-roast it directly on the burner until the outside is totally charred. Then wrap in foil, turn down the burner, and turn it a couple times for ten minutes or so.
Also, I plan on using less garlic, a little more lemon, and adding some paprika and basil. Should be an adventure.
- Nate