first food entry!

Tonight was a fishy kind of night. We found some beautiful MSC certified Salmon at Whole Foods this morning and figured we'd cook it over our charcoal grill. We also made our usual Sunday run to the Hillcrest Farmers' Market where we bought a bounty of delicious vegetables, amongst them were some fresh potatoes that would go nicely with the fish. In the afternoon, we worked on our garden, planted some corn, weeded, and picked the last of the spinach which would be a perfect addition to dinner. Our meal was perfectly rounded now: Salmon, potatoes, and spinach.

When I cook, I try to highlight the flavors of whatever it is that I'm cooking, not overpower them with spices. For the Salmon, which I delegated to Matt (my husband), he rubbed it in a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper. When the charcoal grill was ready, on went the salmon. Cook time will vary depending upon your grill, the thickness, and size of the fillet. We use an instant read thermometer to determine whether the fish is done. It is a great way to make perfect meat every time, if you pay attention, you'll never have overcooked meat or fish again!

The potatoes were so fresh they cooked very fast, had a rich texture, and full flavor. Here's the recipe:

Rosemary Potatoes
2 Servings

Ingredients:
1.5 cups cubed potatoes
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
.5-1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 °F. Mix potatoes, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a baking dish. I use my hands to mix everything together, they are the best utensils in the kitchen. Bake covered for 10-15 minutes, stir potatoes around and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until easily poked with a knife. Lastly, put the potatoes under the broiler and cook for 5-10 minutes or until just golden on top. Keep a close eye on your potatoes so they don't burn in the broiler!









"Creamed" Spinach
2 Servings

Ingredients:
Approximately 6 cups fresh spinach (I filled a plastic bag when I picked it in the garden)
1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly and evenly
1 pinch fresh nutmeg (use a microplane to grind the fresh nutmeg)
1 pinch fresh lemon zest
4 tablespoons homemade chicken stock (if you don't have homemade, use whatever you have)
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Turn heat to low, drizzle olive oil. Chop onions and add to pan, stir and caramelize over low heat. Add Spinach and cover, stirring occasionally. When spinach is wilted, add chicken stock, cream, nutmet, salt, and pepper. Using an immersion blender (if you don't have one, use your blender or food processor) and puree spinach mixture. Once pureed, add lemon zest.

















For the final version of dinner, here are all three elements together on the plate:







Strawberries are in season and they are full of flavor. For a light dessert, slice them up and drizzle them with a bit of cream. We drank some Rooibos tea with the berries. If you have never had rooibos, I highly recommend EcoTeas Organic Fair Trade Rooibos - Loose Tea, it has a great flavor, subtle and smooth. It is also caffeine-free.