Roasted Salmon with Herbs and Herbed Salmon Sandwich Filling

"Oh herbs... How I love thee!" Me

Hello followers, hope you're ready for the heat!
So, how's your herb garden doing these days? Ours is alive and thriving and it makes me so happy! I love having herbs just outside the door and I must admit that I use them in just about everything I make. Fresh herbs fill your home with the most inviting fragrance when being cooked, liven up any dip or salad and can even take a simple cocktail to the next level (I don't know about you, but I'm thinking about mojitos!!!). Sometimes using one type of herb does the trick, but other times it's fun to combine! I first tasted herbed salmon was while working at Jane Rodmell's specialty food shop in Toronto named 'All the Best Fine Foods'. I fell in love with it. Since then, I have perfected my own version of the fish and enjoy it when my herb garden is in full swing! Recently I featured this salmon recipe in my Spring collection for 'Sideroads of Halton Hills' magazine and I made it for us for this weekend. Paired with new potatoes and local asparagus, roasted salmon with herbs makes for a perfect Springtime meal. Yum!

Roasted Salmon with Herbs
(serves 4)

4 salmon fillet

1 tbsp each chopped parsley, dill, chives and cilantro

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the chopped herbs, olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Lightly sprinkle each piece of fish with a little salt and pepper on all sides. Place the salmon into the bowl and coat with the herb mixture. Arrange the fish pieces on to a greased tray or casserole dish and drizzle the remaining herb mixture on top. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 18 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) until it is firm to the touch, opaque in colour and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve either hot, cold or at room temperature.

Now, you might be wondering why there is a picture of a sandwich down below... Leftover roasted salmon with herbs can be easily made into a delicious sandwich for lunch the next day!

Herbed Salmon Sandwich Filling

1 pc roasted salmon with herbs
1 to 2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 green onion, fine chop
1 celery stalk, fine chop
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Flake the chilled salmon fillet in a bowl with a fork. Add in the mayonnaise, green onions and celery and gently combine. Adjust seasoning (if needed) and make a sandwich with your fave bread and lettuce. Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip Number Two: Snap the Asparagus

The bottom of an asparagus stalk is tough and the easiest way to remove it is a snap! Simply hold a stalk in the middle and at the end. Bend it until it naturally breaks. This is where the not so tasty tough end of the asparagus begins. Once you're done, collect the ends, rinse, freeze and add them to your next vegetable stock! Hmm, two 'Kitchen Tips' for the price of one... Not too shabby!

Ontario Potato Salad with Ontario Asparagus

"...All things are possible in May." Edwin Way Teale

Happy Victoria Day long weekend, my loyal followers!
Well, the weather is beautiful and one can't help but want to be outdoors on days like today! We were lucky earlier on this week when my parent's and I headed out to Norfolk County to visit our 10 acres of land. With a cloudless blue sky above, we got down to work. Without wasting any time, I jumped on the John Deere and got about an acre mowed. My Mum and Dad did some weeding in the garden, picked some of our asparagus (yay!) and tended to our fruit trees. Unfortunately it turns out that some of our blossoms have gotten some frost damage, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. During our day of chores, we also took some time to enjoy 'The Land' as we call it...  Mum had prepared a fabulously simple lunch that we ate in the sun, which we washed down with a well deserved cold beer. Afterwards, I decided to take a stroll around our property with my trusty little camera.
Our garden is doing quite well and our garlic and peas are coming along nicely! While walking along the outskirts of the small woods, I found a grove of wild strawberries that I had not seen before! How lovely! I also took a special trip to visit the sapling that Kevin and I planted last fall. Now, although she doesn't look so good, I am happy to report that our little baby tree survived the winter and she now has new growth! We have our fingers crossed and I promise to keep you all updated on our tree! At the end of our wonderful work filled day, it was time to return home and think of dinner! With fresh homegrown asparagus on our basket, a bag of potatoes in the pantry, I whipped us up an easy to make potato salad, perfect for a Springtime meal!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Potato Salad with Ontario Asparagus
(serves 4 to 6)

700 gr (about 11/2 lbs) Ontario potatoes, medium cube or minis halved
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 bunch Ontario asparagus, trimmed and cut into medium pcs
1/2 red onion, fine chop
2 celery stalks, rough chop
2 tbsp parsley, rough chop

Place the potatoes in cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to medium low and gently simmer the potatoes until just cooked, 10 to 15 mins. Make sure to test the potatoes frequently after the 10 min mark, you do not then to turn into mush! Drain the potatoes and spread them out onto a tray to cool, sprinkle them with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge until cold. Bring another small pot of salted water to a boil and cook the asparagus until just done (only boil for about a minute or so). Drain the asparagus and rinse under cold water until cooled. Set aside. Once the potatoes are cold, combine with the cooked asparagus, red onion, celery, parsley and grainy Dijon dressing (recipe below). Adjust seasoning, enjoy!

Grainy Dijon Dressing
(makes about 1/2 cup)

1 garlic clove, fine chop
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt

Place all of the ingredients in a jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Shake until fully combined.

This salad is perfect for this time of year and make sure to use locally grown produce whenever it is available! Okay followers, I gotta run! We're off to my parent's house soon for an evening of fireworks and to enjoy some of my Dad's famous baked beans! Mmm, 'Bert's Baked Beans'... Yah can't beat 'em! Till next time!

"I'm goin' up the country... got to get away..." Canned Heat

Sorry followers, no blog today! I'm getting out of the city and heading out to our 10 acres of land with my Mum and Dad (seen above on our beloved John Deere!). Yee ha! We're gonna do some mowing, planting out and a bit of garden up keep. But, what I'm most excited about is picking some of our homegrown asparagus and cooking it up! Heck, I've only been waiting three years for a taste! Yum! So, have a great week and I'll be back next Monday with a full report of what's going on in Norfolk County, Ontario and a delightful recipe featuring asparagus! Bye for now!

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon and Garlic Dipping Sauce

"If one of us had eaten artichokes, we would have been pointed out on the street. Today young women are far more forward than pages at the court." Catherine de Medici

Good day, followers!
Well, I must admit that today's culinary blog has been put together in haste! You see, I had my blog already planned out but I decided to change it last minute. Let me tell you what happened... At the grocery store this morning, I spotted something in the produce department. Artichokes! These unique vegetables are synonymous with Spring and how could I pass them up? I must admit that in my excitement, I failed to see where the artichokes were from but please be assured that these members of the thistle family are grown right here in Ontario! With their ancient origin in the Mediterranean, it's no surprise that artichokes have been known to make an appearance in Greek mythology as well as on the diningroom tables of the Romans. Seen as an aphrodisiac, women in the 16th century were not allowed to consume artichokes. That is, until Catherine de Medici married the King of France and made it socially acceptable once again. Merci beaucoup, Madame! With it's strange appearance, handling an artichoke might be a bit daunting. But, as long as you avoid the prickly bits, have a good pair of kitchen shears and a serrated knife, preparing an artichoke is quite easy!

Simple and Tasty Recipes:

Steamed Artichokes
(serves 2)

2 large globe artichokes
1/2 lemon
1 cup water
Sea salt

With a serrated knife, cut the top of the artichoke off, about 2 cms from the top. Rub the cut surface with lemon to avoid the area turning brown. Cut off the bottom of the vegetable so it sits flat. With scissors, snip off the tips of the leaves to remove the prickly bits. Rub the lemon over the cut edges. Place the prepared artichokes in a large pot and toss in the used lemon half. Fill with water until it reaches a couple of cms up the sides of the artichokes. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes until a knife easily pierces right through the centre of the artichoke and a centre leaf can easily be pulled from the middle with a pair of tongs. Remove the artichokes. Once cooled for a few minutes, spread the middle leaves open and scoop out the fuzzy choke and the thin purple leaves. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve immediately with the dipping sauce or refrigerate and serve cold (will last a day or two covered in the fridge).  Enjoy!

Lemon and Garlic Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and serve.

Now, you might be asking yourself, "How do I eat my cooked artichoke?" Well, that's the fun part! Simply pull off a leaf at a time, dip the bottom in the dipping sauce and scrape the leaf with your teeth to remove the tender end. Melted butter is also a delicious accompaniment to your artichoke and I will definitely have both on the table for dinner tonight! Once you have removed all of the leaves, you are left with the tender heart of the artichoke. Either break this into pieces with your hands to dip or cut it into quarters. I must admit it's a bit of work eating an artichoke but it's also fun, especially with good company! I really hope you give artichokes a try, they certainly are worth the fuss! Till next time, my fave followers! Goodbye!