Inspiration from my trip to Alaska

from the wilds of the Inland Passage to my Personal Chef kitchen

I just came home from a fabulous trip to Alaska.  I am full of negative ions from the waterfalls, full of beauty from the sights and sounds of the whales, eagles, and ravens, cleansed by the rain, filled with the magic of the rainforest and the light of the almost endless days of this season, and most particularly for today’s post, filled with delicious, fresh off the boat salmon. Our cook took a boat out to the fishing boat, negotiated with the fishermen, brought home some fish, and a few hours later we ate it. It absolutely doesn’t compare to anything that we can get from any grocery store. Salmon live here, in the Monterey Bay off the coast of Santa Cruz, but the season is very short and it is very expensive. Fresh salmon season runs from early summer to early fall.  I usually buy my salmon frozen from Trader Joe’s, which is wild from Alaska and frozen right on the boat so a good choice.  There is a lot of farmed salmon available. Please, please, do not ever buy farmed salmon. The fish are fed so poorly, and they use pesticides and herbicides to keep the water “clean”. That runoff goes into our watersheds. The fish sometimes escape ( and who would blame them!) and weaken the natural fish population. Let’s support the fishermen who use wise sustainable practices and we will have salmon to enjoy and eat for many years to come. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an excellent website with much information about sustainability and which fish we have the green light to eat.

Besides being delicious, salmon is so good for us! Low in calories, high in protein, it also contains a proper ratio of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, which our bodies need for heart health, for inflammation control, etc. I think, too, there is something so powerful in the energy of the salmon. It is sacred to the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and Ireland. We can learn from the salmon’s journey, that difficult struggle to spawn, to get back upstream, to get home.

There are many many delicious ways to prepare salmon. It can be eaten raw ( when you are absolutely sure it is fresh) as sushi, sashimi, tartare. It is good cold in a salad, mixed with mayonaise or not. I like it for breakfast mixed with eggs and scrambled. Smoked Salmon is widely available and also good in many ways. Fresh salmon can be grilled outside, broiled, baked. It combines nicely with so many vegetables and pairs nicely with a glass of Pinot Noir.

Here is a recipe to try from Eating Well Magazine.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon

makes 6 one-cup servings

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3c. chopped fresh dill

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup diced seedless cucumber

1/2c. finely chopped red onion

3 cups of cooked brown or green lentils

1 1/2 c. flaked cooked salmon

Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently.

I serve this on a bed of greens, either raw spinach or lightly cooked kale.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesdays. Please head over there and read the other interesting posts.