We adapted this delicious idea from a NY Times recipe for salmon hand wraps using seaweed sheets.  Our leaf lettuce leaves actually make a very good substitute.  These were SO GOOD, we made them twice in one week.  They are excellent with either Sitka’s Coho Salmon or Black Cod.   And, that sauce!   It’s addictive!  If you find the assembly and eating is a little….well, messy, just layer the elements in a bowl and eat like a salad.   

Sauce:
3 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
⅓ cup soy or tamari sauce
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar or mirin
2-3 T granulated sugar
Black pepper
1 tsp peeled, grated ginger

1 (1½-pound) salmon filet or Black Cod
Leaf Lettuce leaves
Cooked brown rice
Sliced cucumbers
Diced avocado

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce and cook stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced, slightly thicker, about 15 min. Stir in ginger and remove from heat. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the sauce into a small dish to cool.

Place thawed fish filets on a plate or in a shallow dish and brush with the cooled sauce, flipping to cover both sides.  Fish can sit for 15 minutes or longer so the sauce can really flavor the filets.

Preheat a skillet, add additional oil of choice and cook salmon or Black cod. We start skin side up. Salmon will cook much more quickly than Black Cod. After searing the first side, flip and cook for a few more minutes if you’re using salmon. Black Cod needs to continue cooking until the flakes are easily separated.   That can be a total of 15 min or more depending on the thickness of the filet.

Once fish is done, remove to a plate and flake into bite-size pieces looking for any bones. Drizzle with a little sauce.

Assemble lettuce wraps by placing a spoonful of rice in the lettuce leaf, add fish, cucumber and avocado slices and a little sauce. We also add a little Curtido at the end – our favorite raw ferment from Bushel & Peck’s.

Enjoy!

Here’s an easy & delicious recipe to use green tomatoes and excess peppers in the fall.   This comes together very quickly especially if you have a trusty stick blender to whirl up the roasted ingredients.  Serve with tortilla chips or on your favorite quesadilla, nachos or taco salad.

2 pounds green tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 medium garlic cloves
1 or 2 jalapenos, optional
2-3 sweet peppers, green or colors
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice (or to taste)
Fresh Cilantro, chopped, approximately 2 T.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Quarter green tomatoes and set skin side down on a large baking sheet. Cut onion into quarters or eighths, peeled garlic, jalops and sweet peppers in half (remove seeds).   Add to baking sheet. Sprinkle veggies with salt, drizzle with olive oil, toss lightly to coat.

Place baking sheet in oven and roast 15 minutes. You should see some browning on the undersides. Using a metal spatula, stir veggies and roast for another 10-15 minutes, approximately, until veggies are tender and browned. Remove from oven.

Add the roasted vegetables, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt to a deep bowl. Pulse with a stick blender until smooth or to desired consistency. You can also use a food processor for this step but recommend allowing veggies to cool. Add chopped cilantro, taste and adjust seasoning.  Enjoy!

Here are two simple vegetable soups that will warm you on a cold winter day.  Inspired by our favorite chef Julia Turshen, we took the original recipes, added Thai curry paste and doubled the broth.   With just a few ingredients, be sure to use the best quality.

These come together quickly and along with a leafy salad, these spice infused soups will brighten your winter day!

Winter Curried Squash Soup with Coconut

2 – 3 lbs. Winter Squash – we used Butternut

EVOO

1 large white or yellow onion, diced

1 T minced fresh garlic

2 tsp Thai curry paste, we use red or green

1 tsp ground coriander

1 – 13.5 oz full fat organic coconut milk

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (we used our homemade chicken)

Oven roast winter squash slices until very tender and paring knife easily pierces.  Set aside to cool.   Saute onion and garlic and good pinch of salt in olive oil until the onion is transluscent, about 6-10 minutes.   Add coriander and curry paste and saute for a minute.   Add coconut milk and broth.  Stir and turn heat to medium.  Scrape away skin from winter squash pieces and add roasted squash to the soup.   Using a stick blender, whirl up the soup until smooth.  Taste for seasoning and serve.

Curried Tomato and Coconut Soup

1 large white or yellow onion, diced

1 T minced fresh garlic

EVOO

2 tsp Thai curry paste, we use red or green

1 qt canned or frozen tomatoes, preferably homegrown

1 – 13.5 oz full fat organic coconut milk

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (we used our homemade chicken)

Saute onion and garlic and good pinch of salt in olive oil until the onion is translucent, about 6-10 minutes.   Add curry paste and saute for a minute.   Add tomatoes, coconut milk and broth.  Stir, set heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer.

We enjoyed the soup just like this with the tomatoes broken up with our wooden spoon.  You could also use the stick blender to puree the soup until smooth.

We love noodle bowl night!  This recipe is easy to pull together and rich in flavor.  And, what a great way to use some of those raw veggies accumulating in your garden or refrigerator.

2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

1-inch piece of fresh ginger

2 T olive oil

2 T green curry paste

1 tsp honey

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

Protein of choice – braised chicken, extra firm cubed tofu, cooked & seasoned ground pork, etc.

1 – 15 oz can full fat coconut milk

3 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

8 oz noodles – udon, Thai rice noodles, etc.

1-2 T Lime juice, fresh or bottled

Toppings

Sliced cucumber

Sliced Cabbage, red or green

Carrots, julienned

Diced Tomatoes

Diced Sweet Peppers

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh lime slices

Peanut Sauce, Peanut Butter and/or chopped peanuts

Raw Ferment – Curtido or Immunichi, found in our store

Smash garlic and ginger together in mortar or chop finely.  Chop onion finely.  In medium soup pot, heat olive oil and add garlic, ginger and onion.  Cook a few minutes until softened and fragrant.  Add curry paste, honey, sesame oil, turmeric, soy sauce and cook for a few minutes stirring everything together.

If using tofu, add 1/2″ cubes and gently toss to coat.  Pour in coconut milk and broth.  Bring soup to a low simmer.  Taste broth and finish with 1-2 T Lime Juice and more curry paste if needed.

Cook noodles, drain and toss with a few spoonfuls of the soup broth.

To serve, pile noodles in bowl and top with a ladle full of broth.  Then add fresh toppings.    Serving Susannah’s Peanut Sauce is a delight for any noodle bowl but you can also use plain peanut butter and/or chopped peanuts.