MAY 2010

SPRING IS FINALLY HERE AND WITH IT COMES SOME GREAT SEASONAL ITEMS THAT SHOULDN’T BE PASSED BY!

 

The months of April and May bring us pencil thin asparagus, sweet and juicy strawberries, Alaskan Halibut and the coveted Copper River Salmon.

Here are some simple and quick preparation of these wonderful seasonal items that allow you to enjoy their great flavors at their peak of freshness!

Grilled Asparagus - Pour just enough olive oil in a 8”x8” glass dish or pan to cover the bottom. Roll about two dozen asparagus in the olive oil. Sprinkle kosher salt and fresh course ground pepper over the asparagus.
Grill quickly over very high heat. The idea is to just get grill marks on the asparagus and remove them from the heat.





Alaskan Halibut - Start with an 6-8ounce filet of fresh Halibut. Since Halibut is such a mild tasting fish you don’t want to over power this delicate fish with an too strong an accompaniment. Stick with grilling it and brushing it with fresh herbs like basil, sage or rosemary and butter. Another option is to squeeze fresh citrus over it during the grilling process. Use lime, lemon, oranges or grapefruit. Mix them up or use just one.

Copper River Salmon - This rich flavored salmon from the extremely cold waters of the Copper River in Alaska is said to be the finest salmon in the world. The cold waters increase the fat content in the salmon and causes the flesh to be a deep orange/red color. This being a more robust flavor it is more suitable to be served with more flavorful accompaniments. For example after grilling the fish try it with a warm peach or berry salsa. Actually choose your favorite compote or relish and enjoy.





For dessert there’s nothing better that Strawberry Shortcake. If you’d like to try a new twist on this old favorite try layering fresh sliced strawberries, 4”x4” baked pie dough, and lemon curd. The tartness of the lemon, the sweetness of the strawberries and the crisp sweet pie dough combine for a treat you won’t soon forget!




Check back next month for more.
Your Pal,
Mike