Author: Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons

April – Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad
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April – Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

Roasted Salmon with Pistachios and a Spring Salad

The inspiration for this dish came from the cookbook salad freak by Jess Damuck. Of all the cookbooks I own (and there are many), this one has the most earmarked pages. The original recipe called for snap peas, snow peas, pea tendrils, and creme fraiche, none of which were on hand. However, I did have a bunch of fresh asparagus, arugula, and sour cream in the fridge. And, always, frozen peas in the freezer. If you are lucky enough to have snap and snow peas, please feel free to substitute. Only have green beans? Go for it. Baby baby carrots with peas would be a classic combination, and colorful as well. I think the only rule is to blanch the vegetables so they are still crisp-tender. What do I mean? A bit of bite but not raw.

I dislike the restaurant trend of undercooked vegetables.

I think this is the perfect dish to celebrate spring. If you can get fresh-shelled peas from the farmer’s market or your vegetable garden, please use them. Their tendrils could replace the arugula or spinach. If not, frozen peas (I always have a bag in the freezer) will be just fine. Put them in a colander and run boiling water over them. That’s all they need. When our child was a toddler we called them “ice peas”. They were a favorite, still frozen.

Wild Spring Onions

Wild Spring Onions

I have a patch of wild spring onions in the garden and used some of the flowers in the salad. Chive flowers would be lovely if you happen to have some.

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 1 large bunch of asparagus (about a pound), cut on the bias into pieces about 1 inch long
  • 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach or arugula
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 pound of fresh salmon, skin removed (cut into 4 portions)
  • 2 tablespoons of sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons of grainy mustard
  • 1/3 cup of finely chopped pistachios
  • 1 tablespoon of white wine or white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C
  2. Pat the salmon dry, season it with salt and pepper, and place it in a baking dish with what would have been the skin side down.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the sour cream with the 2 tablespoons of mustard. Smear this mixture over the salmon and sprinkle the pistachios on top to coat the fish.
  4. Prepare a bowl with ice water in the sink.
  5. Put the peas (if frozen) into a colander in the sink.
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the asparagus, blanch for 2 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Use a spider or tongs to transfer the asparagus to the bowl of ice water. If you are using fresh-shelled peas, you can add them to the boiling water with the asparagus and add them to the ice water as well.
  7. If using frozen peas (which are now in the colander), pour the remaining boiling water over them to defrost and cook them slightly.
  8. Bake the salmon for 20 to 25 minutes if you prefer it completely opaque, and 15 minutes if you like it on the medium rare side. The timing will depend on the thickness of your fish.
  9. While the salmon is baking, prepare your dressing. In a small bowl, combine the zest and juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk or mix well and season with salt and pepper.
  10. Drain and dry the vegetables on paper towels, then combine them with the greens in a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Garnish with edible flowers.
  11. Serve the salad alongside the salmon with additional lemon wedges.

 

 

 

 

 

In My Garden – April 2023
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In My Garden – April 2023

Spring is finally here, weather-wise. It has been (and continues to be) an unusually cold winter and spring. Temperatures still drop into the high 30s to low 40s F at night, we’ve even had frost warnings. But, during the day the sun is shining and we are up into the low 60s F. This morning I walked around the garden, examining dead stalks of plants to see what has survived.

Last fall I planted three Cuphea micorpetalas (candy corn plants also sometimes called cigar plants) in the pollinator garden. Only dry branches have been showing for months. I feared that they were victims of the wet and cold as they are not particularly hardy. But small shoots are starting to burst from the root area. Joy! Signs of life and spring. On researching their hardiness I read that they are evergreen to 25 or 30 degrees F, but root hardy to 0 degrees.

Take a look at this plant…

Centaurea Montana

Centaurea Montana

Aren’t the flowers striking? Centaurea Montana is a species of cornflower. They are also in the pollinator garden.

Poppies

Poppies

Also poppies in the pollinator garden, and…

Geranium purenaicum Bill Wallis

Geranium purenaicum Bill Wallis

Geranium Bill Wallis, which self-sows itself all over the garden.

There are lovely pops of color within all that green.

The first rhododendron has a few blooms.

Everything is late this year.

Polemonium carneum - also called Royal Jacob's Ladder

Polemonium corneum – also called Royal Jacob’s Ladder

I planted several Jacob’s ladders last spring and this is the first time they have bloomed. They are doing well both in a half barrel and in the ground. The foliage is very ferny-like and I didn’t think they would be very hardy. But they have thrived. The flowers are sweet, pink with yellow centers. They look fabulous mixed with hellebores.

These trout lilies are blooming in partial shade under the tan oaks and Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’.

Yellow Trout Lily

Yellow Trout Lily

 

Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps',

Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’

The bumblebees are happy with the flowers.

Last year’s (at least I think) tree swallows have claimed their same birdhouse, and chickadees are hovering around another. I saw the first Rufous hummingbird at the feeder this morning. Signs of an actual spring!

Here is an update on our decks. The supports for the back deck are going in after 6 days of work and the pilings for the side have been placed.

Supports for deck off the kitchen
Pilings for the connector, back to front deck

I have a question for the gardeners who are reading this. There was a lemon tree in a half wine barrel on the old deck off the kitchen. It has been in that barrel for around 10 years and has been unhappy for the last year (at least). When we moved it off the deck the barrel partially disintegrated. You can see the tree under the bottle brush in the picture on the right, and below.

 

There is a spot for it at the corner of the new deck (near where it is right now) for it to be planted in the ground. Should I try and save it? Or should I bite the bullet and purchase a new one? It’s a Meyer Lemon and strawberry plants have seeded (seemingly out of thin air) themselves under it.

What do you think? I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

New Zealand Adventure #1 – Mount Cook, March 2023
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New Zealand Adventure #1 – Mount Cook, March 2023

A question I’ve been asked since we returned is ‘What did I enjoy the most about New Zealand?’. Maybe a better question would be ‘What was the most amazing thing about the trip?’ I’d have to answer that it was a small country’s incredible variety of terrain and flora. There were mountains, rainforests, coastal bluffs, lakes, and fjords.

Here is a sample of the variety. I am going to break this into several posts. There is simply too much to tell you in one.

The second day of our tour with New Zealand Trails took us to Mount Cook. The scheduled hike was a steep trail up the mountain. Unfortunately, it was closed by the park because of dangerous conditions. The first rainfall of the season had fallen overnight bringing snow to the higher elevations. The trail would have been icy, slippery, and muddy.

Mount Cook

Mount Cook

Our guides did a quick reset and it was decided to hike on the Hooker Trail. It’s part of the benefit of going with experienced guides who can turn on a dime when a change is needed to the itinerary.

Our group ready to hike on the Hooker Valley Trail

Our hiking tour group ready to hike on the Hooker Valley Trail

You can see we are all decked out and prepared for cold and wet conditions. Our dog trainers say that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. They never cancel a class. We were ready for the challenge.

Steve and I, prepared for the weather

Steve and I were prepared for the weather. Bring it on!

The overnight rain had not only coated the mountains with snow, it had also created multiple waterfalls coming down into the river.

Roaring River

Roaring River

I wish I could include the roar in this post!

We crossed several hanging bridges on our hike. I was careful not to cross at the same time as one of our group who liked to jump up and down while we were on the bridge.

The payoff was at the end where we saw icebergs that had broken off from the glacier into the lake at the end of the trail. You can see the waterfalls coming off the mountains.

 

The next day dawned bright and clear with blue skies. We could finally see the top of Mount Cook in the distance.

Mount Cook

Mount Cook

Stay tuned for more adventure.

 

In My Garden – April 2023
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In My Garden – April 2023

I am not sure where to start…there is so much going on in the garden. While we were away for almost four weeks, spring sprung.

The tulips are up with their cheerful blossoms.

 

There are wildflowers as well, some volunteers and some planted.

Forget-me-nots
Trillium
Trillium
Baby Blue Eyes

The sweet peas in a half wine barrel are starting to twine up their supports. I plant them each year in memory of my English grandmother. She had a long row of them along a trellis in her garden in Teddington. She put a sweet-smelling vase full of them next to my bed whenever I visited. It’s one of my favorite memories of her.

Sweet peas

Sweet peas

I don’t expect blooms until late May or June.

This is Silene,  I planted them last year after seeing them at the Botanical Gardens. I love their pink flowers and they bloom continuously for several months.

Silene dioica

Silene dioica

Much to the pleasure of the hummingbirds, the salvia is finally blooming.

But the rhododendrons are not blooming. It’s been an unusually cold winter, but in the past, at least one has been blooming by now. I hope to have some pictures to share next month.

One of my favorite flowers is the hellebores. They don’t seem to be bothered by redwood roots, bugs, or drought. The clumps get bigger and more glorious every year. Even better, they bloom in partial shade in winter and early spring, a time when their blooms are especially appreciated. I only regret that their flowers are downward facing.

 

The kale and arugula in the vegetable garden went to seed during our long absence. The good news is that the native bumble bees love the flowers.

Gone to seed

Gone to seed

I did plant a few lettuce starts this past weekend in one bed. I am delaying planting more until we have completed a total revamp of the raised beds.

I am tired of digging the redwood roots out of the raised beds. Additionally, any remaining rootlets make the soil acidic, not good for vegetables. We intend to raise the beds at least a foot off the ground and replace the soil. It’s a job that will have to wait until we have the time, or rather my husband has the time as he takes care of any hardscaping. We have a bunch of cinder blocks that were under the old hot tub, and we will also have a lot of lumber left over from the replacement of the deck.

This brings me to the big news from the garden. We finally started the project of replacing our old fifty-year-old deck. We spent Easter weekend clearing it off and removing plants from around the perimeter. Here are some ‘before’ pictures. Since Covid we have spent a lot more time entertaining outside, making that space very valuable. As it goes almost three-quarters of the way around the house, it dramatically expands our living space.

Front door deck, side.
Front deck
Deck off the kitchen

The back patio is piled with deck furniture.

The old hot tub was at the end of the deck off the kitchen. Eventually, we will purchase a new one that will go on top of the deck at the end.

You can see the circle on the left of the deck picture below where the lemon tree was located in a half barrel. It hasn’t been doing very well and I intend to plant it into the ground once I know where the final location of the deck. Hopefully it will do better there. The front and back decks will be connected with a new walkway.

lemon tree in its temporary location

lemon tree in its temporary location

When we moved it we discovered that the barrel containing the lemon tree was rotting. It was time to do something.

Workers removing the dock, Shanna enjoys the company

Workers removing the dock, Shanna enjoys the company

Since the workers bring their dog with them, ours have a new playmate.

Quinn, Shanna and friend

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for updates from the garden and deck. And I love comments of all sorts and will reply,  I love reading them.

I hope you are all well and enjoying your spring or fall weather. The shoulder seasons are my very favorite times of year.

 

In My Kitchen – April 2023
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In My Kitchen – April 2023

There isn’t much that’s new in my kitchen, except that I am in it after three weeks away. It was the longest trip we’ve had in several years. Honestly, I think two weeks is long enough. We missed our home, family, friends, and dogs. Where were we? New Zealand on a hiking adventure around the South Island. It was amazing! And beautiful, and a lot of fun…just a little too long. Look for a couple of future posts with pictures.

Is there anything new going on in the kitchen here at home? Well, one of our guides introduced us to a local South Island chutney. She fixed our picnic lunches on several days and a tablespoon of one of these chutneys was usually included.

Barker's Chutney and Jelly

Barker’s Chutney and Jelly

I managed a trip to one of the local groceries to pick up several jars. The Red Pepper & Chilli Jelly is a gift.

In my kitchen, I also have some New Zealand chocolate. I picked these bars up at the airport on the way home.

We are not dark chocolate fans, preferring milk. Our daughter is a fan of white chocolate.

Whitman's Chocolate

Whitman’s Chocolate

In my kitchen, I have a small jar of kawa-kawa balm. The kawakawa leaves are medicinal, and one of our guides was quite knowledgeable about local plants. She made tea one night from kawakawa leaves, something we needed after a full day of hiking. This balm will be handy for those inevitable burns in the kitchen.

Kawa-kawa balm
Kawa-kawa balm

We didn’t have much room in our suitcases for much more.

Although there hasn’t been a lot of cooking going on, the kitchen has been busy. In a search of a jar of chili crisp, I ended up cleaning out the pantry. It was long overdue but not on my to-do list that particular afternoon. Educational it was though. I discovered several packages of outdated and stale crackers, three jars of Castelvetrano olives (I only need one), five jars of various salsas, a variety of gourmet this-and-that’s meant to be part of a cheese platter, and the missing jar of chili crisp next to the toasted oatmeal. In the course of the hunt, I reorganized the pantry. If true to history, it will slowly lose that organization over the next few months.

Above is just part of the pantry with its new organization. Since everything has been moved around, the new patterns are sure to frustrate searchers for the hot sauce or the ketchup.

Now let’s talk eggs…

I found the bright orange yolks of the eggs we had each morning in New Zealand surprising. When we kept chickens at our home in Oakland (yes, you can have backyard chickens in Oakland…we were quite the local stop for neighborhood children), the color of the yolks approached orange. I was told it was due to a diet rich in carotenoids, the natural yellow-orange pigment found in fruits and vegetables. But I haven’t seen that wonderful color in supermarket eggs in the U.S., even humanely-raised free-range ones.

I was a bit disappointed to find that synthetic carotenoids can be added to their feed to enhance the yolk color. The eggs were still delicious.

New Zealand poached eggs

New Zealand poached eggs

Next month there will be more pictures of food to tempt you with.

I’m sharing this post with Sherry’s blogging party on Sherry’s Pickings. Come on over for an international summary from kitchens around the world.