The Taste of Summer

By on July 11, 2012

Chinook Salmon served on a bed of Angel Hair Pasta with Sunburst Squash and Cherry Tomatoes

summer

This dish was a lot of fun to put together as I had no preconceived ideas beyond using Salmon when I went shopping at the PCC in Fremont. Matt, the Produce guru at the PCC showed me what was super fresh and unique for the week and that’s all it took for me to dream up the dish. Here is how I put it together:

The Pasta – simply boil your desired pasta till al dente’, drain and set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat up some good olive oil, add crushed garlic and diced green onions. Add cherry tomatoes (cut in half) along with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Once the tomatoes start to wilt, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon then add the pasta to the dish. To finish, simply add fresh chiffonades of basil and toss to coat.

The Salmon – Season with my favorite 3 things: Olive oil, Kosher Salt and fresh cracked black pepper. For this one, I set the salmon on tin foil and cooked it on the grill over indirect heat at 250-300 degrees. Cooking the salmon over lower heat will keep the salmon moist and decrease the odds of over cooking the fish. For fresh salmon like this, I prefer medium rare or an internal temperature of about 125 degrees.

The Sunburst Squash – I saved this for last because these little guys cook quickly. I grilled them over medium high heat for 4 minutes, be careful to not overcook the vegetables as they will get soggy and lose their fresh flavor. Also, try cutting these squash in quarters and putting them on a skewer the next time you’re in the mood for some kabobs.

Anthony Warren
For years Anthony Warren has been fishing out of Ilwaco for salmon and bottom fish. When the craze for Albacore Tuna fishing hit the sport fishing fleet, Anthony was right there chasing these longfins. You can find him on the team “Bad To The Bone” which fishes the Oregon Tuna Classic charity tournament.

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