A Simple Salad Everyone Likes. . .

Yes, Everyone! Even my two Great Grandsons request this one!

several tiny or mini English cucumbers

5-6 green onions

1 med. tomato

~ increase the amounts if you're serving a big group

dry dill

your favorite dressing

Slice or chop the vegetables into a pretty glass bowl, if you're serving this right away, or into a refrigerator container. Sprinkle generously with the dill then add enough dressing to cover everything well.

This is best with a tangy yet slightly sweet dressing. Today I used one I put together the other day. It's sort of a cross between ranch and honey mustard, but everyone also really loves my Lemon EVOO Dressing. Mix and serve.

This will keep well in the 'fridge, covered, for 2-3 days
if it lasts that long . . . 😉 . . . Lin

Salmon and Spiralized Vegetables + Tomato Pesto Dill Cream Sauce

First, spiralize the 3 zucchini and 1 big rose-orange sweet potato. The vegetable noodles will be very long. Cut them with a scissor if you'd like, then put it in a big roasting pan. Drizzle with 3-4T EVOO and sprinkle with 1t Himalayan pink salt. Roast this uncovered in a 325° oven for 20 minutes. Put this in a smaller baking dish as the bottom layer.

Meanwhile make the sauce. Begin by sautéing the first chopped vegetables in 2-3T EVOO over medium heat, then add the next ingredients. Simmer over low heat until soft, about 40 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it cool 15 minutes or so...

1 lg. purple shallot = 2c chopped

ends of the spiralized vegetables

1/4 lg. green bell pepper

5 big garlic cloves

1T dry parsley

1/3c tomato pesto

1t Penzeys Smoky 4/S

28oz. crushed tomatoes

1t Himalayan pink salt

2T dark Balsamic vinegar

1t sharp Hungarian paprika

Top left filet is skinned

While the sauce is simmering, put 20oz. of salmon filets grey skin side down in a non-stick pan. Slowly heat them until the color changes just a bit. Remove them from the heat, remove and discard the skin. 

Arrange the fish over the vegetable 'noodles.' Add a thin layer of the sauce as it is now. Set aside 1c. After 5 minutes or so, to this cup of cooled sauce, add sour cream, dill and stir this together. 

Shown before final 15 minute heating

2/3c whole fat sour cream

2t dry dill

Spoon the dill cream sauce over everything.Refrigerate the unused tomato-vegetable sauce to use over baked chicken, plain pasta or spaghetti and meatballs, in the future. Cover the sauced fish and vegetable noodles. Heat in a preheated 300° oven, 15 minutes or so before serving. . .Lin

Trout From A Neighbor

My across-the-street neighbor, Andy, texted and asked if I'd like a couple trout that had been cleaned and ready to bake.  Well, hey. . .does the Pope live in Rome?  Do big bears. . .  Yes, please and thank you!  His next door neighbor Greg caught these a day or so ago.  

I wasn't sure exactly what to do with these, so I took the lemon and dill Andy brought over with the fish and started by making a sauce for serving. Equal parts of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt to start. Lemon zest and a couple tablespoons of juice, lots of dill, parsley, finely chopped fresh onion and garlic, seasoned salt and lots of finely ground black pepper. I quick checked a recipe online, for timing information, then just did what I do best. . .I winged it.

The two trout I was given weighed 1.25# Here's what I did. Drizzle the fish inside and out, with EVOO and fresh lemon juice. Inside, put lemon slices and sprigs of fresh dill. Season with a good blend of fresh ground seasoning salt, and fresh ground black pepper, adding more lemon and dill to the skin side. Bake covered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin pulls away easily and the fish flakes when you touch it with a fork. Serve with rice pilaf, baked potato and vegetables or just sauté some while the fish cooks. Tomorrow I'll have the other one with steamed green beans.

Mmmmm, this was SO good! It's so nice to have fresh caught, garden-grown, gathered, or hunted food from the wild. . .Lin