Smoked Trout, Two Ways

Once upon a time, we thought we shouldn't plant cilantro in the summer because it would bolt. Now we know better. Not only is green coriander an amazing find, balanced halfway between cilantro and coriander, but this week, our produce box came with a big bunch of fresh, green cilantro berries. They're like little bursts of cilantro with a hint of citrus, and we've been scattering them on everything we can think of.

Meanwhile, it's summer, and we're on the prowl for meals that don't involve turning the stove on. Like putting things on bread and eating them.

These two versions of open-faced smoked trout sandwiches taste completely different and yet share most ingredients in common, so it's easy to make both at once if you want a fancy-feeling summer picnic with fairly minimal effort. The bread could probably be toasted, but we liked it untoasted, and it's best to stick with something relatively plain to avoid overpowering the trout--a levain would work nicely, and Village Bakery's walnut levain (available at the Co-op or Taylor's, where you can also find smoked trout) was an unexpectedly perfect complement.

For a side veggie, try sauteed beet greens or chard.

Ingredients
Fresh bread, sliced
1/3 lb smoked trout
2 small scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 ripe, fragrant tomato, thinly sliced

and/or

Cilantro berries (or sub a light scattering of chopped fresh cilantro)

Arrange the bread slices on a plate or two, then divide the avocado and trout equally among them, layering one over the other (avocado on the bottom is slightly easier to eat later, since it's less prone to slipping off the bread).

For trout with dill and tomato: Liberally sprinkle each piece of bread with scallions and dill, and top with a slice of tomato. Grind pepper over the top, and serve.

For trout with fresh cilantro berries: Sprinkle each piece of bread with just a few scallions and some cilantro berries (6-8 cilantro berries for each half-round of bread was a good amount for us...you won't taste them much unless you bite directly into them, and then they give a burst of cilantro-y flavor...so you want to end up with about one per bite). Sprinkle with black pepper, and serve.


You'd never guess (or at least, we never would have), but the cilantro pairs amazingly well with a glass of Gnarly Head old vine zinfandel.

Serves 2 for dinner.

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Salad with Dill

On Friday, we received our very first CSA box from Del Rio Botanical. We pick it up at a little market right near our house. I've never been quite so excited about groceries (food, yes; dessert, obviously, but not groceries, until now). I took deep calming breaths before entering the store, though, and managed not to hug the grocery guy who handed it to us, although I think he may have noticed me bouncing up and down a little (just a little, I swear) on our way out.

Our first box has (clockwise from the top left): White zucchini, cilantro, mint and anise hyssop, green and yellow beans, cavern striped tomatoes, amaranth greens, black plums, and fresh baby corn.

First, we tackled the amaranth greens, which were gone in a day and a half (stir-fried under dinner one night with chickpeas and topped with a stuffed cavern striped tomato; sauteed with shallot and garlic and parsley and then stirred with a couple of eggs the next morning for brunch -- basically a variation on the Soft Set Eggs recipe from a couple of weeks ago).

Then last night, we roasted the green and yellow string beans and decided to take on the remaining Italian citrone cucumbers, which I had never seen before they appeared in our produce box. My husband thought of making a salad with smoked salmon and dill. Since we had quite a few of the cucumbers, we served the salad over a bed of sliced cucumber dressed with a little dill and white wine vinegar. The whole thing made for a lovely, light, refreshing summertime meal.

Ingredients
About 5-6 inches of cucumber, peeled and diced
Rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
2 tbsp finely chopped scallion (white and light green parts), divided
1-2 tsp chopped fresh dill, divided
3-4 oz wild smoked salmon, coarsely chopped (you want about equal parts smoked salmon and cucumber in the salad)
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon
Ak-mak crackers (or another stone-ground wheat cracker)


Combine cucumber, 1 tbsp of the scallions, and 1 tsp of the dill in a small bowl, sprinkle liberally with rice vinegar, and let sit for at least ten minutes. Drain most of the excess vinegar out the side of the bowl.

Then, add the smoked salmon and the rest of the scallions and stir to mix. Liberally douse with olive oil (about 1-2 tbsp -- enough to moisten the salad throughout) and add a generous amount of black pepper. Add additional dill to taste. Drizzle with a little lemon juice, and serve with the crackers.

Serves 2 with something else alongside (e.g., veggies stir-fried or roasted with mustard seeds and topped with a little salt and lemon juice before serving). Pairs well with a slightly dry Viognier (e.g., Yalumba 2009, currently on sale at Costco).