Salmon and Fresh Fruit Salsa Celebration

My sister is visiting from S California so I am cooking up a summer thunderstorm for her.

Wild caught Alaskan salmon is on the menu.I do it in the Weber. I use red oak, rather than charcoal.Oak is abundant here so why would I pay an exhorbitant price for Kingsford charcoal.

Start your fire in the Weber with birchbark - birch abounds hereabouts - and small pine branch kindling - if you live amongst tall pines as I do there will be plenty of small dead branches of pine on the ground. Add small and medium split oak and let the fire roar till you have a bed of red and white hot coals. Just like charcoal.

Finely dice fresh mango, strawberries, an orange, sweet red and green peppers and green onions. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic,chopped fresh parsley, cilantro and mint to the fruit. Add lime juice, balsamic vinegar and honey. This makes it a little sweet and sour. You can add any other fresh fruits that you have like kiwi, papaya,cantalope, honeydew, raspberries,etc... .

Put salt, black pepper and olive oil on the salmon filet(s).Grill over wood coals in the Weber for 2 or 3 minutes and turn, grilling for 2 or 3 more minutes. You do not want to overcook the salmon filets - med rare to med is fine. A general rule of thumb is 7 minutes per inch of thickness of fish till well done. Do not overcook. Err on the side of underdone.

Serve with fresh garden vegetables like green beans and zucchini sauteed with salt, pepper and garlic, and brown rice. Put plenty of the fruit salsa on the salmon and the brown rice.

Bruschetta - Year Round Summer Treat

If your tomatoes are not ripe yet and you are craving bruschetta with a tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil topping, use canned stewed tomatoes. If you dice them on a cutting board and lift them up off the cutting board with the french knife you have been chopping them with, they will not be too wet.

Place them in a bowl, add salt and pepper, minced fresh garlic, chopped fresh basil; stir, drizzle w/ olive oil.Serve w/ toasted french bread rounds that have been brushed w/ olive oil, garliced and toasted in the oven or on your grill.You may top them w/ finely grated parmesan cheese.

Stewed tomatoes are made with ripe harvested tomatoes and thus have that deep, rich round umami part of taste.We only get real ripe, tomato tasting tomatoes one month of the year in Mn.

Do you and yours' a favor and try it w/ stewed tomatoes. Luscious.