Cold Cuts And A Hot Thunderstorm.

Forgive me as I learn the new simplified blogger. Just when you learn how to do it one way, they change it.

This is a plate of cold cut meats -all beef Italian salami, and jalapeno cheddar summer sausage from Thielen's Meat Market in Pierz, Mn - goat cheese, assorted crackers and a halved avocado  seasoned with olive oil, fresh ground black pepper and lemon juice.

A great light lunch or snack on warm spring day on the patio when you don't want to cook. Serve with a glass of wine, your favorite beer, or an apple juice and green tea elixer.

Knockout Sockeye Salmon

It is way too dang cold on this 10th of April, but I grilled salmon outdoors anyway on my little Weber. Copper River Red wild caught sockeye - it was clean and pure looking in its vacuumpak at Thielen's Market in Pierz. A lb and a quarter at 10 bucks a pound. Not bad if it is good. Last years catch, obviously. They are not in season yet. Based on looks and price I bought it.

Salmon is one of those love it or hate it foods. Even for me, a salmon lover. The identical product bought at Meat On Mille Lacs was strong tasting( fishy). Stick with Thielen's or Kenny's self caught sockeye at Lakes Meat and Market in Hillman(10 mi west of Onamia on #27), if you can get it. Call ahead. You will be lucky if you get Kenny's. I eat his seasoned and raw. It is so good you don't have to cook it. 

I didn't even take the skin off.I marinated it in olive oil, lemon juice, black and red pepper, garlic. balsamic vinegar, and worcestershire sauce. For a half hour.

I grilled it on the weber over oakwood coals.Use real wood if you can. It is cheaper, imparts distinctive flavor and is better for you than charcoal. You can use almost any real wood

, such as oak or maple, ash,or elm, or even birch or popple.

I served it with what I call a  Norwegian hollandaise sauce - courtesy of cousin Beth - chopped hard boiled eggs in melted butter, lemon juice, plenty of dillweed, cayenne pepper and garlic.

If your 15 yr old daughter and your 10 yr old grandson like it, it is a winner.They did.

A rule of thumb in cooking fish is 7 minutes per inch of thickness of fish for well done.You want to cook salmon to medium done. Do the math. Flesh side down on grill for 3 minutes( to mark and flavor it); flip to skin side down for 2 minutes. Cover with weber lid 1 min or as necessary each side to reduce flames and provide smokey flavor.You want a nice balance of wood and smoke flavors. The skin will stay on the grill as you remove and plate the filet.

Stay with it and tend it, sip your wine, lift the filet up gently in the middle with a broad spatula to determine degree of doneness.You want this to be perfect. Most importantly, don't overcook it.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Adapted, and Red wine

It is midnight on the lake. The loons are singing and the moon is almost full. I am having a glass of red wine and 2 chocolate chip cookies. I love it when it is spring and you get to do what you want.

Use the tollhouse recipe on the bag of chocolate chips, but use half whole wheat flour and half organic white flour and 1/4 the sugar( or honey); add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder along with the half tsp baking soda. The baking powder makes the cookie more like a scone. Add walnuts and cinnamon as well as the vanilla. This cookie is great with a glass of red wine. Whole grain, dark chocolate, walnuts, red wine. Wow.Is it any wonder that the loons are singing.

What a great spring.