Dinner #1

Well we're off to a very good start and tonight's dinner was fabulous!  However in the summer I also volunteer for a Cape League baseball team, the Bourne Braves, so most nights I'm at a ball field.  Not a bad way to spend your summer but it doesn't typically allow for leisurely nights in the kitchen to make dinner.  Today was an off day so I had the time.  Tonight I managed to incorporate the panisse lettuce, French Bell radishes, chive blossoms and pea tendrils.  The other aspect I plan to incorporate into my cooking this summer is the abundance of fresh herbs I have growing in pots all over my yard. I planted flat Italian parsley, rosemary, cilantro, mint, basil, tarragon, thyme, sage, Greek oregano, Thai basil, lemon verbena and dill.  I know probably a little over kill but hey what is better than fresh herbs to spice up your cooking.

Back to tonight's dinner- I had a beautiful piece of salmon that I planned on having for dinner.  Since it's still cool out I decide to roast it instead of firing up the grill.  I love salmon simply roasted with some fresh lemon but tonight I decided to make a Mustard Dill sauce and wow am I glad I did.  It was yummy and really enhanced the salmon.  Like most new things I make I Google the recipe, read lots of them and then take a little bit from each and make my own.  I will list the recipes I make at the bottom of each post but as you will see I don't measure things so it will be a list of ingredients and in some cases a rough idea of how much.

To accompany the salmon I made a lovely fresh salad with the panisse lettuce, the chive blossoms, slivers of the radishes and I added some yellow bell pepper, shredded carrots and a handful of roughly, chopped parsley.  I topped it with a simple vinaigrette.  I love onions and the flavor they bring to things and was so surprised by the sweet, oniony flavour of the chive blossoms. I've had chives before but never the blossoms and there had a floral flavour not surprisingly.  The radishes were not as sharp as some radishes I've had so I enjoyed them much more than I thought I would.

The pea tendrils were the biggest surprise of the night.  I decided to make Israeli Couscous and add the pea tendrils and some frozen peas as well  . . . but while I was cooking dinner the bag of tendrils sat on the counter.  I really like the flavour of peas and freshly cooked peas but if they sit for too long and get mushy or are overcooked I am not at all a fan.  When I tasted the tendrils I was so surprised by the pea taste.  So as the bag sat on the counter we snacked on the tendrils . . and snacked until we realized our tongues were turning green - yikes!  In the future I know that the pea tendrils are delicious raw but in the couscous with whole peas it was a pea-apooloza.  I added lemon & tarragon which totally enhanced the pea flavour  - and just so you're forewarned I am a nut for the lemon tarragon combo, the only flavour profile I love more is cilantro lime. 

Hope you try some of tonight's dishes!


Mustard Dill Sauce
2 T grated onion
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T dijon mustard
juice from 1/2 of lemon
lots & lots of fresh chopped dill, maybe 2-3 T (I didn't add enough in the beginning and went back to the garden for more)
a squeeze of honey (I noticed this in several recipes and added it after I tasted the sauce and it was a little too tart - this addition made it perfect)
salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Serve over roasted salmon.

Israeli Couscous with Peas and Pea Tendrils
1/2 cup onion, diced
olive oil
1 cup whole wheat Israeli couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 lemon, zest & juice
1 c peas
handful pea tendrils
fresh tarragon, chopped
salt & pepper

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add couscous and toast for 1-2 minutes.  Add zest of lemon and then stock, cook couscous according to package directions.  Add juice of lemon, peas and pea tendrils and cook until peas heated through and tendrils wilted. Add tarragon just before serving. Remember to season with salt & pepper along the way.