After a few busy days being out and about, we decided to enjoy a quiet evening at home. The evening temperatures in Palm Springs have been quite pleasant of late, so we opened up all the doors along the back of the house, which surround the pool. It provides a pleasant atmosphere, particularly for dinner. I decided to make salmon, having been inspired by a recipe shared by my friend Tom. I used his Mom's recipe and modified it a little. OK, I modified it a lot, but I still give Tom's Mom credit for the idea. It was just John and me for dinner, but I set the table with cloth napkins and place mats just because. After all, I'm worth it. (Why does that sound like the L'Oreal commercial??) I sliced a loaf of fresh French bread, and opened a bottle of wine to breathe. I returned to the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner.
above: It was a nice calm night, the pool was glowing and still. You can see it from inside the house in the photo above right (which is the same as the large one above, just no flash).
The Chef At Work
above: I sliced and chopped the block of fresh feta cheese.
above: Using fresh, locally grown organic Medjool Dates, I pitted and sliced them into quarters.
above: The fresh salmon was marinated in lemon-infused virgin olive oil. I sprinkled a layer of feta cheese on the base, placed the salmon down, and began layering sliced dates and sliced apples.
above: Then a full layer of feta cheese, along with some White Vermouth and a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil on top.
above: using a top layer of aluminum foil, I sealed the edges and baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Before removing from the oven I browned the surface under the broiler to give the feta cheese and dates a slight crisped finish.
above: I served the baked salmon on a warmed plate, garnished with slices of the baked apple slices, fresh wilted organic spinach and spears of steamed organic asparagus.
above: I served the plated salmon and snapped this photo before sitting down to enjoy.
above: the kids sat underneath the table at out feet, enjoying the smell of dinner. They are so well behaved, neither of them bothered us while we dined.
Well that's all really. This is a REALLY EASY dinner to make- if you have aluminum foil and a few odds and ends in the house anyone can make salmon. Try it sometime. But do me a favor, if you do, regardless of what variation you use, please call it Tom's Mom's Salmon. It's good karma to do so.
-Rick Rockhill
17 comments:
Looks delish! :)
Ooh! Looks yummy!
I LOVE feta Cheese... great appetizer: take a slab of feta and put it in a piece of foil(make a packet), top the feta with a bit of lemon juice, pressed garlic, and greek herbs. Seal the feta packet, bake in the oven until warm and spread it on toasted french bread rounds...
Great appetizer for "drinks" before dinner!
it sure sounded like a perfect evening, Rick!
Wow...what an awesome recipe....I think I'll try it...(can ya send me some dates? hehe), although...the atmosphere will have to be by the fireside instead of "doors open with pleasant temperatures" :-(
Peace
you know rick i didn't think i liked feta until about a month ago at daughter's house and man, i loved it! this looks wonderful!
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
That looks SO good!!!
I thought the cheese was actually a hunk of tofu. The meal looked divine.
that's a lovely presentation. and i love the big load of bread on the table too.
i hope you saved something for the dogs too.
I never think to plate things, given that I'm always making family-style meals. I guess making things a bit special once in a while would be nice.
You set the stage for a wonderful dinner. How nice! I'd love to have someone to do that for me. One day...
oh that does sound and look so yummy. i just ate dinner but suddenly i am feeling hungry again....
I don't know what I am more impressed with - the salmon or the well behaved dogs!
The salmon looks fabu.
ooh, feta, dates and apple - sounds perfect.
The dogs are adorable, the food looks delish....so when do I show up?
:)
bloggrace@hotmail.com
Oh, forgot to mention, it really tenderizes salmon to pack things on top of it - in the case of Tom's mom's recipe the feta and fruit, as well as marinading with oil and acid.
A few years ago, my mother mixed seasonings with mayo and slathered it on top of her salmon, sealed it in foil, baked, then opened up and broiled for a few min. Now a favorite family salmon recipe on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mmmm...food...lokks absolutely scrummy! And the boys too :)
Thanks Rick for the credit for the recipe! Not sure how well I deserve since about the only common ingredients are the salmon and the feta. Mom prepares her dish with julienne cut squash, capers, and cherry tomatos. Your recipe does look delish, I especially like the idea of the quick broil at the end.
Uhh-oh, you linked my blog, I guess that means I should start updating it!
Cheers!
Tom
I'm sorry I am so very late on commenting on this post-I did read it in reader when it was posted, but forgot to click over....anyhow...
It looks fantastic! I love feta cheese and as I type this my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I've recently started liking salmon and this whole combination is just fantastic. And the plating-so pretty! Great job Rick.
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