Savoring Summer

As we go from 80 degree days to 60 degrees, we have another guest post by Thommy reminding us to gather ye rosebuds (or zucchinis and figs!) while ye may!

The fact that the majority of people in America live in the setting of urban modernity shows that the (post) industrial world has provided many great things to its citizens.  The world’s urban centers are great concentrations of activity that allows for progress and prosperity.  But clearly there is a great expense for all of the benefits this world provides.  This resource-intensive system is also ridden with poverty, pollution, and an ironic isolation that can only be experienced in suburbia.  Another tradeoff is the homogenization of culture and a disconnection with the natural world.

I remember listening to a program on NPR while driving years ago. Some high school students were given the phrase “Everything that’s unique” as a point of departure for a poetry assignment.  Predictably, many of the resulting poems were of the cliché, tediously heartwarming type that breeds rainbow-colored flying horses with unicorn horns (as far from unique as this creature can transport someone).  One poem, however, stood out in a way that made me pull my car over to stop and listen.  The young man read his poem that bemoaned the coming of big-box stores to his rural town.  “All we sacrifice is everything that’s unique,” was the poem’s conclusion.  It is clear that the young poet was painfully aware of the shortfalls of the urban setting.

So what can we do to reclaim what is lost to industrial anonymity?  A very direct way of accomplishing this is through food.  I can sum up my favorite meals with the acronym SLIF.  I praise foods that are Seasonal, Local, Idiosyncratic, and Fresh.  A simple way of doing this is to keep a garden.  Even the smallest addition of homegrown food will enrich the experience of eating and resurrect seasonality.  But if it’s impossible to grow your own food, look to the region for ingredients: go to local farmer’s markets, partake in community sponsored agriculture programs, or shop at places that feature local foods and the staff gets to know you personally (why shop at a place where you can’t get a hug?).

I feel very fortunate to live in the Puget Sound region of Western Washington where local flavor is abundant, and seasonality can be smelled in the air.  Even in the city, it’s difficult to ignore the resinous fragrance of the alders as they break dormancy in early spring.  This is followed by salmon runs, Walla Walla sweet onions, fresh garlic, and a plethora of garden produce.  As the year continues, fall is filled with the candy sweet smell of the katsura trees commonly planted here, and of course, the mushrooms that are the gifts of the autumn rains. 

Late summer is a spectacular time for SLIF.  Vegetable gardens are bursting with the abundant fruition of the year’s toil.  Grilling is a great way of bringing out the best of the season.  The following is a step by step description of how to make one of my favorite meals:  Salmon grilled in grape leaves served with fresh, seasonal vegetables. 

The Primary Ingredients:

   

Fresh wild-caught sockeye salmon and freshly picked zucchini.

I prefer sockeye salmon in this case because it is manageable in size and comparatively economical.  A side of sockeye filet typically weighs about 1.25 lbs and can be found for as little as $7.99 when on sale.  Use what’s available, but avoid farm-raised salmon because it s less tasty, nutritionally inferior, and environmentally damaging.  The portions pictured are about a third of a pound each.

The zucchini I grew this year is the “Piccolo” variety.  It forms striped ovoid fruits just larger than my fist. One makes a two great portion sizes.  Romano or scarlet runner beans are also great summer grilling vegetables because their flat pods are less likely to fall through the grill.

Seasonings and accompaniments:

In addition to the lemon pictured with the salmon, here are small sweet peppers,  fresh basil, ripe yellow tomato, ground Korean chili pepper and olive oil.  Salt will is another important ingredient, but is not pictured.

Preparing the peppers:

    

Roasting peppers on a grill is a very easy process.  I’m a low-tech cook, and strongly prefer charcoal to propane.  It’s a little less convenient, but imparts a depth and fragrance to the food.  Simply place the peppers on a hot area of the grill for a couple of minutes until the skin starts to blacken.  Flip and let the other side char as well.  Move the peppers to the cool part of the grill and cover to let them cook through. Remove them from the grill when they are soft.

The seasonings:

    

Peel and chop the garlic coarsely. Slice the basil to a fine chiffanade.  This is done by stacking leaves on top of one another, rolling the and slicing them into fine ribbons.  Add the garlic, basil, and ground chili to olive oil and mix gently.  This seasoning mix will be used on the salmon and the zucchini.

Gad Zuchs!

    

Slice the zucchini into wedges, salt them lightly and coat with the seasoning mixture.  Place them on the grill and mark them.  Flip and repeat.  As with the peppers, move the zucchini to the cooler periphery of the grill and cover to continue cooking.

Finally, the fish!

My first step with almost any seafood is to squirt it with lemon juice and salt it.  These two ingredients are crucial as they impart brightness and depth to the flavor.  They also preserve freshness and cut down on cootie action.  Salt and acidity are two of the major ingredients in food preservation.

After the lemon and salt, apply the seasoning mixture. 

At this point, the salmon can be cooked by grilling, baking, or broiling to make a satisfying main course to a great meal, but a couple more steps can make it an a wonderfully nuanced SLIF experience.

The Grapes of Wrap!

An often-overlooked summer food that is in abundance throughout the region is the grape leaf.  Grape vines twine their way through many neighborhood gardens.  In very fortunate years, they actually produce edible grapes.  But even in the years with the worst of weather, the vines are bedecked with lush green leaves with great culinary value.  These can be used fresh through spring and summer, or preserved for later use (see the SAVING SUMMER essay for further details).

To continue this recipe, blanch several grape leaves by holding them by their stalks and dipping them in boiling water (with a little salt for good measure).

    

Remove the stalks and flatten out the leaves.  Two good-sized leaves should be enough to cover the salmon.  Place the fish in the center of the leaves and cover thin tomato slices.  In this case, I used yellow tomatoes because great ones were available, but any flavorful garden fresh tomatoes will do.

I sometimes omit the tomato step, but end up regretting it.  The tomato helps to prevent the fish from drying out while cooking.  Good tomatoes also provide the elusive umami taste (see the Umami article for further details).

Wrap the salmon by bringing the ends and forming a tight “envelope.”  The wrapping helps the salmon cook evenly, remain moist, and stay intact on the grill. 

     

Place on the grill and cover.  Check every five minutes or so.  When the salmon is cooked, it should be firm to the touch and the leaves should have slightly charred edges.  Because the fish is wrapped, it can be picked up with tongs or easily scooped up with  a spatula.  Charred grape leaves also impart a subtle yet flavorful smokiness to the salmon.

Serve the salmon, peppers, and zucchini with a little bit of steamed rice.  Any extra basil leaves or lemon wedges make a great edible garnishes that will add flavor as well as visual interest to the plate.

It must be noted that the grape leaf is fully edible and quite tasty. When sliced, the salmon will be pink and opaque and topped with roasted tomato goodness. 

So what’s for dessert?

As long as the grill is hot, why not enjoy another example of the Seasonal, Local, Idiosyncratic, and Fresh, and grill up some ripe summer fruits?  Grilled figs make a great sweet treat to follow the salmon, and are among the simplest things to pepare.

I always admire the mysterious beauty of fresh figs as I slice through them. When properly ripe, they taste of honey and butter.  I had to purchase these figs because unfortunately, my tree is still a toddler and won’t produce fruit until next summer (at the soonest). 

    

To prepare these figs, simply cut them in half and put them on bamboo skewers.  Using two skewers will keep the fruits from rotating, and make them easier to handle.  Place the skewered figs face-down on the grill.

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In just a few minutes, the figs will brown and caramelize.  Simply remove them from the skewers.  They can be served with goat cheese, ice cream, or my favorite way:  Plain. 

Enjoy the bounty of the season.