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.
.
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.
