Arugula Salad with Gravlax, Avocado & Pickled Fennel

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Arugula Salad with Gravlax, Avocado & Pickled FennelThis is one of those non-recipe recipes; it’s really just a list of ingredients for a salad too stunning not to share.  Plus, it’s a good way to use up all that pickled fennel I know you rushed to the kitchen to make and soon as I posted the recipe yesterday.

So why is this salad so great?  Well, first of all it’s drop-dead gorgeous, a 10+, for sure.  It’s incredibly fresh and vibrant, not just in color, but flavor and texture, as well.  It’s the kind of healthy eating that satisfies your taste buds and reminds you that winter does have something to offer beyond squash and braised meat.  I think my jeans will be thankful for the reminder.

The salad is about half lettuce, half goodies.  Arugula is tossed with pickled fennel, then topped with sliced avocado, orange supremes, gravlax, and a few roasted pistachios.  The result is an entrée salad that you’ll be wanting for lunch everyday for all of forever.  At least that’s where I’m at.

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Salmon with Warm Potato, Mushroom & Celery Salad

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Salmon with Warm Potato, Mushroom, and Celery SaladIt’s hard to determine the best thing this dish has going on.  It’s a great combination of rich salmon and crème fraîche, cut with a squeeze of lemon, and paired with a warm potato salad.  Mushrooms for earthiness, celery for crunch, and totally worthy of being accompanied by candles and wine.  Oh, and once you have the potatoes are boiling, you’re about 15 minutes away from dinner.  Nice.

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Salmon with Morel Mushroom & Brandy Cream + Chicken & Morel Mushroom Fricassée

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The past week has been very mushroomy in my world.  It started with creamy orecchiette pasta with shiitake mushrooms and peas (look for that a little later this week!) and ended with an absurd amount of morel mushrooms served with salmon one night and in a chicken fricassée the next.

I only say absurd because if one were to buy as many morels as I’ve eaten in the past few days, they’d probably have to take out a second mortgage or sell a vital organ.  I priced them at the grocery store and they were $15.99 for 4 shrively mushrooms.  Yikes.  Thankfully, I’m lucky enough to have (future) in-laws that live on several wooded acres that are ripe with morel mushrooms most springs and a fiancé that loves hunting ’em down.  This year, Matt wound up with enough for us to have 2 very mushroom heavy dinners plus a bag to share with my parents.  Here’ s a taste of what we came up with and, perhaps, a little cooking inspiration, should you also come into a heap of morels this spring.

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

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Salmon Tartare with Avocado, Olives & Tarragon

I’ve been staring at my computer screen for far too long.  I’m supposed to be thinking of something clever to write about my latest rendition of salmon tartare, but my mind keeps wandering.

Looking at these tartare pictures, the only thing I can think about is when I’m going to make this again. Soon, it’s got to be soon.

This is my ideal salmon tartare.  It has enough going on to keep me interested, without overwhelming the delicacy of the fish.  This version has a luxurious base of creamy avocado and a spoonful of a tarragon oil to use as a garnish.  Bright lemon and green onions counter the richness of the salmon and a layer of minced black olives keeps the sweetness of the tarragon in check.  It’s indulgent, yet balanced, and, man, is it ever craveable.

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