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Robert and Darryl returned from San Francisco and we invited them over for dinner. We started with one of our favorite summer soups. Tomato Soup with Cumin and Figs from Moro East by Sam & Sam Clark. When ever we are in London we always eat at Moro. The recipes are a Spanish – Moroccan blend. This soup is perfect in summer when tomatoes and figs are at their best.

For the main course we served Slow-Roasted Salmon With Cabbage, Bacon,  And Dill from It’s AboutTime by Michael Schlow. Bacon, of course, is my favorite seasoning and this is a great use of it. I love this salmon dish. It is very elegant (and easy). We purchased the salmon at McCall’s Meat and Fish.

For dessert we made not 1 but 2 Apricot desserts! An Apricot Pie and an Apricot Crisp. My pie making continues. Robert, declares it isn’t a pie if it doesn’t have a top crust.

SLOW-ROASTED SALMON

WITH CABBAGE,   BACON,  AND  DILL

It’s About Time

Michael Schlow

1 head savoy cabbage (3/4 head regular green cabbage can be substituted)

6 slices bacon, cut into 6 to 8 pieces each

1 onion, cut into small dice

8 ounces (1 cup) water, plus additional if needed

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over roasted fish

4 small knobs butter (a "knob" is about 1 teaspoon)

Juice of 1 lemon

Makes dinner for 4

Try cooking salmon like this, and you might never cook it any other way again. The low-temperature oven really does improve the texture of the fish. The combination of salmon, cabbage, and bacon is perfect for cooler weather, making this an ideal meal for fall, but it's great anytime. For a hearty variation, add some diced, blanched potatoes to the cabbage as it finishes braising.

Halve the cabbage lengthwise, cut out the core, then remove the leaves and slice them into 2-1/2-inch squares.

·               Preheat the oven to 250°F.

·               Place the bacon in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Render the bacon until cooked but not crispy. You should have approximately 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) fat; if you have more, discard the excess.

·               Add the onion and saute for 1 minute.

·               Add the cabbage and water and let simmer uncovered until the cabbage

·               is tender, about 15 minutes. If all the water evaporates during cooking, add more as needed until the cabbage is very tender.

·               Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets on a nonstick sheet pan. Drizzle 1 table­spoon of the olive oil over each fillet. Season with salt, pepper, and half the dill. Top each fillet with a knob of butter and place in the oven. Cook 15 to 18 minutes for medium rare, 21 to 24 minutes for medium (depending on the thickness of the fish), and if you cook it any longer than that, I can't be held responsible.

·               When the cabbage is meltingly soft and tender, season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the dill. Keep warm while the salmon finishes cooking.

·               Remove the salmon from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice.

TO SERVE

·               Divide the cabbage between four dinner plates, top with the salmon fillets, and drizzle a little more olive oil over the fish.

·               Season with freshly ground pepper, sprinkled on and around the fish.

·               Garnish with additional fresh dill, if desired, and serve.

Tomato soup with cumin and figs

From Moro East by Sam & Sam Clark

This soup is based on a recipe from Fra Juan's restaurant in the monastery of Guadalupe. It is strictly a summer dish, an interesting Spanish twist on a classic tomato soup. While serving this soup at the restaurant, a waiter over­heard a customer say it was the best tomato soup she had ever had. Of course, it was a moment when the ingredients did shine. It was at the beginning of August, after a heat wave, and British tomatoes tasted as good as they get. The allotment figs were superb, too. It's a thrill to find recipes that have been cooked for hundreds of years, but in the end this means nothing unless the ingredients are at their peak.

Serves 4

6         tablespoons olive oil

1         kg flavorful tomatoes, roughly sliced

1         medium onion, chopped

1         green pepper, chopped

150-300         ml water

3         garlic cloves, chopped

a little caster sugar (optional)

2 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a pan, then crushed

5 or 6 ripe, plump fresh figs, finely diced

400g         tin of chopped plum tomatoes, drained of juice

a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to serve

100g dried figs, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and green pepper with a good pinch of salt and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking until sweet and golden brown. Add two-thirds of the cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Now add the tinned tomatoes and dried figs and simmer gently, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, stirring now and then. When the mixture is rich and concen­trated, put in the fresh tomatoes and increase the heat slightly, then simmer for 15 minutes more. With a handheld blender, whizz until smooth, then pour in enough of the water to achieve a consistency like double cream. Season well with salt, pepper and sugar if necessary.

Stir half the fresh figs through the soup and use the rest to garnish each portion in the bowl, along with the remaining cumin and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.