Smoked Salmon and Melon

We wanted to have Kirk and Mira over for dinner and invited Tom and Joan to join. We are getting amazing use of our new deck in front, and every dinner seems to begin with drinks and appetizers on the deck. We sit on the chairs and the steps provide perfect stadium seating. This space was amazingly designed.

This has been the summer of new melon recipes for us. This is a great Thai Melon Salad from the City Cuisine Cookbook by Feniger and Milliken. Everyone really liked the salad. We left out the dried shrimp. It turned out that our chilies weren’t as hot as we expected, so try the chilies as you cook. They all vary in hotness.

For the main course I smoked a salmon in the Egg. Low and slow. We used the recipe for Honey-Cured, Smoked Salmon from Cooking with Fire and Smoke by Phillip Stephen Schulz. You can find the recipe in our blog of: Jan 15, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.This time the salmon was perfect! I kept the temperature exactly at 175 degrees the entire time. The key is not to overcook the salmon and dry it out.

With the Salmon we served a new dish for us: Green Beans and Carrots with Cumin Seeds. This recipe is from The Spice Merchant’s Daughter by Christina Arokiasamy. We met her in Ubud, Bali at a book signing and bought her cookbook. I am not a great fan of green beans, but I liked this recipe. Actually as I think about it, I do like green beans if they are prepared in an interesting manner. It is just that I grew up with steamed boring green beans (probably from a can or frozen – but didn’t we all!). This is a good recipe. With the Salmon and Green Beans we served Saffron Rice from a recipe in the The Food of Morocco Cookbook. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 20, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

We definitely had a lot of great wine and also a Godiva Liquor for dessert.

Green Beans and Carrots with Cumin Seeds

The Spice Merchants Daughter

Christina Arokiasamy

This simple yet delectable vegetable dish is commonly served in Malaysian homes for lunch or dinner because it is a healthy addition to any meal. The mustard seeds and cumin release a warm, nutty flavor when added to hot oil, bringing out the very best in the vegetables. The natural sweetness of this dish beautifully complements Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, served with salmon or any curry dish, serves 4

2         tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1         teaspoon black mustard seeds

1         teaspoon cumin seeds

2         garlic cloves, minced

2         xrge shallots, finely chopped

2         medium carrots, cut into matchsticks

8         ounces green beans, sliced diagonally

1-1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1.            Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. Immediately cover with a splatter screen to prevent the mustard seeds from popping out of the pan. After 30 seconds, or when the mustard seeds just begin to pop, add the garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shallots turn brown.

2.            Add the carrots and green beans and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Thai melon salad

City Cuisine

Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken

This authentic Thai dressing, packed with savory ingredients like garlic, chiles, peanuts, and dried shrimp, accentuates the coolness of summer melons. This dish looks lovely prepared with alternating rows of brightly colored melons: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, crenshaw, and honeydew are some we use at the restaurant.

3         garlic cloves, pureed

2         tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

¼        cup thai fish sauce

½        cup fresh lime juice

3         or more serrano chiles to taste, stems                            removedand thinly sliced with seeds

1         tablespoon chopped kaffir lime leaves or  1  teaspoon grated lime zest

½        cup dried shrimp

½        cup roasted, unsalted peanuts

6         cups assorted melon cubes, in 1/2-inch cubes, each variety separated

¼         cup fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Mix garlic, palm or brown sugar, thai fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, and lime leaves in a medium : bowl. Roughly chop shrimp and peanuts by hand or in a food processor and add to garlic mixture. (the dressing can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator.)

To serve, arrange each variety of melon cubes in alternating rows on a platter or in individual bowls. Spoon dressing over melon in a stripe and garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

6 servings