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#WinePW Preview + CSA Meets CSF


This month the Wine Pairing Weekend Bloggers are taking a CSA Challenge and pairing produce from a local, organic farm - either through a CSA subscription or a farmers' market stand - with a bottle of wine. I am hosting the group this month; you can read my invitation here

#WinePW Preview

If you are reading this early enough, feel free to jump in on our live Twitter chat on Saturday, August 13th at 8am Pacific. Follow the hashtag #WinePW and be sure to add it to anything you tweet so we can see it. 

Here's what the group is sharing...

CSA Meets CSF

As I usually do when I have time before one of these events, I try out a few different recipes and pairings. A previous farmer to whose CSA I belonged has shifted her focus. She now hosts several farmstands throughout the week. But it's her curated produce selection at a local market that inspired me for this dish. I ran over to Elroy's and picked up a bunch of stone fruit and wild, foraged sea beans.



And after salmon bellies appeared in our CSF (Community-Supported Fisheries) share a few years ago, they have been a family favorite. I picked these up at my local fish market. There is a "mix fish" tray that is full of bits and pieces of fish that they aren't selling as big, gorgeous fillets. At only six dollars a pound; I usually clear out any and all salmon bellies that they have! Shhh...don't tell.

Then I decided to create Olive Oil-Poached Salmon Bellies with Stone Fruit Salsa.

Ingredients serves 4

Salmon
  • 1 pound salmon bellies
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • olive oil

Salsa
  • 1½ cups diced stone fruit (I used a mixture of nectarines, plums, and nectar-plums)
  • 1 Tablespoon diced preserved lemon rind (one of my recipes here)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sea beans, chopped
  • olive oil
  • vinegar
  • salt and pepper, as needed


Procedure

Salsa
Place the fruits, lemon rind, and sea beans together in a medium mixing bowl. Add in a glug or two of olive oil and stir to coat. Add a splash of vinegar, then season to taste with salt and pepper, as needed. The sea beans are salty on their own, so I didn't add more. Just a few grinds pepper.


Set aside until ready to serve.


Salmon
Select a large enough pot that the salmon bellies can sit flat without touching each other. I use my Le Creuset braiser.


Pour olive oil into the pot so that it’s about ½ inch deep. Add garlic and thyme. Bring the olive oil to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 

Lower the salmon bellies – skin-side down – into the warm oil. Poach for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the bellies and poach for another 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oil and repeat if not all fit into the pot the first time.


If using immediately, serve warm. If using later, let salmon cool and refrigerate.


To Serve
Place salmon bellies on a bed of sea beans and spoon the salsa over the top. Serve immediately.


I served this with a fresh slaw made with cabbage, jicama, and ripe mango.


I can't wait to read all of the articles by the #WinePW bloggers this weekend. Stay tuned! And I'll share a little bit about the bottle of wine I poured with these salmon bellies - CVNE Maruxa Godello 2019 - then. Cheers!

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