This was my first full weekend home at Struan Farm following my recent holiday. And of course it rained! But John and I found projects to do. I'd brought a cedar plank back with me so that we could try roasting salmon on the BBQ, something people in the Northwest and Western USA do quite a bit of. I coated the salmon with a chile lime dust. The board is soaked in water (or wine or fruit juice) for at least an hour before it's deployed. The fish is then set on the wet board over indirect heat with the BBQ lid closed. The aromatic smoke infuses the fish--seriously good! My plan was to expose John to this technique so we could then test it out with native NZ manuka/tea tree wood.
The next night I made "Spiced Parsnip & Kumara Soup," served with (leftover) salmon salad. The soup is topped with parsnip crisps coated with sea salt flakes and sumac, the crunchy bits really make the dish! Parsnips and red kumara are first roasted with garlic, onion and cumin seeds after tossing in olive oil. The roasted veggies are put into a pot with green curry and vegetable stock, everything is then pureed with an immersion blender. Cream is added before the mixture is heated and served.
While I do miss the sunshine and heat, it's definitely good to be back home and cooking in my kitchen!
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