You must promise me that one evening, soon, when ambient light hovers and whispy clouds drift across the sky, you’ll make this dinner just so. You must promise to make the yogurt sauce with fresh oregano and grill the peaches and you must, I mean must, have a good beer by your side. And, if your partner in crime is not around, go ahead a leave the salmon just the tiniest bit undercooked. Promise?
Go ahead. Run to the grocer. I’ll wait.
I have no idea where this came from, other than that I saw a few grilled peaches in some magazine a few weeks ago and I felt the need for something other than a marinade. Voila! This whipped up in less than 30 minutes and I had time to water the lawn while it was all grilling. On an evening as still as the one you’ll cook this this, sit in the quiet. Watch the clouds chug past and the cottonwood spores float down. Disregard those noseeums. One bite and you’ll forget all about them. I promise.
I almost didn’t take a picture, so eager was I to gobble it up. But then I replated, and, so un-Heidi-Swanson-like, all kinds of food photog faux pas reveal themselves. Yes, I know the fish is scaly-side up. And no, I did not eat that entire serving of the fish. The photo is just a tad too dark. But hey—at least I got a shot!
- Cut the bottom meaty part off the asparagus. Spritz lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper.
- Slice a fresh peach or twelve. (You’ll want more, I guarantee it. I’m imagining these with a shortbread and fresh whipped cream, in a sandwich, on skewers…)
- Unwrap the freshest salmon you can find. Make sure he’s pink pink and not farm raised.
- Toss the salmon, peaches and asparagus on the grill.
- Paint your toenails. Crack a beer. Turn a cartwheel…it’s summer, and dinner is almost done!
- Mix a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon (very precise measurements here, you know). Grind in some fresh pepper. Pluck some oregano from your kitchen garden and toss it in. The more the merrier, so far as I’m concerned.
- Watch it all till it’s grilled: I like my peaches floppy, my asparagus glen green and my salmon just before it flakes.
- Eat outside and revel in the goodness of life.
- A second beer is optional, but highly recommend.
Note: I made brown rice to go with this, but I forgot it in the kitchen and it wasn’t even missed!
YUM
Nothing like salmon in the great northwest. Our son tries out a new recipe every time we visit. We got a cute photo of Ava (our granddaughter) at Pike’s parked next to a 3 foot salmon. She really gave it the “who the heck are you” look. When are you getting married?
The salmon here is beyond, beyond. You’ll have to send me one of your son’s recipes.
N and I are saying “I do” on August 20th. We’re excited and giddy (as are my parents. It’s about time, they say!) 😉