It has been a
long Journey from my mother's kitchens and the restaurant where I grew up.
Although I never meet my father I was surrounded by Aunts and Uncles that
adored me and raised me like a little princess. My brother was gone by the time
I was nine or ten and that left the castle to me. He likes to remind me of how
they used to dress me up like a china doll. He didn't quite know how to react to
that. I guess that's why as soon as they figured I wasn't going to be a concert
pianist and they watched as I turned to horses as my life's first passion.
Our house was a fortress that at one
time housed four families, but by the time I was 10 it was just us. There were
10 bedrooms on the top two floors, two were in the attic. My mother forged a
great restaurant out of nothing in a residential section of downtown Rutland.
She had strange ideas, trusted nobody except her brothers, sister and cousins.
She wouldn't advertize, she thought it was a sign of weakness and people would
think the business was in trouble if we did.
When Mr Tom and I first hooked up an
answering machine on the home phone it infuriated her to no end. She despised
technology. When mother called and we didn't pick up she would begin giving the
phone "what for" it took her some time to grasp the idea that people
on the other end could hear her. I can just see me trying to convince her today
that she needs a facebook page to promote her business.
Today Mrs. Tom wants to share a
healthy dish with an Italian Twist. Salmon is being touted as the new brain
food said to stave off dementia and to increase your cognitive health. Thats
why Mrs. Tom stays so sharp. This dish is very simple and you can use any kind
of side dish, potato salad in the summer time, green beans or anything you
like.
Fresh Herb Salmon w eggplant olive
relish
Serves 4
21/2 lb piece of Salmon (skin removed)
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of gresj squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup fresh parsley (course shaved)
3/4 fresh dill (course shaved)
3/4 fresh basil (course shaved)
sal & pepper
Place the salmon in a shallow baking
dish season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil and lemon juice on the fish,
place the chopped fresh herbs on top of the fish put it back in the
refrigerator for at least 1 hour, spoon the lemon and oil mixture over the top
of the fish 2 or 3 times while it is marinating.
When the fish is ready heat the the
grill and place the fish herb side up on your grill and close the lid do not
flip the fish. Grill about 6-7 minutes basting the top of the fish a few times
with the lemon olive oil...don't get too much oil at one time to cause a
flame-up.
EGGPLANT OLIVE RELISH RELISH
1/2cup Olive oil
1 eggplant peeled and cubed (½ inch cube)
1Red pepper diced ¼ inch
2 TBS rough chopped garlic
2 TBS fine chopped shallot
1/2 bunch finely chopped green onion
1 cup black greek olives coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch Italian parsley chopped fine
5 large basil leaves chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup marinara sauce
Method:
Pour 1/4 cup the oil in a medium sauté pan
Lightly sweat (sauté) garlic shallots peppers and green
onion
Increase to medium high heat and add eggplant.
Mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes to give good color add more
oil if necessary
Mix in olives, herbs and marinara fold together 2 minutes
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Remove from heat and transfer to flat pan to cool under
refrigeration
Mrs. Toms Secret
Pull your relish from the refrigerator and serve at room
temperature or just warm. Ask your fish monger to skin the fish for you as it
will be hard to cut once it comes off the grill.
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