Gravlax & Almond Cardamom salt

Kelly Lenihan writes, "Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill. As the salmon cures, by the action of osmosis, the moisture turns the dry cure into a highly concentrated brine. A light bulb went off -- who needs dill? Salmon cured in a flavor-infused salt seemed like the perfect marriage to me! On a mission, I went to the Ballard Farmer's Market last Sunday and picked up a jar of Almond Orange Cardamom salt. I covered my salmon in a salt-sugar mixture, added a splash of Pernod and wrapped the fish into nice little packet, placed it in the fridge and voilà, 48 hours later I had a delicious gravlax."

For Kelly's natural interpretation on a 'centuries-old standard,' take a peak: http://www.examiner.com/x-7067-Seattle-Food-Examiner~y2009m5d7-Gravlax-a-new-twist-on-an-old-favorite

Kelly is a woman who wears many a hat. Her Savory Seattle blog is one. The Seattle Supper Club is another she sails around town in. She sports the latter sombrero amidst a social dining circle, of both new and old friends, that gather in celebration of the food and copious drink that Seattle prides itself upon. Like Kelly's take on Gravlax, it's fresh, fun, and what can make Seattle more special than it already is. You should join her. I did.

Full Circle Farm Beets

Beets are beautiful, earthy, and reminiscent of the dirt that nurtured them.
They are also rich in nutrients such as betaine, an important component for cardiovascular health.

We bought our organic Golden and Red beets from Full Circle (Carnation, Washington), a farm that specializes in organic produce and soil health.

Though many are familiar with the beet salads that grace the menus of our favorite restaurants, some may be unfamiliar with how they are prepared. They can be boiled, oven-roasted, or served cold on a salad. We oven-roasted ours, using the red-hued beets to make an earthy puree, while the golden-ones were diced into qube-like segements and placed on top of the puree for added texture.

The deep-hues will stain your fingers purple and sickle-orange if you let them. Yet isn't that part of the fun and art of cooking?

Beet (puree) Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the beets.

2. Coat them with oil and Almond Cardamom salt.

3. Wrap them in tin-foil and cook them for 45-60 minutes or until you can easily pierce each one with a knife.

4. Take the skins off. The deep-hues will stain your fingers and/or cloth so that you may want to use an old towel.

5. Puree the beats with a cup of chicken stock and 1/4 tsp of butter. Puree until high and smooth.

6. Put beet puree in sauce pot on stove. Simmer and mount a 1/2 tsp of butter to round out the flavor.

7. Plate puree and finish with Almond Cardamom salt.

Pump your Autumn

Have you ever come across a recipe that makes you drool, "oooh, and ahhhh?" Pumpkin Fondue did it to me. Last week, I stumbled upon such a gem.

Though for some reason I thought two Pumpkins would be better than one. Having grown up in a consumerist society, how could more not equal better?

The players above (not in order):

-Pumpkin #1 prepped with Gruyere and Swiss Emmentaler cheese.

-Pump #1 coated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil before being put in the oven to bake.

-Pumpkin #1 collapsed after exposure to too much heat. Why the burnt lid didn't raise an immediate red flag still perplexes me.

-Pump #2 standing tall (on red plate) after not repeating the same mistake.

-Remaining Pumpkin Seeds recycled ... that is, baked and finished with Almond Cardamon sea salt.

ROASTED PUMPKIN FONDUE

Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine (November issue, p.58), as follows:

The Players:

- 1 (7 lb.) Pumpkin

- 1 (15-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices (7 oz. total)

- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

- 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated gruyere (7 oz)*

- 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Emmental (6 oz)*

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toast baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet in oven until tops are crisp (bread will still be pale), about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

2. Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle (3 inches in diameter) around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrap out seeds and any loose fibers from inside of pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin); reserve seeds for another use if desired.

3. Whisk together cream, broth, nutmeg. Mix together cheeses in another bowl.

4. Put a layer of toasted bread in bottom of pumpkin, then cover with about 1 cup cheese and about 1/2 cup cream mixture.

5. Cover pumpkin with top and put in an oiled small roasting pan. Brush outside of pumpkin all over with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours.

* Secret Stash note: Cheese can be substituted for Danish Fontina or any kind of top quality Swiss or Provolone.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Almond-Orange-Cardamom-Sea-Salt.html