Orach (Mountain Spinach)

The garden has been planted for a while now, but here in the Northwest it takes a while to start getting produce, especially since this June was one of the rainiest on record!  One thing that has been coming up really well is the orach.  It is also commonly known as mountain spinach.

Orach in the garden

Regular spinach tends to bolt so fast that we don’t even plant it.  We got some orach a few years ago from Darrel’s mom and now it just comes up wild all over the garden!

We were wondering about the nutritional value, however.  I looked it up and for 100 grams (3.5 oz) it has 17 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, and other good for you things.  I was amazed at the protein amount!

Pretty colors

Like many of the greens that we grow, I just saute these in some olive oil with slice garlic and a little red pepper flakes.  Finish it with a little lemon or lime squeeze and a dusting of parmesan.  Good to eat and good for you too!

You can also use the leave in salads.  Many of the mesclun mixes sold today have orach in them.

Chile Colorado

One thing about me is that I LOVE Mexican food of all types and cook it quite often. This goes back to a childhood growing up in Kansas which has a large hispanic population.  My parents loved Mexican food so we had it every Friday night growing up.  My friends used to always want to spend the night at our house that night so they could eat the food!

A few days ago I bought some chuck steak from Costco. I love chuck and it is a cheaper cut than most and it has a lot of flavor. I grew up eating it.

Well, the package from Costco was sliced so thin that it was worthless to try to cook as a steak on the grill since it cooked so quickly that even though I flipped it after just a minute, it was already over-cooked.

So, what to do with the rest of this package? Chile Colorado!  Darrel and I were headed to the boat club to finish washing and waxing the boat in preparation for the crab season opener on July 1st, so I wanted something to slow cook. (Oh yeah, more on crab next week!)

Chile Colorado

Start by toasting 3 New Mexican and 3 Ancho chiles in a skillet. Have to be very careful not to burn.

 Boil 2 cups of water in a large, glass bowl in the microwave.

After the water boils, add the chiles to the bowl and push them down to cover completely with water.

Let them soften for about 15 minutes, then fish the chiles out with a slotted spoon and put in a blender with about a cup of the liquid and blend into a puree.

Add one small can of diced tomatoes and blend again.

Set aside the mixture for later.

Cut up the meat and brown it a bit at a time in a dutch oven.

In the meantime, chop an onion and 6 cloves of garlic.

Once the meat is all browned – I removed each batch and put in a bowl while browning the rest – add the onions and garlic to the pan and briefly cooked them.

Add the meat back into the pan and pour the chile/tomato mixture over it all.

Pour in about a cup of beef broth and about 2 teaspoons of freshly ground cumin.

Stir together, then cover and put in the oven at 225 for 3 hours. Remov the lid, turn up the oven to 300 and let it cook down for another 2 hours.

Chile Colorado

Add 1 1/2 limes worth of juice to the mixture after removing from the heat.

There are many ways to serve this. Last night we had it in a bowl with chopped cabbage, sour cream, avocado, onions, cilantro, and more lime.

I made Darrel a burrito for lunch with some of it – flour tortilla, cheese, onions, sour cream, and cilantro.

It can be used for enchiladas, tacos, tostados, or just about anything.

Dinner is Served!

Chile Colorado

3 Dried New Mexico Chiles

3 Dried Ancho Chiles

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

4 lbs Chuck Steak

2 Cups Diced Onion

6 Cloves Garlic

2 T Ground Cumin

1 Cup Beef Broth

Olive Oil

Lime Juice

Slow-Roasted Salmon

Since my husband, Darrel, has started salmon fishing out of Westport, it is time to clean out the freezer on last year’s catch.  I love salmon and like to try cooking it in new ways to keep it from getting boring.

I typically brine the fish briefly, no matter how I end up cooking it. It seems to keep the fish firm and moist and adds flavor with the dill and soy sauce added to the brine.  I use brining a lot but for salmon I almost always use 1/2 C of Kosher salt, 1/4 C of sugar, 2 Tbl Soy Sauce, and 2 Tbl dried dill.

Salmon Brining

I brined this for about 4 hours, then drained and dried it.

Slow roasting salmon isn’t really that slow, it helps infuse the flesh with the herbs and keeps the salmon moist.

Start by putting a lot of fresh herbs on a roasting pan that will fit the salmon.  In this case, the herbs were dill and thyme. I used a baking sheet covered with foil for easy cleanup.  Pour enough olive oil (about 4 tablespoons) to cover the bottom of the pan.  Drizzle another couple of tablespoons of oil over the fish and sprinkle salt and pepper.

You can top with cherry or grape tomatoes, or in this case sliced tomatoes.  An Alaskan fisherman once said that all salmon should be cooked with tomatoes, not sure why, but I don’t always use them.

Bake in a 325 degree oven until the salmon is just cooked through in the center.  Depending on the thickness of the salmon it could take 20 – 30 minutes.  Check for doneness using a small knife and see if it slides easily in and out of the thickest part of the salmon.

Slow-roasted Salmon with Tomatoes, Dill, and Thyme

You can serve this with plain Greek yogurt mixed with chopped dill, chives, or anything else you like.  I like it just by itself.

Enjoy!

Hello!

I decided to start a blog about food, gardening, and boating to help me keep track of ideas and recipes, and possibly to help others with the same.  Friends and family have enjoyed my cooking over the years and many times will ask if I will share recipes.  I have happily done this and don’t really understand those who don’t.  This blog will be a way of sharing them as well as other ideas and thoughts.