The one time I attempted to grow Swiss Chard in Interior Alaska it grew like crazy and went to seed before I could manage to do anything with it. I tried sauteing it and I tried adding it to a salad and I have to say that I was never particularly impressed. This is an easy (yet impressive) way of adding leafy greens to your diet. It’s not a particularly healthy preparation, but boy is it delicious!
My garden is full of greens thanks to plentiful sunshine this spring. I’ve got arugula going to seed! Its a race to keep the flowers trimmed back for leaf production. This salad is a nice accompaniment to grilled meats- in this case its Sockeye Salmon from the Kenai River last summer. This recipe was found in the New Alaskan Cookbook and is a modified version of Jens Nannestad’s recipe for Salmon with Arugula salsa. It’s a light dinner for a hot summer evening.
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When I was a child my family would make the annual Alaskan pilgrimage to a warmer climate for a few weeks. Our usual destination was Zihuatanejo, Mexico and while we were there we’d often take day trips to the little fishing village of Barra de Potosí. I’ve heard that the beautifully expansive beach of Playa Blanca is beginning to be developed now but back in the 90s there were only one or two little beach bars right on the water. After an arduous journey that involved a tightly packed Volkswagen bus and a bumpy ride in the back of a pickup truck, we’d arrive at the tranquil locale. We’d settle in at an enramada where each of us would claim a hammock and relax in the warm ocean breeze. Besides plenty of cervezas, Frescas and fresh coconut water we’d order their specialty Camarones al Mojo de Ajo. If you do it right the garlic in this recipe will take on a sweet toasted flavor and it’s fun to leave the shell on as you cook them so that you can suck the garlic sauce off of your fingers later.
¡Buen apetito!
Rhubarb is in season in Alaska! It is one of my favorite vegetables since it is high in vitamin K (like Kale and Spinach) which helps develop and strengthen bones, many other vitamins including vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and many important minerals.
Health aside, its great in dessert. Rhubarb is one of the least calorie dense foods. We like to fix that issue with some butter and sugar.
This recipe is from my aunt Jeanette who resides in Palmer farm country and has made it for the past 30 years. I’ve added a few personal touches such as nuts, oats, and cinnamon into the ‘notes’.
A caribou shank isn’t the most profitable part of the animal for filleting meat as it dries quickly and is generally tough. Osso buco or “bone with a hole” is a great way to use the often tossed front shank. The best approach to cutting the shanks for Osso Buco is to slice the frozen shanks with a band saw- a common tool in the dog yard! If you lack high powered cutlery you could attempt this with a bone saw or simply go boneless (call it stew if you must) utilizing those tougher cuts of meat.
We are both born and raised in Alaska, land of the midnight sun and fishing at 2am. We love to find new ways to use fresh ingredients or put a modern spin on an old Alaskan classic. We hope you will enjoy tasting Alaska.