Asian-inspired Salmon Cakes

I'm packing a picnic to take to the theater tonight. Still pondering what to make for dessert, but here's what I made for the main course. My usual approach to salmon cakes includes garlic, red onion, Italian bread crumbs and flat leaf parsley, served with a hearty dollop of homemade tartar sauce.

Tonight we're in for something quite different.

Asian-inspired Salmon Cakes
Ingredients for patties
3/4 c. raw shrimp meat, minced
2 t. fish sauce
1 lb. cooked salmon (I used leftovers, but you can use three cans of salmon, drained..about 18 oz)
3 eggs
1/4 c. each chopped green onions and cilantro
2 t. freshly grated ginger
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 c. breadcrumbs (I used homemade today; panko work nicely too) plus 1 c. for coating patties
Etc.
lime wedges
oil/butter for sauteeing

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients for the patties until well mixed.
2. Form small patties (about 3" in diameter), coat with flour or bread crumbs and saute on medium heat until golden on each side.
3. Drain on paper towels.
4. Serve warm or cold, with lime wedges or your favorite seafood sauce.

Making Moroccan Preserved Lemons, Salmon Salad, and Chevre

What a busy work week. Puttering in the kitchen is just what the doctor ordered to soothe a frazzled soul.

So why such a hodgepodge of recipes in this post?

Hubby is out of town and I didn't have any leftovers or the inclination to cook for myself, so I decided to make salmon salad (which I prefer to tuna salad) to snack on as I processed the many lemons I've been gifted by friends with lemon trees.

And I took a cheesemaking class a couple of weeks ago. I finally got goat milk last week, and my friend Cheryl gave me a present: chevre culture and butter muslin, which is finer than cheesecloth. I'm posting the goat cheese recipe only to show you just how easy it is to make. I just followed the directions that came with the chevre culture.

All three recipes are very simple and don't take any time at all to prepare.

PS. Santa Cruz area folks can get cheesemaking supplies at Mountain Feed and Farm Supplies in Ben Lomond.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons
Ingredients

• 5-6 meyer lemons (please use organic)
• sterilized pint jar
• salt (I used kosher salt)

Directions

1. Scrub lemons with a brush. (no soap)
2. Slice the ends off and discard, then thinly slice the lemons.
3. Put a teaspoon of salt in the bottom of the jar.
4. Toss the lemon slices with a couple of tablespoons of salt.
5. Layer the lemons in the jar, pressing until the jar is tightly packed. 
6. Sprinkle another teaspoon of salt on top of the lemons, and add additional lemon juice until the lemon slices are covered. Screw the lid on the jar.
7. Leave in a cool, dark place, turning the jar once a day to redistribute the salt, for a couple of weeks.
8. When the lemons start to soften, refrigerate and let them continue to brine.
9. You can use the lemons now, if you're eager to try this tangine recipe, although they will be even better in a few weeks. They will last, refrigerated, for about a year I'm told.

Salmon Salad
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. cooked salmon or (3) 6oz. cans, drained
• 1/4 c. chopped red onion
• 1 minced dill pickle
• 2 T. capers
• 1/2 c. mayo
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 t. grey poupon mustard
• pinch garlic powder
• Optional: fresh lemon thyme or lemon zest
• Sandwich fixin's or crackers/chips

Directions

1. If using canned salmon, drain and set liquid aside.
2. Put salmon in big bowl and flake it with a fork.
3. Chop the onion and pickle.
4. Add chopped veggies, capers, mayo, mustard, garlic powder and pepper to the bowl. Mix with the salmon until blended.
5. Now comes the fun. You can make a sammie on toasted sprouted grain bread, which I did today, with pepperoncini, a shave of ripe tomato and provolone. I still have a smile on my face.
6. Or you can make a tortilla wrap. Or if you're just nibbling, serve with chips or crackers and scoop to your heart's delight.
7. Oh, and give the drained liquid to the cats.

Chevre (goat cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 gallon goat milk (not ultra pasteurized)
• 1 package of chevre culture
• a food thermometer
• butter muslin and a sieve of some sort or molds
• salt

Directions

1. Make yourself a double boiler and attach the food themometer to the inside pot with the milk.
2. Slowly warm to 86 degrees.
3. Take the milk off the burner and sprinkle the culture on top. Let rehydrate for 2 minutes, then stir into the milk.
4. Cover the pot with foil and let set for 12-24 hours.
5. Remove the foil and drain the curds from the whey. (Save the whey. It's full of protein and has many uses, including making ricotta.)
6. At this point you can do one of two things. Scoop the curds into buttercloth and hang to drain for 6 hours. Or scoop the curds into molds and drain.
7. I drained the cheese in buttercloth, then added salt, lemon zest, and lemon thyme, rolled it into logs and wrapped them in saran wrap to chill in the fridge.WORD OF CAUTION: Salt sparingly, then let the cheese sit for a few minutes while the salt dissolves. Taste again. It's very easy to add too much salt like I did. Grrr.
8. You can eat it now, or let it ripen for 2 or 3 days. It will get more tart as it ages.

Buffet Menu

This is the menu of dishes I made for my daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. It's certainly appropriate for any special occasion. In planning the menu, I kept in mind various food restrictions: my daughter prefers vegetarian fare, her father is allergic to seafood, the soon-to-be husband's dad is on dialysis. For instance, Joe wanted a ham, but individuals on dialysis need to restrict their salt intake, so I also baked chicken breasts.

Everything here was prepared, to some degree, ahead of time, which is the key to a successful buffet. The biscuit and madeleine doughs were ready. Salads made, veggies chopped. Salmon terrines prepped the day before. And as you'll see, I didn't skimp on flavor -- we love fresh herbs and fragrant spices to take a dish over the top.

The entire menu can be prepared by a first time cook. The trick to having everything ready when guests arrive is making a timeline and to do list.

The Menu

Artichoke Heart Dip [note: I used parm and mozzarella]
Baked Chicken Breasts - no recipe
Baked Ham - no recipe
Cheddar Sage Buttermilk Biscuits w/ 3 mustards - recipe below
Crudite and Hummus
Marinated Olives
Monet Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette - recipe below
Pasta Salad - recipe below
Smoked Salmon Terrines - recipe below
Wild Mushroom Crostini
Zucchini Madeleines

Recipes

Cheddar Sage Buttermilk Biscuits w/ 3 mustards
Ingredients
2 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 T. sugar
8 T unsalted butter
3 1/2 oz. shredded cheddar
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2/3 c. buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut butter into flour.
3. Add dry ingredients.
4. Blend in milk. Mix just until ingredients are combined, then roll dough on floured cutting board and cut into biscuits.
5. Butter/flour cookie sheet and place biscuits.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes.
7. In three small bowls, dollop your favorite mustards so guests can pick their poison. I chose Dijon, stoneground, and honey mustards.

Monet Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette

I saw this idea in a cookbook once but haven't been able to find it since, so I can't credit the source. But the idea is simple enough. A Monet Salad is composed of mixed baby greens and edible flowers. I used rosemary, geranium, lavender and nasturtiums. The vinaigrette is equally simple. The proportions: 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar (I combine rice/balsamic), and 3 tablespoons of Dijon. Stoneground mustard is just as nice if you have that on hand. Put it in a pretty bottle and shake it up to emulsify the ingredients.

Pasta Salad

This is not really a recipe as much as a list of ingredients. As you see, this is a meal in itself. In addition to the pasta (I used farfalle this time, although any curly pasta, like rotini or campanelle, is suitable), I added: red onions (diced small), green onions, celery, carrots, salami (cubed), mozzarella (cubed), capers, peperoncini, red bell pepper, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh basil and parsley. To keep the noodles from getting soft, I tossed it with olive oil and vinegar right before serving, then seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Voila.

Smoked Salmon Terrines
The filling: I prepared the horseradish cream cheese filling from this Sunset recipe plus lemon zest.
The terrines: Next, I lined 3 mini-bread pans with plastic wrap, letting it drap over the sides so the terrine could be completely wrapped while it set. Then I lined the pan with thin slices of smoked salmon, draping it over the sides so I could fold it back to cover the filling.
     Since the terrines were so small, I simply spooned in the cream cheese filling to the top (rather than alternate layers of cream cheese and salmon), folded the salmon neatly over the top to encase the filling, wrapped the plastic wrap tightly around the package and popped the lot in the fridge.
     This needs to chill at least 4 hours. Such a pretty dish. Served with sliced baguettes. Note: use a VERY sharp knife to slice the terrine. This holds up nicely on a buffet table.

And for dessert? We picked up a fruit tart and a chocolate cake from a local bakery, and grapes and strawberries from the farmer's market. Keep it simple and enjoy the party.