Baked Salmon with Tarragon-Glazed Cucumber

Source:  Sunset Magazine

8 oz thin skinned cucumber
1.5 lb salmon fillet cut into 4 pieces
5 T butter, divided
1 T lemon juice
salt, pepper
1/2 c minced shallots
1 T coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
1.5 c Champagne vinegar
2 T coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees . Dice enough cucumbers to make 3/4 cup.  Cut the remaining cucumbers in half lengthwise.  Thinly slice crosswise.

Set salmon skin side down in a 9x13 pan lined with tinfoil.  Melt 1 T butter and mix with lemon juice, 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.  Spoon over fish.  Bake salmon until barely opaque but still moist in the center -- 10-13 minutes.

While fish bakes,  combine shallots, chopped tarragon and vinegar in 10 inch frying pan.  Boil over high heat, stirring often until vinegar evaporates but shallots still look wet -- 4-5 minutes.  Add 1 T butter, remove from heat and stir until melts.  Stir in diced cucumbers.  Return cucumber mixture to high heat, and cook, stirring often, until slightly translucent, about 1-2 minutes.  Add remaining 3 T butter and 1/4 t salt.  Stir just until butter melts and sauce looks creamy.  Remove from heat and stir in sliced cucumber and parsley.

I get a lot of cucumbers in my CSA box each week.  And while I love a good cucumber salad, and most variations thereon, I was intrigued by a recipe that involved doing something completely different with the cucumber.  Then salmon was on sale at Whole Foods.  I am always looking to eat more fish, and salmon is on of the few types of fish (OK, maybe the only one) that I feel comfortable making.  So all the stars aligned.

I ended up using red wine vinegar instead of Champagne vinegar (don't ask -- kept forgetting ingredients, and having to go back to the store -- wasn't going to make yet another trip).  And I just used a regular old cucumber -- no fancy English cucumber. I did peel mine, b/c the recipe emphasized a think skinned variety.

There are a couple of steps to make this dish, but it comes together pretty quickly.  It looks beautiful, fresh and colorful.  And it's delicious.  The slightly cooked cucumber just provides a slightly different texture.   A great dish.  Not as light as you would think -- after all there are 5 tablespoons of butter involved.  Also, the cucumber concoction is very acidic, so I would recommend serving this dish with a starch -- some new potatoes would be delicious.  Wonderful meal.  I hope you all try it.

Buttered Peaches and Ravioli

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens

9 oz packaged cheese ravioli
1/4 butter
3 c sliced peaches
1/3 c hazelnuts
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T chopped parsley
1 t lemon zest

Cook ravioli per package direction.  Drain, keep warm.  Heat butter in large pan until browned.  Add peaches, hazelnuts, parsley, lemon zest.  Add ravioli.  Toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt.

Did the name of this already freak you out?  Do you think it's an affront to pasta and peaches?  All reason enough for me to try this dish.

Easy to make, quick to put together.  And really really good.  It's not weird.  The brown butter sauce is creamy and just sweet enough to complement the peaches.  And honestly, the peaches are not a whole lot sweeter than a good summer tomato.  Hazelnuts provide a delicious crunch, and the fresh parsley and lemon zest are just enough of a counterpoint that the dish doesn't feel like dessert.  I will not substitute this dish for a good traditional Italian pasta dish, but this is a delicious and different summer alternative.  Try it out, you won't regret it.