Wild Salmon and twice cooked potatoes

Salmon run in the summer. This is the best time to buy fresh, wild salmon for dinner.

Stelios and I like to put the salmon on the grill when we can buy a filet with the skin on. That's because even if the skin sticks to the grill we can still have an intact piece of grilled fish and leave the skin behind. But, truth be told, the skin is the best part of the salmon! Oil your fish well on the skin side and you can get to enjoy it like the wild bear do, who eat the skin and throw away the rest of the salmon!

 Swiss chard greens from our garden round out the veggie part of the meal.

 The highlight, though, of this meal was the twice cooked potatoes.

Here's how to make them:
Wash 6 potatoes or however many you need to feed your group. Boil them until they are sold but not mushy. Drain and smash with a fork. Place them in a pan and drizzle a little  extra virgin Greek olive oil on top. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until they are golden on top, about 15 minutes.

All I do with the swiss chard is wash it well, cut the stalks in half and place them with the leaves in a steamer with water on medium heat for about 10 minutes after the water boils or until the stalks are soft. Serve with olive oil and lemon or a dressing of mustard, olive oil and lemon.

I brush the salmon with extra virgin Greek olive oil, sprinkle some dried rosemary over the top, some fresh pepper and place it on a medium heat grill. Close the cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. You don't want to overcook salmon because it becomes too dry. 

Make a salsa by slicing a pint of cherry tomatoes, some cilantro, a little onion and an avocado. Add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin Greek olive oil and mix lightly. 

Place one piece of salmon in each plate. Spoon the salsa over your salmon. Add a side of greens and a potato or two. Drizzle some olive oil, mustard, lemon dressing over the greens and potatoes and enjoy!

Maria

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Strawberry rhubarb is a favorite summer dessert sauce.

Especially when the strawberries are plentiful and sweet and the rhubarb stalks are for sale at the store.

And, it's easy!

Hull two pints of strawberries and, if they are large, slice them in half.

Dice two or three stalks of rhubarb into 1 inch pieces. Place everything in a saucepan with a piece of lemon rind or a tablespoon of lemon zest and add a cup of sugar.

Cook gently over medium heat until the rhubarb is cooked but not falling apart. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if desired.

Let the sauce cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. I usually like to use the sauce over Greek yogurt, or even better with homemade whipped cream. You can serve it with pancakes or french toast.

Enjoy!

Maria

Fig and Olive Restaurant in NYC's Meatpacking District!

Fig & Olive is a trendy Mediterranean Restaurant in the Meatpacking district in New York City. The Meatpacking district used to be just that, where meat was processed and distributed. I remember when the meat warehouses were operating in the area in full force and it was a shady, grungy, funky neighborhood with few but interesting places to go. Today the meat packers are almost all gone and in their place we have new art galleries, museums, restaurants and the famous, High Line.

The space is large and airy, with the signature high ceilings of the old meat packing plants and the open spaces.

The restaurant specializes in olive oil and the first thing they bring to the table when you are seated is a trio of olive oils. I was disappointed none of the three was from Greece but I was told that they have had Greek olive oils in the past.

A fabulous pasta with fungi(mushrooms) and shrimp.

Halibut over risotto

Tuna dish above and a tasty bouillabaisse

As the night went on the restaurant became full and the low lighting created a nice atmosphere.

They have a great bar!

I would definitely recommend the Fig & Olive. They have three locations in New York City but I don't know how the other ones are. This one has great food and great atmosphere. It's a bit pricey but worth it!

Enjoy!

Maria

The New Whitney Museum in downtown New York

The Whitney Museum of  American Art is dedicated to art in the United States.

Recently moved from the Upper East side to downtown New York in the hip Meatpacking district, the Museum now resides in a contemporary new building on Gansevoort Street. The High Line is just a block away.

We began our visit on the 8th floor and made our way down. Most of the art is on 8th through 5 so it's a manageable space to visit for a few hours.

Who knew E.E. Cummings was also a painter? Not I!

Joseph Stella is one of my favorites!

Views from the outdoor spaces. You can see the Empire State Building in the distance.

The highest building seen is the newly built Freedom Tower.

Jackson Pollock

Edward Hopper

Georgia O'Keefe

Roy Lichtenstein

Andy Warhol

Mrs Whitney in a portrait considered scandalous for her time because she wore pants. Her husband refused to hang it in their home for friends to see.

Art feeds my soul and contemporary American art is one of my favorites. There are a lot of iconic pieces in this museum that remind me of certain times in our recent history. I was glad to spend an afternoon absorbing the creative force of those artists whose work resides in this spectacular new building. I hope to make my way back there again sometime in the near future.
Enjoy!

Maria