Fresh

I am officially in love with farmer’s markets. Wandering through the produce stands with a cup of coffee in hand, I feel like I’m in my own little world. It is a fantastic world filled not only with the usual strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, and corn, but also with okra, swiss chard, pimientos de padrón, and squash blossoms, which are not typically on my radar. That is the allure of the farmer’s market for me…ingredients that take me out of my comfort zone. So lately, I’ve been coming home from the market with my reusable bags full of things that I don’t typically cook.

Carrots may be a boring standard for some, and I find that I rarely use them as a stand-alone ingredient. Always part of mirepoix, they get chopped up and thrown into soups and stews. So on Saturday morning, as I passed by a pile of vibrant orange baby carrots with the longest green tops, I thought about how lovely they looked, but eventually moved on without buying them. I then talked about them so much that Andy eventually told me to just go and buy them. I did (for only $1.50!), and with the greens brimming out of my bag, left the market a very happy camper.

It’s not often that a side dish is the star of the show, and as good as our salmon was, these roasted carrots were the object of our affection. (And believe me, the salmon was darn good.)

Roasted Carrots and Asian Marinated Salmon with Sriracha Aioli

Carrots:

1 bunch carrots

olive oil

salt and pepper

unsalted butter

On a baking sheet, toss carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven until tender, turning once. Time varies depending on size. (These took 18 minutes.) Top with a few pats of butter after removing from oven.

Salmon: 

2 filets of salmon

Marinade:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1/2 teaspoon Chinese hot mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, sliced

Mix all ingredients together in a Ziploc bag and add salmon. Let marinate for 30 minutes.

Sriracha Aioli:

1/4 cup mayonaisse

1/2 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, very finely minced

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together. Set aside. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated.)

After the salmon has marinated, put it in a glass baking dish and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness. (These filets were about 1 inch thick and took 13 minutes.)

Plate the salmon and drizzle it with the aioli. Serve with carrots and rice.

The carrots, as simple as they sound, were just fantastic. Roasting them brings out the sugars and a little bit of a crustiness forms on the outside. Mmmmm.

The salmon has a sweetness from the hoisin sauce and pairs nicely with the heat from the Sriracha aioli. (I know, I know…I cheat on the aioli. I had a bit of a temper tantrum last time I tried to make the homemade version and didn’t want to ruin my evening. I’ll tackle that another time.) Cooked to just barely medium, the filets were moist and practically melted in your mouth.

See…I told you the salmon was good.