I was joking around on Twitter last week about how annoying the yogurt section in most supermarkets has become - so many choices (let me amend that - so many BAD choices) that it’s overwhelming. And the flavors - non-fat Boston Cream Pie? Gross. Also, there’s the endless parade of single-use plastic containers. It’s madness!

Thankfully, Julie Buckles picked up on my unease and suggested I check out a homemade yogurt recipe over on her blog. I finally found myself with some free time (and a yogurt-free fridge) and decided to give it a go.

I link to Julie's original post above, but I made mine with both powdered goat milk and fresh goat milk (Meyenburg brand) and used a goat milk yogurt.

Why so goaty? Well, I love the flavor and got hooked on goat milk when I used to think that it was a better choice for people who have some issues digesting lactose. I have since learned that goat milk has as much lactose as cow’s milk, but don’t tell my intestines that! Plus, it’s delicious. I love goat butter on popcorn and toast, goat milk in my coffee, goat cheese folded into my omelet. I could probably live on goat products and coho salmon.  And coffee.  

Did you know goat meat is the most widely consumed protein on the planet? Although pork is the meat the planet eats the most of.  We ate a whole goat last year (no, not it one meal!) which was delicious in every possible recipe we could come up with. Americans in general have been slow to adopt goat meat - a problem we face with good quality domestic seafood. Check out this article from Modern Farmer magazine that talks more about goat meat and efforts to popularize it.

But back to the yogurt. I’m stalling. My first batch didn’t work. Well, it worked if I was trying to make something like Kefir. And it is tasty, it just never got thick. Sounds like I either added the culture when the milk was too hot (note to self: calibrate thermometer), the culture was old or otherwise not ready to go to work, or goat milk is kind of temperamental (some suggest adding gelatin to guarantee thickening).

I’m going to use it up in some oatmeal pancakes that usually call for buttermilk (we usually freeform these, but here’s a recipe if you prefer).  And then once I eat those pancakes I will try it again. Stay tuned! 

I have to admit that I often use the term “roasted” simply because I think it sounds good. Gourmet yet rustic. I mean tell me the phrase “Roasted Salmon with Figs & Fennel” doesn’t just conjure up a reclaimed wood dining table, soft lighting, and mason jars filled with homemade wine?

Roasted has definitely muscled baked out of my vocabulary.

But I started wondering if there is actually a difference between these two terms and lo and behold (which kind of sounds like a good name for a farm-to-table restaurant, yes?) there actually is a BIG difference!

Roasting takes something solid - like a piece of meat or a heirloom beet and turns it soft. Baking takes something soft - like a cake batter or a mushroom swiss frittata and turns it hard. Eureka!

Now that we’ve got that cleared up, why don’t we dig a little deeper into roasting up the perfect wild salmon.  Maybe for Thanksgiving?

1. Start slow. Heck, finish slow too! Whatever seasonings you decide to go with, try roasting your salmon at a lower temperature than you might be used to. We’re talking about 250° to 275° for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. 

2. Keep the fish seasoning simple (just a bit of salt and pepper. Or maybe just salt), but go nuts with sauces, toppings and other accompaniments. Here are a few ideas:

•     It’s pomegranate season! Try mixing these crunchy little delights (actually called “arils”) with orange supremes & juice + fresh chopped herbs - a perfect seasonal salmon topper!
•     You probably have some pesto in the freezer after the summer’s basil bounty - tastes great with salmon! If you’re out of stock, try a variation on the classic like this one.
•     Try some cream-top (or other full fat) plain yogurt spiked with fish-friendly flavors. Capers, lemon juice & zest, fresh chopped dill, spicy peppers, chopped cilantro and lime juice.  
•     Chopped apples mixed with nuts (like a haroset) is another great fall salmon “condiment”.

3. And of course you know we have to bring up LEFTOVERS! That slow roasted salmon will taste great cold - on top of a salad or as an easy wrap sandwich. 

Let us know how you’re enjoying roasted salmon this week! 

I had the wonderful opportunity to “fall back” into my old school days the past couple of weeks. I just returned from a wonderful visit to Northern Wisconsin where my hours were absolutely packed with activities! Quality time spent catching up with friends, a variety of speaking engagements at my Alma Mater Northland College, direct marketing of our coho salmon, and even an afternoon spent trolling on the pristine waters of Lake Superior (The greatest of the great Great Lakes).

Getting ready for the trip was an opportunity for much reflection. To prepare for my Northland presentations I dug deep into the last 25 years of my life. From my first day as a freshman heading out on my orientation trip to mountain bike in the rolling hills of the Chequamegon National Forest in the fall of 1990 to the morning of Sunday, October 25, 2015 when I returned to those same hills for some eye popping vistas of the lakeshore clad in all its fall glory. If you find yourself with a free afternoon, why not spend a few hours doing some deep reflection on where you are and how you got there. I bet that like me you’ll eventually find a few patterns that may help you lay out a plan for the next 25 years of your life, or at the very least inspire you to reconnect with some core values.

This trip reminded me that our friends and family are our greatest possessions and no matter where you go or what you do, those relationships need to be nurtured. I have a handful of jade plants scattered around my house. I love them because they are beautiful and odd. They also require little to no attention. In fact, they seem to thrive better when I forget about them completely. It goes without saying that friendships aren’t like that. They do best when you take care of them. Your friends themselves can do fine without you, but the unique sparks that move between you are what you need to attend to. 

What does any of this have to do with wild salmon? Everything! For starters we’ll be ramping up our relationship with all of you this fall by launching our quarterly Springline Seafood Newsletter. Sign up here, or just sit tight and see if you’re already on the list…

We want to stay in touch with you. We have news, ideas and information to share and beyond the blog and we think a newsletter is the best way to do that. If you disagree, just unsubscribe (we won’t be offended). 

We also promised our friends up North that we'd share a recipe for salmon chowder - a perfect meal to put together this week. Reach out to a friend you haven’t seen in a while and invite them to connect over a hot bowl of soup…

This chowder skips the bacon, instead featuring smoked salmon. It also doesn’t use a roux or other thickener, so it turns out rich, yet still delicate.  

Salmon Chowder
Serves 4 to 6

6 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1.5 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 bottle clam juice (8 oz.)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cooked salmon
1 cup smoked salmon
2 cups cooked potatoes
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, the thyme and the bay leaf and saute for another minute or two. 

Add the clam juice, milk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Next, add the cooked and smoked salmon and the potatoes and simmer until the fish is warmed through. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.