The last couple of months for us here in Alaska have been largely fueled by the simple pleasures of which each day is woven — the juicy in-between moments: a pretty melody. The aroma of freshly baked bread. Dancing sun-glimmers reflected on the water’s surface. The fleeting pink alpenglow on snow-capped mountaintops. A flower just bloomed.
One other such simple pleasure for me has been my rare trip to the Homer Farmers Market, where the bounty of diverse produce reflects the epic light under which it has grown. And with the month of November standing by, I know it’s my last chance for sun gold tomatoes. I stock up on those, grab a bag of yukon gold potatoes, and four different kinds of garlic, one species of which is named “music” and boasts perfect bulbs in shades of violet.
I’ll make a Rosti!, I impulsively think to myself, having never made a Rosti, but knowing that the Swiss fritter-like dish is a comfort food classic that features fried potatoes — for which my plan, of course, is to incorporate (duh) wild salmon.
So without a recipe, I throw on some tunes and follow my gut, which instructs me to grate the yukons and fry them in a cast iron skillet in combination with flaked roasted coho salmon. It’s a vision of savory, crunchy creaminess that comes together in what I can only describe as the jazz of cooking. It’s when the flavors flow even when you don’t know what you’re doing; when you’re slicing and seasoning, but it’s really your soul that’s conducting.
So, henceforth I’ll be calling it the upcoming month Knowvember — as in, know how to follow your instinct in the kitchen, so that you, too, can craft unexpectedly craveable seafood dishes.
Live wild...and trust your gut!
Monica
Pictured above: My Yukon Coho Rosti served with halved sun gold tomatoes, avocado chunks and microgreens. Like I said, this dish was somewhat improvised, but I did my best to jot the process down. Here it is — ENJOY!
