With most salmon dishes I would serve boiled new potatoes with parsley butter and either a green bean dish or sauteed snow peas. Julienned carrots & parsnips are another possibility. Here's a recipe that originated with Atlantic salmon, but which works just as well with it's Pacific bretheren: George River Salmon 4 salmon steaks, cut about 1-inch thick 3 tbls Dijon mustard 2 tbls olive oil 1/2 cup dry white wine Salt & pepper to taste Mix the oil, mustard, wine, salt & pepper in a bowl. Add the salmon steaks to the sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning often. Place the steaks on a buttered piece of foil, on a broiler pan. Preheat the broiler. Place the steaks 4 inches from heat source and broil until they flake; about 10 minutes. At least twice during cooking brush with marinade. Instead of a bowl I mix the marinade in a zipper bag and add the steaks to it, squeezing out the air before putting in the fridge. This dish can be made on the grill, too. If you don't mind working a little harder, this dish always impresses people: Salmon & Rice in Pastry 1 lb fresh raw salmon in thin slices 1 pastry recipe 3 cups cooked rice, dry & cold Salt & pepper to taste 2 cups veloute sauce 1 tbls chopped fresh dill 1 tbls lemon juice 3 hard cooked geegs, finely chopped 1 egg beaten with 1 tbls milk 1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted. Divide pastry in two parts. Roll out one half to 1/4 inch thickness, place on a cookie sheet, and trim to a 7 x 17 inch rectangle. Put a layer of rice 1/3 inch deep on the pastry, leaving a 1 1/4 inch border all around. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon half the veloute sauce over the rice. Lay the salmon slices over the sauce to cover. Sprinklw with salt, pepper, dill, and lemon juice. Cover with the rest of the veloute sauce, then choped eggs. Top with another 1/3 inch layer of rice. Roll the second half of the pastry to 1/4 inch. Trim to 9 x 16 inch rectangle. Paint the border of the lower crust with the egg wash and top with the second pastry layer, carefully pressing the edges together without stretching the loaf. Trim to about an inch around the loaf. Press edges with tines of a fork. Cut two small holes in top of loaf, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Gather scrps of pasry together and cout out decorative shapes. Paint entire loaf with egg wash and stick on the decorations. Then glaze them. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put loaf in oven and immediately lower temerature to 375. Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes. Pour 2 tbls melted butter into each hole in the top. Cut loaf into 1-inch slices and serve with remaining melted butter. Obviously, with the rice & pastry you can skip the potatoes with this one. For a luncheon, as you suggest, I would think of a light consomme starter (see my posts about celery consomme, for example, which would be ideal) followed by this dish along with a fennel & orange, or other fruity salad.

So simple, yet so good. Lemon Salt Marinated Pork Tenderloin Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello 6 lemons 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds total) Honey Roasted Applesauce, recipe follows Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Finely zest the lemons. Using a mortar and pestle, work the salt and lemon zest together. Add a few turns of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to blend. Rub the lemon salt mixture all over the pork. In a large saute pan heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until hot but not smoking, add tenderloins to pan and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes total. (If you have a small pan, sear 1 tenderloin at a time.) Move pan with pork to the oven and cook until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees F, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pork from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes. Slice the tenderloins against the grain on a diagonal bias, fan out on a plate, and serve with Honey Roasted Applesauce. Honey Roasted Applesauce: 6 apples, Gravenstein or McIntosh 2 tablespoons sweet butter 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt 1/3 cup honey Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler, remove the core and cut into 1-inch chunks. Heat a medium saute pan on medium-high heat with the butter in it. When the butter begins to brown add the lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the apples and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges just begin to color. Add the honey and put in oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the apples are soft and lightly caramelized. Mash with a fork for a chunky version, or put in food processor for a smoother sauce. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. Yield: 4 to 6 servings Cook's Notes: Most applesauce recipes call for cooking the apples on the stovetop from start to finish. I prefer to start them on the stovetop and then finish them in a hot oven. The oven heat concentrates their flavors by drying and caramelizing them slightly. Although I have suggested a couple of apple varieties, you can use what good cooking apples are available in your area.

My favorite asparagus recipe: Mustard-Dressed Asparagus Cooking Light, April 1998 4 lbs asparagus (I used 1 bunch) 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Bring 4 qts water to a boil in an 8 qt stockpot. Add half of asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Remove asparagus from stockpot. Rinse with cold water; drain and pat dry. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus. Combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mustard seeds; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add asparagus and mustard mixture, and cook 2 minutes of until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 servings

Back in the days before fresh tomatoes were available all year round, my GGM would save some jars of home-canned tomatoes to make this dish on Easter so we still serve it with the Easter ham every year. TOMATO PUDDING 2 (1 lb.) cans stewed tomatoes 1 medium onion, halved and slivered 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, divided 2 Tbsp. water 1 cup Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix In saucepan, cook tomatoes, onion, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by half - 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt other tablespoon of butter with water; stir in stuffing mix. Spread topping over tomatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are heated and topping is golden. Note: Dry bread cubes can be substituted for the stuffing mix. The tomato-onion mixture can be prepared ahead of time. Just donÂt add the topping until ready to bake.