March 25, 2018 Brunch – Machaca with eggs. Dinner- Salmon Salad

March 25, 2018 Brunch – Machaca with eggs. Dinner- Salmon Salad

I smeared a toasted plain bagel with cream cheese and lay slices of red onion and the fresh Lax I made yesterday on it and a few capers for breakfast with a cup of tea.  Fresh Atlantic Farm raised. Salmon, fresh dill from the garden, and 12 hours on one side 18 hours on the other side produced a near perfect Gravad Lax. Super tender.

               Note a key factor; the liquid is near the top of the salmon so all of the fish is curing

After 10:00 Suzette suggested making Machaca and eggs with some of the PPI pot roast from last night’s dinner.  I agreed and diced a Roma tomato, 3 oz. of onion, and 1/3 of a small mild poblano chili.  Suzette diced two PPI baked potatoes and de-husked several cloves of garlic and began sautéing them.  I added the  onion and then the chili, and finally the tomatoes and meat to the large skillet. I then broke four eggs into a metal bowl and Suzette emulsified them with a whisk and added the eggs to the skillet.
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I opened a Brown Ale and poured ½ of it into a small mug for Suzette.

After the eggs firmed we ladled the Machaca onto our plates and ate a hardy brunch.  Suzette went to the garden to work and I rested and drank another beer and the took a short 45 minute nap.  I woke up around 2:30 and took a bike ride around the 15 mile long Southern loop from my house.  When I returned around 4:00 I lay down and read the Hi-Lo Country by Max Evans until 5:00 when Suzette brought in a basket of lettuce for dinner.

I went into action.  I diced a Roma tomato, I sliced 1/3 cucumber, and about 3 T. of red onion, while Suzette steamed 12 stalks of asparagus and I dredged  2 pickled balls of labne yogurt from their bottle and put one on each salad.  I then squeezed lemon juice and added more olive oil, salt and ground black pepper into my jar of Caesar salad dressing and shuck it to mix.

When Suzette placed the steamed asparagus on the salad with the tomatoes, red onion slices, a sliced pickled egg, and cucumber slices, and some PPI teriyaki salmon I dressed the salad.  I went to the garage fridge and fetched a bottle of 2016 Le Pont Rose from Bandol, France ($19.99 less 20% at Total Wine), opened it and poured glasses.  The 2016 Bandol is not as light or elegant as the 2015.  It is a deeper hued pink.  The tasting notes I found, rated the 2015 Rose at 87.3 and the 2016 at 83, so
others noted the big difference also.  If you want to taste the best Bandol Rose, try Domaine Tempiers Rose 2015, rated 93 to 94.

We enjoyed our light fresh dinner with teriyaki flavored salmon.  I did not add olives because that would have conflicted with the delicate slightly sweet teriyaki flavor of the salmon.

After dinner I ate some peanuts and two small pieces of chocolate with a sip of cognac mixed with Grande Mariner and a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Bon Appetit