Grilled Salmon Salad with Turnips & Capers

Grilled Salmon Salad with Turnips & Capers

Before I get to this recipe I wanted to thank everyone for your kind words and support from my last post. If you haven't had a chance to read the post yet, you can do so here. Moving forward and preparing for the challenge it's important to me that we eat through all the food that is in the house before going local for the month. The great news is that we've got 3 1/2 months to prepare so I think we've got this! I think one of the hardest challenges for us (and a lot of you) is going to be finding alternatives for olive oil and lemon juice (depending on where you live in). Knowing this, I ended up planting the herb lemon-thyme this season so that I can add that to dressings, marinades and dry rubs for that lemon "kick" that I know I'll be missing. I did some research and found a small farm about 90 miles away making hazelnut oil so I think I'll be using that more than olive oil during the month of September (along with cooking in bacon fat). And hey, oil can be a tough one and I know will probably end up on folks' "treat" list. Although, you may surprise yourself and find oil producers within 200 miles from home. I got a comment from a reader who said in her region they found a small producer making pumpkin seed oil from the winter squash harvest. Pretty rad! It's already so fun to hear from some of you who are on board to try this for the month! And hey, I got a comment from a women who said it wasn't feasible for her family to commit to a whole month but that they're going to commit to doing one meal a day that is 100 percent local. I just love hearing this! It's all about making it work for you and the heart and soul really is about supporting/finding your local producers. The traceability of our ingredients is really important to me and I'm so fired up and excited about September (and everything leading up to it!) Anyhow, back to this salad. Our neighbor and dear friend Dan has been pretty darn lucky this spring with the salmon run. He gifted us with a beautiful salmon fillet that we immediately threw on the grill with some Tumbleweed Farm turnips and tossed everything with some spring greens and a simple vinaigrette. This salad celebrates the flavors of the season and tastes especially good with a baguette of bread and a glass of rosé. Cheers to the spring harvest!

Grilled Salmon Salad with Turnips & Capers

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
  • 1 pound salmon fillet
  • 4 salad turnips, sliced in half (reserve the greens for another use)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons minced dill

Preparation

  1. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates.
  2. Prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a small mason jar. Secure with a lid and shake until thickened.
  3. Coat the salmon and turnips with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the grill, skin side down and cook for about 4 minutes without moving the fish (this will help get a good sear). After 4 minutes use a metal spatula to gently flip the salmon and cook for 2 minutes longer or until the salmon is opaque pink.
  4. Alongside the salmon place the turnips cut side down on the oiled grates and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly charred and softened.
  5. When cool enough to handle cut the salmon into large chunks.
  6. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the, radishes, capers, feta cheese, dill and top with the salmon and turnips. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Notes

*Cooking times will vary from grill to grill *Store extra dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

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