The First Swallow of Spring

Here in California, we are spoiled. Not only is our soil fertile and our ocean plentiful (with the exception of certain overfished species) but we get to barbecue early here. Memorial Day is a month away and already we did our first planking of the year while other parts of the country are still awaiting green leaves and, in some cases, even the melting of snow.

We discovered planking about five years ago at an art and wine festival we attended on a whim. While waiting in line for a hot dog, I noticed there was no line waiting for the guy who was preparing planked salmon, so I suggested to My Beloved that we give it a try. Rarely have I tasted anything so simple yet divine. I begged for the "recipe" from the chef and he very kindly obliged me.

I've written about planking before and you can read that here, if you'd like. I can recommend it highly - it keeps the fish (or scallops, poultry) deliciously moist and tender while imparting a lightly smoky flavor to the meat. The plank shields the meat from the fierce heat of the coals and yet dinner is ready in fifteen minutes or less.

I'm not sure if the swallows have returned to Capistrano yet, but we are already swallowing our favorite summer dinner.