Great salmon recipe for Zinfandel by Darryl Beeson, guest Carol Shelton Note from columnist Darryl Beeson: Carol Shelton is a respected winemaker based in Sonoma, CA. The following recipe is designed to pair with her powerful Carol Shelton 'Monga' Zinfandel ($25). The 'Monga Zin' originates from vines planted in 1918 in the Jose Lopez Vineyard in the Cucamonga Valley, and is full of juicy red fruit expression and exotic Asian spices, with a touch of brown sugar and caramel-chocolate oak in the long, complex finish. Learn more at www.carolshelton.com. Shelton's wines have won more medals in major competitions than wines made by any other winemaker in America, leading Carol to the title of 'Most Awarded Winemaker in America' S ince wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, family and friends, we would like to share with you some of our family favorites from the kitchen, you just need to supply the good company. These recipes are very compatible with our Zins, and of course foods that are not 'Zin-friendly' probably aren't worth eating anyway, right? We plan to post some new recipes every few months, so keep checking back at www.carolshelton.com for some great gustatory goodies. Grilled Salmon with Moroccan Charmoula Sauce has been a big hit at our Winemaker dinners at Stella's Cafe in Forestville, CA. Chef Greg Hallihan says the 'Monga Zin,' with its dusty Asian spice, is even more Moroccan than the dish he created for it. Note: While it is some trouble to freshly toast grind the spices, it is definitely worth it for this recipe. 1-2 lbs. of Wild Salmon, steaks or fillets, whatever you prefer 4 tsp of cumin seed, freshly toasted and ground (in coffee/spice grinder or mortar and pestle) 2 tsp coriander seed, freshly toasted and ground 1 Tbsp Paprika 4 cloves garlic, minced and sauteed briefly 1 tsp Kosher salt dash of freshly ground white pepper 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if if you like--I am a wuss) 2 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus juice of 1/2 lime 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp (about 1/4 bunch) chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley 2 Tbsp (about 1/4 bunch) chopped cilantro Lemon/lime zest (from the ones squeezed above), coarsely chopped In a bowl combine ingredients #2-9 (the cumin seed through the lemon/lime zest), whisk well to blend. Add olive oil slowly. Add parsley and cilantro and gently stir in. Rub salmon with salt and pepper and around half of the Charmoula Sauce, let it stand for 20 minutes. Grill salmon over medium indirect heat to your preferred level of doneness, just cooked through is good for us. Remove to a platter at top with rest of Charmoula sauce, garnish with cilantro and cherry tomato halves, olives and lemon zest curls if desired. Serves 6-8, depending on how much salmon you started with. This dish is great with couscous. We like the Israeli/Middle Eastern 'Giant pearl' couscous, pan-toasted before you cook them! Chef Hallihan has also used the Charmoula sauce as a dip for crispy vegetable spring rolls. Desperation Salad I created this recipe one hot summer night when I had company coming and no tomatoes or cucumber for a salad. I decided to substitute strawberries for tomatoes and pear slices for cukes, and the other stuff just fits in nicely! 2-3 cups mixed greens (we call them 'Sonoma weeds') 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced 1 Bartlett pear, medium ripe, sliced thinly 2 Kiwi Fruits, peeled and sliced 1 peach or nectarine, cut into small chunks ½ cup crumbled blue cheese ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped Raspberry Vinegar, preferable Kozlowski Farms (Sonoma County) As you cut up the fruit, especially the pear, sprinkle raspberry vinegar over the pieces so they don't brown and look nasty. Keep the pear slices on the bottom of the dish so they get the most vinegar protection. Mix all the ingredients and dress with raspberry vinegar (or vinaigrette) to taste. This salad fades quickly once it is assembled and dressed, so it is best to keep all the fruit ingredients separate from the nuts and cheese until right before serving. Be sure you have enough greens to support all the fruits!   For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.