Salmon in British Columbia
Meatless Monday is finding me dreaming of all the delicious salmon in British Columbia we tasted. It really is part of the lifestyle there.
Roy Henry Vickers, an artist well known for his masterful prints, was being shown in the area of Tofino. The capture from the Eagle Aerie Gallery of Pink Salmon represents the days of August. The moon is then called the pink salmon moon, and is time for the harvest of the smallest of this tasty fish.
The circle representing the cycle of life, begins with the egg on the left, and moves through the other stages ending with the Sea Run. The pronounced humpback on the top fish indicates the completion of the cycle with the spawning of male and female. Death comes to the black fish, ribs exposed and thin. The residents of this area are well acquainted with this activity taking place in the rivers and streams of the west of B.C.
The salmon image was prevalent as a design element in every town. Artwork in the hotels often used the subject of salmon, and this carving above, was part of a large bench sitting on the promenade in front of the water.
Of course we had the pleasure of eating more than our fair share of the delicious fish. This meal {and yes, that is the true color, no filter needed} was freshly caught and served over lentils and crunchy seaweed from The Ice House in Tofino. If you ever find yourself there, this restaurant set right on the water is a lovely place to watch the sun set.
I do find when ever I return from a trip, it takes a while for my system to get back to normal. For our first night, I thought a light dish of smoked salmon would remind of of where we had just been and please the palate without being too heavy.
Smoked Salmon
- one package smoked salmon
- greek Yogurt {I use Stonyfield}
- capers
- dill
- whole grain flatbread
- 1 large or 2 small beets
- 1 hardboiled egg
Place salmon pieces on crackers, top with yogurt, capers, dill and {optional} egg. Chop raw beet and spread between plates. It adds a nice crunch. Add in the bottle of wine you’ve brought back from your travels and bon appetit!
I love Pacific salmon. The best I’ve ever had was caught be my former brother-in-law, who lives on Vancouver Island, and then cooked on the barbecue.
Amazing salmon, one of the many great things about the Pacific Northwest!
Love the Vickers art. Yummy photos. Clearly, we’ve not spent enough time in BC. 🙂
Great post! Never heard of the Pink Salmon Moon~
I am lucky to live in the PNW in Portland Oregon and love traveling the coast from BC down to northern Cali. We get our salmon at the Portland Farmers Market from Simon, a Native American with “fishing rights” on the Columbia River. We are blessed to be able to support our local farmers and fishers.
What a great situation Nancy. That sounds like a win-win to me.
Smoked salmon in Victoria–heaven!
It was pretty heavenly Carole. I’d put that trip up pretty high in the top 10!
Much like a strawberry moon, a pink salmon moon sounds beautiful! I love the combination of lentils and salmon so you’ve inspired me to make it for dinner sometime this week, unfortunately minus the crunchy seaweed.
I’ve made the salmon and lentil combo before Michele, it’s a good one. The seaweed was something like purslane, which I can often find in my yard. It’s good in salads too.
Great post, we love Vancouver Island and will be out there fishing for salmon later this year.
Have a wonderful time, I wish we could have stayed longer!
You definitely hit 2 of my weak spots in this post, Alison! I love fresh salmon, and I love Vancouver Island! I’m hoping to live there some day and eat salmon until it’s coming out of my ears.
Love that recipe – and pacific salmon.
Thanks for visiting Ursula. Pacific salmon has the best flavor!