Marinated Salmon and Spinach Salad with Raspberry-Lavender Vinaigrette

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe, although it may look complicated, is quite a simple salad, and one that serves up as an elegant lunch or a cool dinner on a blazing-hot summer night. Tamara Frey, a professional chef who lives in a hot-summer California valley uses the wines from her families organic vineyard, one of the first in the United States.

For the vinaigrette:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc wine

2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar

1 Tbsp. minced fresh lavender leaves

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the marinade:

¼ cup late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc wine

2 tsp. minced fresh lavender leaves

2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

1 lb. salmon fillet

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 bunches spinach

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup raspberries or 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced, for garnish

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake until blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside. To prepare the marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. To prepare the salad, make sure the salmon is free of bones. Place it in a bowl and add the marinade. Cover and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning the fillet every 15 minutes. Remove the salmon and reserve the marinate. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and saute the salmon fillet on both sides approximately 5 minutes. Pour the reserved marinade over the salmon and simmer until the marinade thickens into a sauce, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the salmon to a plate with a slotted spoon, and gently flake it into small pieces. Return to the pan and toss gently with the sauce. Remove the stems from the spinach and divide among 6 to 8 plates. Place the salmon in the center of the spinach and pour the additional sauce over the salmon. Arrange the sliced cucumber, avacado, red onion, and raspberries or kiwi slices around the salmon. Sprinkle with vinaigrette and serve.

source: The Lavender Garden byRobert Kourik