There are no two ways about it, we love salmon. Catching it, eating it, we love this tasty gift from the sea.

Fortunately, thanks to generous Alaskan fisherman who took a liking to our boys, plus catching our own, we’ve been up to our ears in fresh salmon lately. So much so that we’ve been trying hard to find different recipes and ways of preparing it than we ever have.

To move away from our tried and true salmon dishes, we turned to our favorite cookbooks we have aboard: San Juan Classics and San Juan Classics II by Dawn Ashbach and Janice Veal. We made the following recipe on a “hot” summer day here in Alaska and it was perfectly enjoyed in the cockpit with a glass of chilled rosé (boxed, of course). How’s that for fancy!

Salmon Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing

Ingredients:

Lemon-Dill Dressing (see below)

6 ounces shell shaped-shaped pasta (we used strozzapreti)

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked salmon, broken into chunks

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/3 cup sliced green olives with pimiento

2 hard cooked eggs, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Lettuce (we didn’t use this)

Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Prepare Lemon-Dill Dressing and set aside.
2. In a large pot, cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain, return to pot and toss with Lemon-Dill Dressing; set aside.
3. Place peas in colander and rinse with warm water until peas separate. Drain and pour over pasta. Add next 6 ingredients. Toss gently, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
4. To serve, line 4 plates with crisp greens, spoon on salmon and garnish with lemon wedges.

Lemon-Dill Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and stir.