cook: tuscan salmon dinner for midsummer

I've cooked Tuscan salmon for a winter dinner, but I don't think I've ever prepared it in midsummer when I usually just grill the salmon, boil ears of corn, and sauté summer squash. Mise en place first. I pan fried the salmon first, skin side down to get crispy for 4 minutes and then removed it from the cast iron and set aside. 

 

Rather than discard all the olive oil in the cast iron, I put it in my stainless steel for sautéing the summer squash. And into the cast iron with some of that frying oil went the chopped shallots and then minced garlic and julienned sundried tomato in its olive oil.

 

After the alliums were translucent, I added white wine, let it cook off, and then added the defrosted spinach (squeezed of all its water).

 

After I had broken up the spinach and let the cast iron heat back up and then set to low, I turned my attention to heating a smaller cast iron, where I placed the chopped zucchini and yellow crooked neck squashes, which I had also salted and let drain in a colander. My pan needed to be hotter for more browning to happen, but no matter, I added the chopped garlic and thyme afterward.

 

Squash done in and turned to low, I turned attention back to the larger cast iron to which I cranked the heat a little and then added heavy whipping cream and then the fish to simmer for 3 more minutes for medium rare protein.

It was now time to turn to the starch. I had for the mise en place already boiled the penne in salted boiling water until al dente. Into the stainless steel went a very good jarred Alfredo sauce (which honestly was so convenient) to heat until a low simmer and to which I then added the pasta and sprinkled with chopped parsley and chives. I had also forgotten to chop basil, which I hurriedly did as the pasta was heating up.

 

Atop the salmon went the chopped basil.

I had just called out, Dinner! Before I could plate and photograph the meal, husband was already serving himself. If I do this again, I'm gonna lighten up the dish. Instead of sundried tomatoes, use fresh. Less cream and add fresh squeezed lemon too. The acidity of the wine was not enough. And there was a lot of creamed spinach along with that one salmon filet. The plan is to cook more penne and add leftover vodka sauce and more sauteed squash to that spinach and add a side lettuce salad for a leftover more vegetable-forward lunch.