For many people Summer is all about Rosé . I like many of friends drink Rose all year round. There are many drinks that conjure images of sunshine and sunny days – Margaritas, Sangria, Mojitos. But, there is one drink that I really only drink in the summer – Gin and Tonic. A tumbler with a splash of gin, a good quality tonic and wedge of lime, at the end of work day sitting on my deck, my feet up and good book- now that’s what I call relaxation. G & T is happy hour. It is also a simple and almost perfect aperitif. For cocktail party or as a warm up act to a nice dinner, G & T’s lend themselves to many traditional appetizers – Pâté Campagna, smoked salmon, Crab Cakes, Cucumber Sandwiches, Blini & Caviar. But a perfect pairing Salmon Gravlax. Gravlax is one of the first dishes I learned how to make in professional career. I only takes a couple days, a good quality (fresh) salmon some salt and sugar. Juniper is a traditional spice used in making Gravlax, but since I rarely have juniper berries lying around, even in my kitchen, I have turned to using a splash of ubiquitous Gin. For a pre-funk to night out or dinner party I would serve right off the cutting board a side of gravlax accompanied by Cornichon, capers, diced red onion, fresh mascarpone or crème Fraiche, mustard sauce and pumpernickel rye bread. As for The Gin? There are many good quality Gins to choose from – Martin Millers is the benchmark as far as I am concerned. Bombay Sapphire is a good default. Locally we have great gin producers: Big Gin, Batch 206, Sun Liquor Gun Club, Voyager, Halcyon. But, I do a favorite Local and That is BelleWood Gin. What makes BelleWood good is that it has a refreshing light clean base of apple derived spirit. At BelleWood they use a traditional blend of seven botanicals that are vapor infused into their Gin. What makes it unique is that this is one of the few Farm to Table Gins, I have ever heard of. BelleWood is an Apple Farm just north of Bellingham. They grow the Apples, press into cider, ferment and distill right on the property. You can’t really get much more local than that.

Gin and Tonic

Ice
1 part Gin
2 -3 Parts Tonic
Squeeze of lime
Lime wedge for garnish

Gin Cured Wild Salmon Gravlax ________________________________________ 1 2 to 3 pound, wild Coho Salmon, deboned, skin removed 6 ounces kosher salt 4 ounces brown sugar 2 tablespoons Coarse ground Black Pepper 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill (1 teaspoon Dried) 2 ounces (BelleWood) Gin 13 x 9 baking dish 1. Remove any pin bones from salmon side 2. Combine kosher salt and sugar in bowl. Place half of this mixture in bottom of Baking dish 3. Lightly toast fennel and caraway seeds in dry pan until aromatic cool and coarsely grind with mortar pestle. Combine with black pepper and dill. 4. Drizzle Salmon with gin pour any remaining gin into baking dish. 5. Season both sides of Salmon liberally with spice mix and place in baking dish cover with remaining sugar salt mixture 6. Wrap with plastic wrap and cure overnight in refrigerator. The next day turn over salmon, wrap and return to refrigerator 7. Day 3 remove salmon from marinade and rinse gently. The salmon should feel firm to touch. Wrap in plastic and return to refrigerator if not using immediately. 8. Using a sharp nice slice the Gravlax as thinly as you can. 9. Serve with Cornichon, capers, diced red onion, fresh mascarpone, mustard sauce and pumpernickel rye bread Mustard Sauce: 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons Honey 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or Tarragon Combine the mustard, honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil and stir in the chopped herbs