Salmon with asparagus, potato, hard-cooked egg and salsa verde

Chef Tom McNary
Soif Wine Bar & Merchants, Santa Cruz

"There are so many things you could put on this salad," chef Tom McNary said, listing beets, baby turnips and sugar snap peas as options. "It's a stepping-off point where you can go in a lot of different directions."

Ingredients

4 (4-oz.) wild Pacific king salmon fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. asparagus
1 lb. Yukon gold, fingerling, red rose or new potatoes
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 to 5 handfuls frisée or arugula
4 to 6 hard-cooked eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced spring onion
1 cup salsa verde (your favorite, or try McNary's recipe)

Directions

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Alternatively, roast in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Cut tough bottoms off asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 to 4 minutes or until al dente. Shock in ice water to preserve green color.

Wash potatoes and toss with herbs, whole unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a roasting pan in a single layer. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until you can stick a knife through without resistance. Remove from oven. Discard herbs, but save garlic cloves. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch slices or wedges.

To plate, place salad greens on a platter. Add asparagus spears, then salmon. Nestle potatoes and halved or quartered hard-cooked eggs around salmon and asparagus. Sprinkle sliced spring onions on top of everything. Drizzle salsa verde over the top or serve on the side. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves for extra flavor.

Serves 4