The Pacific Northwest calls me to return for the Pacific Women’s Herbal Conference, “Herbal Roots ~ Ancestral Wisdom,” and I arrive in Seattle on the Full Harvest Moon. Retrieved at the airport by Victoria Moonfire, a sister goddess who loves to cook, we join together in her kitchen to share wisdom, recipes and nourishment.
I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest as a sixteen-year-old one summer while on vacation with my parents and vowed that one day I would live here. And I did, moving to Victoria, BC, in my late thirties to be backed by a band of gypsies. That time spent touring the Gulf Islands with my guitar only deepened my love for a place so green and watery, and whose mystical forests sang an ancient song to my soul. The song Free Wind from my Eagle’s Gift CD, was inspired by the giant cedars of those ancient forests and I invite you to listen and download it HERE. When not making music we hunted morels and baked salmon on cedar planks in a pit oven we dug in the sand on the beach. The Pacific Northwest, for me, will remain synonymous with salmon and cedar.
This particular recipe passed down, or should I say up, from Moonfire’s son who lives in Hawaii, was the perfect garnish for the fresh grilled salmon her husband, Ed, cooked to perfection for us on his grill. It combines the bright colors and sweetness of corn and tomatoes aromatically infused with cilantro, and further enhanced by the addition of avocado tossed in a vinaigrette. Compliment with a Cascadia Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc if you prefer a white.
Please enjoy this article: A Salish Feast: Ancient Roots and Modern Applications, and learn about the restoration of traditional foods and medicines in the Pacific Northwest through the work of the Center for Traditional Medicine.
Sweet Corn and Avocado Relish
from the Kitchen of Victoria Moonfire
4 ears fresh corn kernels removed from cobb
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 ripe avocado, cubed
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Toss ingredients in a large bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled salmon.
All photos and content ©2019 Thea Summer Deer