My last two posts have been written from my home town in New Brunswick, Canada.

Lots of friends and family + lots of day trips + lots of doing absolutely nothing. Vacation, perfected.

The highlights:

– I got to play with the adorable new babies of my best friends forever

– I got to sit in a kayak with my sister and paddle around a humorously tiny lake

– I spent long, luxurious hours painting in my mom’s art studio

– I learned the art of glass mosaic making, where my mom and I rightfully won the “Family Band-Aid Award” for the most combined injuries in any workshop ever

– I drank a magnificent amount of my mom’s white wine sangria, which tastes dangerously like the nectar of gods

– I enjoyed backyard bonfires with beer and s’mores and a sky full of stars (from the warmth of two layers of pants, wool socks, a hoodie, a winter jacket and a toque – and consequently endured endless teasing about no longer being a “Maritimer”)

– I poked around the Fundy coastline and quaint fishing towns with my family, stopping for fried clams, fish and chips, and peanut butter fudge crunch ice cream

– I ate not one, but TWO gorgeous lobster feasts, featuring the best lobster in the world, straight from the cold Atlantic

– I survived hurricane Irene. The cottage roof did not.

– I procured an inordinate amount of dulse

– I made _________ (insert driver of any given day) stop at a farm stand/market/grocery store to buy MORE wild blueberries… those teeny, succulent, midnight blue gems that are found only on this coast…

– I proceeded to make a totally unreasonable amount of jam

– I acquired an additional suitcase to transport said unreasonable amount of jam….

Now that I’m back on the West coast – brain rested, heart warm, and tummy satisfied -I intend to hog every piece of tree fruit I can get my mitts on until the last one falls rotting from the tree.

Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, pears…

Enter salmon with nectarine salsa (Psst. if you love glazed salmon, you must also try my Honey Teriyaki Glazed Salmon and Cajun Honey Butter Salmon recipes).

This recipe is adapted from one that my friend Rose Mary makes with canteloupe. It is delicious on fish, and I’m sure it would be equally so on pork chops, or grilled chicken breasts. Fresh, healthy and vibrant.

You could add some minced jalapeno to the salsa if you like a bit of kick, and even toss some cayenne into the mixture you are brushing on the fish.

Come back in the next few days, because I will be posting an awesome giveaway!!

Salmon with Nectarine Salsa

• 4 salmon portions, steaks or fillets
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced nectarine (from one large or two small)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt
• black pepper

1. Combine lime juice, honey and olive oil and brush on fish. Season well with salt and pepper. Grill, pan sear, or broil salmon until just opaque in centre.

2. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve fish with nectarine salsa.