Fireside Fennel and Dill Salmon

Mmmmh, what could possibly be better than spending a day at the beach building sand castles, soaking up some Vitamin D while reading a good magazine followed by frequent, refreshing dips in one of Canada's finest lakes. I know, I know. You are probably thinking that nothing could possibly top that, right?
What would you say if I told you that M. and I added to our already perfect day by having a fireside beach BBQ while watching a gorgeous sunset...

... and enjoying delicious fennel and dill salmon.

I love fennel due to it's volatile, aromatic oils. If you know fennel already you will know what I'm talking about...the lovely aroma of anise a.k.a licorice. Science has discovered that fennel contains many health promoting antioxidant phytonutrients, such as quercetin, kaempferol and rutin, which protect cells from oxidative damage and the already mentioned aromatic volatile oils contribute to fennel's anti-inflammatory compounds.

With it's sweet and spicy notes, fennel is a warming herb that tonifies the bladder, kidneys, spleen, stomach and liver. So, when shopping for this recipe select unblemished bulbs, which look crisp and have soft, fragrant blue-green leaves. The bulb should be medium size and pearly white. Because fennel does not store well make sure that you use within a couple of days.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole, organic salmon fillet
• 1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 6-8 hours
• 1 bulb fennel, diced
• 1 handful dill, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. black sesame seeds
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper

Preparation:
Wash the salmon and pat it dry with paper towel.
Put the salmon on top of the soaked cedar plank add sea salt and pepper and set aside.
In a bowl add the diced fennel, chopped dill, olive oil and lemon juice.
Add sea salt and black pepper to taste
Grill the salmon until it is firm all the way through.

With the sun setting right before our eyes we sat next to our fire, surrounded by smells of cedar, fennel and dill.