This post is created in partnership with Stemilt. Stemilt is a family-owned and operated fruit grower here in Washington State, dedicated to sustainability and social responsibility. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep the Flourishing Foodie delicious, and as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Since moving to the West Coast, I have fallen in love with seafood, especially salmon. My favorite way to cook it is on the grill, lightly oiled, salt, pepper, and often times marinated with barbecue sauce. During the winter months, I like to serve it as part of a comforting dish, in pasta, risotto, or a pot pie, but during the warmer months, spring and summer, my favorite ways to eat salmon is with or a part of a salad.

I love making salads. The fact that you can add such a variety of ingredients to one dish is incredible. It’s so easy to incorporate protein, healthy fats, fruits, veggies, and dairy. The opportunities are endless. Everyone who knows me knows that I either bring the dessert or salad to the potluck. Salad is such an easy meal to prepare and with all the colors, it’s easily the show stopper. Fresh crisp greens, bright and colorful fruits, and veggies, and multiple textures make for a pretty successful meal.

A few ingredients that pair so well together are salmon, apple, and cucumber. For this recipe, I used a fresh local Chinook salmon, marinated in barbecue sauce and then grilled for a few minutes on each side. I paired it with sliced Stemilt Pinata apples because they are so sweet and tart, crisp and juicy. The cucumber, dill, and green onions really pulled the meal together, and the creamy dill dressing was the icing on the cake. The combination of flavors is perfect. Paired with a nice glass of white wine, this is the ideal meal for a nice Spring evening or a weekend brunch

Click here for the recipe.