IN SEARCH OF: Dinner

Asparagus season has passed, but you can occasionally find a good bunch at the farmer's market. Armed with a small bunch myself, I set out to make a simple summer dinner of salmon, lemon, capers and olive oil. These little parchment packages keep in all the flavor while the fish steams gently inside the oven for a few minutes.

As for the asparagus, they don't need much more than a drizzle of good olive oil and some salt. As always, I favor sea salt these days. Maybe it's just in my blood. I was, after all, born in Figueira da Foz, Portugal home to the salt pans of Corredor da Cobra. We are one of a few working salt harvesting cities in Portugal.

So tonight, go get some wild salmon and try this. It's so easy and amazingly delicious.

Little Salmon Parchment Packages with Roasted Asparagus

2  4oz. fillets wild salmon (thickest part of fish)

1 Tb capers, drained and rinsed

1/2 lemon sliced thin

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

4 sheets parchment paper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

cut parchment paper into large squares. Place washed and towel dried salmon on parchment. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add capers, salt and pepper. Place sliced lemon over fish. Seal packages tightly around edges.

Place parchment packages on a roasting pan and roast for 12-15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the fish. If you are using thin fillets cook for less time.

For the asparagus, snap off tough ends. Place in roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 8 minutes.

Serve salmon in parchment.