Month: May 2026

In 1995, I spent my first salmon season fishing in Kodiak, Alaska aboard the F/V Sea Mint, a 58-foot limit seiner built with a ferro cement hull back in the 1970s. A small fleet of these boats had been constructed during that era to experiment with the material, and the rounded hull gave the Sea Mint a reputation for handling rough weather well. The boat rolled constantly, and I was seasick for the first two weeks onboard. I seriously considered quitting more than once. By the end of the summer I had lost over 20 pounds, though honestly, I probably needed to.

The boat smelled like diesel fuel and wet wood, and I’ll never forget the constant idle of that old Caterpillar motor originally pulled from a retired bulldozer. During salmon season, that engine often ran for days straight. We usually only shut it down long enough to add oil and restart it before it got cold.

The Sea Mint had six bunks, a stand-up engine room, a full galley, and held enough fuel and water to stay out fishing for extended periods. Kodiak summers meant long daylight hours, harsh storms every couple weeks, and fishing schedules that often stretched 16 to 20 hours a day. Six straight hours of sleep was rare. Most of the time we were exhausted, cold, sore, hungry, or all four together.

The previous owner of the Sea Mint was an old fisherman we all called Whitey. He had just retired after roughly 40 years of fishing. Whitey was short, broad, and quiet. He helped us get the boat seaworthy for the summer salmon season and taught us the quirks, like using the pony motor to start the diesel engine. I didn’t know him well personally, but the stories about him were everywhere. One of the favorites was that when he ran the boat, he made his crew eat pink salmon and rice multiple times a week to save money on groceries. When our crew first took over the Sea Mint, we also found plenty of old Spam onboard from Whitey’s days running the boat.

When I first stepped onboard the Sea Mint, the boat had been purchased by a reputable fisherman who hired Captain Kane Fisher to run it. Kane already had solid experience fishing in Alaska and had earned a reputation as a top hand. That summer was Kane’s first year running a boat as captain, and it was also the first salmon season for Logan and me. The three of us had all attended New Mexico State University and played intramural rugby together before heading north. Kane hired us as greenhorns, while Mikey, who already had several seasons under his belt and most recently worked aboard a high liner, helped train us through that first summer with a relentlessly positive attitude.

Red salmon was considered the “money fish,” valuable, durable, and heavily desired by processors and export markets. Kane preferred silver salmon. Among many fishermen and captains, silver salmon was often the fish people most wanted to eat themselves. Kane liked silver salmon because it was rich like king salmon, but smaller, milder, and easy to eat often when you were hungry and working hard at sea.

We ate salmon onboard regularly, usually at least once a week and often more. As the cook onboard, I prepared most of the meals for the crew. Sometimes we made salmon nuggets that were beer battered and deep fried. Other times Kane preferred the silver salmon fileted, pin-boned, briefly brined in seawater, and baked skin-on with mayonnaise and sliced onions. It was usually served alongside rice and cabbage slaw because cabbage, carrots, and onions held up well on long trips offshore.

Nobody talked about omega-3s, astaxanthin, or nutrition trends back then. We were simply hungry young fishermen trying to stay warm, full, and in good spirits through long days and rough weather. Serious food mattered onboard, and that contributed greatly to morale.

One detail I still remember clearly is that Kane always scooped out the salmon belly for himself and left the rest of the filet for the crew. He also introduced me to sea urchin roe and cooked crab guts eaten straight from the ocean, which became my first introduction to what people now casually call sushi.

The first salmon I ever truly remember enjoying was fresh silver salmon eaten onboard the Sea Mint.

Captain Kane’s Coho

Ingredients
Coho salmon filet, skin on
Mayonnaise
White or yellow onion, sliced
Salt
Pepper

Method
Lay the salmon filet skin-side down in a baking dish. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the top and cover with sliced onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake until the onions soften and the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Serve with rice and simple cabbage slaw.

Not fancy, but after a long day on the water, it was exactly what we wanted to eat. Some things stay with you. If you’d like to taste the fish Alaska fishermen respected so much, come see us Saturday.

Eat Well,

Kenny

For many years now, a common request at the market has been simple: sockeye salmon.

That makes sense. Sockeye earned a strong reputation as more people began paying attention to where their food comes from and how it’s sourced. Its deep red color, rich flavor, and wide availability made it an easy and reliable choice.

What’s interesting is that when we first began offering wild Alaska salmon in the early 2000s, coho was the species American consumers preferred. It fit naturally into how people cooked and ate at home. In fact, coho was the only species we offered for the first few years, while all of our sockeye went by contract to Japan.

As wild salmon became more widely available across the US, sockeye became the most visible example. Large harvests made it easier for grocery stores to carry consistently, and its deep red color became a quick visual signal of “this is the good stuff.” What changed wasn’t the fish so much as how salmon showed up in the marketplace.

Color does tell a story, just not the whole story. Wild salmon get their color from carotenoids in their diet, primarily from krill and other small crustaceans. Species like sockeye tend to store more of that pigment, which results in the darker red flesh. Coho, while still rich in those same nutrients, expresses it a bit differently, resulting in a lighter, more orange-red color.

From ASMI data, all wild Alaska salmon are strong nutritional performers. A typical 3-ounce portion of coho provides about 20 grams of protein, roughly 900 milligrams of omega-3s, around 180% of your daily vitamin B12, and close to half your daily vitamin D. Sockeye comes in slightly higher in protein and vitamin D, while coho often edges higher in omega-3s and B12. The takeaway is simple: all five wild Alaska salmon species are nutrient-dense foods, and the differences are smaller than most people assume.

This is where coho deserves another look. Coho is balanced, with a clean, approachable flavor and a firm texture that holds up beautifully in the pan or oven. It’s rich enough to satisfy, but not so intense that it overwhelms the plate. In many kitchens, it behaves more like king salmon than people expect, which is worth noting as king salmon has become more limited in many areas of Alaska.

There’s also a practical side that often goes unspoken: coho is simply easier for most people to cook well. It’s forgiving, browns beautifully, holds moisture, and adapts to a range of cooking styles without demanding perfection.

If you’ve been cooking sockeye for years, nothing here is meant to replace that. It’s simply an invitation to expand the way you think about wild salmon and perhaps give coho another try. A good place to start is right in your own kitchen.

Crispy Skin Coho Salmon with Lemon & Brown Butter

Ingredients
Coho salmon portions, skin on
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Bariani Olive Oil
Butter
Garlic, lightly crushed
Fresh lemon

Method
Pat the salmon dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of Bariani Olive Oil. Place the salmon skin-side down and let it cook undisturbed. The skin will crisp and release naturally when it’s ready.

As it cooks, add a few tablespoons of butter and the crushed garlic to the pan. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the browned butter over the top of the fish.

Once the skin is crisp and the salmon is mostly cooked through, flip briefly to finish the top. Remove from heat and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Serve alongside whatever looks best at the growers market right now: spring onions, tender greens, garlic scapes, or a simple salad dressed with olive oil and lemon.

Sockeye has earned its place in many kitchens. Coho belongs right alongside it.

We’ll have an abundant supply of wild Alaska coho at market this Saturday, along with volume pricing on 10 and 20 pound bundles for those stocking up. If you’ve been meaning to give coho a fair shot, this is the time. If you’d like to place an order for market pickup, please do so by 3:00pm on Friday.

Come see us!

Brenna & Kenny

Next Wednesday, May 20, is World Bee Day, an international observance created to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators to our food supply. It’s also a reminder of how much of our food system depends on pollinators doing their work quietly in the background every single day.

Back in February and March, many of you followed along through our six part series covering why real honey crystallizes, understanding bee pollen, botanical sexism, bees at work, royal jelly, and finally, honey beyond the myths. Different topics, but all connected by the same thread: pollinators matter far more than most people realize.

The good news is that supporting them doesn’t require anything dramatic. A small patch of flowers, a few well chosen plants, or even a simple container garden can help provide forage for bees throughout the season.

Last weekend at the Los Ranchos Growers Market, the Master Gardeners highlighted several pollinator friendly plants that do particularly well in our dry climate, including:

Western Yarrow
Desert Marigold
Butterfly Weed
Chocolate Flower
Mexican Hat
Evening Primrose

Simple choices like these help build healthier ecosystems right in your own backyard.

If you already keep raw honey, bee pollen, or Power Honey in your kitchen, you’re more connected to this system than most. Power Honey, our blend of raw honey and bee pollen, remains one of the easiest ways to enjoy both together.

We’ll have honey, bee pollen, and Power Honey available at market this Saturday, and many of these bee friendly plants, along with others, can also be found throughout the growers market. Come say hello, pick up something good, and maybe bring home a few flowers for the bees while you’re at it. See you Saturday morning!

For the Bees,

Brenna & Kenny

Saturday mornings in Los Ranchos settle into a rhythm this time of year. You show up early, walk the market while it’s still cool, and start to see the season come together with spring greens and the first stretch of what’s ahead.

We’re so pleased to be back in New Mexico for the summer and we look forward to seeing you soon. We’re coming in strong to start the season with a solid lineup.

Coho salmon portions will be available in larger quantities, along with black cod. These are two we lean on heavily this time of year, and it’s a good opportunity to step in while selection is strong.

Green chile pork sausage will also be available, along with a limited selection of beef cuts including roasts, shanks, and short ribs as we finish out the current round. The next harvest is expected mid June.

If coho salmon tails have been on your radar, this is a good time to take a look. We’ve got a strong run on them to start the season.

If you’d like to stay up to date on product availability and current specials, we share those regularly through our email newsletter.

If you want something specific set aside, orders for market pickup can be placed by Friday at 3:00pm. Otherwise, come see us Saturday morning!

Stay Well Fed,

Brenna & Kenny