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summer berries and salmon alaska
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summer berries and salmon alaska

A Summer Menu Inspired by Salmon and Berries

August 28th, 2025

Both Fish and Fruit Bring Seasonal Color and Flavor

In the summertime, salmon is not the only wild resource found in stunning abundance, bringing a flood of color into the Alaskan landscape. Wild berries, too, begin to flush as they ripen, seeming to reflect the color of salmon as they spawn. Step into the forest or a field, and you can spend an afternoon foraging for wild fruit — to eat fresh, freeze, or pack into cans for the long winter. 

To help you revel in this season of summer salmon runs and late summer berries, I’m sharing an essay from Chef Mandy Dixon of Tutka Bay Lodge in Kachemak Bay, who embraces the abundance of the season in her approach to cooking. You’ll also find a couple of recipes inspired by these harvests.

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The Abundance of Summer

By Mandy Dixon

In summer, the forest and the edges of our trails burst into a riot of colors — blueberries, salmonberries, cloudberries, and currants. As Alaskans, we’re spoiled for choice, with nearly 50 kinds of edible wild berries throughout our state. I cherish the simple ritual of berry picking. On a sunny afternoon, I’ll wander behind our lodge with my favorite basket in hand. This connection — simple, communal, rooted in the land — is what gives an Alaska summer its richness. 

You don’t have to live in rural Alaska to know the pleasure of harvesting summer fruit. Maybe for you it’s a Saturday trip to the farmers’ market, filling a bag with ripe strawberries and blueberries. Or a drive into the countryside where you find a pick-your-own farm. The experience is universally nostalgic and uplifting. It connects us to a simpler time and the abundance of summer.

At the end of the day, I love bringing these berries into my kitchen. A handful of wild berries might get mashed into a quick jam to drizzle over grilled salmon, combining the savory of the sea and the sweetness of the land. In fact, one of my favorite dishes to make is cedar plank salmon with a blueberry barbecue sauce over vibrant summer greens — a bright punch of berry sweetness complements the rich, smoky fish. The pairing tastes like Alaska summer on a plate.

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For a balance of sweetness and smoke, try making Chef Mandy’s recipe for Cedar Plank Salmon With Blueberry Barbecue Sauce. It’s ideal on a grill, which brings the full flavor of cedar to life. 

Another one of my favorite salmon & berry recipes is our Crispy Seared Salmon With Blueberry Compote — you can substitute strawberries, blackberries, or even mulberries for an equally delicious riff on the dish.

For when you have berry preserves on hand, either now or into the colder parts of the year, try this simple recipe for Sheet Pan Salmon with Sweet Mustard Glaze — the glaze is made by whisking together a spoonful of jam with mustard, so it’s perfectly savory and sweet.

Live Wild,

Monica

Pictured above: A fillet of sockeye salmon with crispy golden skin, under a heap of juicy, blueberry compote.

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