Pan-Roasted Salmon with Plum, Sage, and Lemon Compote

Well, it's that time of year, summer's in full swing. Stone fruits are a plenty,a plethora of herbs are out, and you can combine them into all sorts of fantastically tasty combinations. It can be a little bit random if you really want, I just saw some plums and lemons at the store, and snapped them up, figuring on making something good.

I decided to completely jump on the random feeling and make something super tasty, very simple, but extremely delicious, as well as a smidge healthy. Now, I'll admit, I'm not the biggest salmon fan. Not even like the mid-way salmon, kinda likes it sometimes guy. However,when it's good quality, done just right, and the flavors are matched delightfully with the texture and nuances of salmon, then I can be bribed into eating some. That usually involves some fat, some sweetness, and a bit of acid for it to be Jake-worthy as far as salmon goes.

Pan-roasting is a simple, yet effective way to get a good sear on something, yet not over cook it, or burn it on the stove. You can pretty much do this with almost any protein, but when you really don't want to overcook something, or make sure that it hits perfect temperature. Ovens are much easier to monitor than regulating direct heat under a pan.

Seasoned and ready to sear.

One Awesome Pan: Roasted Mediterranean Chicken

Easy.

I'm not a huge proprietor of easy. My recipes tend to sometimes go on for ages. (See example here) Ages.
I just like a bunch of complex flavors, that compliment one another, and sometimes they tend to take some... well, time to make. The end result is usually totally worth it, and I end up with something ridiculously scrumptious, but as complicated as the dickens. Not so here.

I found myself this evening staring at chicken thigh and drumstick quarters, completely dumbfounded as to what to make. I have a thousand dry ingredients, but none of them meshed, giving me culinary anxiety. I hummed and hawed, wondering how to turn these simple cuts of poultry into something fantastic and blog-worthy. I thought of Mediterranean chicken, but refused, simply because I wanted a knockout combo. A smack your auntie in the jowls kind of ingredient that would command attention. Alas, I found no such thing. However, when I saw the 2 kinds of olives in my fridge winking at me from a chilly afar, I succumbed to that first idea that popped into my noggin.

These already tasty veggies have no idea what's in store for them - Next level deliciousness.