Recipe for Poached Salmon in Herb Marinade

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups water or chicken stock
Pinch saffron, optional

8 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in chunks
1/2 each, seeded, chopped: red bell pepper, green bell pepper
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, cut in chunks
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 recipe vegetable stock, from above

3 cups water
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
4 sprigs each: fresh thyme, fresh tarragon, fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon crushed white peppercorns
4 salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each

2 plum tomatoes, seeded, cut in tiny dice
1 small onion, cut in tiny dice
1/2 each, small, cut in tiny dice: red bell pepper, green bell pepper
1/2 small cucumber, cut in tiny dice
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ripe avocadoes, peeled, pitted, sliced

For vegetable stock, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add
mushrooms; cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and
garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add all remaining stock ingredients. Simmer,
uncovered, until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 45 minutes.
Strain out vegetables; reserve them for another use, if desired.
Chill thoroughly.

For gazpacho, puree all ingredients except stock, in batches, in
a food processor or blender. Strain and stir into vegetable stock.

To cook salmon, combine ingredients for poaching liquid in a large
skillet or saute pan. Add fish and let marinate for 20 minutes.
Place over very low heat. Cook until steam rises from liquid but
without allowing it to reach a simmer. Poach fish until it lightens,
15 to 20 minutes. Let fish stand in poaching liquid, off heat, as
long as 35 minutes before serving.

To serve, toss tomatoes, onion, bell peppers and cucumber with lime
juice, oil, salt and pepper. Arrange a half of a sliced avocado in
each of 4 large, shallow, serving bowls; top with a salmon fillet
and ladle about 3/4 cup of gazpacho around fish. Sprinkle with some
of vegetable mixture and serve at once.