George Chiala Farms - George's Recipe of the Month.

George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.

After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.

Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.

Salmon

4 salmon fillets (4 oz. each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons avocado oil (high smoke point)

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 poblano chilies, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11/2 cups milk
5 oz. spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
Lemon wedges, for serving

1 - For salmon: Rinse and dry salmon fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add salmon skin side up. Sear for 4-5 minutes, flip, and sear 2-4 minutes or until salmon reaches internal temperature of 135°F. Turn off heat, remove from pan to a clean plate, and cover lightly with foil. Using paper towels, wipe pan clean.

2 - For sauce: Heat same skillet over medium heat; add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add poblanos, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté for approx. 10 minutes (or until softened).

3 - Add garlic, sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.

4 - Add flour, stir and cook for one minute. Vegetables will be coated with flour.

5 - Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer; cook and stir for 1 minute (or until thickened).

6 - Add spinach and cilantro, stirring constantly until spinach is wilted.

7 - To serve, divide creamy spinach mixture onto 4 plates or shallow bowls, and nestle one salmon fillet in each serving. Serve immediately, garnished with a wedge of lemon.