Warm Salmon, Squash & Apple Salad

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posted on

September 9, 2025

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Warm Salmon, Red Kuri Squash & Apple Harvest Salad

At Cunningham Pastured Meats, we love bringing together trusted partners who share our values of quality, transparency, and care. This Warm Salmon, Red Kuri Squash & Apple Salad does just that—pairing vibrant produce from Cliff’s Country Market with premium wild-caught sockeye salmon from Alsek Fish LLC. The result is a hearty, nourishing salad that tastes like autumn in a bowl.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the Salad:

1 medium red kuri squash from Cliff’s Country Market, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 ½ pounds Cunningham Pastured Meats Wild-Caught Sockeye Salmon (sourced from Alsek Fish LLC)
1 tablespoon olive oil (for searing, if not baking)
2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Gala), sliced thin — also available at Cliff’s
6 cups arugula or baby spinach (Cliff’s seasonal greens)
½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Optional: ¼ cup goat cheese or feta

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (optional)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Salt & pepper, to taste

🔪 Instructions

Roast the Squash
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast 25–30 minutes, flipping once, until tender and caramelized.
Cook the Salmon

Pan-seared: Heat oil in skillet. Season salmon, cook skin-side down 4–5 minutes, then flip and cook 3–4 more minutes.
Baked: Place salmon on parchment-lined pan, season, and bake at 400°F for 12–15 minutes until it flakes.
Cool slightly, then flake into hearty chunks.

Make the Dressing
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients until smooth and emulsified. Adjust to taste.
Assemble the Salad
Toss greens with half the vinaigrette. Arrange squash, apples, salmon, and pecans on top. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Add goat cheese if desired.

🌊 About the Salmon: Know Your Fisherman

Our salmon comes from Alsek Fish LLC, a small fishing family that spends summers in Southeast Alaska and calls the Treasure Valley home the rest of the year. They fish the Alsek River, a glacier-fed river that averages just 39°F. Those icy waters mean salmon from this run naturally carry higher levels of healthy fats and Omega-3s—fuel for their long journey home.

Alsek Fish LLC catches and processes every fillet themselves, so when you buy from Cunningham Pastured Meats, you truly know your fisherman.

🌱 About the Produce: Local & Fresh from Cliff’s

From the earthy sweetness of red kuri squash to the crisp bite of Idaho-grown apples, all of the fresh produce in this salad is available at Cliff’s Country Market. It’s the perfect way to enjoy seasonal flavors while supporting local growers.

✨ Why You’ll Love It

Sweet, savory, nutty, and tangy flavors in every bite
Features Cliff’s seasonal produce and Alsek wild-caught salmon
Balanced enough for lunch, hearty enough for dinner
A celebration of real food from trusted families and local farms

#KnowYourFisherman #CunninghamPasturedMeats #WildCaughtSalmon #AlsekFish #TreasureValleyEats #FoodYouCanTrust

Full 2026: Series on The Big Grass Fire "It Starts with a Spark!"

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Standing Together During the Big Grass Fire When wildfires threaten our communities, they don’t stop to ask whose land they’re on. They move quickly, changing lives in a matter of hours. But in rural communities like ours, something else moves just as quickly—neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. As the Big Grass Fire continues to impact parts of Idaho and Oregon, Sean Cunningham of Cunningham Pastured Meats has joined countless ranchers, volunteers, firefighters, and first responders working tirelessly to support those directly affected. But, in spite of the effort to mitigate the damages, the devastation is real to life and property. While the Cunningham ranch has not been directly impacted by the fire, Sean has been spending long days assisting neighboring ranchers whose grazing lands, livestock, fences, and livelihoods have been threatened. Whether helping protect cattle, building fire lines, moving equipment, or supporting firefighting efforts wherever needed, the work reflects something deeply rooted in ranching culture: when one neighbor is hurting, everyone shows up. With but a brief reunion with Sean after his 3 days of fire service. As you can imagine, while Sean is all smiles to finally be home for some much-needed rest, tears were shed by the littles in his reunion with the family! As many of you know, Liz and Sean, while still only in their late 30s, have seven children and one on the way. To date, Liz and Sean have spent days apart, each taking on the role in their own capacity against the fires. Sean on the dozer in the field and Liz capturing the story in a digital war to garner the attention of news agencies like KTVB7, the Lt. Governor's office, the White House, electric company CEOs and others for much needed assistance and support for the communities who are now at the mercy of a rogue grass fire, The Big Grass Fire and simultaneous fires stretching thousands of acres throughout the Jordan Valley and beyond. That spirit of service and capitalizing on each person's strengths to wage the war against the fires is nothing new to ranchers. Across the West, ranchers have long been among the first to respond when wildfire strikes. Their knowledge of the land, equipment, water sources, and terrain often makes them invaluable partners alongside local, state, and federal fire crews. Many volunteer through Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, organizations that have become an essential part of wildfire response throughout Oregon and Idaho. These partnerships help firefighters respond more quickly while protecting communities, grazing lands, wildlife habitat, and homes. For ranching families, these fires aren’t simply headlines—they’re deeply personal. A single fire can erase years of stewardship, destroy fencing, eliminate forage needed to feed cattle, and disrupt generations of hard work. Yet even in the face of tremendous loss, ranchers continue helping one another because that’s simply what neighbors do. We are incredibly grateful to every firefighter, volunteer, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, ranch family, and community member working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and commitment remind us that the strength of rural communities isn’t measured only by the land we steward—it’s measured by the people willing to stand together when it matters most. Please continue keeping the families directly affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. Recovery will take time, but our communities have always been built on resilience, compassion, and a willingness to lend a hand. As of Wednesday July 29, 2026 at 8 am the non-official update includes official agencies holding the line with the yellow circles area in the image below a wild card. With potential winds pushing north again, critical barriers may not be enough to hold the fire from encroaching on Silver City. The blue circled area on a post seen here with images is the most difficult to manage, with juniper trees, canyons, and rock formations making it difficult terrain to navigate intervention and support. See more details and images here From all of us at Cunningham Pastured Meats and Cliff’s Country Market, thank you to everyone serving on the front lines and behind the scenes. We are honored to stand alongside a community that continues to embody the very best of what it means to be neighbors helping neighbors. We continue to remain steadfast in prayer in the midst of a very active and devastating fire season.Watch Sean's interview with KTVB news.