The proof is in the dish

Since Teeny McMunn's retirement earlier this year, Luke Chavez has been sharing his recipes with readers each week. The Times enjoys hearing recipe feedback, and learning about ways that each reader customizes the dishes. Enjoy this review of a dish featured in the June 24, 2021 edition.

I saved your recipe from the Waitsburg Times of June 24, 2021, for the above referenced item. I finally made it last night for dinner and invited two good friends over to share the experience. Luke, it was one of the most delicious meals to grace my table here in San Francisco. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of jarred sun ripened tomatoes from the local farmers market, so I used the tomatoes and their juices along with about 1/2 can of regular diced tomatoes. Two more variations: I used only 1 tablespoon of capers; I added 8 jumbo prawns to the stew, and I made shrimp stock from the shrimp shells. The salmon, scallops and shrimp were well suited to the wonderful broth (big chunks of sourdough bread sopped it up). Thanks for sharing your "simple" recipe that you somehow managed to pull from your pantry and garden. It's a winner!

Cheers!

Jack Hubbard

San Francisco, CA