Spring, to me, is like an unreliable friend. All the way through March I am suspicious because things seem to be going well. But just when you least expect it, bam! Snow. Spring, I want to believe in you. I want to think that you are going to stick around and be true. But we all know that by the time I get to trusting you, it'll be summer and the sneeze season will be over.
Fin Mail
I had lots of nice notes about my St. Patrick's Day email last week. One lady wrote to tell me that she was crying so hard she couldn't read it to her husband who, we are glad she mentioned, could actually read it for himself. I'm not exactly sure why she was crying. Hopefully they were tears of laughter from sharing a bottle of Friday night wine and enjoying my email antics.
Fish from the Great Lakes
Passover starts April 19th and you know what that means? Fish from the Great Lakes! Why? Gefilte fish (pronounced guh-fill-tuh)! A traditional kosher dish often eaten for Passover, gefilte fish is made from ground, deboned whitefish, walleye and pike from the Great Lakes. If you are from the Great Lakes region and love these kinds of fish, now is your time to get an order in. Orders need to be in by April 8th to get fish that will arrive the following week. Call the store and get on the list!
Species Spotlight: Swordfish
At our markets, we sell swordfish primarily as 6 ounce portions, with no skin, bones or belly meat. In other stores, you might find it cut into steaks with skin and bloodline to be removed by you. Keep this in mind when you are comparing costs. When you buy our portions you are not throwing away any part of it.
The key to cooking swordfish is to cook it quickly at high heat, approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Because it has a firm texture, swordfish will continue to cook a bit on the way to the table so don't over cook it!
Swordfish has a full and unique flavor so this recipe with just a few ingredients is an excellent preparation for it.
Grilled Swordfish
with Roasted Garlic
4 swordfish portions
2 whole elephant garlic bulbs, unpeeled
Olive oil
1/2 t. lemon zest
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
Mix lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne together and set aside.
Heat grill to very hot. Place garlic on the grill. (Elephant garlic is in the leek family but tastes like a mild garlic.)
While garlic is cooking, coat fish with olive oil and sprinkle desired amount of seasoning on fish and place in refrigerator.
After garlic has cooked for 15 minutes, add fish to the grill. Measure thickness of the fish and grill garlic and fish for 12 minutes per inch of thickness at the thickest part of the fish, turning halfway. Check internal temperature and remove garlic and fish from grill when fish reaches 145 degrees.
Place fish on plate and squeeze garlic out of skins. Spread garlic across fish and serve.
If you would rather bake than grill, try this recipe. The flavor of swordfish can stand up to these robust ingredients.
Mexican Baked Swordfish
4 swordfish portions (about 1" thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepepr
6 T olive oil
1/2 c sliced green onions
For salsa
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1/3 cup diced yellow pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or to taste)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all salsa ingredients in a large bowl.
Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Put 3 T. olive oil in a baking dish and brush the remaining 3 T. on both sides of the fish. Place fish in the baking dish and sprinkle green onions on top.
Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Transfer fish to plate. Portion salsa over fish and serve.
Or prepare swordfish any way you like and add a full flavored tapenade topping.
Tapenade
In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup finely chopped black olives, 2/3 cup finely chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped capers, 1 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, and, if you like, 1 anchovy fillet. Add black pepper to taste.
Spread tapenade over fish just prior to serving.
Swordfish nutrition facts for 7 ounces:
50.8 g protein
100 mg cholesterol
2 g saturated fat
310 calories
1.2 g omega-3 fatty acids
A Few of Our Weekend Fish
Wild Striped Bass
One of my all-time favorite fish! Some fishermen must have hit the mother lode of striped bass because I am making a great buy on this fish and passing the savings to you! Usually priced at $29.99/lb, this weekend we are selling this awesome fish at $15.99/lb! I know I am sounding a little like a used car commercial on tv but I don't know how else to tell you that this is the fish you should be eating this weekend. It is the very best price on striped bass I have ever seen. Really.
Whole Pompano
Black bass is a conservation success story. Ten years ago black bass averaged at about 1 lb. with the very biggest fish on the market at 1.5 lbs. After really impressive stock management, the average today is 2 lbs and they are often available up to 4 lbs. In a ten year period, the average size of these fish have doubled!
We usually see golden tile from Florida but because of that warm water current from the Gulf Stream, these fish are ranging farther north right now. This weekend's are coming from Maryland.
Halibut
The first of the Alaskan halibut is showing up today in Atlanta! It will be in our stores in the morning! 6 ounce portions are selling for $13.25 a piece.
Fluke flounder
Swordfish
Tuna
Steelhead trout
and all the rest....
By special order only (order Friday for Saturday delivery)
Greenland Turbot
Catch to Go
Through this Sunday Catch to Go is Blackened Mahi with Cheddar Cheese Grits and Hickory Garlic Asparagus
Next week, starting Monday is Shrimp and Crab Baked Penne
And Finally
Now back to me and my friend, Spring. It is true that he is fickle and maybe he isn't always around when he promises to be. But I have to say this for him. He makes me feel like a new woman. As soon as he is around, I want to clean up my act. He is so beautiful that I want to clean the windows so I can see him better. I want to fling open my doors and sweep my floors and put away old drab clothes and get out the colorful spring things. And even though, after assuring me that
only warm weather lies ahead, he disappoints me with a freeze, I still want to plant flowers everywhere.
Blessings,
Kathleen
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