A Salmon Saga and The Gettysburg Address

Hey Y'all, Yesterday afternoon I was painting my garage as if I didn't have one hundred other things to do. I heard the school bus pull up and my 14 year old neighbor, Savannah yell "have a great summer!" to the driver. As she came by my house she was singing and dancing what my dad would call a jig. When she saw me she stopped and looked a little sheepish. I said, "Is it over?" A huge smile came over her face and she said YES!!! And off she went dancing her way into the joys of summer. The Salmon Scoop Last week I wrote about the life cycle of the wild salmon and this week I thought you might like to know a little info on the different species of salmon you will see in my markets. Three are wild caught Pacific salmon and one is farm raised Atlantic salmon. King/Chinook The largest and least abundant of the salmons is the Chinook salmon, named after a native tribe along the Columbia River. We know them as king salmon because they can grow to be huge! Many think the Chinook is the very best tasting salmon; there is a reason why they call it king! The meaty fish has a pure buttery flavor and ample fat and cooks beautifully over a charcoal fire.

Sockeye: The sockeye salmon has the strongest flavor of the salmons. They generally live 2-6 years, are about 21-26 in. in length, and weigh about 4-7 lbs. Sockeye first comes to market in May and is the second-fattiest type of salmon. It has a distinctive, deep orange-red color and is dense and full-flavored.

Coho: Coho is plentiful and available from late summer through fall, once the kings and sockeyes are done. Fresh wild coho salmon is milder flavored and more lean than sockeye and Chinook salmon. But it still has enough firmness and oil content to lend itself to a wide variety of cooking applications.

Wild salmon spawn in fresh water at the end of their lives. Pay close attention to the appearance of a salmon when it is ready to spawn. It is a clear demonstration of the affects of childbirth and even after parenting. Atlantic: The most distinctive characteristic of the Atlantic salmon is the plastic tag that grows out of one of its gills.

Seriously, the tag shown on this fish is actually attached at the Verlasso facility before the fish is sent to us. This is how we know we are getting the best Atlantic salmon in the world. The Atlantic salmon once flourished in North Atlantic waters, but the wild stocks have been decimated by various factors including the construction of dams on rivers that impede the fish's return to their spawning grounds. Now they are no longer legally fished except as sustenance fishing by indigneous peoples. So if you see or hear the words "wild Atlantic salmon" you better call the fish cops. Atlantic salmon has a medium-firm texture with large flakes, a medium fat content and a mild flavor.

What's Cooking in Your Kitchen?

Richard Loehn thinks this is the best way to cook redfish. Did you know that this preparation was created by Chef Paul Prudhomme and became so popular that the population of redfish in the Gulf of Mexico declined rapidly for a period of time? There's plenty in the Gulf now and there is some at our stores this weekend if you want to give this recipe a try. It comes from a cookbook by the people who created the Slap Ya Mama seasonings (but Kathleen's Catch Blackened Seasoning is way better). Blackened Redfish ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 pounds redfish fillets 3 to 4 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning (or even better use our Kathleen's Catch Blackened Seasoning) 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 lemons, halved 1. Preheat grill to high heat (400° to 450°). Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on grill for 15 minutes. 2. Pour melted butter in a shallow dish. Dip each fillet in butter, turning to coat. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning; pat gently to coat. 3. Add oil to skillet (oil should smoke); place fish in skillet. Cook, covered, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn, and cook, covered, until fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes more. Carefully remove skillet from grill. 4. Place lemons, cut side down, on grill. Cook, covered, until charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with fish.

A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend Redfish Fresh shrimp Corvina Mahi Red snapper Swordfish Halibut  Monk Copper River Sockeye- coming Saturday! Red Grouper Gag Grouper Soft Shell crabs Plenty of oysters for grilling John Dory Skate wing By Special Order (order Friday for Saturday pickup) Pompano Tautog Sable Lobster Rolls are Back!! Catch to Go Through Sunday Honey Jalapeno Salmon with Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Next week starting Monday: Italian Herb Swordfish Almond Barley Salad

Ceviche! Available Saturday and Sunday Red Snapper and Mahi with tropical fruits and habanero pepper (And no grapefruit because we heard you, Statin-Takers!) And Finally

The greatest speech ever written, the Gettysburg Address, was given by President Lincoln to dedicate the soldiers' cemetery at the bloody battlefied where over 50,000 casualties occured. Here is the part to remember on Monday: It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Happy Memorial Day.

Blessings, Kathleen