Georgia Shrimp and Happy Fourth!

Hey Y'all, I hope you are enjoying the lovely temperatures and humidity of summer in metro-Atlanta. Remember when we were shivery and cold in the winter and longing for warmer weather? It's here! Crank up your a/c or head to the pool. Just make sure you are enjoying all the great seafood that is available this time of year. Fin Mail Oh I love fin mail! Especially when it is this nice. Sometimes a nice note is all it takes to turn an okay day into a fabulous one. Thank you, Airianne, for making my day with this email about our Milton location! Hi Kathleen,   We love what you all are doing over at the Milton location! Your daughter is such a sweetheart, very engaging and knowledgeable, and just downright friendly.   The partnership with John’s Creek Wine and Crystal is awesome. My hubby and I really enjoy the Friday wine tastings. I affectionately call my husband the “Question Monster.” With that being said, the wine tastings provide a great opportunity for him to ask Sara about all things fish and to ask Yale and Susan about all things wine. Thank you for the discount that you offer those afternoons on the “Catch-To-Go” meals, such a nice perk. Those meals are not only delicious, but they have really helped build up our confidence in cooking fish. Such easy meal prep! Please note that we haven’t had a meal that hasn’t ended with my husband saying, “This dish is a keeper.”    Another perk of those particular afternoons is that we learned about the unique wines available for the monthly wine club they offer. I previously had only acquired a taste for white wines until these tastings. Then Sara shared that her mother-in-law was the same way so she recommended that I start with a Pinot Noir. Game changer! Hubby and I also quickly changed our wine club membership from “Mixed” to “All Reds.” They have such a great collection. This is now my go-to spot for when I’m buying wines as gifts for friends and family.   Honestly, I find myself having to downplay where we live sometimes when catching-up with family and friends. How many people can say they have a fresh fish shop in their neighborhood?!   Grateful for your Milton location, Tom & Airianne Gutmann Wine tastings are every Friday at the Milton location from 3:00 - 6:00. Johns Creek Wine and Crystal has their wine tastings on Saturday afternoons.

Species Spotlight: East Coast Shrimp As you probably know, almost all of the shrimp we sell is from Poteet Seafood in Brunswick, Georgia. And a good bit of that shrimp comes from this man and this boat. The man is Johns Wallace and the boat is the Gale Force (named after his wife Gale).

John has taught me a lot about shrimp and why it is important to buy Georgia shrimp, mainly because there isn't a cleaner, better tasting shrimp in the world! Shrimp vary in color and size throughout the year. In the spring, shrimpers typically bring in roe white shrimp, large, early season shrimp with that messy orange roe along the back. During the spring we earn every penny of the fee we charge to peel and devein because cleaning that roe is a job! In thesummer brown shrimp peak, which are sometimes smaller than white shrimp but similar in taste. In the fall and into winter, shrimpers bring in a second crop of white shrimp; the offspring of the spring roe shrimp. Because white shrimp are a short-lived species (they live approximately one year) they are vulnerable to cold water temperatures and unusually wet or dry summers. Their numbers can fluctuate dramatically from year to year. However, they are an extremely sustainable population. They are prolific spawners – which means that the populations can quickly rebound even after a poor year or season.

Me pretending I know exactly what I am doing on shrimp boat

What's Cooking in Your Kitchen?

Every year Jekyll Island, Georgia has a Shrimp and Grits Festival in September that is hosted by Southern Living. Chefs submit their best recipes in hopes of winning the grand prize. There are lots of fun activities throughout the weekend and families are welcome. This recipe is from Chef James Timothy "Tim" Thomas and is a prize winner! Georgia Shrimp Ratatouille with Boursin Cheese Grits Makes 6 servings SHRIMP 35 shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined (Wild GA Shrimp, of course) 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chopped basil Salt and pepper 1/4 cup olive oil BOURSIN CHEESE GRITS 4 cups milk 1 cup quick grits 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper 4 ounces boursin cheese RATATOUILLE 1/4 cup olive oil 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced 1 eggplant, peeled, large diced 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, diced 1 green pepper, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cup tomato juice Basil, oregano, salt, pepper to taste MARINATE: Combine shrimp with 1/4 cup olive oil, 6 cloves diced garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Let marinate 30 minutes. MAKE GRITS: Bring milk and butter to a boil. Add grits. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Add boursin and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning. RATATOUILLE: Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skillet. Add eggplant and cook 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Drain excess oil. Add onion, garlic and peppers. Cook another minute. Add zucchini and squash. Add tomato products, salt, pepper and herbs. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. When almost ready to serve, heat a saute pan and place shrimp mixture in heated pan. Cook shrimp for 30 seconds on each side. Serve in individual ramekins with grits topped with ratatouille, then shrimp and more ratatouille; or on plates, as grits topped with ratatouille, then shrimp.

A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend Corvina Red snapper Halibut Mahi Sword Skate Monk Copper River sockeye King salmon from Washington state Fluke flounder Yellowfin grouper By special order only: Tile Spanish mackerel Catch to Go Through Sunday DRY RUBBED SALMON  with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Seasoned Brussel Sprouts

Next week starting Monday: BLACKENED CORVINA Cheese grits and hickory garlic asparagus

Ceviche! Available Saturday and Sunday Strawberry Ceviche Mahi, amberjack, strawberry and mint And Finally

25 people are running to represent the Democratic Party in the election of 2020. 25! No matter how you feel about who is running or who is currently in the White House you have to feel inspired by the fact that anyone in our country who is 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and a resident for 14 years can stand up and say "I have ideas about how this country should be run and I would like to take a shot at becoming president." Robert Kennedy described democracy as messy and Winston Churchill described it as inadequate when he said in 1947: No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time." Raise your flag next Thursday in honor of this messy, inadequate system we have. And be thankful that your voice can be heard.

Blessings, Kathleen

Oysters in the Summer?

Hey Y'all, Life got ahead of me last week and I just didn’t find a minute to sit and write to you. Remember those lazy days of summer when you were a kid? I was usually bored by mid-June; if I had any clue about how crazy life can be when you are an adult I might have treasured those long afternoons at the neighborhood pool a little bit more.

Species Spotlight: East Coast Oysters Oysters in the summer? The old rule of not eating oysters in months that don't have an R meant that summer oysters were out. So how are we selling so many oysters to people that appear to remain healthy after eating them? Refrigeration is one reason. Oysters are no longer covered in ice and transported in open train cars in hot summer weather or left piled up on a boat deck for hours while oystermen complete their work. Instead governmental health regulations require that oysters are immediately refrigerated once they are removed from the water and they stay that way all the way to my seafood case. Spawning was the other reason to avoid summertime oysters. Traditionally, because oysters spawn in warmer water, the oyster season was closed in the summer to allow them to reproduce. Spawning oysters are typically thin and watery so areas that were open to harvest produced oysters that weren't the best quality for eating. Most of the oysters we consume today are farmed which allows farmers to breed oysters that are triploids which means they are sterile, like a seedless watermelon. Many farms are located in cold waters which limits spawning. Click here to learn more about the fascinating process of oyster farming: https://www.thekitchn.com/island-creek-oysters-grower-tour-192689 So are all warm weather oysters safe to eat? You may have noticed that I do not sell oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures in the Gulf are so warm that the possibility of vibrio outbreaks in certain coastal regions is greater, especially in warmer brackish water where oysters thrive. Vibriosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked seafood from water that is warmer than 68 degrees. Often the symptoms of vibriosis are mild stomach upset for a few days, but sometimes it can be deadly. The CDC says this about Vibrio: https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/index.html

What's Your Dad Getting for Father's Day?

I don't know about your dad but mine was impossible to buy for. He lived a pretty simple life - went to work, came home, worked around the house and sometimes he built things in the garage. The problem was that if my dad wanted something he went out and bought it. He was picky about his clothes. He owned golf clubs that suited him just fine because he didn't use them very often. He read books but picking one that he would like that he didn't already have was a challenge. If your dad is as well-equipped as mine was and another Home Depot gift card just seems too predictable, might I suggest a seafood meal? Clams were my dad's favorite. He loved a meal of steamed clams in a butter sauce with some good crusty bread. If your dad is a salmon man, you can't go wrong with the best-in-the-world sockeye salmon that is available right now from the Copper River! If your dad loves oysters, you could pick up a beautiful oyster serving plate and a new shucking knife from the Catch. Add a dozen fresh oysters and do the shucking for him on Father's Day. If he loves shrimp, marinate, skewer and grill some beautiful wild Georgia shrimp. For the marinade, mix together: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning or Italian seasoning 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or cilantro Marinade for 15 minutes or so (not too long or the lemon juice will start to cook the shrimp). Place on skewers that have been soaked for 30 minutes if they are wooden. No soaking is necessary for metal ones. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side just until they turn pink. Don't overcook - shrimp cook fast! Serve with crusty bread, green salad and and jasmine or Spanish rice. And one last Dad fav... GIANT lobster tails for $30.00 each. These are 14 to 16 oz. Maine tails. That's a Father's Day gift he won't forget!

A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend Swordfish $7.50/6 oz. portions. This is your Father's Day fish! Halibut Monk Mahi Copper River sockeye Black drum Brunswick shrimp Gag Grouper By Special Order (order Friday for Saturday pickup) Barrel fish Wreckfish Catch to Go Through Sunday Roasted Cod with Succotash

Next week starting Monday: Shrimp Creole

Ceviche! Available Saturday and Sunday Dreaming of the Islands Red snapper, scallops, coconut, peach, basil Your choice - spicy or sweet And Finally

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished by how much the old man had learned in 7 years." Mark Twain Happy Father's Day.

Blessings, Kathleen