Hake, Lobster Tails, & Father's Day

 

Hey Y'all, I hope this email finds you right smack in the middle of summer fun. To go with summer fun, you need some extraordinarily good summer food, such as fish! This time of year, you need light meals that give you the energy you need to get up on those water skis or hike the Appalachian Trail or just to keep up with your kids. And no one wants to spend the afternoon in the kitchen - there's too much to do outside! A quick nutritious and healthy meal is the ticket. This is a delicious, healthy summer meal that comes together in 30 minutes! Horseradish-Crusted Salmon with Cucumber Salad Lobster Tails Our freezer stocks are lower than they have ever been. Why? Covid, of course. Now before you roll your eyes (I see you doing that), put yourself in the position of the supplier of these products. Fall is the time of year when most of the lobster tails are frozen. It's when many cold water lobsters are weak from molting and get picked to lose their tails since they are dying anyway. At this time of year, you, as a processor, would have to spend a great deal of money to buy the lobsters, hire the people to process them and then store them in freezers while you wait for customers to buy them. Last fall was COVID. Restaurants were closed. People weren't working. There was no vaccine. No one knew how long the country would be shut down. Do you really want to take the risk to pay your limited workforce top dollar to put up a bunch of tails when you have no idea how long you will have to pay to store them? Not if you are a savvy business person. You will wait to see how things pan out. Once the vaccine was widely available the restaurants opened with a bang ,but there was very little time left in the season to product the tails. So shelves are bare of lobster tails (and for that matter, king crab and snow crab as well.) The season for warm water tails (Caribbean or “rock lobster” ) starts in mid-summer so we should have those tails pretty soon, and we will slowly start to get larger cold water tails as the summer goes along. I promise I will buy tails as soon I see some on the market. You should probably get out all those pandemic pennies you have been hoarding as the prices could be pretty high. Lobster Roll Mishap A few of you reached out to say that the lobster meat you purchased this past weekend did not look anything like the below picture. Our new staff was accidentally cutting the lobster pieces too small. The issue has since been fixed so if you were not happy, please come back and give them a second chance - it'll be worth it! Also, thank you to all of you that answered "Yes but louder" in response to our best lobster roll in the USA question - we appreciate it!

What the Hake!? Have you seen hake in our cases but are unfamiliar with it? We're here to educate! First of all the word is pronounced just like it is spelled, like "lake". Hake is in the same family as cod and similar in many respects. It comes from the same cold waters and has a mildly nutty flavor. Hake is not quite as flaky as cod so it is a little easier to prepare and it has a nice mild flavor. Special Order Caviar When you think caviar, most people think of fancy parties around the holidays but what about getting some caviar to enjoy on a late night boat ride with your loved ones this June? It's always nice to play fancy during the summertime.

Check out our varieties that are available for pre-order from Highland & Menlo below. There is a price for every taste and budget!

Father's Day Weekend Father's Day is 06/20, just a week from this Sunday. We know the dads in your life love to grill so purchasing great seafood for grilling is a no brainer, but what about putting together a gift basket filled with everything he'll need? We have you covered! We have a lot of spices, sauces, grilling planks, and even gift cards to let him choose what he wants to grill! We also have fresh produce that will help elevate his amazing grilling skills. If you need anything special ordered, give us a call a few days ahead so we can guarantee availability. It'll be a busy weekend!

Linz Beef Fillet Price I know it seems like we're constantly mentioning price changes but we want to keep you informed when we aren't getting some of the normal items or why pricing has changed so much. The fillet price has skyrocketed so we won't be carrying them until the price gets back in line. If you absolutely HAVE to have them, we can special order a case for you for the bargain basement price of $___ I can't even say it. It's ridiculous. Call us if you want us to insult you with this price. Mercato Delivery Just a reminder, you can always get us delivered with Mercato! Right now for new customers, you can get $10 off $35+ with the code SUMMERTIME. It expires 06/30/2021. You can always place the order to reserve your fish and then schedule a pickup instead of delivery if you pass us on your way home!

Special Until 06/11: WHILE SUPPLIES LAST Kvaroy Salmon for only $13.50/lb Here are some great recipes from the Kvaroy (pronounced KWA-RAY) website: Salmon Fillets with Crunchy Savoy Cabbage For the kiddos - Salmon Nuggets

Catch-To-Go This Week Honey Jalapeno Salmon with Zucchini - have you tried this yet? It's fun to change it up!

Next week's Catch to Go is Summer Succotash with Hake topped with Salsa Verde.

And Finally I'm always looking for the bright side of things. To get up every morning I have to believe that if things are not already great, they are getting better and better every day. It feels good to be vaccinated and to take the mask off, but if you are still struggling because prices are climbing and products are scarce, you might need an emotional boost. If you, like me, are working seven days a week because there aren't enough people needing jobs, you might need an even bigger boost. I'm getting my boost next week - a vacation in Charleston, SC. In the meantime, take care, eat fish, walk the dog and read a good book. See you in a week. Blessings, Kathleen