King Salmon, Aquaculture 101, and Farmed vs. Wild

 

Hey Y'all, So I screwed up again. A couple of weeks ago I put oil in the mignonette and last week I wrote all about the Royal Red shrimp and mentioned it was best steamed in the shell. Then, I offered them to all of you peeled and deveined! One of my favorite smart-aleky customers had this to say: Hi Kathleen,   Can you please have the President and CEO of KC inform the VP of Marketing that they again made another gaffe in today's email. The best way to enjoy Royal Reds is to steam or grill them in their shells. Unfortunately you are only selling them peeled and deveined. Oh well, I will still make a special trip to grab some of these tasty little crustaceans even if I can only enjoy them sub-optimally. Take care, Joe Like I told Joe, as soon as I figure out who the President, the CEO and the VP of Marketing are at KC I am going to set them straight. Who is in charge here? Truthfully, it was my blunder. I didn't realize that I could only get them peeled and deveined while I wrote the cooking directions. And then I forgot to go back and change it. Jeesh - What do you expect from a fishmonger? (That's my excuse for everything). I hope you loved the p and d version.

King (Chinook) Salmon While we carry a variety of salmons, 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 - which is perfect for this sunny weekend! As the wild salmon season progresses, king salmon are often caught by hook and line as they are starting their journey up the river to spawn. This means that they haven't eaten in a while so their coloring is fading. (Remember wild salmon don't eat again after they leave the deep Pacific waters to head to their natal ponds.) So don't worry one little bit about if your fish is a little lighter in color because the flavor will be everything you ever dreamed of. We will have King salmon in our stores for just $29.99/lb starting this weekend - while supplies last. Get in quick because it'll go fast!

Aquaculture 101 The latest newsletter from SeafoodSource News gave some very interesting information this week on aquaculture in the US: By 2050, the world will require about 60 percent more food to nourish its human population. With this statistic in mind, the American Fisheries Society and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) briefed U.S. Congress earlier this month about  developing marine aquaculture in the country . Several states in the U.S. have been exploring and expanding their aquaculture industries, including North Carolina and Maine, where recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) developments have been proposed. A variety of seafood species are being farmed in North Carolina, including trout, crawfish, oysters, and sturgeon. Further up the East Coast, a crucial permit was issued to Kingfish Maine, advancing the company one step further towards its goal of establishing a land-based RAS for raising yellowtail in Jonesport, Maine, U.S.A. American Aquafarms also has aquaculture plans for the state; It intends to build a closed-pen salmon facility in Gouldsboro. While the firm has faced vocal opposition groups  pushing for federal intervention , it said it remains  committed to moving forward . So about farmed vs. wild... Farmed vs. Wild I have been on my aquaculture soapbox many times over the last few months while I do my best to educate all our new customers on why we need to support aquaculture when it is done in a healthy and sustainable way. Understandably, aquaculture is the number one issue new customers have.  Their nose wrinkles a little at our farmed fish selection and they slide over to see what's available that is wild caught. The first thing I say to these customers is that I buy from the very best farms in the world. My farmed fish do not get growth hormones and they do not get preventive antibiotics. In most cases, my farmed fish come from open ocean pens in natural, super clean waters far away from any industrial pollutants or sensitive coastal areas. Unfortunately, the ongoing wild vs farmed debate involves political motivations and misinformation. The truth is that both can be good choices for your family. Choosing a good mix of wild-caught and farm-raised fish is important because if we support aquaculture done in a healthy and sustainable way, we will continue to have wild fish for generations to come. Not all aquaculture is perfect. There are some horror stories out there about cramped ponds and unhealthy uses of antibiotics etc. Don't worry about buying farmed from our stores. The trick is to find a fishmonger that is paying attention and buying only the very best. And that'd be me. You can trust me.

Nutrition Calculator I just can't stop talking about oysters. My friend Tim send me this link from My Food Data which can help you understand how healthy your food is. It's a pretty helpful tool if you're needing to compare fats and protein! I love giving you ideas on where to find healthy eating advice because it will always tell you to come shop with me! Case in point - the list of top nutrients per calorie on this site show the lowly oyster as NUMBER 8! If you are going to eat healthy, you might as well eat good tasting food! Best of North Atlanta 2021 Nomination Have you voted yet? You have less than a month! Best of North Atlanta Voting . Voting ends 08/15/2021.

Special Until 07/29: WHILE SUPPLIES LAST 6 oz. swordfish portions for $7.99/ea Grilled Swordfish with Roasted Garlic * If you would rather bake than grill, try this recipe. The flavor of swordfish can stand up to these robust ingredients.

Catch-To-Go This Week Until Sunday, we'll have Corvina with Summer Succotash and Caper Salsa Verde. (pictured below).

Next week's is Swordfish w/ Baby Red Potatoes, Green Beans and a Creamy Lemon Sauce.

And Finally I'm always amazed at the interesting backgrounds of my customers once I get to know them. At Brookhaven last weekend I met two ladies in particular who had interesting childhoods. One of them was from NC where her father was a funeral home director. He, his wife, and 6 children lived in an apartment above the funeral home. The apartment had 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom with a kitchen made out of a closet. When the children got off the school bus, they would have to put on their funeral home faces until they were upstairs where they could act like kids, as long as they were verrry quiet. The other lady I met said she was so poor growing up that there were times that her parents couldn't pay the utilities in their home. When that happened, they spent days in old beat up RV. She never knew she was poor - living in a RV instead of a house - she just always thought she was on vacation. What's your story? Blessings, Kathleen