We Need to Be Farming Fish if We Want to Continue to Eat Fish

We Need to be Farming Fish if We Want to Continue Eating Wild-Caught Fish

You and I both love our wild caught fish. At Kathleen’s Catch our cases practically overflow with beautiful Gulf red snapper, Alaskan halibut, Pacific cod, wild striped bass and, when it is in season, wild Alaskan salmon.  These beautiful fish are some of the greatest treasures available to us.   If our grandchildren and their children are going to enjoy wild caught fish, we have to support aquaculture when it is done correctly.  At Kathleen’s Catch we source our farmed fish from the very best aquaculture operations in the world.       

Let’s say that over the next 35 years, the US continues to set an international example for responsible, sustainable fisheries practices and other countries follow suit so that the number of fish in the sea does not fall to a lower level than it is now.  And let’s say that the per capita consumption of fish stays exactly where it is now.  We are in for some trouble because the United Nations estimates a global population growth to 9.6 billion by 2050.  This mean a 40% increase in demand for proteins. 

Knowing that resources for increased land protein production will be limited, the question then becomes how to increase protein production from the sea.  The only feasible answer is aquaculture.  And at Kathleen’s Catch, that’s not a bad thing because we believe that our food should come from operations with the highest levels of animal husbandry and the best tasting products available with a minimal impact on the environment.

The Carbon Finprint

Did you know that there is less environmental impact from the production of farmed salmon compared to other protein sources?  The carbon footprint of farmed salmon is 2.9 carbon equivalents per pound of edible product.    For chicken, it is 3.4 and for beef, it is as much as 30 carbon equivalents per pound of edible product.  If CO2 emissions are a concern to you, then farmed salmon on your dinner plate makes a lot more sense than a steak.

A Fish Out of Water?

In Norway, it takes 1400 liters of fresh water to produce 1 kg of edible product of farmed salmon and with the increased use of recirculating ponds that number is falling fast.  For chicken it takes 4300 liters of water.  For pork it takes 6000 liters and for beef, 15,400 liters of water per kg of edible product!  

I know that this seems to be a bunch of statistics that are hard to translate into the meal on your dinner plate.  Just think this.  The charge that farmed fish equals damage to the environment and the world’s oceans is not true!  If aquaculture is done correctly, you can eat some of the world’s best tasting fish without a moment of doubt about the future of the world’s oceans.  And you don’t have to worry about what our grandchildren and their children are going to eat. 

An Abundance of Fishes, King Salmon and a Trip to the Grand Canyon

Dear Fish Friends,
 

This week we see the law of supply and demand at work.  Three months ago we saw the first of the king (Chinook) salmon appear from the Columbia River and a month later the kings made their appearance in the Copper River.   At Kathleen's Catch,  we had to charge you $39.99/lb. to cover our cost of these expensive fish.  On this day in July, you will find wild, fresh Alaskan king salmon on special for $17.99.  What difference a few months makes!!   Some people will swear that the kings from the Columbia and Copper Rivers are worth every penny of their $39.99 price tag because they have a very high fat content.  But king salmon from anywhere is an amazing fish.  There's a reason it's called king!  Right now kings are coming from all around southeast Alaska, both troll caught and net caught.  They are very plentiful this year, hence a price tag lower than we've seen in maybe 7 years!  An abundance of fish means a lower price at the seafood counter.

Here one of my favorite salmon dishes:

1.  Whip up some cole slaw with a light dressing and some sesame oil.

2,  Make your favorite cheese grits.  Mine is from The Flying Biscuit:

Flying Biscuit Creamy Dreamy Grits

3,  Grill salmon to desired doneness while basting with your favorite barbeque sauce.

4,  Dig out that bottle of hot chile oil you never know what to do with.  I buy the Hokan kind.

5.  Plate it this way:  grits in the center, cole slaw on top of the grits, barbeque salmon on the slaw and chile oil drizzled over the whole thing. 

Yep.  It's good.

 There's More Fish Around This Year
Speaking of abundance, salmon is not the only wild fish that there is plenty of this year.  In April of 2015 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their annual report on the condition of fish stocks in the United States.  In this report they list fish that are classified as "overfishing" which mean the catch limits are too high and those that are "overfished" meaning the population of fish is too low - whether from fishing or other causes.  This year six stocks were removed from the overfishing category and two from the overfished category.    Domestic fish listed as overfished or subject to overfishing has dropped to the lowest level since 1997 when these stocks began being tracked.

Eileen Sobek with the NOAA says this:

"Our agency wants to let consumers know that the United States' global leadership in responsible fisheries and sustainable seafood is paying off. We are moving forward more than ever with efforts to replicate and export stewardship practices internationally. As a result of the combined efforts of NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management councils, and all of our partners, the number of stocks listed as subject to overfishing or overfished continues to decline and is at an all-time low.

What's the takeaway?  The United States leads the world in responsible fishing.  Our excellent management of the oceans' resources is something we should all feel good about.    I still believe strongly that the best protein source for the world's burgeoning population is aquaculture done right.  After all, the world's population is growing faster than the oceans can product fish.  We HAVE to have an alternative to wild fish.  But the United States is setting an example for the rest of the world on how to properly manage the resources so that they will be around for future generations to enjoy.

Here's the whole report if you are interested:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/20150415-us-fisheries-continue-to-rebuild-overfishing-and-overfished-numbers-at-all-time-lows.html 

And Finally

 Kathleen's Catch #2 is coming along nicely and we are still looking toward a mid-August opening.  Before the second store opens, I am headed off for a vacation out west.  Next week I am hiking the Grand Canyon!   I can scratch one thing off my list of things I never thought I would do in my old age.  If all goes well, and I can climb back up out of that hole, I'll be back to work by Saturday the 

18th.  Cross your fingers.

I'm going to try to make a logical conclusion here and tie my salmon story to my upcoming vacation.  Salmon swim around in the ocean for years getting fat enough to reach their natal springs way up in the rivers.  The greater the elevation change in the river, the fatter they have to be to make it home.  I'm getting ready to experience some serious elevation changes at the Grand Canyon. I am going to  spend the next few days eating cake.  :)

Be grateful for the abundance in your life this week. 

Blessings,
 

Kathleen

We Are Growing!

Dear Friends of Fantastically Fresh Fish,

By now most of you have heard that Kathleen's Catch is growing.   We have signed a lease at the Crabapple Mercantile Exchange Building on Crabapple Road in Milton and plan to open our second store sometime in August.   Not much will change around the Johns Creek store.  Colin will still be the manager.  Ashley and Bob will remain in Johns Creek.  Sandy McQueen, our sort of new employee, will be working a couple of nights a week. 

The biggest change is that Sara is going to be the new manager at the Milton location. You think it is going to be hard for you to say goodbye to Sara?  How about Ashley?   They have been buds for a long, long time.   Here's a photo of the two of them that is at least 10 years old:

 And here they are a year or two ago:

 
We can't keep all that pretty red hair in one store.  It just wouldn't be fair.

Speaking of red hair, our new location is at 12650 Crabapple Road in Milton, two doors down from the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub.   You may have seen the article in the L. A. Times recently listing the Olde Blind Dog as the 2015 best Irish pub by the extragalactic sounding Irish Pubs Global Federation. Click here for the article.  Yep Kathleen's Catch is next door to the best Irish pub in the world.   Is it a coincidence that we are locating next to an Irish pub?  Decide for yourselves.

I continue to be amazed at what a wonderful group of people shop at our store in Johns Creek.  And while our landlord in Johns Creek refers to the JC location as the "world headquarters of Kathleen's Catch", Johns Creek will always feel like home to me.

 It was drizzling as I came out of the building in Milton last week after a meeting.  This is what I saw when I reached the parking lot:

The biggest, brightest rainbow I have ever seen.  A sign?  I'll take it!
 
Blessings,

Kathleen

Sockeye Salmon from the Copper River and The Fishing Village Gets Built

Hey Y'all,

Happy Salmon Season!

It's a salmon lovers favorite time of the year!  The wild salmon season is underway and we have both king salmon and sockeye salmon in our store this week.

Wild salmon is a favorite subject of mine.  Every year I get to expound on the mystery of their journey home to their spawning ponds.  And every year I continue to be amazed by how many lessons we can learn from the life cycle of the salmon.

The Salmon Life Cycle

Newborn salmon (called alevin) begin life in freshwater creeks and rivers.  They enter the world with a food sack attached to them which nourishes them until they are big enough to leave the nest to search out food for themselves.  (Lesson #1:  Some creatures start life with a distinct advantage.)

Alevin with its food sack 

As they mature they become camouflaged with parr marks that keep them from being noticed by predators.  (Lesson #2:  Sometimes it is a good idea to just blend into the background.)

 When they get a little older they turn silver and are called smolts and head to the mouth of the river.  (Lesson #3:  A little silver does not mean you don't have a lot of living left to do.)

Smolts with parr marks

When they reach the estuary, where the river meets the sea, they adapt themselves to a saltwater environment.  (Lesson #4:  Be flexible.)

When they are able, they head out to the Pacific Ocean and spend most of the rest of their lives swimming sometimes thousands of miles in the ocean, maturing and storing up fat. (Lesson #5:  Work hard and save up, and don't forget where you come from.)

As they reach the end of their lives, they head back to the river where they were raised.  (Lesson #6:  Spend your life exploring, but when the time comes, you are going to want to be in familiar territory.)

Because they have spent years fattening up in the ocean and they are firm muscular fish, once they enter the mouth of the river, they don't eat any more.  (Lesson #7:  At some point in your life you are going to need to rely on resources you have previously earned.)

They use all their energy to power themselves up the river where they arrive at their natal stream, the place of their birth.  (Lesson #8:  You really can go home again.)

 

 The female sweeps her tail to create a nest and lays her eggs. (Lesson #9:  Provide enough for your children to get a good start.)

 The male comes along and fertilized the eggs.  (Lesson #10:  It takes two to tango.)

Both male and female salmon die.  (Lesson #11:  See what having kids can do to you?)

Building A Fishing Village

Last year, at Kathleen's Catch, we started contemplating what seemed to be close to impossible, building a fishing village in Honduras. At a $65,000 price tag, we were going to have to work pretty hard to make it happen.   


Why a fishing village?  Why Honduras?

A fishing village because, well, we are fishmongers and we make our living from the bounty of the sea.

And Honduras because we felt a strong desire to do something to help with the crisis of undocumented and unaccompanied minors crossing our southern border from Central America.  It was our thinking that if we could do something that would help to improve the lives of even just a small community in, say, Honduras, we could create an environment where parents would be able to raise their children.  Maybe they wouldn't feel like they HAD to send their children away on the dangerous journey through Mexico to the United States.

By mid-summer we had hooked up with Food for the Poor, worked out some details and started spreading the word to raise the money.  Our core team of volunteers worked very hard to plan fundraising events and to advertise our goal:  Tracey Slauer, Celeste Gravois, Janice Howard and Liz Yancey.    Here's another lesson to go with the salmon lessons:  You need something done?  Get with these four women.  No kidding.

Besides being eternally grateful to them, I  want to thank all the donors who wrote big checks (and small ones too), all the people who dropped change and dollars (sometimes even twenties!) in our change jar at the store, and all the businesses who provided us with services and products for our fundraising either free of charge or at greatly reduced prices.  Because of them we got a long way toward reaching our goal. 

And finally, when we had exhausted all our efforts and resources,  Light A Single Candle came in and took us the rest of the way.

So here we are, a year later, laying out the final plans for the construction of the La Laguna Fishing Village in Guanaja Bay Island, Honduras and anticipating a ribbon cutting in the fall.   I can hardly believe we have done it!

Thank you again, to all of my Johns Creek family.  You amaze me every day with your kindness and generosity.  Our little city is thriving because of good people like you.

Blessings,

Kathleen

Happy Birthday, Scallops and Black Cod

Happy Birthday!

I can hardly believe 4 years has gone by!  We've met so many wonderful people that we are proud to call our friends.  Last Saturday we celebrated our 4th anniversary with our neighbors, Viande Rouge celebrating 4 years, and Johns Creek Wine and Crystal celebrating 3 years.  With all of us celebrating together we put on a great party!

Here's what it looked like before the crowds arrived:

You simply can not beat the barbeque supplied by Meating Street BBQ.  Their giant smoker was packed full of chicken and pork and, of course, salmon, rainbow trout and shrimp.  Delicious!

We had a jumping house for the kids which kept them entertained all afternoon while parents shopped, ate and tasted wine.  Johns Creek Wine and Crystal provided a free wine tasting:

Several suppliers of seafood sauces sampled their wares.

Yes, this is Reggie Kelly, former Falcons player, sampling his Kyvan products and talking football!

Ben Wade kept us rocking all day as we ate, drank and celebrated life.  Thanks to all our great friends, suppliers, neighbors and employees for a simply amazing afternoon.

Fin Mail from Sara Lym

I meant to drop you a note earlier about the scallops we bought in Johns Creek this weekend. OMG they were fantastic!  We bought 1.5 lbs, pricey but totally worth it at the end.  

I've only had experience cooking with the frozen ones...they're a mess to defrost, a mess to dry off, still watery when cooking, and cooks down to nubs.  Bleh.Now that I know it's the material and not the cook, we'll definitely be back for more scallops soon.  Addicting!! :)

You may have tried our scallops and loved them like Sara Lym did, but you might not know why ours are so spectacular.  Have you ever put your scallops on the grill or in a hot pan to sear them?  And when you did, did they just pour out water and never get to a good sear?  Want to know why that happens?  They are "wet" scallops - soaked in sodium tri-polyphosphate (often found in laundry detergent).  This chemical helps the scallop soak up water which increases their weight (and costs you more) and to increase their shelf life.

 So, unless you like your scallops soggy with a dash of chemicals, stick with ours.  They may cost a bit more but they are worth every penny.

This Week's Special - One of my favorites! Black Cod aka Sable 

My supplier has a special shipment of hook & line day boat black cod (aka as Sable or butterfish), from Prince Rupert on Vancouver Island coming in this week. These wonderfully fatty fish are not easy to get fresh because they are typically frozen and sent directly to Japan where they are preferred over Chilean sea bass because of the much richer and sweeter flavor.  In fact, about 20 years ago, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council cut the quota of black cod by 85%.  When black cod was no longer available to the Japanese, they began buying Chilean sea bass, a virtually unknown fish, as a substitute.

And finally,
Milestones like anniversary parties give you the opportunity to take stock.  4 years ago even my landlord was skeptical that I could make a seafood market a success.   Well, if truth be known, it wasn't just me.  It was all of us - all of you who gave me advice and criticism and ideas and encouragement.  We've come a long way in four years.  I can't wait to see what happens in the next four.  Thanks for everything.

Blessings,
Kathleen

Softshells, Hormones and Crawfish Stuffing

Hey Y'all,

It's that time of year.  You know how it is when the weather changes and you drag out the box of spring/summer clothes that you tucked away last fall.  You try on a few things and realize that there is a little bit more of you to love this year than last.  For you and me, this calls for either a diet or a shopping trip. 

Rather than going shopping, when a blue crab starts to feel a little tight inside its shell, it becomes hormonal.   Yes, hormonal. 

A hormonal crab gets a little hard inside.  It becomes "thin-skinned."  It stops eating and, because it is vulnerable to predators, it takes shelter.  It absorbs water, so much water that it can't hold it all and eventually it splits in two.   Then it begins the long difficult journey of backing out of its old shell.  Once out, the new shell fits just fine - in fact it is one third again as big so the crab has plenty of room to grow into it.

"Soft shell" is not a type of crab - it is actually the point in its development between when the crab molts (sheds its shell) and the new shell hardens.  This hardening of the shell lasts a few days but there are only a few hours when the new shell is truly soft.   Crabbers watch for signs that they are soon to molt and they put them in tanks to watch them until they finally shed and are taken out of the water.  Once out of the water, the shell will not harden.

What to do with soft shell crabs?  Two of my all-time favorite Atlanta restaurants served up some of the very best soft shell crabs with crawfish stuffing.  Neither Taste of New Orleans or Tiburon Grille is still around, but lucky for you I know their recipe for the stuffing.  Jeremy Brown, former chef at both restaurants, gave me the  recipe but he did so in typical chef fashion.  His makes 5 lbs!!  And there are very few actual measurements!  I tinkered with it and came up with what might be a reasonable amount of stuffing for a family dinner.

First, you have to clean the soft shells, unless you bought them from me, in which case they are already cleaned and ready to go.

Then you slit the crab down the middle and stuff it full of the crawfish stuffing (see recipe below).

Then you dip it in an egg/milk wash and dunk it in flour and drop it in boiling oil.

Take it out when it is golden and crispy.

Crawfish Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper

1onion

2 stalks celery

1 stick butter

1/4 c flour

1/4 c white wine

1 t cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1 t thyme

1 t oregano

1t Worcestershire

1 t Tabasco

1 lb crawfish meat - chopped

1/2 c cream

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Bread crumbs as needed

Directions:

1.  Chop bell pepper, celery and onion coarsely and then pulse in food processor until pieces are broken up a little more.  Don't over do it.

2.  Strain and press mixture to reduce moisture.

3.  Saute vegetables in a very hot, large saute pan.

4.  Add butter and flour and stir until thickened.

5.  Add wine and reduce until thickened.

6. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the bread crumbs and reduce to a very thick paste-like consistency. 

7.  Add breadcrumbs at the end if needed to further tighten it up.

Adjust accordingly for smaller or larger batches.

Serve stuffed soft shells with remoulade or jalapeno tartar sauce.

We will be looking for a consistent supply of softshells over the next few weeks. If you would like to pre-order you can call the store at 678-957-9792 or stop by and put your name on our pre-order list.   Do it.  I promise you will thank me. 

Blessings,

Kathleen

 

All You Need to Know About Mussels and Catch on the Web

Dear Friends of Famously Fabulously Fresh Fish,

Guess what?  You can now buy Kathleen's Catch online!  We have lots of fans that now live in other cities and we wanted to make our products available to everyone.    Check us out here www.kathleenscatch.com.  We just went live this week, but even after months of work, there are probably still a few changes to be made so if you spot something that needs fixing, PLEASE let us know.  Take a look if you get a chance because you just might find some staff pictures and a poem or two.  Maybe you have an out of town friend or two who doesn't have access to the freshest fish available.  Send them the link - they'll thank you for it.  And so will I.

This Week's Special
In honor of halibut season, this week's special is, well, halibut.  $11.25/6 ounces.

Catch to Go
Honey Jalapeno Salmon over Black Bean and Corn Salad
Roasted Halibut with Green Beans and Asian Cilantro Sauce
Parmesan Salmon with Asparagus
Swordfish with Lemon Caper Sauce over Squash and Zucchini

All You Wanted to Know About Mussels

There's been much pent up demand for black mussels since the weather shut down operations at Prince Edward Island.  Now that they are available again, I thought I would whet your appetite with a little bit about them.  Grab some this weekend and experience these easy, inexpensive and delicious little sea treasures.

What is a rope cultured mussel?

In the spring, mussel farmers begin collecting seeds by hanging "spat collectors" or  frayed ropes from a main horizontal rope line suspended between buoys.  These collectors provide a surface for the mussel larvae that are swimming in the ocean to attach themselves to.

 Spat Collectors

Throughout the spring and summer, mussel larvae continue to attach to the collectors and by fall they have grown into seeds which are large enough to be "socked."  This process involves taking the seeds from the collectors and placing them in socks made from plastic mesh.  These socks are then hung from the horizontal rope lines and spend the winter about six feet below the surface of the water to avoid damage from the ice.

Socks

There's not much to do to care for the mussels in the socks because all the nutrients they need to survive are right there in the waters around Prince Edward Island.  The farmer's job is to keep the mussels safe from predators (starfish, seabirds), make sure the socks are clean so that the mussels can get the food in the water and to continue to add flotation to the long lines to keep it from sinking under the increasing weight of the socks.

 Starfish munching on a mussel

After about two years in the socks, the mussels are ready to harvest. In the winter, the PEI bays are covered in as much as 4 feet of ice. To harvest the mussels below the surface, growers use chain saws to cut through the ice and scuba divers to help haul the line up through the ice

 Mussel farmers driving to work - March 2015

After harvest, the mussels are taken to processing plants where they are removed from the socks, washed, graded, de-bearded  and sent to market.

Mussels at Kathleen's Catch

How to cook them?  Mussels are best if you steam them.  Try this:

Chop an onion and 6 cloves of garlic and cook in 1/4 cup of olive oil until the onion is transparent.  Stir in 3 tablespoons chopped parsley and 2 cups drained chopped canned San Marzano Tomatoes in Thick Puree, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.  Simmer all this for about 25 minutes, partially covered.

Take a look at your mussels (about 1/2 lb per person) and toss the ones that have damaged shells or do not close when they are handled.  Rinse them (no need for soaking our mussels) and  debeard any that might have been missed in the processing plant by tugging the  beard down to the hinged-end of the mussel shell and then pulling it off.

Stir the mussels into the sauce, cover the pan and cook for about three minutes, occasionally shaking the pan.  Remove any mussels that have opened and return the lid to the pan.  Continue steaming, shaking and checking until all mussels have opened and been removed.  If the mussels don't open after 8 minutes, toss them.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour over the mussels.  Serve with pasta and a slab of hot bread.

What wine?  Johns Creek Wine and Crystal expert (Scott) and Kathleen's Catch wine expert (Colin) agree that Georges Burrier Saint-Veran Burgandy, 2013 ($29.99) is the perfect accompaniment.  It's lemony, tart and creamy.  Delicious. 

And Finally

Hope you have a great weekend.  It's going to be lovely weather to celebrate Easter or Spring or whatever life-affirming experience you can commemorate.  Take some Benadryl and get outside to smell the flowers.

Blessings,
Kathleen