One of those dinners....

[Mikey]

I'm always looking to try interesting combinations of different flavors. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but as you get a feeling for what flavors work well together your success rate seems to continuously improve. Tonight's dinner was one of those that, if I ordered it at a $30 - $50 per entree type restaurant, I wouldn't have been disappointed. Here's what it was:

Fish
Hawaiian opakapaka fillets, bought fresh at the local farmers' market yesterday. This is Hawaiian pink snapper, with firm white flesh that has a delicate flavor and is one of the favorite catches in the islands. I got three very nice fillets, skin on, about 2.5 lb total. I put the fillets, skin down, on some aluminium foil that I had sprayed with Pam, shiny side up. Sprayed the fish with some more Pam and seasoned with dried minced garlic, fresh ground pepper, sea salt and paprika. Cooked the Weber on high INDIRECT heat (front and back burners on, center burner off, preheat until it's really hot) for about 11 or 12 minutes. After 5 minutes I opened the Weber and put some pats of butter on the fillets.

Potatoes
Baby red potatoes, quartered. Put them in a tupperware bowl, and tossed with some fresh rosemary, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, dried minced garlic and some EVOO. Spread them in a glass baking dish and roast in the oven at about 425 deg for 40 minutes.

Salad
This is what really brought everything together. Fresh farmers' market peaches - these are the perfect peaches, firm but not crunchy. Juicy and incredibly sweet, cut into bite sized chunks. Pluots - this is a cross between a plum and an apricot, surprisingly sweet and juicy. Reed avocados - the best overall avocado available, better tasting than the Haas, but you can only buy them locally. Haas will do for this salad, though. Canned water packed artichoke hearts, halved. The dressing was a balsamic vanaigrette, made with Good Seasons Italian mix (the kind you get in an envelope), balsamic vinegar and canola oil. Cut the fruit, avos and chokes into bite sized pieces and toss in a bowl with the dressing. Serve over a bed of butter (Boston) and red leaf lettuce.

The sweet and sour flavors in the salad (and the creaminess of the avos), along with the seasoned fish and garlic potatoes was one of those combinations that, when you finish, you just go "wow that was good". Everybody cleaned their plates tonight.

[Dinsdale]

Hawaiian opakapaka fillets, bought fresh

You californians are funny.


Sin,
People who eat fresh fish

[Mikey]

Hawaiian opakapaka fillets, bought fresh

You californians are funny.


Sin,
People who eat fresh fish

Ever heard of airplanes? They're these big things that fly really fast.

When I lived in Henderson, NV I found this seafood wholesaler who mostly sold to the local Vegas casino/restaurant businesses but would sell out the door to the public if you went in and asked. I went in there early one Saturday morning and picked up a 5 lb Alaskan halibut fillet (it must have been 4" or 5" thick - that was a large fish). The fish was still bleeding, they told me they had just gotten it back from the airport.

So you see, it really is possible for "non-locals" to get good fresh product. This is the 21nd century, in case you've gotten stuck in a time warp.

What am I responding to this lunacy for anyway? You wouldn't know fish from falafel if it wasn't orange.

[ppanther]

Mikey... that salad sounds AMAZING. I want to try it. The dude doesn't care for avocados (I know, how is that even POSSIBLE??) so I might leave them out of his. I LOVE fruits with balsamic vinaigrettes. I will probably use my standy BV recipe though. It's just BV, EVOO, maple syrup (yep, maple syrup) and garlic. It's fantastic.

[Mikey]

I may have to try your dressing - I picked up some real maple at Costco over the weekend. With this salad, it's the whole sweet and sour combination that makes it. I'm still fooling around with it - this is the second time I tried it. The first time I had some pickling cucumber slices instead of the pluots, and arranged some heirloom tomato slices around the edge - I didn't toss the tomato slices because I'd rather have them undamaged. It was good that way too. To tell you the truth, I had intended to use the tomaotes this time, but forgot. Also, I'd like to try some sliced figs (I have some yellow and some purple ones). I'd arrange them after tossing too, because they are a little delicate to toss.

[ppanther]

Figs.

I LOVE figs!!

Here's the basic dressing recipe:

4 tbsp EVOO
3 tbsp BV
1 tbsp (real) Maple Syrup
1-2 cloves minced garlic (doesn't get cooked, so the more garlic you use, the more 'kick' the dressing has)

Whisk together. That's it.

[Mikey]

Thanks for the recipe.

I love figs too, but the rest of the family won't eat them unless I practically force them down. To me they are one of the highlights of this time of year. Late summer is the primo time of year for fruit around here.

[ppanther]

I brought some fresh figs (farmers market across the street from my apt every Friday) when we went camping a couple weekends ago. Two of our friends brought their 9-month-old baby on the trip. She's really just starting to sample actual food. Her mom let her take a bite of a fig and I am telling you, the baby could not get enough. It was entertaining. She just kept reaching for more. The kid has excellent taste already!

I can't imagine why anyone would NOT like figs. The only reason I can think of is maybe they think they taste like fig newtons or something. I like dried figs (and Fig Newtons) just fine, but they barely resemble the flavor of a good, sweet, fresh fig.

Damnit. Now I want some figs.

[Mikey]

You have a farmers' market across the street?

Damn, I'm jealous. I have to drive about 30 minutes every Saturday morning to go to the one in Vista.
At least it gets me up and out of the house early on Saturdays.

[ppanther]

Well, it's not EXACTLY across the street... but close! It's off the promenade that is half a block from my street, and over a block. So technically it's like 1.5 city blocks away.

Somehow I manage.

(They have FANTASTIC pluots right now.)

[Goober McTuber]

Now I like a good balsamic vinaigrette, and I will definitely try ppanther’s recipe, but living in Wisconsin, I also enjoy a heartier dressing as well. Like a creamy Italian. Gob of mayonnaise, thin to a (barely) pourable consistency with half and half. Add minced garlic, basil and oregano, mix well, and set in refrigerator for a day or two.

[socal]

Questions:

Mikey, what's 'EVOO'?

pp, what day/days is that farmer's market open for business?

[Mikey]

Extra
Virgin (heh, heh, heh)
Olive
Oil

[socal]

:fingerpointing:

Ha, ha. You said 'virgin'.

:towelsnap:

[Dinsdale]

Ever heard of airplanes? They're these big things that fly really fast.

Regardless what you're told (ever heard of "marketing"?), there's no way in hell that any fish that comes from Alaska(or Hawaii, or the U&L for that matter) gets into port, gets cleaned, gets to the broker, gets to the airport, flies on an airplane, gets to the wholesaler, then gets to the store disply in less than a day.

You're smarter than this, Mikey.

Ergo -- not fresh.

Would certainly meet the definiton of "fairly fresh," but you can see where this might not be the best marketing strategy, so they sell you a half-truth instead.


"Fresh fish" is a fish that was alive the day it is eaten...or at least it is to anyone who owns a fishing pole.

[socal]

"Fresh fish" is a fish that was alive the day it is eaten...or at least it is to anyone who owns a fishing pole.

So if Mikey owns a fishing pole, the fish he bought in Vegas must be fresh.

You're slipping, Dins.

[ppanther]

socal:

It's open in several venues throughout Long Beach on different days of the week. The one by my place (downtown) is on Fridays from 9-4. The other one I've been to is at the Marina (right in the parking lot by Joe's Crab Shack) on Sundays. I think that one closes pretty early, like by 1pm. They are the same merchants, all good stuff.

[Dinsdale]

So if Mikey owns a fishing pole, the fish he bought in Vegas must be fresh.

You're slipping, Dins.

If the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog, the it's raining jello exclusively on one way streets in Manhatten?

What the hell are you talking about?

Per-spec-tive. People who are avid anglers, or people who live in or around fishing ports, understand the concept of "fresh fish." People who think you can go to a market in the middle of the desert and buy "fresh fish" are obviously lacking the perspective it takes to make this determination, and are letting marketing, rather than reality make those definitions.


If it wasn't alive today -- I'm not eating it. Lots of reason for that -- because I'm quite spoiled in that department(sup BtH), because I won't support the practices of the commercial fishing industry, and because unlike yourselves, I've seen what happens to fish that are to be sold as "fresh. EWWWWWWW!!!! You people are nasty.

[Mikey]

Like I said before, you wouldn't know fish from falafel if it wasn't orange.
You can go away now. Thanks.

[Dinsdale]

Like I said before, you wouldn't know fish from falafel if it wasn't orange.
You can go away now. Thanks.

Since I possibly just read the greastest kettle/pot post in history, you might be right.


Tears, Jerry.


Once it rains a little more, I might even post a pic of what a fresh fish looks like.

[Goober McTuber]

If it wasn't alive today -- I'm not eating it.

You know, Dinsy, a lot of us are getting really sick of hearing all about your love life.

[Mikey]

Could Dins be a Bob in SorryexcuseNY troll?