This meal was a true Farmer's Market inspiration. Each component was carefully selected from the multitude of fresh meat and produce that arrives at the Fort Mason Farmer's Market every Sunday. It has become a recent tradition of mine to wake up Sunday Morning and walk down the street to where tons of local vendors have set up stands selling their freshest goods. I make my first stop the Reader's Cafe (formerly just another tent, now a real cafe) to grab a cup of Blue Bottle drip coffee - now $2.50 a cup rather than the previous $2. After a decent wait for the freshly made coffee, I take my coffee to go and start perusing through the market.
While snacking on my breakfast of samples - fresh fruit, cheese, baked goods, I try to decide what stands out to me as my key inspiration for cooking. This week it was the corvina sea bass. The man behind the counter informed me that they had caught the fish the night before and had fileted it that morning. It is sold in little ziplock bags in individual portions, so it was easy to pick out exactly what I wanted. I ended up getting probably a little more than I needed to - and realized that when the total bill was $27 for two pieces of fish. Better make this meal GOOD.
Next stop was to the veggie stands to pick something out to accompany my pricey fish. Two things caught my eye - the first being globe squash - with a sign next to it recommending to stuff the vegetable.
The second "vegetable" of inspiration was squash blossoms. Actually not a vegetable at all, these are the flowers of the zucchini plant - so I deemed this an OK compliment to the squash - not sure yet of how to prepare them.
With my findings in hand, and a stomach satisfied from samples, I treked back to my apartment to come up with a game plan for the evening meal.
The focus was simple and fresh - well for two of the dishes at least.
The Main:
Sea Bass with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoons drained capers
2 5- to 6-ounce sea bass steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
Preparation
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic clove and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Season sea bass steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill steaks in grill pan over medium-high heat until just cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining basil and serve.
Side #1
Stuffed Globe Squash
Ingredients
Globe Squash
EVOO
Garlic
Red Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Dry Vermouth
Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Remove the top from the squash and scoop out the inside, leaving at least a 1/4 inch thick shell. Chop up the meat into small diced.
In a pan, heat the EVOO over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the red chili pepper and zucchini meat and cook for about 3-5 more minutes.
Add the tomatoes and dry vermouth. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften.
Remove from heat and add the basil and season with salt and pepper.
Spray globe shells with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the globe shells with vegetable mixture and bake in a preheated oven (375) for about 20 minutes.
Done!
I had about a 2:2:1 ratio of tomato:zucchini:onion and used one garlic clove, generous splash of dry vermouth.
It's really whatever tastes good to you!!
Fried Zucchini Blossoms
24 zucchini blossoms
3⁄4 lb. mozzarella
12 anchovy filets
4 eggs
1 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Salt
1. Remove stems and stamens from zucchini blossoms; wash blossoms and pat dry.
2. Cut mozzarella into small dice, coarsely chop anchovy filets, and combine in a mixing bowl. Stuff each blossom with mixture and twist petals to retain stuffing.
3. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup flour with freshly ground black pepper into a second shallow pan. Heat 2 1/2" vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot.
4. Working in small batches, dredge each stuffed blossom in flour; dip into eggs, turning to coat well, then dredge in seasoned flour. Fry blossoms, turning frequently, until crisp, 3–5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
This meal required a good bit of preparation with three main components. However, each component was relatively simple. I was pleased with each recipe and for the most part - with each execution.
I have to say - my globe squash was really good! I think it is such a fun side item to have - like a mixed bowl of goodness all packaged up in a decorative and edible shell. I didn't follow a recipe for this one - just put in what tasted good! I think the red chili peppers are a must - adds a perfect little kick to the dish.
The zucchini blossoms were amazing. I had never had them before and though they weren't the healthiest dish on the menu, they were such a fun and fairly easy impressive side.
Finally the fish - besides the fact that I had purchased a bit more fish than I needed - I enjoyed the flavors. The intense fresh lemon with the salty capers is a classic mix. Sadly, this dish seemed to leave Derek a little depressed because he "overcooked" the fish. He followed the cooking temperature directions to cook until the fish reaches 160 degrees. This is too high. What a fish that could have been eaten as sashimi - freshly caught the day before - there is no need to fully cook the meat. That's the great thing about getting fresh fish! Mind you, I didn't complain or get sad at my fish like Derek did, I rather enjoyed it - however, it certainly wasn't perfectly cooked and for $27, that's a shame!
No comments:
Post a Comment