Ratatouille

If you're like me, when you plant your summer garden, you plant way too much. For some strange reason I thought that planting 4 zucchini and 4 yellow squash plants was a good idea...now they have just about over taken my garden, and my counter is covered with green and yellow vegetables to the point that my wife is considering re-decorating in those colors.

We put lots of frozen squash, zucchini pickles, and zucchini relish away every summer. But, fresh veggies are still my favorite and when I have an abundance of multiple vegetables from my garden, I like to make a nice Ratatouille. For this dish we'll use Tomatoes, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, fresh oregano, and fresh basil, all from my own garden. Throw in some mushrooms and garlic and a couple other things from the store, and you have a nice side dish that gives you yet another option when those summer vegetables from your garden start to over take your counter space. Don't have a garden?  No problem...roadside stands sell most of these ingredients pretty cheap during the summer...after all, the farmers wife is tired of re-decorating her kitchen too..

1 clove Garlic chopped
1 medium onion diced
2 medium Zucchini chopped or sliced in rounds (or a little of both)
2 medium yellow squash chopped or sliced in rounds (or a little of both)
1 bell pepper chopped
3 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
handful of fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

In a dutch oven or saucepan, cook onion and garlic in a little olive oil for about 2 minutes or until they become aromatic. Add green pepper, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and cook until tender. Add tomatoes, spices to taste, and fresh herbs. cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Serve as a side dish or over rice as a main course.

Give That Fish a Beer!! - Rockfish with Orange Ale Sauce

The beauty of working from home, means that when the fishing is as good as it is right now, I can be out there at first light, catch my fish, and be back at the dock ready to shower and begin my workday on time...8....ish... :-)

I left the little creek where we live and headed for the open bay around 5:30 this morning. The wife and I had gone out last evening after dinner and did a little bottom fishing to get some spot for bait to save me some time this morning. So with my livewell full of frisky baitfish, I headed straight for the area that has been holding Rockfish for close to a month. As much as I love to fish, and love to write about it, I'll spare you the details of my fishing trip. But rest assured, the Rockfish were right where I left them, and in no time, my limit of two fish were flopping around on ice in my cooler, and I was headed to work.

I saw this recipe somewhere a while ago, and with the plethora of Rockfish in the bay right now, I was running out of creative things to do with them. Then I remembered seeing this, so I thought I would try to re-create it this evening. Served with a couple of cold, local ingredient, summertime salads, it is the perfect way to celebrate this time of year. And paired with the remainder of that pale ale......Ok, who am I kidding...the remainder of that pale ale, didn't make it through the cucumbers getting chopped, so I paired it with a freshly opened pale ale and it was the prefect compliment

ROCKFISH with ORANGE ALE SAUCE

1 18-20 inch Rockfish, scaled and filleted.
1 quart of cold water
2 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup of pale ale (For this recipe I used Sierra Nevada...but any pale ale will do)
1 cup of orange juice
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste

Brine the fresh fish by dissolving salt and sugar in 1 quart of cold water. Leave fish in brine for about 20-25 minutes, then remove from brine and pat dry.

In small saucepan heat orange juice and beer to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by about 1/2. add butter and whisk until dissolved. Cover sauce and keep warm.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Grind fresh pepper to taste on each fillet, and then place skin side down in hot olive oil. cook about 4 minutes on each side or until fish is cooked through. time will depend on the size of your fillets but don't overcook. Next, lay down a layer of Orange Ale Sauce on a clean plate, and lay Rockfish fillets in the sauce. Drizzle a bit more of the sauce over each fillet and serve with sides of your choice. (Pictured are fresh local roasted corn salsa and cucumber salad...want the recipe for those? OK sure..)

We try to use fresh local ingredients in everything we cook. If we cant catch it, shoot it, or grow it ourselves, we are surrounded by great farmers and fisherman that can. These two dishes are another example of how using fresh ingredients enhances the food you prepare.

ROASTED CORN SALSA

4 ears of fresh local corn
1 cup of chopped local tomatoes
3 green onions chopped
3/4 cup Cilantro chopped
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Juice of one lime
pinch of kosher salt or more to taste

Remove kernels from corn and place in a heavy skillet. Roast kernels over med/high heat for about 15 minutes or until they become aromatic. Mix with remaining ingredients and allow to sit in refrigerator for several hours before serving to blend flavors and cool

FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD

I went out to the garden this afternoon to get tomatoes for dinner, and noticed two gorgeous cucumbers that were ready to be picked. So I invited them to the dinner party as well, and made one of my favorite summer dishes. I usually have this in my refrigerator at all times throughout the summer.

2 cucumbers chopped
4 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 tbsp of sugar
fresh dill chopped
1/2 red onion sliced thin

Mix vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. pour over cucumbers and onion. Add dill and mix well. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for several hours to blend flavors and cool.

Deep Fried Whole Croaker - Fun to eat and tasty!!

If you bottom fish the Chesapeake Bay, then you have certainly caught a Croaker at some point in your fishing life.

If you have ever eaten a croaker from the Chesapeake Bay, then you have eaten one of the tastiest little fish that this region has to offer.

One thing perplexes me about Croaker, however. You rarely see them on menus in the local little waterfront shacks. Why this is, I have no idea. Maybe its because they don't have the glamorous name like Mahi Mahi or Ahi Tuna. Maybe its because people are afraid to embrace a bottom feeder as food value. But for those that think its the latter, I am hear to tell you that you are missing out on one of the finest eating fish in the bay. And for local restaurants that are looking to jump on the "fresh and local" bandwagon that is popping up on so many menus recently, I urge you to try croaker as a new menu item....bites, fingers, fillets, sandwiches, or whole fried like I present them here, Croaker is a great eating fish and is pretty damn cheap to buy as well if your not a fisherman.

For this recipe I have adapted a couple of different styles of whole fried fish. While visiting the Florida Keys I have had  this with Yellowtail Snapper, The Cubans do it with Red Snapper, and in The Orient, Tilapia is a popular choice. I knew Croaker would work well for this style, and it turned out great.

4 whole Croaker (fish about 12-15 inches in size worked great for my small electric deep fryer)
juice of 1 lime
salt
pepper
cumin
garlic
white flour or spicy seasoned fish fry flour

Scale, gut, and remove the gills from the fish. Cut diagonal slices on both sides of the fish. Brush with lime juice on both sides and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic. Cover fish and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cooking. Shake the whole fish in flour or seasoned fish fry and deep fry in an electric fryer or deep skillet with oil. It will only take about 4-5 minutes at 375 degrees to cook the fish through. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (Sweet Thai Chili sauce, pictured)

Have fun with this dish. It is a great appetizer. Let it cool down, use your fingers, and pick through the delicious meat....and a hint...try eating the tail. Its crispy and delicious. Like a little fish potato chip :-)