The Lush Flavors of Summer

The weather decides when the backyard personal garden goes in.  In my area, the fear of frost is over, and we can break ground and get those tomato plants in, which is what I consider the most important plant to get going. Gardening is not one of my favorite things to do, but there is no better summer treat than a warm backyard tomato.  Every now and then, I bring up things I think are important enough to be repeated, such as the glory of Tellicherry black pepper and how critical it is to not overcook fish.  If you don’t want to be reminded, skip down to the recipes.

Tellicherry black pepper is the royalty of pepper.  Grown on the Malabar Coast of India, the soil and altitude conditions are perfect to produce a complex flavor that makes common peppers taste like saw dust.  Yes, I am a fan.  Both salt and pepper are flavor enhancers.  If you sprinkle Tellicherry pepper on French Vanilla ice cream, it magnifies the flavor immensely.  No joke or exaggeration.

Don’t overcook the fish!  It is the most common mistake with fish and shellfish.  With finfish, a loose rule of thumb is 7 minutes per inch of thickness.  Rarely do you get a piece of fish an inch thick, so most fish cook in less than 7 minutes.  The thin cod fillet cooks in a flash.

 

RECIPES

Cold Poached Coho Salmon Fillets Spinach Salad with Berries

Cold Poached Coho Salmon Fillets Salad with Roasted Garlic Hummus

Tuna Steaks with Curried Eggplant

Tuna Steaks with Chopped Peaches and Tarragon

Mahi-Mahi Fillets with Caramelized Figs and Goat Cheese

Mahi-Mahi Fillets with Okra

Atlantic Cod with Corn and Roasted Red Bell Pepper

Cold Atlantic Cod with Green Beans, Tomato and Oregano

Kono Mussels on Half-Shell with Tomato Pesto

Kono Mussels on Half-Shell with Kalamata Olives and Parmesan

Halibut Steaks with Mojito Style Cucumber Salsa

Halibut Steaks with Lettuce Cream Sauce  (Creme de Laitue)

 

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