Top Chef/Top Fish, A Sustainable Seafood Recipe

I love Top Chef.
I love fish.
I'm not alone in this and when I stumbled across Kim's post on Facebook about the Top Fish Competition I knew I had to submit my Green Ceviche recipe. And now I want to share it with you.

It's hot, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or slave over the stove.
This recipe is no-cook and no hassle with delicious results.

Here's what you need, hopefully you are growing these in your backyard or have really nice neighbors who share with you.

Green Ceviche
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1lb Pacific Halibut
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Avocados
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup diced tomatillos
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
Salt
Pepper
Chips !

Cube your halibut into 1/2" pieces and combine with the lime juice. It needs to marinate for about 30 minutes, you'll see the edges turn opaque. Seed and dice your avocados and add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Serve with your favorite chips and a refreshing margarita.

Why Is This Man Smiling ??

...and holding chilies?

It's Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms and he is doing a free demonstration with A Sustainable Kitchen on Saturday, October 6th

A SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN

presents

'FIRE IT-UP' CHILI-FEST

with

ALEX WEISER OF WEISER FAMILY FARMS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2012, 11am-1pm

SURFAS RESTAURANT SUPPLY AND GOURMET FOOD

8777 W. WASHINGTON BL., CULVER CITY

Join Alex Weiser and A Sustainable Kitchen at Surfas and 'Fire it-up' for Fall, when a little bit of Hatch, New Mexico will be coming to Culver City.

Alex Weiser, of Weiser Family Farms, will be fire roasting his sustainably grown chilies outside of Surfas. Meanwhile inside in the Test Kitchen, Annette Eason and Katheryne Phillips of A Sustainable Kitchen will show you how to use Alex's chilies in everything from a cocktail to dessert. Included will be some great sustainable gift ideas. It is never too early to think about holiday gifts from your kitchen. Alex (we hope) will also demonstrate how to make a chili ristra. Come celebrate the Fall and follow the scent of fire roasted chilies to Surfas, when a little bit of the Southwest comes to Culver City.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

If you would like to register, here is the link:

http://facebook.com/SurfasLA

or

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4292332482

Friday Special

Question: September is National _____ Month?

A. National Guide Dog Month
B. National Hispanic Heritage Month

C. National Honey Month
D. National Yoga Month
E. National Preparedness Month
F. National Biscuit Month
G. National Organic Harvest Month

H. All of the above

Why Eat Organic?

From Contributing Editor Stephanie Georgieff

In 1992, the OTA implemented Organic Harvest Month for producers, retailers and consumers as a month long educational campaign on the benefits and joys of Organic food and agriculture. It was thought that September is usually associated with harvest, and what better time to think about organic produce than this time of year?

Every September, there are numerous magazine articles and educational campaigns
we can learn from, but my personal favorite is to simply enjoy the organic bounty
of late summer here in California. Our tomatoes, melons, peppers and squash are
filling our grocer’s shelves as well as our farmers markets, inspiring delicious menus
and preserving projects. As I am canning tomatoes, and jamming figs, something I
often get asked is why organic? My first response is, well it just tastes better. I am
not alone in that assessment. In a recent Health Issue of Time Magazine, the focus
was on Organic Food, chefs interviewed from around the country could agree on one
thing; Organic Produce just tastes better.

But there are more reasons than taste and nutrition to support organic products.
(I know, I think taste and nutrition are pretty important, but here are some other
reasons to eat Organic) The health of the atmosphere is improved with organic
farming practices, as is the health and availability of the soil. How? 21% of carbon
emissions in the food system come from ammonia production for chemical
fertilizers. Compost, a natural agent utilized in Organic practices, also improves
soil structure and helps prevent topsoil erosion. Right now, due to heavy reliance
on chemical fertilizers rather than on adding organic material to the soil, topsoil is
disappearing ten times faster than it is being replaced. Organic Farming has better
crop resistance to climate change, and also will reduce energy usage in the US food
system by 50%, thereby not contributing the problem of greenhouse gas emissions
in the first place.

Organic practices also improve water quality. Agricultural water runoff from
conventional farming practices damages lakes, rivers and oceans, often dramatically
reducing fish populations. The San Joaquin valley in central California has some of
the highest aplastic anemia incidence in the nation. Dioxins from pesticides and
other petroleum-based fertilizers enter the aquifers, and create numerous health
hazards for animal and human alike.

So, during September, reach out for the locally grown organic produce. Each bite is
a celebration of taste, nutrition and health. For me, knowing that my purchases are
not harming the land, air, water and farm workers, makes each mouthful even more
delicious.

Organic Trade Association www.ota.com
www.organicitsworthit.org good information on organics
www.organicconsumers.org Organic Consumers Association

Fresh Off the Boat! Fisherman's Market Reports

From contributing editor, Kim Thompson, program director of Seafood For The Future

The localvore movement has made farmers markets the go-to shopping destinations for fresh, local food. From fruit and vegetables to fresh baked goods and artisanal cheeses, these markets provide a rainbow of seasonal flavors that have been grown and harvested in our “backyards” so to speak. We know that supporting local food sources is better for the health of our environment, communities, and bodies and have managed to apply this knowledge to support our local farmers through farmer’s markets. So why is it that we don’t apply the same ideology to seafood?

U.S. seafood is among the best managed in the world to ensure healthy stocks and minimal impacts on the surrounding environment, yet the U.S. imports more than 86% of its seafood from sources with minimal if any regulation. Seafood is slowly making its way into our farmers markets, but tight and poorly structured health regulations and permitting processes make it difficult for many fishermen to sell their products at these venues.

If you want to support your local fishermen and fishing communities, there are some markets in Southern California where you can buy fresh, local, and responsible seafood straight from the boat (or very close to it). Some may require a bit of a drive, but is it really all that bad to take a scenic drive with the family to Santa Barbara or Newport Beach on a Saturday morning to bring home fresh, healthy fish for dinner? Here’s a list of some local hotspots where you can get the freshest seafood in Southern California for your next Barbeque or dinner, while supporting our local fishing communities:

Newport Dory Fleet is a small market owned and operated by local fishermen. Located at the entrance to the Newport Beach Pier, patrons can meet the fishermen as they peruse the beautiful selection of local, seasonal seafood items such as: sablefish, dungeness crab, rock crab, sanddabs, spot prawns, sea urchins, and more. The market is a historical landmark and is open Saturdays and Sundays from about 5a to 9a. Check the website twitter feed for exact times and species availability: www.doryfleet.com

Ventura Harbor Fisherman’s Market offers fresh, seasonal catch such as: sea urchin, California spiny lobster, rock crab, white seabass, sablefish, spot prawns, and more. The market is open from 8a – 11a while product is in season and supplies last. For more information, call 805-218-4888.

Santa Barbara Community Seafood is a community supported fishery (CSF), which uses a community supported agriculture (CSA) model to help promote local seafood. The CSF is run by local fishermen. All seafood is local and seasonal. Your subscription benefits the Santa Barbara fishing community. Some of the previous offerings have been: King salmon, ridgeback shrimp, sablefish, rock crab, and white seabass. Subscribers can choose weekly or bi-weekly pickups from two locations in Santa Barbara:

·      Wednesdays at Backyard Bowls on Lower State St. and the La Cumbre Plaza

·      Thursdays at Goodland Kitchen in Old Town Goleta

Santa Barbara Fish Market buys directly from the fishermen and sells it to you! They take pride in promoting Santa Barbara fisheries and communities. Look for local white seabass, sablefish, sea urchin, ridgeback shrimp, and more. They are open on Sunday – Monday from 9a to 7p and Saturdays from 7:30a – 8p. Call (805) 965-9564 for more information.

Farmers Market Frittata Recipe

From our food editor, Katheryne Phillips.

This week at the Santa Monica farmers market it seemed there was a pepper party! 

The Weiser Family Farms had tables covered with piles of peppers.  There were so many colors and sizes, some I had never seen before. As I walk up to their table my eyes get lost in a sea of awesome bright colors. With so many types, from so many places, how could I pick just one…or even two? I couldn’t, so I left the Weiser Farms table with three bags full of fresh, locally grown handpicked peppers. 

After my peppery frenzy, I grabbed my other produce goodies, and headed home to create breakfast. I needed to throw something together quick, but I really wanted to use all of the fresh veggies that I had just bought. I decided on a tomato pepper frittata with shredded arugula.

This is how I threw it together

Farmers Market Frittata

Ingredients:

5 organic large eggs

½ cup shredded Colby-jack cheese

2 tablespoons of organic ½ and ½ (because that’s what I had, but heavy cream will also work)

1 small sweet purple pepper

1 small sweet yellow

1 red shishito pepper (Weiser Family Farms)

1 small sweet onion (Weiser Family Farms)

1 small handful of wild arugula leaves (The best arugula I’ve ever tasted is from Flora Bella Farms, that’s what I used in this dish)

1 maglia rosa tomato (Milliken Farms)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Spanish paprika powder

Pinch salt

Fresh cracked pepper

8 in Glass Pie baking dish (greased)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F.

Slice your tomato into nine slices. Shred your arugula.

Chop and seed all of your peppers, then chop your onion as well. Next, in a small pan sauté your onions and peppers until they are soft then set them aside for later.

In a large bowl whip your five eggs with a whisk. The more you whip your eggs, the fluffier the frittata will be, so whisk, whisk, whisk! Add in your cream or ½ and ½ and keep whipping. Whip for at least two minutes then add in your cooked peppers, onions, shredded cheese, arugula and spices. Give it a couple more stirs and then pour the entire egg mix into the greased pie dish.

Pop your frittata into the oven and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, pull the frittata out of the oven, and make a tomato border around the edge of your pie with eight tomatoes. Then place the ninth tomato slice right in the middle of the frittata. Put the frittata back into the oven for two-four more minutes then remove and allow the pie to cool and set. Cut into eight slices and serve with salsa or sour cream. I had mine with twice cooked potatoes, herbs from my Humble Seed garden, and a creamy piquillo pepper puree.
This is a recipe from Katheryne Cooks