WILD BASS AND SPRING VEGETABLES

Well we finally picked up our box of organic veg and fruit and have realized quite quickly: people must not cook in London!!!  How could our regular size box of veg and bag of fruit cost so much and have the ability to last me most likely 2-3 days???  Maybe its that people use the organic as a supplement to their supermarket run???  Should we not be able to buy direct and get enough food to survive on for a week( it is a weekly veg box)...maybe i am a bit naive, or maybe I was spoiled up in Durham where the vegetables were still fresh with dirt and I had trouble finishing the box each week!!!  

Let me stop my ranting and start cooking.  Let me be happy that I have access to an organic box of vegetable and a farmers market as well.  Let me be thankful that its sunny and i have a nice old marble cafe table on our roof garden for us to have eaten  a breakfast (yogurt, fruit and nuts) upon this morning!!!!

 So as I walked to pick up my veg box last night, I let some red quinoa  steam away with white wine and leftover onion trimmings and thought about what would hopefully be in the box to make a nice meal with  the quinoa and the nice wild bass i picked up at the market I was at.

  Hmm... our veg box had cabbage, tomato's, onion, garlic, pepper, carrots, zucchini, and spring green onions...so in the 10 minutes walk back to our flat i came up with... Simmered wild bass over spring veggies and red quinoa.

PREP

1.5 pounds wild bass filet ( 2-3 pound whole fish), cut into four portions

s,p

1 T paprika

1 T turmeric

2 T vegetable oil ( I use rapeseed here in England)

1 zucchini, halved length wise and sliced thinly

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 green onion stalks, thin rounds

1 cup white wine

EVOO

Lemon

WHAT TO DO

1.  Heat large saute pan over high heat and then add oil.

2.  Season fish liberally with s,p, turmeric and paprika.

3.  Sear fish fillets in pan ( set in pan away from you to minimize oil splatter)

4.  Shake pan as fillets are placed in it, to assure there is a layer of oil between fish and pan.

5.  Sear fish only to a golden brown on each side and remove to a plate to rest( middle should be raw.)

6.  Turn pan down to medium high and add splash of oil, and then garlic and onions.  

7.  Cook onions and garlic for one minute and then add zucchini and peppers.

8.  After vegetables start to wilt, add 1/2 cup white wine and scrape up any brown bits.

9.  Reduce heat to medium and add tomato's and green onions.  Cook for two more minutes.

10. Add rest of white wine and place fish slices on top of vegetables.

11.  Cook fish, covered for 3-5 minutes ( depending on thickness).

That's it.  Simple and nutritious.  But wait...does it have enough flavor???  Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the finished dish, some lemon zest, maybe some chili flakes...you decide...

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Why not dress this dish up even more with some saffron in the simmering liquid, or use a whole fish roasted in the oven and stuff the finished product with the vegetable from the dish above. 

What to serve this with???  I would try some nice whole grains such as quinoa, millet, brown rice...or for summer serve with fried plantains and saute of garlicky kale or spinach!!!

One other thought...play around with different ways of cooking your fish...skin on, bone in, whole fish, etc...dont be afraid, enjoy!!!!  AND AS USUAL...YOU GOT QUESTIONS...I GOT ANSWERS...

HAPPY COOKING!!!