the light broth and peas beneath it. At Flea St. Café, we serve this over buttermilk-mashed potatoes, a heavenly mix.
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped organically grown edible flower petals, such as calendula, nasturtiums, roses, or onion or chive blossoms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 halibut fillet (1½ pounds), cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken, vegetable, or fish broth
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh peas, shelled, or 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
In a shallow bowl, combine the parsley, flower petals, chives, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Place the halibut in the flower and herb mixture, pressing the fish to thoroughly coat both sides. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halibut and cook for 4 minutes on one side. Turn over the halibut and pour in the broth. Add the saffron and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the halibut is just opaque and the broth is reduced by half. During the last minute or so, add the peas.
Remove the pan from the heat. Place 1 fish fillet in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Divide the broth and peas evenly among the bowls.
VARIATIONS
Substitute salmon or any mild, firm fish fillet for the halibut. Whenever possible, try to buy line-caught, wild fish.
FRESH TUNA SALAD
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
This fresh tuna salad is far superior to the canned version. Use it in sandwiches, too.
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried
6 ounces tuna loin or steak
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 celery ribs, or 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1½ tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
2 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups mesclun or another salad blend
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon half into a medium bowl. Slice the other lemon half and place in a small skillet with 1 cup water and the dill. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tuna, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 6 minutes, or until the tuna is opaque. Drain and chill thoroughly.
Meanwhile, to the bowl with the lemon juice, add the oil, onion, celery or fennel, capers, mustard, parsley, and sugar, whisking to blend the mixture well. Set aside.
When the tuna is cold, break it into bite-size pieces. Add the tuna and eggs to the bowl with the lemon juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to coat the tuna.
Divide the mesclun evenly among 4 plates. Top each bed of mesclun with a quarter of the tuna salad. Fan a quarter of the avocado to the side of each tuna salad.
VARIATIONS
I love old-fashioned tuna melts. Mound lots of the tuna salad on a slice of bread, cover with a few slices of Jarlsberg or Cheddar cheese, and warm under the broiler.
When tomatoes are in season, add a few slices to tuna salads or sandwiches.
CHIPOTLE TURKEY MEATBALLS
MAKES 12 MEATBALLS
I like to use ground dark turkey meat because it is moist and gives the meatballs more flavor than breast meat. You can find the dark meat in the poultry section of the meat case at large natural foods markets. Be sure to buy sustainably raised turkey. Heritage breeds of pasture-raised turkey are pricier, but well worth the cost, both because of their good flavor and the way the birds are treated.
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 whole canned chipotle chile pepper, puréed or minced
1½ pounds ground dark turkey or chicken meat
1 medium onion, grated
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 slices whole grain bread, torn into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken broth
1 large egg,
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped organically grown edible flower petals, such as calendula, nasturtiums, roses, or onion or chive blossoms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 halibut fillet (1½ pounds), cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken, vegetable, or fish broth
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh peas, shelled, or 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
In a shallow bowl, combine the parsley, flower petals, chives, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Place the halibut in the flower and herb mixture, pressing the fish to thoroughly coat both sides. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halibut and cook for 4 minutes on one side. Turn over the halibut and pour in the broth. Add the saffron and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the halibut is just opaque and the broth is reduced by half. During the last minute or so, add the peas.
Remove the pan from the heat. Place 1 fish fillet in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Divide the broth and peas evenly among the bowls.
VARIATIONS
Substitute salmon or any mild, firm fish fillet for the halibut. Whenever possible, try to buy line-caught, wild fish.
FRESH TUNA SALAD
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
This fresh tuna salad is far superior to the canned version. Use it in sandwiches, too.
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried
6 ounces tuna loin or steak
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 celery ribs, or 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
1½ tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
2 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups mesclun or another salad blend
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon half into a medium bowl. Slice the other lemon half and place in a small skillet with 1 cup water and the dill. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tuna, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 6 minutes, or until the tuna is opaque. Drain and chill thoroughly.
Meanwhile, to the bowl with the lemon juice, add the oil, onion, celery or fennel, capers, mustard, parsley, and sugar, whisking to blend the mixture well. Set aside.
When the tuna is cold, break it into bite-size pieces. Add the tuna and eggs to the bowl with the lemon juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently to coat the tuna.
Divide the mesclun evenly among 4 plates. Top each bed of mesclun with a quarter of the tuna salad. Fan a quarter of the avocado to the side of each tuna salad.
VARIATIONS
I love old-fashioned tuna melts. Mound lots of the tuna salad on a slice of bread, cover with a few slices of Jarlsberg or Cheddar cheese, and warm under the broiler.
When tomatoes are in season, add a few slices to tuna salads or sandwiches.
CHIPOTLE TURKEY MEATBALLS
MAKES 12 MEATBALLS
I like to use ground dark turkey meat because it is moist and gives the meatballs more flavor than breast meat. You can find the dark meat in the poultry section of the meat case at large natural foods markets. Be sure to buy sustainably raised turkey. Heritage breeds of pasture-raised turkey are pricier, but well worth the cost, both because of their good flavor and the way the birds are treated.
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 whole canned chipotle chile pepper, puréed or minced
1½ pounds ground dark turkey or chicken meat
1 medium onion, grated
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 slices whole grain bread, torn into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken broth
1 large egg,
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