Miso Glazed Cod

After visiting Keegan at the Green Market, of course we were going to have fish for dinner. He selected a cod filet based on its seasonality. We decided to bake it and found a recipe for Miso Glazed Cod. With fresh fish, you really don't have to do much, but the miso glaze complemented the cod. To accompany the meal Keegan made squash with brown sugar, quinoa with tomatoes and navy beans, and we had some Trader Joe's frozen vegetables with balsamic and butter.

Miso Glazed Cod
Adapted from epicurious.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup miso
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cod filet

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Blend miso, vinegar, soy sauce and cayenne pepper in processor. Gradually pour in oil; blend until mixture is smooth. Place cod fillets in large bowl. Pour the miso mixture over fish; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until glaze starts to caremalize and fish is cooked through.

For the quinoa, first make sure that it is thoroughly rinsed. As I learned from Keegan, if not properly rinsed, quinoa actually contains trace amounts of arsenic and can be poisonous. Serious stuff. Bring to a boil in water, then lower heat and simmer, covered. You will know the quinoa is done when they pop open.

Meanwhile, simmer a can of diced tomatoes with a can of navy beans. Add the quinoa and mix.

Slice a small squash into four pieces. Put a piece of butter in each and some brown sugar. Bake along with the cod.

Plate everything together and enjoy!

At the Farmer's Market with Blue Moon Fish

Wednesday I went to the Green Market at Union Square to visit Keegan at the fish stand. He works for Blue Moon Fish, which is run by local fisherman Alex. Alex fishes out of the Long Island Sound, bringing fresh fish to the market March through Christmas (their last day at the market this year will be Christmas Eve). Although the people who work at the fish stand are not as theatrical as those famous fishmongers in Seattle, they are jovial and clearly love fish. One woman stopped by the stand to ask where the fish comes from, and the first response was "the water." Oh, she wanted a more specific answer? OK, the Long Island Sound. She seemed impressed. They joked that the farmer's market is like a small village, and in many ways that is true. Most people who work there know each other, and often they trade products - some fish for some milk, perhaps. If the market is a village, then Blue Moon Fish is a family, that much is clear.

If you haven't visited Blue Moon Fish at the market, definitely stop by. You can find them in Union Square on Wednesdays, and Grand Army Plaza and Tribeca on Saturdays. Their fish is so fresh I've eaten it raw, so how's that for an endorsement? Also, they have one of the highest Zagat ratings ever.

Seafood Sampler at my Parents' House

Saturday evening we had dinner at my parents' house. My father's kitchen is where I learned to love to cook, so I decided to take notes while we were there. Embracing my new love of seafood, my father prepared a feast of fish, which we jokingly called the "Blue Plate Special" or "Seafood Sampler." Really, he just got a variety of fresh fish from the farmers' market - sea scallops, flounder, and shrimp. Check out the size of those scallops!


My father used very simple and quick methods to cook the seafood. With such fresh fish, you really don't have to do much! He melted some butter, lemon juice, and parsley together. He put some in the pan and also tossed the fish in it first. As my father reminded me, this is something that cannot be done ahead of time - the acid in the lemon juice would cook the fish, particularly the scallops. He cooked the shrimp in a skillet first, then the scallops. He broiled the flounder. Each only needed about 5 minutes. He stirred the shrimp as he cooked and turned the scallops once each.


My father served the fish with some steamed corn and a nice mixed salad. Mmmm Mmmm healthy (unless you drizzled extra garlic butter over as I did...).

Rainy Farmer's Market

Well, despite the rain I managed to make it to the farmer's market on Saturday. Here it is after the rain cleared.


And my bounty: