The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures -

TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Sitka Salmon Shares

July 19, 2019 at 4:32 pm · Filed under Fish-Seafood-Caviar, Giftable, The Nibble, Top Pick Of The Week

Whole Raw Salmon
[1] Freshly caught and skinned wild salmon (all photos © Sitka Salmon Shares).

[2] Line-caught salmon.

[3] After they’re caught, the fish are quickly processed.

[4] They’re blast-frozen, and shipped by FedEx to your doorstep.

We were recently invited to try a sample of Sitka Salmon Shares.

It’s a wild-caught Alaskan seafood delivery service. A collective of local fishermen pull the catch into their boats and quickly brings it to port.

There, it’s filleted, blast frozen to -50°F and individually vacuum-sealed, locking in the fresh-caught flavor.

A box of scrumptious fish is then FedExed to you.

While our box of four fillets was consumed in four days, the fish stays fresh-tasting in the freezer without degrading.

If your freezer is 20 degrees below zero or colder, the fish stays fresh-tasting up up to 1 year without degradation.

If your freezer is warmer, the fish will last 2-3 months before its freshness starts to degrade.

You can likely keep the fish even longer than 3 months or a year; these are just the points at which the fish starts to degrade.

HOW DO THEY TASTE?

It doesn’t get better than this fresh fish.

The company’s motto is “from boat to doorstep.” The fish tastes like it was just pulled out of the water.

When we test fish or meat, we cook them simply, with no seasonings. The true test of flavor is how good they taste when they’re “naked.”

The Sitka Salmon Shares salmon and cod we tasted were so good, just steamed, that we had no need to add salt, pepper or lemon juice to the cooked fish. (We cooked it “medium rare.”)

COMMUNITY SUPPORTED FISHERY SEAFOOD DELIVERY

Sitka Salmon Shares is Community Supported Fishery (CSF), the fish version of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), where farmers deliver boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables during the season.

Consumers purchase “shares” of the seafood harvest before the fishing season begins. The number of shares purchased dictates how much fish the fishermen catch.

Your share of the wild Alaskan catch is delivered to you monthly during the fishing season, which runs from April thru December.

The species and weight of your fish will vary, based on the plan you select.

WHEN YOU SIGN UP

You choose the species and quantity of fish for your monthly delivery, ranging from 3 to 9-month intervals (you can cancel at any time).

In 2019, the catch includes:

Albacore tuna

Black bass

Black cod, lingcod, Pacific cod

Halibut

Shellfish: Dungeness crab, spot prawns

Pacific rockfish, yelloweye rockfish

Salmon: Alaskan king salmon, coho salmon, keta salmon, sockeye salmon

We tried four different varieties; each, perfection.

A FEEL-GOOD PURCHASE

The CSF (Community Supported Fishery) supports small-boat family fishermen.

The fishermen receive a fair wage for a day’s work.

Sitka Salmon Shares returns a percentage of all CSF-related revenue back to fisheries conservation and habitat protection efforts.

The cooperative also purchases carbon offsets to compensate for the carbon that is released in their distribution system.

The entire system is transparent and accountable, from the moment your fish is caught to the moment it reaches your hands.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Head to SitkaSalmonShares.com and pick a plan.

Then, relish each box of fish you receive.

If you’re not a skilled cook, remember: No fish-cooking skills are required. A simple steaming is marvelous (and very low in calories).

Your fish-loving friends and family will be thrilled with a gift of Sitka Salmon Shares.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Give a gift of fish and you provide a number of memorable meals.

NOTE:

Memberships are available year-round except for one transition week: 2019 memberships close at the end of September, and 2020 memberships open in early October.

There is about a one-week period in late September/early October when you cannot purchase a membership.

That being said, if you hit the website during that week, just come back the following week!

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TIP OF THE DAY: No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce

July 19, 2019 at 7:00 am · Filed under Pasta-Pizza, Recipes, Sauces-Rubs-Marinades, The Nibble, Tip Of The Day

Whether you grow your own tomatoes or live near a supply of farm-grown beauties, put the summer abundance of fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes to use with this no-cook tomato sauce for pasta and pizza.

We often make this recipe when we come across a lot of very ripe tomatoes, priced to sell. The recipe is from DeLallo, purveyor of fine foods, with an emphasis on premium Italian products.

Also check out the numerous uses for a bounty of summer tomatoes below.

RECIPE: NO-COOK FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

4 large homegrown tomatoes, coarsely chopped (substitute a box or can of dice tomaTOES)

3 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 cup DeLallo Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Handful of fresh basil, torn

1 (1-pound) package DeLallo Spaghetti

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon DeLallo Natural Sea Salt

Preparation

1. PLACE the chopped tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Using your hands, squeeze and smash the tomatoes to release all of their juices. Then combine them with the olive oil, garlic, basil, and salt. Set aside and allow to marinate, for up to an hour.

2. COOK the pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Immediately add the hot pasta to the serving bowl with the tomatoes. Mix to combine.

3. SERVE with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

MORE USES FOR TOMATO SAUCE

Beyond pasta and pizza, here’s how to use your fresh tomato sauce:

Breakfast

Eggs, topped with sauce or on the side

Shakshouka (spice up the sauce)

Lunch

Cheeseburger with shredded mozzarella and sauce

Hero or meatball sub

Grilled cheese or panini with mozzarella and/or taleggio

Pizza: Add your favorite spices (oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes) and fresh basil

Polenta: Broil or pan-fry slices; top with sauce and shredded mozzarella or grated cheese; broil until cheese melts

Appetizers

Dip: Serve warm with bread sticks, toasted bread fingers, garlic bread strips, chicken wings, fried zucchini, and mozzarella sticks

Top a baked baby brie or camembert

Dinner Mains

Baked Pasta: lasagna, manicotti, ziti, etc.

Chicken cacciatore

Chicken parmigiana

Eggplant parmigiana

Grilled vegetables parmigiana

Ground beef casserole

Meatloaf

Veal parmigiana

Sausage and peppers

[1] This no-cook tomato sauce has numerous uses beyond pasta (photos #1 and #2 © DeLallo).

[2] Extra virgin olive oil can be its own sauce. Just drizzle it over the pasta, add fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese.

[3] Basil with roots. With or without the roots, keep herbs in the fridge in a glass or other tall container. Add some water to the bottom. As with flowers, change the water regularly. This will keep herbs fresh, longer (photo © Good Eggs).

Seafood: fried, grilled or steamed clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp

Stuffed Peppers

With all these options, why not double the recipe and enjoy it at another meal.

> THE HISTORY OF TOMATOES

>THE HISTORY OF SPAGHETTI

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

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RECIPE: Spaghetti Caprese With Burrata

July 19, 2019 at 6:15 am · Filed under Cheese-Yogurt-Dairy, Pasta-Pizza, Recipes

Finally, burrata cheese is being made by enough American producers that many cheese lovers nationwide can buy it locally.

Beyond enjoying it in a Caprese salad or with fruit, The Baker Chick has created this one-pot Spaghetti Caprese Recipe With Burrata.

This one-pot recipe can be on the table in just 30 minutes.

In addition to clicking over to the spaghetti recipe, head to The Baker Chick’s home page and check out all of her wonderful recipes and food photography.

WHAT IS BURRATA?

Burrata is a “filled” mozzarella, a specialty of the Apulia region of Italy, the “heel of the boot.” The word means “buttery” in Italian.

A hollow ball of buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) is filled with panna, cream that contains scraps of mozzarella left over from mozzarella-making.

(The cream seems like very fine-grained ricotta to us.)

Cut into the ball and the cream oozes out. While both buttery and creamy, it is not overly rich; just overly delicious.

For years, the only burrata in the U.S. was imported from Italy to New York and other East Coast cities. Because of its short lifespan, it was too fragile to travel much further.

Burrata imported from Italy is traditionally wrapped in a green leaf, which are the fronds of an Italian plant called asphodel (it’s in the lily family, Liliaceae, which also contains asparagus and the different onion genuses—chives, garlic, leeks and onions, among other foods).

The leaves are an indicator of freshness: As long as the leaves are still fresh and green, the cheese within is still fresh. Dried-out leaves mean a cheese is past its prime.

When it travels from the dairy, the cheese also wrapped in a clear plastic bag to catch the natural liquid that drains from it.

Here’s more about burrata cheese and the history of burrata.

MORE BURRATA RECIPES

Burrata & Fruit Dessert

Burrata, Plum & Pepita Salad

Burrata Serving Suggestions

Grilled Grapes & Burrata For A Cheese Course

MORE CAPRESE RECIPES

Artistic Caprese Salads

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Sandwich

Deconstructed Caprese Salad