Sauteed Zucchini/Squash and Fresh Fish

Tonight I am cooking the fresh fish that came in this week's SLO Veg box. According to the description provided on the SLO Veg website, it is "Bank Rockfish" and slofreshcatch.com has a recipe for it grilled. It sounds simple enough, as most of these fish recipes are, and calls for marinating the fish in olive oil and lemon juice. A butter sauce with garlic and basil finishes it it off. This paired with some sauteed zucchini will make a meal in less than 30 minutes.

I am preparing the zucchini and other squashes ahead of time by washing them and trimming off the ends, then slicing them into 1/4-inch thick discs. I think I am going to start with some bacon, because my old landlord used to cook zucchini with bacon and tomatoes all the time and I always loved it. His name was Dick and he was the greatest cook. He never measured anything and just tasted stuff and adjusted it to his liking, which ended up being to all our likings as well. He got home from his job in the early afternoon and always made dinner for his lovely wife, Jean, who got home about 2 hours later. We were often guests for dinner. I make this dish often and think of them when I do.

This was all back in the days when I was a young newlywed and just learning how to cook more than just tuna sandwiches or fried eggs. My Mom usually relied on canned vegetables and Campbell's soup. I do remember calling my Mom one night to ask her if I needed to add any water to a can of green beans I had just opened and poured into a saucepan, or if the liquid from the can was sufficient. Good grief! That wasn't really cooking, it was just reheating. I had a lot to learn! Thank goodness for Dick and Jean, and my Betty Crocker cookbook!!!

Dick would usually have a Mai Tai waiting for Jean, but I paired my dinner with a nice wine cooler.

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http://www.slofreshcatch.com/june-18-20-2013-grilled-bank-rockfish-with-garlic-and-basil/

Grilled Bank Rockfish With Garlic and Basil

Ingredients

2 pounds Rockfish filet
3 tablespoons Oil
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
4 tablespoons Butter
4 Garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Basil, fresh, chopped
1 dash Cayenne pepper

Methods/steps

Marinate the fish in the oil and lemon juice for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Grill for 10 to 15 min, turning only once. Time depends on the thickness of your fish. Heat the butter and stew the garlic for 3 min stirring constantly to make sure it doesn’t brown. Add the basil, cayenne pepper and remove from the heat. Either pour the garlic butter over the fish or serve it in a gravy boat on the side.

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Dick's Sauteed Zucchini with Bacon in Tomatoes

Ingredients

4 medium sized zucchini or other summer squash
3 strips bacon
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil or 6 leaves fresh basil, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Diced the bacon into pieces and saute in a frying pan until it is rendered and slightly crisp. Remove to platter. Add onions to bacon grease in pan and sauteed until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add zucchini and/or other squash. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and basil and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the bacon to the mixture and serve.