Fish Achiote & Summer Squash

It takes a sincere love of gardening to be a backyard gardener in south central Texas…probably anywhere in Texas. Whew…..just came in from the morning garden ritual, soaking wet from sweat and dew. The recent rains were a blessing but the lingering humidity saps energy and the general sense of 'want to' when it comes to gardening. My garden tour and maintenance this morning got off to a late start, therefore the heat and humidity had a serious jump on me.

Bumper harvest of yellow summer squash again today! Though diving into the big masses of squash plants leave my arms itchy, I eagerly go in search of the delightful and abundant fruit as a child might in search for colored eggs at Easter! I was rewarded for my efforts and my harvesting bag is heavy with proof. The hot peppers, name of which I do not recall – this is my first year to raise this particular pepper but will not be the last – provided another healthy batch for the harvest bag. Sadly, I had to make a hard decision regarding the tomatoes. I have been infested with those beautiful but wickedly deadly to tomato plant caterpillars! Ekk! I decided to pick the green tomatoes in effort to save them at all. My friend and fellow gardener, Helen, gave me some organic spay she swears kills off those plant eaters. I still have some blossoms on one of the plants so I'm hoping to salvage an opportunity for fruit on those. I'll just make green tomato chutney or chow-chow out of the green tomatoes and be thankful for them!

I do have a meal recipe for today. Last night I was craving fish but wanting something easy, quick, and tasty without much energy required. I had some white fish fillets in the freezer so I got creative. First, I cheated and started 3 russet potatoes whole in the microwave for 'baked potatoes'. Eight minutes is all it takes for medium-sized potatoes. Then I took two yellow squash and sliced the across to 'sort of fry' in a wok in a little olive oil. Dusted with some 'Uncle Chris' Steak Seasoning' and a small bit of corn meal, these make a nice substitute for squash or anything else that is usually fried. I do not fry food very often at all, so this method is more common in my kitchen. You think you're eating fried food but it's not really. Then I addressed the main entrée, the fish. Remember it was frozen when I put the potatoes in the microwave. I cut it into planks across the fillet while still fairly solid and just let is sit while I cooked the squash…I wanted to use the same pan, no need to dirty another! Once the squash were all finished I wiped out the pan, and then put in enough water I thought it would take to cover all the fillets. As the water heated, I crumbled in a ball of Achiote paste about the size of half my thumb and added a few dashes of Uncle Chris' Steak Seasoning. Once the seasoned water came to a full boil, I slid the fish into the water and poached till done. This is a fast process unless your fillets are thick.

Achiote paste, should you be unfamiliar, is a staple in Mexican, Yucatan and Mayan cooking. It comes in a yellow box and is found in most Mexican groceries or well-stocked super grocery stores in the Latin section. This paste made from ground spices and herbs adds a distinctive flavor and color. Anything it touches turn red…heads up, cook in old clothes if your stain prone as I. I saw this used in cooking shows for years and finally made me mind up to find and try it. I could kick my own bottom for not doing so years ago!!

Dinner was delightful, healthy (no goopy stuff on potatoes, 1 each and 1 left for Honey's lunch today) easy and quick, less than 30 minutes from start to finish. If you use two pans, you can start the fish before finishing the squash; just remember the fish cooks very quickly so do not start too soon or cook too long. Me, I'm lazy… The simple potato with a touch of real butter (no processed stuff please), the crunch of the cornmeal on the squash leading to the soft interior of tasty seasoned delight combined with the jolt of flavor in every bite of the firm but soft fish meat was a treat. It sang a song of summer flavors and colors. Try it; it's worth the effort to hunt down the Achiote paste!

Let me know if you like it! I love hearing from you.