basil-stuffed monkfish on arugula; peppers, tomato

monkfish_basil_arugula_peppers_tomato

  • two monkfish tails from Pura Vida Seafood, cut into medallions roughly the size of sea scallops, slit horizontally most of the way through, sprinkled with salt and pepper, each ‘scallop’ stuffed with a single leaf out of a package of Gotham Greens Rooftop basil from Whole Foods, very briefly sautéed in oil along with a smashed clove of garlic from John D. Madura Farm, removed and arranged on two plates on top of beds of washed and dried arugula from John D Madura Farm, while a couple tablespoons of lemon juice were added to the pan, off heat, stirred for ten seconds, then drizzled over the medallions, the greens augmented by a little bit of olive oil
  • a small handful of yellow Grenada peppers from Eckerton Hill Farm, halved or quartered, sautéed over high heat until slightly caramelized, tossed with some really tiny red cherry tomatoes from Berried Treasures, pierced with a fork to avoid really tiny explosions at the table, finished with chopped fresh oregano from Stokes Farm and a light splash of balsamic vinegar
  • the wine was a California white, Hanging Vine Chardonnay Parcel 4 Lodi 2014
  • the music was Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s ‘Rhízōma’