It’s strange that neither of us remembered that porgy was not unlike mackerel in its slight oiliness, but more like mackerel light, and I mean that as a compliment.

The entire entrée was as delicious as it was colorful.

 

• four 2 1/2-ounce Porgy fillets from P.E. & D.D. Seafood, dried, seasoned with salt and pepper, pan-seared along with two thinly-sliced red spring onion scallions from Hawthorne Valley Farm over medium heat inside an oval copper pan in a bit of butter and a little olive oil, the fish basted, using a small brush, with the the scallion butter and oil for about 2 minutes, more or less continually, then turned over, the heat reduced to low, a cover (aluminum foil) placed on the pan and the filets cooked for about another minute before the cover was removed and 2 or 3 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs thrown in (I used parsley, lovage, garlic chives, thyme, and chervil this time), after which the basting continued for about another minute, or until the fish was cooked through (the recipe was slightly modified from one written by Melissa Clark)

 

• organic yellow flat pole beans, or Romano beans, from Norwich Meadows Farm, parboiled, drained, dried by tossing over heat inside the emptied pot in which they were cooked, later reheated in a cast iron pan in a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished with micro basil from Two Guys from Woodbridge

 

• a rich and deeply-colored ensemble of wilted ‘reds’ (and a few greens), which began with one sliced young red onion from Bodhitree Farm softened in a large cast-iron enameled pot, then several handfuls of purple amaranth from Tamarack Hollow Farm added and heated until wilted, torn leaves of radicchio from Hawthorne Valley Farm stirred in, and finally a handful or more of arugula from Hawthorne Valley Farm, seasoned with some dried Itria-Sirissi chili, peperoncino di Sardegna intero from Buon Italia, and some Balsamic vinegar

 

 

• the wine was a French (Loire) white, from Vignoble Gibault, their Sauvignon Blanc Touraine 2014, descibed here, although purchased in our neighborhood, from Landmark Wine & Spirits
• the music was Jean-Philippe Rameau’s ‘Dardanus’, in a performance by Les Musiciens du Louvre, and Le Choeur des Musiciens du Louvre, directed by Marc Minkowski