HUNGRY GERALD

Hake is a member of the cod family, HG believes, and this firm fleshed fish is an HG favorite. They catch lots of hake in the waters off Prince Edward Island which means it’s cheap (6 bucks a pound) and always available at the local seafood shop in the town of St. Peters (a quick drive from the HG/BSK home). Hake can be baked, fried or steamed. HG likes to steam hake and HG does it the Chinese way. HG places hake filets on a mix of fresh grated ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce and white wine. Brings it to a quick boil. Covers the pan. Lowers the heat and simmers for 8 minutes, Tops the dish with slivers of scallion (or fried garlic chips). A dash of Sriracha. Serves it with soba (moistened with sesame oil) plus stir fried baby bok choy. You can do this dish with cod, snapper, filets of sole (cut the steaming time way back if you’re using sole).

HG/BSK are lucky. They do not just eat fresh fruit and vegetables. They eat fruit and vegetables so fresh that they have been plucked or dug from the earth only hours (or minutes) before they arrive on the HG/BSK dining table. In New Mexico, HG/BSK live adjacent to “Mister G’s,” one of the state’s most renowned organic farms. Almost daily, the duo pick up lettuces, escarole, kale, radishes and other things that have the scent, bite and succulence of truly fresh produce. On Prince Edward Island, HG/BSK eat tons of freshly picked vegetables including just-dug potatoes, the red PEI earth still clinging to them. The majority of potatoes that are eaten in the US are long stored and sometimes even months old. These freshly dug spuds are a revelation with real texture and a certain mineral tang that is unsurpassed. A simple PEI boiled potato with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt is a treat. Prince Edward Island is also covered with both wild and farmed strawberries, blueberries and raspberries which you can pick yourself of have them picked for you at a modest additional cost. HG contemplated the joys of freshness last night while enjoying BSK’s stir fry of snow pea pods and garlic scapes (both a few hours old) and bean sprouts (an import from Nova Scotia, alas). BSK enhanced the stir fry with chopped garlic and ginger, soy sauce and a dash of white wine. The dish accompanied HG’s lightly battered and sauteed hake (caught off PEI hours before) plus soba with sesame oil and sriracha. Memorable and very fresh meal.

HG has never been in Newfoundland but HG has much love for this chilly land. To begin with, one of HG’s best life companions was a very big, black, highly intelligent Newfoundland dog named Bobo. The big boy would often accompany HG to Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants in Denver, creating anxiety on the part of the waitstaff. And while many visitors have regaled HG with tales of Newfoundland’s physical beauty and the rollicking Irish charm of its residents, what really impresses HG is the quality of the sea creatures procured from its shores: Wondrous cod, hake, haddock and halibut are all fished off the Newfoundland coast. But, until recently, HG was unaware of the tiny, succulent fresh water shrimp from Newfoundland. HG discovered them at the By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peter’s Bay, Prince Edward Island. They have since become a staple. HG mixes them with mayonnaise, chopped onion, celery and herbs for an estimable salad. However, HG likes them best the Venetian way. A bit of finely chopped garlic. Good olive oil. Chopped parsley. With a glass of chilled white wine it is the perfect way to begin a summer meal.