8/12/09 - Seafood (Steamed Little Necks and Grilled Shrimp &Swordfish) and Potato & Green Bean Salad

With so much red meat on the menu lately I couldn't wait for tonight's seafood dinner. I was originally planning on just Shrimp and some Little Neck Clams steamed up but in the end the I decided to add a little Swordfish for a full on seafood feast. With all my CSA treats I sometimes feel like the iron chef waiting on my secret ingredient to plan my meals for the week - any one have some good ideas for strange ingredients from the farm? (squash/ zucchini please! 5 in the fridge at least)


The marinade for the fish and the shrimp was very similar but not exactly the same. However both were based on the delicious lemon basil that we got in the CSA this week. It looks just like normal basil but has an amazing lemony smell - it was absolutely perfect with seafood and in an asian influenced marinade. The swordfish and shrimp were done on the grill pan while the clams (not pictures) were steamed in some beer and garlic greens.

Swordfish Marinade
2 tbsp lemon basil - chiffonade
2 tbsp red sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp sliced pickled ginger
salt & pepper

Shrimp Marinade
3 tbsp garlic greens - finely diced
2 tbsp lemon basil - chiffonade
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt & pepper

Potato & Green Bean Salad w Balsamic Dijon Dressing
2 lbs white and blue baby potatoes - cleaned and cut into 1" chunks
1 lb green beans - ends snapped and cut into 2" pieces
1 shallot - finely diced
1 small green bell pepper - 1" thin strips
1 small yellow bell pepper - 1" thin strips
2 tbsp mustard w/ seeds
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil

1) boil potatoes
2) add green beans to water for last 3-5 min
3) strain (rinse if you want to serve cold) and add rest of ingredients
4) mix well