I often reminiscence about my how my grandfather use to keep a small veggie and herb garden in our very modest backyard on 2nd & Jefferson Street in DC or how I heard stories about my Grandmother’s Jamaican boyfriend who kept at least 2 goats in the backyard in the early 80’s.
Amazing.
Practicing a more food sustainable lifestyle has been in my mind for the past few years but what does that really mean or even look like when raising our own meat is not exactly legal in most towns?
Here’s some tips to easily make your kitchen-life easier & more sustainable.
The thing is it goes way deeper than just the food.
Agriculture plays one of the biggest roles in the health of our ecosystem. So it is important to take note of where a lot of our favorite products come from, how they are produced, how’s packaging being handled and how it gets from point A to B. All of these things link directly to sustainability. It's always good to do just a little research and see if some of your favorite products from align with your values for sustainability.
For example; what do you NEVER forget to put on your shopping list? Start there.
Key things to take into consideration when trying to build a more sustainable food lifestyle are:
Reducing your meat intake just a bit.
No need to go incredibly vegan (unless you like) but Animal Agriculture leaves one of the largest carbon footprints. Try one vegetarian meal a week.
Eating More foods that are in season.
It’s less likely this food is genetically modified and it's probably being grown or produced closer to home. (About 60% of the nations produce is coming from California)
Try planting some of your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Not only is it an activity the whole family can indulge in but you’ll have so much more knowledge as to how your food is being produced and the products that go into growing them. Yes- try container gardening if you are short on land!
A great spot for some local produce and meats is Eastern Market in DC at 225 Seventh Street, SE Washington, DC 20003. I had the pleasure of connecting with Bill at Southern Maryland Seafood Co. which has actually been in the indoor Market since about 1936 and is one of the original Vendors. I picked up some Fresh Whole Rainbow trout as well as some Fresh Scallops!
Here’s the recipe:
Aji Amarillo Romesco with pan Fried Rainbow Trout and Brown Butter Seared Scallops
Ingredients:
- 1 Whole Rainbow Trout filet
- 2 Yellow or Orange peppers (roasted and skin peeled)
- 1 Aji Amarillo Pepper or 2 tbsp of Aji Amarillo paste (Can usually be found at any latin or international supermarket either frozen, canned whole, or paste)
- 1 Dice Shallot
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 8 Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 tbsp of fresh thyme
- QT Cup of roasted unsalted cashews
- 4 Scallops
- 5 TBSP of butter
- 2 TBSP of Cornstarch and Corn Flour
- 1 TSP of Chili Powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 TBSP Canola Oil
- 1 Sprig of Sage
Method:
- Put Yellow peppers directly on stove burner and burn skin on all sides til blackened, then place in mixing bowl to cool, then peel and deseed ( Use Broiler if you have electric stove)
- Add dice shallot, garlic, 4 halved tomatoes and chopped thyme to saute pan on medium to low heat and cook til tender add cashews last and give a quick toss
- Add peeled peppers and 1 single Aji Amarillo or paste if you couldn’t find them whole, with the sautéed ingredients from step 2 and blend until smooth. Add water if need be to reach a smoother consistency. Add salt to taste
- Mix Cornstarch and Flour in a small bowl and apply to the skin of the Fish for a crispy finish
- Season the flesh (meat) with a sprinkle of Salt and pepper and Chili Powder
- Add Canola Oil to Cast Iron pan wait until smoking hot then place fish in the pan skin side down, put a pan on top of fish for even sear
- Remove pan on top of fish, once edges are crispy add sage, 1 crushed garlic clove and 2 tbsp of butter, Once butter is melted spoon it onto the flesh to finish cooking the fish
- Remove fish from pan to a dry paper towel
- Pat Scallops with Dry towel, season with salt and pepper and add to the same hot cast iron
- Once scallops have a nice brown crust add 2 TBSP of butter, let melt then flip.
- Once butter has browned spoon on top of Scallops, cook for another 2 mins then remove from pan
- Spoon Sauce in the middle of the plate creating a circle, place fish in the center with Scallops, the rest of the cherry tomatoes and sage around the fish.
Enjoy!!