mystery ingredient club~

today i am joining michael lee west in her brand new girls gone wild with mystery makings! ok, so maybe i embellished a little bit, but she was kind enough to send a group of us various jars of meyers lemon products, prepared in different ways, and its up to us to thrill our very own taste buds any which way we choose, and to hopefully entertain you in return~

 

when my boxes arrived i was at sea dream, how exciting to get packages by the sea! and since i was by the sea, i just so happen to have some halibut, and this jar of meyers lemon zest in oil happily mentions its great with fish... it sounded like a win win for me! i think it took me all of 10' to have found a recipe, twisted open my jar and stepped into a world of new rich flavors. i don't have a very well stocked kitchen at the beach, but i had exactly what i needed to make this fast and delicious halibut~

Pan Roasted Line Caught Halibut with Soy-Lemon Sauce (ok my line was standing in costco)

4 6-ounce center-cut halibut fillets, skin-off

2 large minced shallots

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 cup chopped preserved lemons

1/4 cup chopped chives

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to cook

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saute pan or cast iron skillet, coated lightly with olive oil, season the halibut and sear until brown on top side, about 2 minutes. Flip halibut and add shallots and tomatoes in between the pieces of fish, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil place in oven. Roast for about 12-14 minutes until cooked through. Transfer the fish to a plate and place pan on high heat. Deglaze with wine and add preserved lemons and soy sauce. Reduce by half. Check for seasoning. Plate fish and encircle with sauce. Garnish with chives.

i confess i added some ginger halfway through my meal, i was craving lemon and ginger together, it was an excellent addition~

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on to the beautiful jar of preserved lemons. since i have made savory dishes before i wanted to try something totally new for me. normally i have it tucked deep into richly scented stews, this time i tried it straight from the jar in a raw salad. WOW! BAM! KABOOM!

 

oh my, talk about a real zing in your step! i took fresh greens mixed almost 50/50 with fresh mint, i LOVE mint. i then layered red onions, the sweetest cantaloupe my neighbor just gave me, salty creamy feta and then sliced one quartered piece of lemon to spread about.

 

i took the briney juice from the jar and added a bit of olive oil, pepper and honey and drizzled over the top. it was an explosion of taste in my mouth! the lemon with the mint and sweet cantaloupe with salty feta is THE perfect combo!
 

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i would like to thank michael lee for her EXTREMELY kind and generous gift to all of us participating in todays foodie friday mystery meyer lemon ingredient day. what a treat to receive such beautiful gifts and to be able to share from our tables to yours, i am humbled and thankful to be included, thank you so much for bringing sunshine into my cold gray days~

 

*** as a funny aside, i received this beautiful tree as a gift, perfect timing to share with our mystery meyer lemon ingredient day. i thought it would be cute to haul the tree down to the beach to show off that california fun in the sun you all think we are always enjoying. i had to walk up a steep dune, trudging back and forth 2 times to haul up my props. i had noticed some people at a beach house staring at me, i had arrived just as the gates opened.

i am on my hands and knees trying to get a decent foggy shot when up marches a very angry redhead, ok lets be honest, her hair was maroon, the exact same color as her parka and lipstick, just her coloring along was frightening, but she is SCREAMING AT ME, YOU CAN'T PLANT A TREE HERE!

oh i thought it was hysterical, but she was so NASTY that i gave it right back to her... i said i was taking pics, do you see a shovel any where? i mean really, like i am going to plant a citrus tree in freezing temps and gale force winds on a public beach with no water, did i mention dunes, as in NO dirt? when i think of all the things that go on at that beach and i am being chased down for taking a pic of a citrus tree i will forever laugh until i double over on this one.

she was obviously not a gardener, a citrus tree, come on, it could have been a banana tree or an orchid being transplanted in the arctic with about as much chance of survival, but the reality is some home owner was spying on me and terrified that they would lose their view and be forced to drink lemonade, eat lemon meringue pie and preserve their very own lemons come winter!

thanks so much for ALL the fun MLW, my boxes of lemons were such a delight to play with at sea dream, and now i will forever have this beach memory of when i tried to plant a lemon tree in dune and was instantly caught!

if anyone is still here reading, i am joining foodie friday, please stop by and visit the links of the other participants, i only hope they had as much fun as me!