Swordfish Kebabs

I was so excited this year to celebrate July 4th. For one reason or another, I am always out of the country on the day of our Independence, and I always miss the big summer barbecue parties. Not only would I be in the US, but also in a new state that I am getting to know for the first time. What better way to celebrate our country than with a big outdoor meal made fresh with local ingredients?

On Saturdays here in Eugene there is a big market, with dozens of farmers selling great things, as well as local artisans and craftspeople selling their creations. We were snapping up local greens, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, and radishes, but when we went to get the meat, we decided against it. (We had sort of killed our craving the other night out in Sweet Home). So instead, we decided we could buy some fish at the Market of Choice and leave it up to Jonathan to be the grill master.

When Jonathan chose swordfish at the market for our meal, an old recipe from Gourmet popped into my head. It was swordfish kebabs with bay leaves and lemon. While Jonathan got the charcoal going out in the back, I cubed the swordfish and marinated it in some fresh garlic that had dug itself up in the garden, lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of soy sauce. Emma went out to the laurel tree in the back garden for fresh bay leaves, and we were set to skewer up. We cooked the kebabs for a good amount of time over slow heat, not quite knowing what we were doing, and the result was out of this world. The swordfish literally melted in our mouths, leaving Jonathan the honor of being the master of the meal. We also ate sliced heirloom tomatoes, fresh greens tossed with herbs from the back, corn on the cob, and harissa as a condiment for the fish. Besides the fish and lemon, everything else that we ate was local, and I felt extremely patriotic

I hope to enjoy many more meals like this throughout the summer, supporting local food and enjoying the bounty of our soil. Let Independence reign!