 was recently invited to do a presentation at Vista del Monte Retirement home, one of our wonderful customers that we serve in Santa Barbara. The meeting’s theme was ‘From the Farmer to the Plate’, which focused on buying local fruit, vegetables, seafood, eggs, poultry and beef from farmers in Santa Barbara County. What an honor it is to sit down with the young at heart. Behind those thick glasses and weathered faces is firsthand knowledge of eras gone by. We all know that statement, “I used to hike 3 miles in the snow...” but what about these: “We used to have to wait for the strawberries to ripen. Oh the joy of that first sweet bite!” Or, “Fresh peaches meant that it was time to grab your girl and take her to the river and go skinny dippin.” And, “We had chickens and would trade our eggs for fresh milk and homemade bread.” And my favorite: “I used to receive one fresh orange in my stocking for Christmas.”
What does this have to do with seafood? Everything! As our world becomes more complicated, it is not only the law for us to eat what is in season, but it is also important to support our local, environmentally responsible fishermen in the harbors of Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego. And oh the delicious fish we get to look forward to! Spiny lobsters, albacore tuna, yellowtail, wahoo, opah, black cod, California halibut, swordfish, snapper, ridgeback shrimp, squid, urchin, Pacific dover sole, rex sole, white sea bass and sand dabs! All are seasonal and from sustainable fisheries and are rich in vitamins, low in fat and full of flavor. It makes sense, doesn’t it? That if we eat more local products, then we are naturally doing what is right for our community and our environment. With the world racing through technological advances and zooming transportation systems, and the fact that most of us have been able to get whatever we want from faraway lands at break-back speeds. Perhaps it is time for all of us to enjoy our local bounties. And, just like that fresh in-season strawberry that fills our mouth with sweet bursts in early May, so does that first bite of savory California halibut after a long winter of waiting.
by Theresa Smith
The Happiest Seafood Sales Person
In the Santa Barbara Territory
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Fresh Tilapia
Cultivated in fresh or salt water, Tilapia is available year-round. While currently Tilapia is largely farm-raised, it has been consumed for thousands of years from equatorial and western Africa north to Egypt. The raw meat is a beautiful pinkish-white that cooks white. Because the meat holds together well during cooking, it accepts sauces well and can be used in a wide range of preparations. The meat is fine-textured and somewhat flaky with a mild sweet flavor similar to sole. It resembles snapper and may be marketed as red or golden tilapia describing the skin color. Another attraction to tilapia is that it is so affordable and has a long shelf life of as long as 10 days when fresh. Tilapia freezes well too, which offers even more versatility. You can find tilapia live, whole, headed and gutted, in fillet form, breaded & frozen, marinated, filleted with skin on or off, and boneless. So if you love snapper, perch, or cod and just want a dependable fish that even the most inexperienced chef can cook with ease, try tilapia, it is available year-round.
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