More than you ever wanted to know about Alabama native Joe Watts
We did these specifically to sell at the Garden Art Party earlier this month, but they are so popular and unique that they are now being offered online for a limited time–until they run out…
Buy Beautiful Alzheimer’s Art Notecards. Available for a limited time! Each set of six cards contains a variety of beautiful bird art painted by Alzheimer’s patients. (only $10.00 and includes shipping).
The Recipe:
The Slaw:
1/4 of a large head of cabbage, core removed and sliced thin
1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
juice of one lime
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise (I used a new version of Kraft mayo made
with olive oil that gets the seal of approval from Cooks Illustrated)
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar (sherry vinegar would have been best but I was out)
pinch each sugar and salt
freshly ground pepper
The Fish:
3/4 lb fresh grouper fillets
juice and zest of one lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spanish seasoning rub/Old Bay or a Mexican seasoning blend plus a little oregano and garlic salt should work okay too–Old Bay always tastes pretty good to me)
freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Tomato Salsa
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
remaining jalapeño pepper
pinch salt
The Cilantro Cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Fresh corn tortillas
Make the slaw early. This allows the flavors to blend–make it at least an hour before serving. Blend the lime juice, mayonnaise and vinegar in a large bowl. Add jalapeño, onion, salt, pepper and sugar. Toss with cabbage and let rest in refrigerator.
Season fish with lime juice, olive oil and spice blend. Marinate for 30 minutes, then grill for 3-6 minutes on each side with mesquite smoke for added flavor.
Mix all ingredients for Salsa together.
Blend ingredients for cilantro cream together, adding lime juice at the last minute.
Heat corn tortillas (I heated mine on the grill for about 30 seconds).
Gently flake fish into large chunks and divide among corn tortillas. (I used 5 tortillas). Top with slaw, drizzle with cilantro cream and sprinkle with fresh tomato salsa. Serve with tortilla chips. Serve any leftover slaw on the side.
Quick job for my friends at AccuPrint, downtown Birmingham, Alabama. We’re sending out a monthly postcard with the calendar for the month. Margie decided to have me take a different scene of downtown Birmingham each month. Here’s the second scene (around 3rd Avenue North and 20th Street North):
I’m still so pleased that something I dug from Octagon, Alabama has managed to take root and thrive here in Birmingham. At last count, there were about 12 blooming yellow irises and about 25 blooming purple irises. At least a dozen yellow ones have already faded away. Don’t really know how long these will last, but I’ve really enjoyed them this year. Here’s a shot of them from above, taken off our deck (and we’ve been enjoying the deck so much this year–eating lunch on it most days over the last two weeks).
Finally, the irises that really remind me of Mama—the purple ones—are blooming. So far, only two purple irises have opened up, but many, many more are about to. I won’t be surprised to have 40 or more blooms. We’ve already had about 15 yellow irises, and they aren’t quite done yet. The purple irises far outnumber the yellow ones.
As noted earlier, these all came from my mom (Inez Watts) in Octagon, Alabama. I remember all the years of working in the flower beds and waiting each spring for these to bloom. They mean more to me now than ever before–by a long shot.
Another pizza. This one isn’t my prettiest pizza ever, but it tasted good. I have picked up the habit of working to improve my dough again. I think I got it pretty perfect on this one. Of course, it may have more to do with the damp weather and humidity than it does with my efforts, but anyway, here’s the recipe:
For the crust:
1 cup sourdough starter (alternatively, use 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup water)
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups all-purpose flour
Mix these ingredients together. If using starter, let this sponge rest for 2-4 hours in a warm place. If not using starter, proceed to next step.
1 cup King Arthur white wheat flour
1/2 cup Italian style 00 flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 package active dry yeast.
Blend all these ingredients together and, using a dough hook or your hands, knead for 5-7 minutes or more. The dough should be pretty wet–this is a good thing. Remove dough ball (it will barely be a ball) and place in an olive oil coated bowl. Let rise for 1 hour. Divide into three balls.
Preheat the oven to 475.
For the toppings:
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (I used oregano, thyme and parsley)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large portabella mushroom, sliced
5 ounces or so of a package of shredded Italian cheese blend (this would be better with freshly grated cheese, but hey, I made the dough–that’s enough work)
freshly ground pepper
Saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil over low heat for about 30 minutes, until translucent and golden brown. Add the mushoom, herbs and freshly ground pepper. Saute for another 4 minutes or so on medium.
Stretch one of the dough balls out into the shape of a pizza (this dough was easy to shape, sometimes I need to use a rolling pin). Transfer to a preheated pizza stone and prebake crust for around 3-4 minutes. Remove and place on a pizza peel. Turn oven to 500 degrees.
Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cheese lightly over the crust, then top with onion/mushroom blend. Add remaining cheese and slide topped pizza into oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until toppings are golden.