Housemade Tarter Sauce & Other Fishing Stories

Housemade Tarter Sauce

Today, as I sit in our home in the middle of the state of Georgia, I am sorely missing the Atlantic Ocean.  Ok, I really miss any body of water.  Water is very therapeutic for me – listening to the waves, the water at it knocks against itself, the glare of the sun off the stillness of the top of the water, walking along a beach while my feet get wet, then sandy, then wet again.  Being on any body of water is the best place I can be at any given moment.  Today, I will take you back and share some memories with you and a fabulous new recipe we had yesterday.

My love for the water started before I could walk.  We lived in central Florida and had a pool.  My brother was a little older than me and was taking swim lessons.  My parents thought I should go ahead and learn – so I did.  I loved swimming and jumping off the diving board.

My love for the Suwanee River came from my Papa.  I remember learning how to drive a boat about the age of 7.  It was just me and Papa and the sparkling water of North Florida.  A john boat brought some sweet memories.  He taught me to fish, to not be afraid of gators (ha!), and how to cook homemade french fries.  He also taught me how to clean fish – which we would eat immediately after catching them.

Papa and SRC

I remember quiet summer evenings at our trailer near Munden Creek (near the sleepy fishing community of Suwanee, FL).  Mosquitos and radios and country tapes that included Kenny Rogers, Alabama, George Straight, and Barbara Mandrell.  We would play rummy because we had no television.  We would walk down to the little pond with worms and cane poles.

I moved to a beach town for college and quickly knew that I was born to live by the beach.  You’d never be able to tell because I’m as white as they come, but everyday my junior and senior year I would walk down the beach in the morning and the evening.  Some college friends and I would get a group together and have some worship jam sessions at night by the water.

My mister and I in our courting days took a few trips to the waterside of Carolina.  The first time we held hands it was sprinkling and we were walking along the beach.  Romantic yes.

On our honeymoon we woke up in Prince Edward Island overlooking the bright shiny water.

I love bridges, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, oceans, and the gulf.

One thing that goes well with water: seafood.  And with seafood you need good dipping sauce and good friends to share it with.

Sailfish Alley Outfitters

Yesterday, I made a tarter sauce that I could easily eat with a spoon.  Yes, the entire bowl, no seafood necessary.  Thought I would share it with yall.  But, first, let me introduce you to a company in South Florida run by a young friend of mine.  His family is so important to me and I value their friendship.  Tyler started Sailfish Alley Outfitters and runs a quality fishing gear.  We all know you need fishing gear and here is the place to get some of the best.  And you might as well look good while doing it.  With custom tees and hats and more, this is your place to find it.  And while you are catching fish, looking great while doing it, building relationships while you are fishing, you can be dreaming of the tarter sauce that you’ll have back in your fridge for your catch of the day.

Sailfish Alley Outfitters

Housemade Tarter Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Dip
Cuisine: Seafood
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: ½ cup
 
A great partner to seafood is a tarter sauce. Never buy bottled again!
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp country dijon mustard
  • 2 T chopped green onions (only the green part)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 splashes worcestershire sauce
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 6 bread and butter pickle slices, chopped
  • a few dashes Datil pepper hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix it all together. Enjoy.
 

Taste of Charlotte: Red Rocks

posted in: food, restaurants | 1

Nestled in the South Park neighborhood of the Queen City, NC’s largest city, sits Red Rocks Cafe Bar & Bakery.  I would just call it good food.

A friend and I decided to meet up there on my recent overnight trip to Charlotte.  We were anticipating a long wait, but got in there and were the next ones to be seated.  Perfect!

So many delicious finds on the menu: appetizers (including parmesan potato cakes), salads (including my dinner of a large Greek salad with salmon), steaks, pasta, fish, sandwiches: if you are hungry – they have something to fill your tummy.

Our waitress was friendly and attentive.  We were told her we were in a hurry and she was on top of things.  We placed our order, specifically under-cooking our salmon – and probably 8 minutes later, both of our meals were on our table.  My friend was gracious enough to let me snap a few photos, then we dug in.

The salmon was perfectly cooked: slightly crispy on the outside, slightly underdone on the inside.  The result: smooth, moist salmon full of flavor.  The dill sauce on my friend’s salmon was lemony and seasoned perfectly.  Not too much, not too little dill.

Then came the Oreo cheesecake.  Usually, you can’t go wrong with splitting cheesecake.  My only fault for the whole evening was I thought the cheesecake needed some more sugar, because it tasted too cream cheese, the perfect balance wasn’t there.  But, the chocolate sauce and oreos improved it 100%

Ambiance: check.  Wait staff: check.  Price: 10-20$ per entree.  Parking: no problem.  Food: double check.

Top 100.7: Southport: Provisions

posted in: food | 0
Yacht Basin Provision Company is a local’s haven. Provisions, as known by the locals, has its own t-shirts, honor-system beer, and great prices for fresh local seafood.
The decor is local fishing pier with all seating outside on the porch, under flaps by the pier. Fresh seafood marked up a chalkboard and buns were searing on the grill – that’s where you placed your order. They walked it out to you and you paid after you ate. Trusting owners.
I ordered the lunch special which was the crab cake and 1/4 fresh steamed shrimp. The crab cake was good but a little too wet for me. The shrimp were perfect. Steamed and seasoned to perfection, the 9 shrimp I had were the highlight of my day.
I will definitely go to this pier stop again.

Taste of OBX: Tortugas Lie

posted in: food | 1
I know you have waited patiently for it – the best food I ate during my first stay at the OBX: mahi mahi tacos at Tortugas Lie. This is definitely my brother’s type of place.
Late lunch consisted of unsweet tea at a bar, mahi mahi tacos with beans and rice, and cocoloco chicken with a lime curry sauce served also with beans and rice (yellow and black).
All was fabulous. My friend’s parents suggested this place just up the road from their condo and beach access.
We had to wait about 10 minutes for 2 seats at the bar on Labor Day Monday. Prices were decent (9$). But, the food was great. Rach said the tacos would have been better with corn tortillas, but I took them just like they were. The lime and curry sauce for the curry chicken was fabulous – and I finished that off with the yellow rice.
So, when I go back again – I’ll definitely hit this local joint and maybe just get the tacos again so I can have both of them.

Taste of Raleigh: 18 Seaboard

posted in: food | 0
Treated my parents here for a belated Father’s Day/Dad’s birthday dinner. Made reservations through Open Table and everything went great from there.
The hostesses were extra accommodating to us. Our waitress was able to make recommendations and not afraid to do so. She wasn’t too pesky but did check on us throughout our stay to refill our water, bring us complimentary good eats, and make sure we had everything we needed. Definitely worth a good tip.
The decor was lovely, brick, soft drapes, dim lighting, classic place settings, sectioned off bar area (in the front of the restaurant). 18 Seaboard is set in an old rail station, so the ambience isn’t too “new fangled”. Loved it – my type of nice restaurant.
We didn’t start with any appetizers, but the kitchen gave us some crostini with their basil goat cheese. I could eat goat cheese day. This was exceptional. Creamy and bursting with flavor from the fresh summer basil. Thank you, Kitchen!
I ordered a refreshing salad with peaches. Here is their description: Pee Dee Orchard peach and field greens salad with basil balsamic vinaigrette, pecans, and aged balsamic crouton. The aged balsamic crouton was stellar and it tasted like a fruit jam. Wonderful. This salad was light and refreshing and Fresh! I loved it.
Mom ordered the Chopped Asparagus Salad and the Black Eyed Pea Cakes. I tasted both. Mom loved her salad and ate one of her black-eyed pea cakes. Too much food! 🙂 I love asparagus! They do have vegetarian options for those who have those dietary needs/wants.
Dad got the special which was salmon (he got it blackened) with potatoes, onions, corn and spinach. I could have eaten a bowl of the onions all by themselves, maybe I should have asked for an order of them. I think they were cooked with a honey balsamic – but man, they were some of the best onions I’ve ever had.
This food was local and fresh, which is something else I enjoy about a restaurant.
For dessert, we ordered the roasted Amoretti stuffed peach with homemade (in-house) blueberry and sprite melon ice cream. Could I get a quart of the ice cream to go please? So fresh and light. But, also a taste treat from the kitchen – little squares of blueberry cake with a blueberry mousse. The mousse was light and a perfect topping.
Jason and his crew at 18 Seaboard definitely know how to cook a meal and serve it up to their patrons. Will be returning! Maybe just for peach salads, onions, and ice cream! I think I could handle that.

Roasted Orange Chive Salmon

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Is oatmeal a meal? Good, I agree. Its not. Therefore, my first real meal I cooked was SO GOOD. I told my Dad while eating it – that it was the best salmon I have ever had second only to the time I was in Craig, Alaska and had it right off the boat.

zest of one mandarin orange
1 tsp chopped fresh chives
8 oz fresh atlantic salmon (w/skin, got it from Whole Foods)
evoo
s/p

425 degrees. Place aluminum foil on a small baking sheet. Spray with pam.
Pat dry salmon. Drizzle with evoo. Zest orange and chop the chives over the top. Bake for about 15 minutes, maybe a little more till the fish easily flakes.
Enjoy. I served mine with roasted asparagus and roasted new pototoes.

Tuna Spaghetti (2010.6)

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Bon Appetit in its editor section usually has little basic recipes. This was one of them. Not great, but not throw away worthy either. I may just toss some on top of some greens.

Not amounts, almost

Spaghetti (I used whole grain spaghetti)
1 can tuna (oil packed preferred, but I used water packed)
1 fat garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
evoo
pepper
lemon juice
(I added the garlic and red pepper and didn’t have any parsley)

Cook noodles. In pan, saute everything else. Drain pasta, reserving a bit of the water. Mix all together.
This just didn’t have much of a flavor to me.