Dinner Diary: 7/23/11 -- Swordfish with Tomato Olive Vinaigrette

• Pan-Seared Swordfish with Tomato Olive Vinaigrette
• Harry's Berries Yellow Wax Romano Beans Sautéed in Olive Oil and Chopped Garlic
• Finley Farms Baby Kale Sautéed with Chili and Slivered Garlic
• Rockenwagner Olive Ciabatta

I was sitting on the floor in my parent's kitchen only half paying attention to what Fe. was saying, trying to figure out what on earth to do with the swordfish I'd picked up at Santa Monica Seafood, when it hit me. Tomatoes and olives! Both perfectly suited to swordfish's hearty steak-like flesh. There are cherry tomatoes a plenty in the garden right now. I had olives, capers, parsley, spring onions, and beautiful garlic from the farmers' market on hand. What would hold those tasty bits together?

A vinaigrette.

Perhaps one of the best sauces going -- and certainly the easiest -- vinaigrettes are obvious for salads, but they make spectacular sauces for fish, vegetables and chicken. Come to think of it, meat too. For what is Chimichurri, if not a vinaigrette?

To complement the swordfish and the strong flavors of the olive, caper, onions and garlic, I opted for red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil (a good one). I had the whole thing put together in about ten minutes.

You can easily use a whole tomato. I used the salty, wrinkly Moroccan black olives, but my preference would be kalamatas. Spring onions are what I had available, but a shallot or green onions would work great. I was feeling parsley in the end, but I was very tempted by fresh basil. The recipe is absolutely flexible. You taste your way through the preparation.

The easiest ratio for wine vinegar vinaigrettes is two parts vinegar to five parts oil. So I used two tablespoons red wine vinegar and five tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. So simple.

I haven't purchased, prepared, or eaten swordfish in ages. I love it, but it was overfished and it is no good for pregnant or nursing mamas, not to mention that it is expensive. Yep, $27.99/pound at the fish market. I just cannot justify that. So when I saw the decidedly unglamorous end pieces going for $14.99, I decided to go for those. I wasn't too worried about appearances, because it would just be A. and me for a quiet Saturday night at home.

It turns out this was all good thinking, because I felt rather proud of the meal. Super summer fare.

Tomato Olive Vinaigrette

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 heaping tablespoon capers, chopped

1 large handful parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the first six ingredients together in a bowl. Add the vinegar and stir. Drizzle in the olive oil, stiring. Taste for salt and pepper.

Spoon over fish, chicken, or vegetables.

Serves 3-4