Summer Grilled Fish

After a few weeks of craziness... moving, summer vacations, buying a house and training a puppy... we're starting to get back into the swing of things. More trips are being planned, moving ahead with this business. The next to come will be a tour of Michigan wine country (specifically, Old Mission Peninsula). And of course, a Foodie Tour of Traverse City (recently voted the #1 Foodie City in America, What What!)

But for now, I will leave you with a fabulous recipe for a good summer fish...
Yellowtail Snapper from the Florida Keys
Have your fishmonger remove the scales and gut him first. If you aren't eating him right away, wrap the fish in parchment paper and place him on a wire rack inside of a baking pan. Place crushed ice on top (so the excess water will drain into the pan and not on your fish. Replace ice every 6 to 8 hours.

Chop a handful each of basil, dill, parsley and chive. Slice 1 lemon into thin wheels. Slice 1 onion into thin slices. Season the whole fish with good olive oil, salt and pepper and stuff the cavity with the herbs, lemons and onion.

Throw directly onto the grill (with the head closest to the highest point of heat.... er... the opposite of the picture shown). Since the tail end is thinner, it will cook faster.
Cook for 12 minutes on each side (or 10 minutes per inch of pre-stuffed thickness). While grilling, brush with melted butter and the juice from one lemon with sea salt. I really go at it- coating it liberally every two minutes. Just watch out for flame ups!
Serve with a really yummy Caprese Salad (fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and sea salt) and fried zucchini sticks (lightly breaded with cornmeal and deep fried). Enjoy!

Manitou Day Three

Alas, our short lived adventure was coming to a close.

After breakfast of bananas, hearty granola oatmeal with dried berries and slices of fried summer sausage with instant coffee, we took one last walk around the island to purify water for the trip back and take some last snapshots of our beautiful, private island.




The beauty of the water ahead held promise for a smooth, safe ride back. We loaded up our kayaks one more time...




The bright blue skies and calm waters were the perfect was to say goodbye. Friendly waves pushed us toward our destination, which took less than three hours this time. We paddled into shore, all smiles! Tourists walking the beach couldn't believe we'd just come from the other side- now a faint blip across the water.



As we loaded up Lola (our yellow Jeep) for the trip back, never have I felt so calm and accomplished. My only regret being that I wish we could have stayed longer (and brought our puppy!). But maybe next time. 



 Oh, and since we were in one of the best places in the world for food... we couldn't resist...
Cherry Republic Chocolate Covered Cherries...



and Leelanau County fresh roadside asparagus...


It's good to be in Michigan. :)