I was invited to the Slow Food Orlando-From Sea to Plate event February 26, 2011 at Cape Canaveral, to help discuss and dissect fresh Florida sustainable seafood. To honor this event and Florida sustainable seafood, I created this recipe featuring fresh Florida swordfish.

Swordfish is lean and has a mild, meaty flavor. When served with fresh green salad, this easy-to-prepare entrée offers a sustainable, healthy meal. I tossed watercress and arugula, topped the greens with fresh blueberries, crumbled herb-goat cheese and candied pecans, then drizzled the salad with pear balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Notes:

**Thirty minutes prior to cooking, rinse and pat dry fresh swordfish. Season with Sea Salt, cover and refrigerate.

*For a hotter salsa, add jalapeno seeds and keep ribs intact

Fresh whole limes will produce more juice at room temperature. If the lime is cold, place the whole lime in the microwave for fifteen seconds.

There will be extra salsa. Use for dipping with tortilla chips, or refrigerate up to three days.

Set table, open wine and have salad tossed (without dressing) before you start to cook.

Pan seared Swordfish with Fresh Melon-Pepper Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients List

¼ cup cantaloupe, thinly sliced

1 medium heirloom red tomato, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, green part only, chopped

Red, yellow, orange bell peppers, 4 strips each, chopped

1 medium fresh jalapeno, chopped, seeds and ribs removed*

¼ cup white onion, chopped

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 whole medium lime, juiced

4 swordfish portions, skin-on, five-six ounces each

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon butter at room temperature-optional

Sea Salt and coarsely crushed black pepper

Instruction

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare swordfish as noted above. **

To make salsa, combine the first seven ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir, then add juice from lime and stir again. Season the salsa mix with salt and pepper. Add cilantro, stirring all ingredients. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove swordfish from refrigerator. Pat fish dry. Season the swordfish with black pepper.

Heat the olive oil (and butter if desired) in a stove-to-oven skillet on medium-high heat for two minutes. Do not let oil smoke. If smoking occurs, discard oil and start with fresh oil.

Place swordfish in pan and sear two minutes. Turn Swordfish over and sear the other side one minute.

Place entire pan in the 400 degree oven. Bake for five-six additional minutes or ten minutes per inch of fish thickness.

While swordfish is finishing in the oven, remove salsa from refrigerator. Pour a glass of wine, dress the salad and light candles.

Remove swordfish from oven. Place swordfish on individual plates (as in picture above) or on a large platter to serve family style. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the salsa on top of the swordfish. Serve immediately.