Our nectarine tree is in. This causes anxiety to my husband, the nectarine harvester, who starts agitating for us to give the crop away indiscriminately lest we perish under the burden of bounty. I guard against this, though, because (a) colleagues wandering by the office kitchen won't appreciate our precious fruit, with its brown spots, wounds, and oozes, the way that we do, and (b) these nectarines are drop dead delicious in all kinds of dishes.
Here's what I made this weekend. Juicy nectarines (pre-pubescent peaches) and fruity olive oil with a bit of peppery bite are the perfect foil for the smoky, buttery fish. This dish is all yin and great for hot days. If you're in the Bay Area, just add a sweater.
Grilled Black Cod with Nectarines and Olive Oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 wedge lime
2 ripe medium nectarines, pitted and diced
1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard* (more if you like a lot of mustard)
A good glug of best quality extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound skinless black cod filet**
Olive oil for brushing, salt and pepper
Place the shallot in a bowl and squeeze the lime juice over. Add a good sprinkle of salt, stir, and let macerate while you dice the nectarines. Add the nectarines and mustard to the shallots and stir gently to combine. Pour in olive oil, stirring, until there's enough oil to pool in the the bottom of the bowl. Set aside to blend the flavors while you prepare the fish and salad.
Preheat the grill with a fish rack on high. Brush with oil. Cover the fish with olive oil, salt (coarse sea salt if you have it), and pepper. Grill until cooked through and separating into large flakes, about 3-4 minutes per side. Serve topped with the nectarine sauce, and if you like, the Cucumber Dill Salad (below) alongside.
Serves 2.
* The whole grains cling to the nectarines in a nice way, but use regular Dijon mustard if you don't have the whole grain type on hand.
** Aka butterfish, though there's a lot of confusing nomenclature around this fish (black cod isn't actually cod, butterfish is something else, black cod is aka sablefish, etc.). White fish with big flakes is what you're after.
We had this with the 2007 Santa Barbara Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley. 
Heavenly! A rich styled sauvignon blanc, the wine undergoes 20% barrel fermentation for lush stone fruit flavors with fresh citrus overtones. Serve this with anything featuring nectarines, peaches or apricots. I didn't know that the winemaker recommended matching this bottle with grilled fish and fruit salsa when I chose it, but I praise my psychic powers and the winemaker's good taste for that righteous pairing. The 2007 release has been replaced by the 2008 at the winery. I haven't tried the newer bottling, but it just earned 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and you can expect it to be fifteen bucks well spent.
Cucumber Dill Salad
Adaped from my Feng Shui Cookbook. Salting the cucumbers removes excess water and gives them a silky texture.
1/2 to 1 lemon cucumber, or 1/2 a regular cucumber
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
A few shakes dried dill (or some fresh chopped if you have it)
1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds
If using a lemon cucumber, it's up to you whether to peel it (I didn't -- I like the mild crunchy skin). Slice thinly and cut the slices in half. If using a regular cucumber, peel the cucumber and slice thinly. Place the cucumber slices in a colander, sprinkle with the salt, and let stand and drain for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and vinegar. Add the dill and stir to combine.
Place the sesame seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, shaking frequently, until light golden brown.
Rinse the cucumbers under running water and pat dry on a towel. Toss with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds.
Serves 2.
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