Spicy Cod with Heirloom Tomatoes

Summer produce really hits its peak at the end of August and in early September here in Massachusetts. It takes us quite awhile to warm up, but when we do, there is no shortage of colorful, flavorful, local beauty. It’s comforting, when everything becomes so much about autumn, that our summer gets to linger a little in the form of vegetables, warm days, and meals outside.

As I mentioned in my Saturday post, we both had a rough work week. I won’t get into it, but it was more than your average bad week, and it brought a lot of uncertainty, one of my least favorite things.

What do I do in those tough times? I cook and take pictures of food, of course!

I found these glorious, spicy local peppers and knew that I needed them, not just to eat, but to photograph. I arranged and re-arranged them and took more than a few shots before chopping them for a Spicy Cod with Heirloom Tomatoes.

This summer I have fallen in love with these sweet little gems, Sun Gold tomatoes. They are truly sunshine in a little bite, and I had a hard time not eating them all on the way home.

Other ingredients in this simpler is better summer dish included cilantro, lime, and fresh ginger.

And of course about 2.5 pounds of beautiful cod.

Making this dish was simple; I did not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on a perfect evening after a long day, so I simply chopped a bunch of the peppers and added them, along with tomatoes, to the cod, which I sliced in thin fillets. I drizzled the fish with a beautiful olive oil I picked up at Trader Joe’s, a spicy but fruity, aromatic oil that only cost about $6. A sprinkle of sea salt, and I put the fish into the oven at 400 until it was nice and flaky, about 12 minutes. Definitely keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to dry out.

When I plated the fish, I made sure to include lots of peppers and bursting tomatoes, as well as adding a squeeze of fresh lime juice, grated ginger, and cilantro.

Perfect, summery, simple. And I should mention, inspired by Michelle’s recent fish with tomatoes and cilantro.

How are you enjoying the simple pleasures of the last lingering bits of summer?