al fresco

Last week those of us in California got a brief respite from the atmospheric river that has been relentlessly raining down. I seized the moment, heated up the pool and whipped together a dinner for two to enjoy out on the patio. A first since November.

My love affair with my husband’s grill continues. (You might be asking who did I give that Christmas present to??) For the evening meal I marinated and grilled a gorgeous swordfish steak that had just arrived at the market from Santa Monica Seafood. Threw on some zucchini planks and popped some potatoes in the oven.

For the marinated swordfish, pick up two 6-8 ounce swordfish steaks cut one-inch thick. Or if the swordfish is very large get one 12-16 ounce steak. Combine three tablespoons soy sauce, three tablespoons dry sherry, three tablespoons vegetable oil, one teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and one crushed clove garlic. Place the fish in a Ziploc bag, pour in the marinade. While closing the bag remove as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours, but no more than three hours.

Heat the grill to high, brush lightly with oil. Grill the fish on each side for 3-5 minutes, until just cooked through.

Swordfish is very lean and can dry out quickly, take care not to overcook.

While the fish is marinating, prepare the oven roasted salt and vinegar potatoes. Scrub one pound Yukon gold potatoes. Do not peel them. Dice into 1” cubes. Soak the potatoes in cold water for up to 1 hour. This removes the starch and makes for a fluffier potato.

Drain well.

Dry the potatoes.

On a rimmed baking sheet toss the potatoes with a tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and several grinds of pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning several times, until browned and tender.

For the grilled zucchini, cut two small to medium zucchini lengthwise into half-inch planks. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the zucchini on the grates of a hot grill in an even layer.

Grill, uncovered, until grill-marked and crisp- tender, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

After this delightful dinner I went for a moonlit swim.

The next day, we got out our raincoats and battened down the hatches.