A fish free meal

Yesterday a very long time friend of my parents, who has since become my friend as well came over to hang out and have dinner. She is one of the best cooks I know and when we get together we usually plan a meal and cook together. I had been wanting to make broiled pesto salmon and the sticky rice that my mom used to make and when I told her that she said a friend had just brought her amazing pesto from Liguria and that she had tons of zucchini and tomatoes from her garden and would bring it all over. I had just been wanting to make zucchini bread and decided that I would make this brown sugar butter squash and tomato salad to go with the dinner. It turned out her zucchinis were too huge and woody so she got some at the farmers market.
I went to the fish market yesterday to get the salmon and it was $30 a pound. I love to support the wild caught fish but come on, I needed a lot of fish. So I went for the wild Fijian Wahoo instead which still ended up costing $88. When it was time, I heated up the broiler and spread the fish with lemon and pesto and stuck it in. I planned to cook it for about 8 minutes per inch of thickness so about 20 minutes. Took it out of the oven it was so gorgeous and fragrant and sizzly, but yikes maybe a little overcooked? Oh well, what can you do. Plated it, took it to the table, my aunt cut into it. Totally, totally raw. I love fish as undercooked as can possibly be but this was completely ridiculous. I put it in the oven and baked it at 400 for another 30 -45 minutes until it was finally done. Dinner last night was vegetarian and I have 6 pounds of cooked Wahoo in the fridge. Faaaan tastic.
The rest of the dinner was friggin exquisite ( ;) )! Delicious rice and amazing squash and fresh sweet tomatoes. Nobody really even seemed to miss the meat section of the meal. Least of all, Tucker, who had a gleam in her eye that could only mean, thank you Mommy, for ruining dinner, you're my hero, that fish is for me, right? Yes, Loopy.

Mama's Sticky Rice

olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 bags chopped fresh baby spinach
lots of dill, dried or fresh
2 T white wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
feta cheese, cut in 1/4" cubes
grated parmesan cheese

Put the rice in a heavy pot with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 18 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to rest with the cover on until you're ready to use it.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the garlic, spinach, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper until liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and mix to combine and heat through. Add more salt and olive oil if needed. When hot, add both cheeses, mix and serve.


Butter Sugar Summer Squash

2 lbs squash cut into bite size pieces
4 T butter
2 T brown sugar
salt
pepper

Put the squash in a steamer and steam for just a couple of minutes until crisp tender. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot and add the squash, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until the squash is very tender and taste for seasoning.