I always liked the concept of a middle name, it was just one more word, one more way of distinguishing my identity. Since that didn’t happen, the natural occurrence of acquiring names began. I’ve been referred to as many things throughout my life, sweet, stubborn, passionate etc. Those are the names I’m okay with but there are a few that I’m not okay with. At the top of that list is a word I heard for the first time in the fourth grade from my homeroom teacher, Ms. Rose.  I remember Ms. Rose for a few things; her Miss Piggy nose, high cheekbones, her numerous rose patterned Pencil skirts, and her first cousin, baseball player Pete Rose. However, mostly I remember her because she was one of the first people to point out my flaws.  One evening on a parent-teacher conference night, she told my mother that I was a bright young girl but I tended to procrastinate. When my mother got home that night she calmly relayed her conversation with Ms. Rose to me. I was shocked and a little embarrassed. The nerve of this Ms. Rose, a woman who had permanent pen mark stains on the back of her ears from tucking her leaky pens behind her ears. I couldn’t believe she was calling me out like that. Naturally I liked her a lot less after that day, mostly because that little-big word “procrastinator,” has stuck with me ever since.

Throughout the years I’ve honestly made serious attempts to remove this word attached to my name, but somehow it keeps creeping back. Throughout my school years it almost became the middle name that I didn’t want. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve recently been reunited with it. I have been foolishly negligent of my newly found outlet, my blog Honey. In short, I have failed to meet my own demands of myself. I started this blog for many reasons the most important being that it would force me to write. It would provide the perfect excuse to not procrastinate. Yet, here I am again. I’m not giving in though. Spring has sprung and I have sprung with it. Nature has brought change to the earth and I too shall change with it. No more excuses, from this day foreword I will do my best to permanently shake off the “middle” name I never wanted. Most importantly the stubborn woman in me wants to prove Ms. Rose wrong once and for all.

Spring has brought me out of my hibernation and has taken me to a place that is constantly sprouting with inspiration, the farmers market. Between Venice and Pasadena I’ve come across three different kinds of kale, beautiful bulbs of fennel and perfectly sweet and tart Meyer lemons. A nice piece of fish is the first thing that came to mind to pair with all these floral and light ingredients. I made my way over to my favorite fish mongers in Los Angeles, Fish King and was sold immediately on the words “Fresh, Wild North Pacific Halibut.”

The Buddhists say that life is suffering because human beings naturally fight change, yet change is the only constant in life. In essence we are fighting ourselves. Well, I for one have been riding a constant wave of procrastination since the day that word echoed in my ears. However change is here ladies and gentlemen, and I am catching that wave and riding it for as long as life allows me to. I also want to take this moment and apologize to my blog for being such an awful and negligent parent. After all, Honey is my baby and I promise never to abandon her for this long again!

Kale and fennel are two of my loveliest obsessions. Their aromatic characters and versatility allow me to play with them as much as possible. I could write pages on the nutritional value of kale and how much I love this member of the Brassica family just like my beloved Brussels sprouts. The more bitter the kale the happier my palate is. Those of who don’t enjoy bitter greens, try to look for Kale with smaller leaves, which tend to have a milder flavor. For this recipe I used three kinds; Lacinato, (long, large, green leaves) Russian (purple stems and leaves) and Russian Red kale with hues of red, yellow and orange, resembling perfect fall leaves.

Meyer lemons, darker in color and sweeter than regular lemons, can be found at the farmers market, as well as Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. If you can’t find the lemons, orange is a great substitute; orange and fennel pair together beautifully. The key to searing fish properly is to get the oil really hot and make sure the fish is dry. Let the fish cook (high-medium heat) 2/3 of the way when you initially put it in the skillet. Flipping it over prematurely will not give it that nice golden crust. Using the juice and zest of the lemons/oranges while cooking the fish really adds to the flavor and aromatics.

Wine Pairing: Pouilly Fumé (my personal favorite), Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s are light and zesty), Chardonnay, Sancerre and Reisling.

This recipe also calls for one of the greatest culinary inventions, the Microplane zester/grater. You can find it at Sur La Table, William Sonoma or here.

The recipe also calls for the segmenting of the lemons, those of you unfamiliar with how to segment a citrus fruit, here is a video of Iron Chef Mike Symon demonstrating how to segment a citrus fruit.

Seared Halibut with Kale, Fennel & Meyer Lemon

Yield 4 servings

4  7 ounce (approx. 2 pounds) skinless halibut filets

2-3 bunch (1 ½ – 2 pounds) kale (different varietals), stems removed, coarsely chopped

1 ½ fennel bulbs, cored, sliced ¼ inch lengthwise

2-3 Meyer lemons or oranges (approx. ½ pound), zested and segmented.

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 tbsp Meyer lemon juice

1. Using a Microplane or zester, remove zest from the lemons and reserve on a paper towel allowing zest to dry. Zest should be thin and finely chopped when using a zester.

2. Segment 2 of the lemons and reserve in a bowl.  Squeeze 4 tbsp. of juice from the remainder of the lemons and reserve.

3. In a medium skillet heat 1 ½ tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil on high heat and add fennel. Cook fennel at medium heat for 2-4 minutes and allowing it to caramelize slowly, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove and transfer to a bowl.

4. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in the same skillet and add kale and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the fennel to the kale and turn off the heat.

5. In a large, heavy non-stick skillet heat remainder of the oil. Make sure the oil is really hot but not smoking . Salt and pepper both sides of each halibut filet (make sure the halibut is dry) and sauté filet’s on medium-high heat. Allow for filet to form a golden crust before turning them. Cook for 4-6 minutes and add lemon juice and butter. At the same time reheat the fennel and kale.

6. Place fennel/kale mixture on a plate surrounded with segmented lemons and lay the halibut with the golden crust side facing up on top of the kale. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of halibut filets and serve with a chilled wine of your choice.