michigan spinach + wild gulf shrimp + savory flavors of morocco = delicious!

it’s been a rough week in trying to be current and seasonal for the friday fish report! we’ve been getting in some nice lake smelt, which is a sure sign of spring, for the last couple weeks and i have a fine recipe for smelt escabeche over diced mangos. of course, no smelt available for this weekend.

asparagus and radishes, now there’s a couple of spring sensations. shrimp salad with radish and asparagus would be a perfect spring recipe. i gave richard from tantré farms a call to check on availability of asparagus for this weekend (i already have gorgeous radishes from the farmers) and he said he just harvested three. three boxes? three bunches? “no,” richard said, “three stalks! hoping for more next week.” he said plenty of greens, especially spinach, would be at market this saturday.

spinach eh? sounds good. i’ve got shrimp that was supposed to go with the asparagus that didn’t happen, so why not a shrimp and spinach dish?

drawing of shrimp by mike monahan

spinach is great to throw into stir-fries because it wilts quickly at the end to create a one-pan meal. i had some couscous in the pantry that if served with the shrimp and spinach could really be an easy, complete meal. i also had some pine nuts on hand and all the spices and seasonings to make a moroccan style shrimp and spinach stir-fry. i toasted and ground my own coriander and cumin seeds but powdered would be acceptable.

stay tuned for asparagus, radishes and some fresh spring lake smelt!

news flash: surprise! smelt showed up this morning!