Rhubarb and zucchini are in season! Pleasantly surprised at the Natick Farmers Market yesterday, I bought some of each, and then I sat for 20 minutes trying to think of how to use them both.

Rhubarb is usually used in sweet dishes, but it has a nice, naturally tart flavor. I really wanted to spend the day outside grilling and not indoors making sweet pies, so I scanned the internet for grilling rhubarb tips. I figured that the tart flavor of the rhubarb would go nicely with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, so salsa seemed the obvious choice. Fresh tomato salsa is so summery, and the weather is so nice right now, so I’m all in.

I was hoping for swordfish instead of haddock since swordfish is a lot meatier and can hold up better on the grill, but the fish vendor at the market didn’t have any. I picked up some haddock, which I knew would still pair nicely, and just wrapped it in a foil packet to put on the grill, that way even if it fell apart while grilling I wouldn’t lose any of it. You can grill anything in foil packets, it’s a great way to grill. No mess, easy cleanup.

Grilled Haddock with Rhubarb Tomato Salsa

Makes 3 servings

Total time: 50 minutes

In My Basket

1 lb Haddock fillet (from Jordan Brother’s Seafood, Brockton MA)

1/2 lb fresh Rhubarb stalks (from Oakdale Farms, Rehoboth MA)

2 cups Cherry Tomatoes (from Oakdale Farms, Rehoboth MA)

3 small Zucchini (from Freitas Farms, Middleborough MA)

1 small Red Onion (from Stearns Farm, Framingham MA)

1 bunch of Cilantro (from Corner Stalk Farm, Boston MA)

2 tbsp Olive Oil (from Fiore, Bar Harbor ME)

From the Pantry

1 lime

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Light the grill, or turn it to medium if using gas. While the grill heats, wash and dry fresh produce. Quarter cherry tomatoes, small dice onion, mince cilantro, and place in a medium bowl. Zest the lime and reserve, then slice in half and squeeze one half into the tomato bowl. Stir to combine, and put the bowl in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Halve the zucchini. Place zucchini and rhubarb on a lined baking sheet, and brush both sides with olive oil. Season cut sides with salt and pepper. Pat the fish dry, then place on top a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Close up the foil into loose packets, set aside until grill is hot.
3. When grill is hot, place rhubarb on the grill and let roast for a few minutes on each side until soft and lightly browned. Remove from heat and dice. Add to the tomato mixture, stir to thoroughly combine. Put back in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. Add zucchini and foil packets to the grill. Roast zucchini about 5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness), or until soft and browned. Roast foil packets about 5 minutes on each side, or until fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.
5. Open foil packet on a plate, top with rhubarb tomato salsa and serve with zucchini on the side. Serve with Tortilleria Mi Nina tortilla chips to eat up the extra salsa. Enjoy!

 

Alice Kathryn Richardson is a new media photojournalist and creator of The Clean Food Club. She previously spent two years working on Deserts in the District, a series of short-form documentaries exploring food access and hunger in Washington, DC. She is committed to supporting local and sustainable food businesses by telling their stories with photo and video. Follow her on Twitter @AKR_Pictures.