Pan-Seared Striped Bass with Tomato Vinaigrette
By Annie Copps

We tend to think of seasonal ingredients as the good stuff that we patiently wait for all year as it slowly rises from the soil and that is certainly true, but a summer staple I look forward to all year comes from the ocean—I’m talking about striped bass.

Yield: 4 servings

Bluefish, also abundant in Martha's Vineyard waters, works well in this dish, too.

Ingredients
1 cup pesto
1-1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 8-ounce fillets striped bass or bluefish, skin on

Directions
Place pesto and breadcrumbs into two separate shallow dishes. Divide vegetable oil into two medium-size frying pans over medium-high heat. Press each portion of fish, skin side up, into pesto and then into breadcrumbs. Place fish, crumb side down, into the hot oiled frying pans and sear 3 minutes.

Turn fish and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange on serving plates and top with Tomato Vinaigrette.

Tomato Vinaigrette
4 medium tomatoes, cut into half-inch chunks
1 small red onion, diced
3 scallions, finely sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all recipe ingredients in a non-aluminum bowl and let stand, covered, at room temperature 30 minutes.

Adapted from Doug Hewson, Mediterranean Restaurant, Matha's Vineyard, MA ___________________________________________________________
Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.