Nourish Network Celebrate World Oceans Day

Celebrate World Oceans Day

By Lia Huber

Nowadays, all eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico as the BP disaster unfolds day after day. But tomorrow’s World Oceans Day isn’t about lamenting what’s been done; it’s about celebrating what we still have, deepening our connection to it and making strides to protect it for the future.

The United Nations designated June 8^th as World Oceans Day in 2008 as a way to raise international awareness for the world’s water. Each year, organizations and individuals plan events and initiatives to help people learn about and take action to preserve our oceans and the ecosystems they encompass.

For our part here at Nourish Network, we have a week full of goodies for you. To start, look out for our 7 Super Sustainable Seafood Picks on Tuesday (click here for last year’s … all still solid choices). We compile our lists by cross-referencing numerous sources to find fish that are sustainably sound and safe for us to eat. Then we add in a third factor … whether or not it’s easy to evaluate at the fish counter.

It may seem a dire time for the world’s oceans. But simple steps like talking to your fishmonger, learning more about the issues and buying only sustainable seafood will take us a long way towards a healthier future.

Bay Scallop Ceviche Salad

This confetti-colored salad definitely has Asian-leanings. In fact, I had green papaya salad mingling with ceviche in my mind when I came up with it. For a fun, summer hors d’oeuvre, chop the vegetables into smaller pieces and serve with tortilla chips.

ceviche-salad-recipe 1 pound bay scallops, rinsed (or sea scallops, cut into small cubes)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
zest of 1 lime
1 serrano pepper, minced
1/2 pound green beans, topped and steamed until crisp-tender, transferred to a bowl of ice water and drained well, then sliced on an extreme bias into 1/4-inch lengths
1 tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced lengthwise into thin slivers
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 medium avocado, diced

Sprinkle scallops with salt and let sit for five minutes.

Whisk together 1/4 cup lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, lime zest and serrano pepper. Set aside.

Pour 1-1/4 cups lime juice and 1/2 the dressing over scallops and stir to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, for an hour, stirring occasionally. When “cooked” through, strain off marinade.

In a salad bowl, toss together scallops with green beans, tomatoes, peppers, shallot, cilantro and avocado. Add dressing and toss again.

Serves 6