pretty by the bay

Last summer, Corey and I took a dream vacation to Kauai. I’d always wanted to visit Hawaii, and after we moved to California I swore we’d make it happen. Kauai, in a word, is paradise.

Hawaiian cuisine didn’t knock my socks off. I expected an abundance of fresh, tropical vegetables and fruits, but soon learned that island-grown produce is limited. (One server even told us that most of Kauai’s pineapple is imported from Tahiti instead of other Hawaiian islands.) As a result, most of what we ate was fresh fish served with a starchy side. My sadness about the missing veggies quickly disappeared when I tasted the fish – especially ono, a meaty white fish that was unbelievably delicious.

I won’t be returning to Hawaii anytime soon (unless my husband plans to surprise me for Mother’s Day 2011…how about it, honey?!), but I was ecstatic to see ono at a local fish market. It was wild caught and just as firm and buttery as I remembered it to be.The fishmonger suggested I sear it for a minute on both sides, then transfer it to a hot oven for an additional 4 – 5 minutes. With a bit of butter and a squeeze of lemon, it was total perfection.

And on the side: an abundance of summer produce, which I strongly prefer over taro or white rice.

This trinity comes together in one of my all-time favorite summer side dishes. Simply chop red onion and zucchini and saute in a bit of oil and butter until soft and beginning to brown. Cut the corn off the cob and add it to the pan along with any of the milky juice that comes from the cob. Stir it all together for a few minutes more, and add salt and pepper to taste. There’s really nothing better for a summer meal.

Zucchini is another one of those foods that I didn’t really love pre-pregnancy (I’d actually make this dish with red bell peppers instead), but now I can’t get enough of it. It’s a wonderful complement to the corn, and perfectly ripe at this time of year. Something else that’s ripening with each passing day? My belly. Check out the difference between 16 weeks and 26 weeks, which I hit yesterday:

Most baby books illustrate weekly growth by comparing the baby’s size to various food items. At 16 weeks, she was the size of an avocado; this week, she’s the size of an eggplant. That sounds big in and of itself, but in the coming weeks, I’ll be expanding to accommodate something the size of a watermelon. How’s THAT for a reality check?