Snapper Veracruz Style

This will give you a way to use up those last tomatoes of the season, the ones you've saved from the stink bugs.  Yes, the stink bugs!  They are sucking the juice from them right on the vine and then passing some sort of bacteria or virus on to the vine.  I think there are still some questions about what exactly they are doing with them.  Anyway, the tomatoes don't look so pretty anymore, so why not cook them up in a yummy dish like this.

This is taken from the Queen of homemaking and insider trading, so it should be pretty perfect, just like her. (tongue firmly planted in cheek).  It's pretty close to what I do and since I don't have a recipe for what I do (for anything except baking), I am posting this one for you.  Personally, I like to add strips of sweet bell pepper to mine, usually yellow since there's already red and green in the dish.  Saute or grill your snapper with a touch of salt and pepper in butter if sautéing and with oil if grilling.  By the way, Canela is Spanish for cinnamon, but you can use regular cinnamon.  They usually use one that's from Ceylon, but it really doesn't matter unless you're grinding your own.  Cinnamon is cinnamon, lady.

Makes 6 to 7 cups

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, 6 left whole, 4 very finely chopped
• 2 medium white onions, finely chopped
• 8 to 10 large ripe tomatoes, (about 4 pounds), finely chopped, or two 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), coarsely chopped, with their juice
• 24 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced if large
• 4 to 6 pickled jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons small capers
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground canela
• 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

1. In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add whole garlic cloves, and cook, stirring, until golden on all sides. Remove garlic and discard. Add minced garlic and the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
2. Add olives, chiles, capers, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, marjoram, oregano, salt, canela, and wine. Cook until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If using fresh whole herbs, remove and discard before serving.

NEXT TIME: POTATOES!!!!  Including roasted, almost potato chips and mashers!