Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

This past Saturday was pretty close to an ideal day for me. The weather was sublime, and I knew that at the end of the day a cooking session and some close friends were waiting for me.  

To up the fun-stakes even more, in the middle of the day my friend, (we'll call her "the hostess", shall we?) brought me some bounty from her CSA on her way out of town. I desperately want to make pickled everything, but am terrified of losing a limb or a nose in the process. Canning seems so savage, so frontier, so Little House on the Prairie. Which is of course why I am attracted to it. Just haven't gotten up the spine or the implements to try it out. These lemon cucumbers are so festive though, they cry out for preservation. What would you do with them?

In any event, Saturday's menu was fish tacos with a cabbage slaw.  I served the tacos with a spinach salad and corn on the cob. Simple, seasonal, and very satisfying. 

The fish part of the tacos was farm-raised tilapia that I had marinated in lime juice, cumin and chopped serrano peppers. If you marinate the fish for too long, it starts to cook in the acid of the juice. About 20 minutes is adequate.  I threw the fish on a grill pan, and that was that.  

The tacos themselves were corn tortillas, warmed in a skillet until blistering slightly. They can then be set aside and wrapped in a napkin while they wait their turn.  If you're not a fan of spicy food, please reduce the chile in the recipe or you may find yourself with a seared palate. 

Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients: 

3/4 head purple cabbage, sliced thinly using a mandoline

1/2 head green cabbage, sliced thinly using a mandoline

1 serrano chile, seeds removed, finely chopped

8 spring onions, white and some green parts, chopped

juice of 2 limes

1- 1 1/2 cups yogurt 

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine purple and green cabbage, chile, onion and lime juice in a large bowl.  Add yogurt, and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating to allow flavors to combine.  Prior to serving*, season with salt and pepper. Serves 4. 

* Add the salt immediately prior to serving.  If you salt the slaw before that, it will draw water out of the cabbage and your lovely salad will become a soup.