Pecan-Crusted LakeTrout

Lake or Pond?

Pastel by Vicki Smith

Hello,

In the town just north of ours, there is a small lake with a sandy beach, a pavilion to rent for parties, a dock for fishing, an outdoor shower next to the bathrooms, picnic tables and grills, and the Snack Shack. You can pay admission for the day or purchase a season pass. My son learned to swim at the lake, and I have chauffeured him and any number of his friends there up until his teen years. My husband and I swim there almost daily from late June through Labor Day and have befriended several of our fellow lap swimmers. The facility has a small-town feel, evoking a simpler time. My hair stylist is on the town council and oversees the running of the lake. She has high hopes for increasing their revenue, but besides adding a designated lap lane, I selfishly try to discourage all changes. Several giant water inflatables were installed a couple of years ago, but they are in a separate area and seem fun for the kids. Kayak and paddle board rentals are also now available. Friends of mine have disparagingly referred to my spring-fed “lake” as a “pond”. I looked up what differentiates a pond from a lake and found that anything over 20 acres is considered a lake. My lake is 53 acres. Also, a lake is too deep for sunlight to reach the bottom except along the shore. This also applies to my lake. Ha!

One summer during college, I worked at the Silver Bay YMCA Conference & Family Retreat Center in Lake George, N.Y. No one would describe Lake George as a pond. The lake is 32 miles long and 3 miles wide and is located at the southeastern base of the Adirondack Mountains. I was hired at the last minute to assist their beloved watercolor instructor, a woman with white curls who was probably in her seventies, when my predecessor decided not to come back. Families would return to Silver Bay year after year, in addition to different organizations seeking a peaceful refuge for their retreats. Each week brought new guests who could sign up for watercolor classes beginning in the morning and ending just before lunch. Weather permitting, everyone, including myself, would pack up a drawing board, watercolor paper, paints, brushes, and a small folding chair and head out to a pre-arranged location to paint in plein air. If we had rain, a still life of flowers would be set up in the stand-alone studio built to house the watercolor classes. Everyone who took the classes wanted to replicate the style of the instructor. I was rather superfluous other than matting the work from each day and hanging it in the studio so that family members could stop by and view it on exhibit, which was a nice touch for the budding or accomplished painter to see their work on display. Silver Bay was generous in allowing employees to use the facilities, including the swimming beach, tennis courts, and the Sunfish sailboats, in addition to full access to different disciplines in the craft building. My hours left me with considerable free time, especially in comparison with the women that I shared housing with who worked as maids or in the dining hall.

This past Friday, we had some trees taken down in the morning. Since the heat wave had broken and the noise level was going to be distracting at home, I headed out with my easel to our little lake. There’s a soccer field that overlooks the swimming beach, and I was hoping for a new perspective on the area. However, I must have disturbed a bee’s nest as I was stung on the neck, shoulders, leg, and thigh. I could hear the bees swarming as I got out of there as quickly as all the supplies I was toting would allow. I went home for ice and hydrocortisone ointment. The stings are still itchy and uncomfortable two days later. On the plus side, my husband bought me a small bouquet that I painted from the comfort of the house that afternoon. It’s always nice to have that indoor alternative.

Pecan-Crusted Lake Trout Recipe

Ingredients

2 trout fillets

cooking spray

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1/4 t. salt

black pepper to taste

1 egg

3-4 T. coconut flour or white flour (coconut flour adds a distinctive flavor)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Mix salt, pepper, and crushed pecans in a shallow bowl. Place flour on a dinner plate. Place egg on a second dinner plate and gently beat. Dip fillets in flour and shake off the excess. Dip fillets in the egg and then the seasoned pecans. Lightly press on the nuts. Place in baking dish.

Bake for about 16 minutes or until the fish is flaky.

Serves two.

Thanks for reading!

Vicki