Sea food good

After living in Gloucester for two months now we felt we were long overdue for some fresh fish--scandalized is more like it!--so last night we bought some fresh haddock and baked it in the oven employing what has come to be our absolutely favorite recipe for fish: take about a stick of soft butter and combine with a head of chopped garlic and fresh basil, lemon juice, cracked pepper, and salt (I prefer either Jane's Crazy Salt or Old Bay Seasoning, if on hand). Spread the butter mixture over your fillets in a shallow baking dish, then bake uncovered at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily to the touch of a fork. Serve with mashed potatoes, which sop up the garlic-basil butter perfectly, and the vegetable of your choice. Here in New England fiddlehead ferns are in season, so I thought I'd give this local delicacy a try. I steamed them for about eight minutes, give or take, then tossed them with a little lemon juice and salt--next time I'll probably add a little extra virgin olive oil as well. They were tasty, and accompanied the meal perfectly! Maybe next time I can cajole Mrs. and Baby Exile to try them as well...