So I got two nice pieces of swordfish from Whole Foods - usually I would grill them but since it is winter, I thought I would see how I could incorporate them into some kind of stew. By Googling swordfish and stew, I found Overnight-Marinated Swordfish Stew, published in The Washington Post in 2007. Perfect! And lucky for me I had most of the ingredients on hand - as usual, I just made some swaps for the ones I didn't. I loved the idea of marinating the fish overnight. Instead of cooking the stew on the stove I decided to try my slow cooker on the low setting, since this seemed like it would be similar  to the slow simmer stove-top method. This worked pretty well, although next time I think I would cook it for a little shorter time as the fish was not as juicy as it could have been, which I thought might happen since fish requires such a short cooking time. Live and learn! But, it was still very tasty and the flavors of the stew "sauce" were delicious. Like my husband always says, you can't go wrong with olives! I added some capers, a handful of golden raisins. In my version I switched rosemary for oregano (just to see what that would taste like), and two smallish plump tomatoes, loosely chopped, for cherry tomatoes.  Also, I decided to serve it over more penne pasta (mainly for my kids) instead of making the bruschetta, although I definitely want to try this combination another time. Here's the recipe I used as a guide:

Overnight-Marinated Swordfish Stew
The Washington Post, June 20, 2007

• Cuisine: Italian
• Course: Main Course, Soup
• Features: Kid-Friendly

Summary:

Marinating for 24 to 48 hours intensifies the flavors of this colorful stew; slow simmering on the stovetop ensures that the fish stays succulent.

Domenica Marchetti likes to use a single piece of swordfish for this recipe to keep it as moist as possible during its slow cooking. But you can use 2 pieces if you like.

4 servings

Ingredients:
For the stew

• 2 pounds swordfish steak, in one piece
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pint (12 ounces) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 5 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 cup pitted Gaeta or kalamata olives
• 5 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced oregano
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the bruschetta

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium clove garlic, pressed
• 4 3/4-inch slices Italian country bread
• Kosher or sea salt

Directions:

For the stew: Place the swordfish in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid; it should fit comfortably but snugly. Season the fish generously on all sides with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the fish with the onion, tomatoes, garlic, olives, bay leaves and oregano. Drizzle the olive oil over everything; cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

To cook the fish, remove the pot from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place the pot on the stovetop over low heat and cook, covered, without stirring, for about 1 hour or slightly longer, until the fish is just cooked through. Check by inserting a knife into the fish and looking at the interior flesh.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for about 30 minutes. It should be warm but not piping hot at serving time. Discard the bay leaves.

For the bruschetta: Position the top oven rack 4 to 5 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the broiler. Have ready a rimmed baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the oil and garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes. Arrange the bread slices on the baking sheet and brush the garlic oil on one side of each slice. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Broil the bread slices, oiled side up, for 1 to 2 minutes or until the slices are slightly charred around the edges and golden in the middle.

To serve, place a slice of bruschetta in the bottom of individual shallow rimmed soup bowls. Use a large serving spoon to scoop chunks of fish into each bowl. Spoon the stew over each serving.

Recipe Source:Adapted from her "The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy" (Chronicle Books, 2006).