October 19, 2007 by Sara Zoe.

We made this beautiful soup the other day that sort of typifies how our eating will go throughout the winter and now that the September Eat Local Challenge is behind us. The cannelini beans, lacinato kale, and onions were from Meadow’s Mirth Farm, the garlic was from New Roots Farm, and the andouille sausage and tortellini were from the store. Yup, the plain old grocery store. I can’t really imagine a meal that doesn’t have its basis in local foods, but fill-ins from the store are much more frequent in the winter.

The inspiration was an old Gourmet Magazine recipe that we just about tripled, and are happy we did as the leftovers are getting better and better every day.

Tortellini, kale, cannelini bean, and sausage soup (rough concept):

Soak and cook 1 1/2 cups cannelini beans, about 1 hour for soaking, 1.5 hours for cooking if you are using fairly fresh dried beans. I suppose you could use canned, about two cans, in which case they don’t need cooking. In a giant pot, saute 2 or 3 chopped yellow onions in vegetable oil, along with a whole head of minced garlic and 1 lb of andouille sausage sliced (you could certainly substitute a different spicy sausage). When the sausage is browned and the onions are cooked, add the beans to the pot. Add plenty of water or stock, bring to a simmer. Remove the stems from 2 large bunches of kale (we used the more tender and mild lacinato, or dinosaur, kale) and then roughly chop. Add to the soup. Add a large bag or package of tortellini. Allow to simmer until the tortellini is cooked through, 5 - 8 minutes. Serve with hard grated cheese such as grana padano (my favorite) or parmesan and a sprinkle of hot chile.

Try to make this a day ahead and it will be even more amazing as the beans break down and thicken the soup and the flavors meld.

Posted in recipes, author: Sara Zoe | Print | 1 Comment »

October 19, 2007 by Sara Zoe.

Although this article from the Portsmouth Times (Foster’s Portsmouth paper) reads like a press release for Senator Judd Gregg, there’s some information to be gleaned.

Isles of Shoals Supremes, the branded name for this aquaculture project brought about by UNH, have finally hit levels of reliable sale. We bought the ones pictured left at Seaport Fish, on rte 1A in Rye (near Foyes Corner) a few weeks ago. (And they were very very inexpensive. Inexpensive enough to be eaten many many times a week. Like Ramen for local food eaters. I’m a tad afraid to mention the price in case it was a mistake that won’t be replicated for me or anyone else again, because it didn’t seem very sustainable, and, to quote/paraphrase Rich Wood, “The thing about sustainable [aquaculture] is that someone has to pay for it.”) I’ve also seen them on menus as I walk about Portsmouth and glean pleasure from simply reading menus posted in restaurant windows. The article mentions Radici, The Portsmouth Brewery, Wentworth by the Sea, and The Black Trumpet specifically, though I think there are a few others. 

I first heard about the Isles of Shoals Supremes program back in the spring at a wonderful series of talks put on by the Gundalow Company of Portsmouth entitled, “New England Fisheries: past, present, and future”. Richard Langan, Director of the Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center at UNH talked about clean aquaculture and highlighted their development of the brand and process for Isles of Shoals Supremes. If I understood it correctly, fishermen would essentially become franchisees in growing and selling the mussels (without the normal franchisee garbage). I like the concept a lot - the “creation” of a recognizable local product that many fishermen could get in on, not just the one person who would have to put more time and energy than any one fisherman has into creating such a brand and the marketing that goes along with that. It makes me wonder what other local products have that potential.

So when I saw the  sticker in the window of Seaport Fish advertising the mussels, I jumped. We brought them home and steamed them in white wine with onions and hot peppers. Once the mussels were cooked (about 6 minutes), we removed them and added a splash of whole milk to the broth, and cooked it down just a bit. The mussels were so perfectly clean, we didn’t have to scrub them at all. This was initially planned as a first course, but with a bit of bread, one bag was way too much for even us, big eaters that we are.

The mussels themselves are HUGE. Not every one, most are a pretty normal to good size, but a significant number are almost frighteningly large. Like I had to cut it up and eat it in pieces large. Another time I think I’ll separate these ones out and save them to chop up and put in a chowder or use for pasta.

Although Judd Gregg mentions “feeding the rest of the country” with the food from our waters, I’m glad to see that they are selling out continually at Seaport Fish - eat local folks. No need to share the good stuff.

Posted in eating locally in the media, sources of local food, author: Sara Zoe | Print | 1 Comment »