Seacoast Eat Local

The next in UNH’s series of gourmet dinners will feature Guest Chef Sam Hayward. Chef Hayward is well known for his pioneering use of local foods at his Portland restaurant, Fore Street. Reserve now — tickets are much in demand, with Saturday’s dinner already near full!

Harmonious Flavors Gourmet Dinner

Guest Chef Sam Hayward

Stillings Hall, University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH

Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $60 per person

Guest Chef Sam Hayward, a James Beard Foundation Award Winner, will be featured at the Harmonious Flavors Gourmet Dinner April 29th and 30th. The University of New Hampshire will host six courses of modern, locally sourced cuisine inspired by the origins of musical genres at two Gourmet Dinners in April. Organized by the hospitality management students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, Harmonious Flavors will be held on Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th at Stillings Hall, 20 Ballard Street, Durham, NH beginning with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6 o’clock with dinner to follow.

This is the first dinner held that delves into seven musical genres to draw inspirations to create truly unique and flavorful dishes. With Sam Hayward and team of Fore Street Restaurant in the kitchen with the students, the results can only be delicious. Sam is the chef and co-owner of a high-end restaurant in Portland, ME with a focus in sustainable food practices. He will assist the students with menu design and teach them classic culinary technique.

Also performing during the event are the New Hampshire Gentlemen, the premiere all male a capella group from the University of New Hampshire, who have been entertaining audiences throughout the Seacoast area for over 33 years. Having been founded on the ideals of “good singing, and good times,” the NH Gents are sure to add a unique dynamic. Acoustic guitarist, Matt Gargano, will also play during the event.

“It is our goal to execute a flawless night and bring continued success to the hospitality department at UNH,” states Adam Lunt, General Manager of the dinner. “We will present a polished fine-dining event for all to remember.”

Students have five weeks to plan and execute the dinner for 200 guests per night, and take on real-world executive management positions in the process, including general manager, chief financial officer, front of the house manager, executive chef, human resources director and director of marketing.

Tickets for Harmonious Flavors are $60 per person and may be purchased online at http://www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.

Japan may be on the other side of the world but it’s difficult not to wonder what the impact on our local food supply will be. From the latest MOFGA newsletter:

The continuing tragedies from Japan’s earthquakes and tidal waves extend far beyond the Japanese borders. Once radioactive particles enter the atmosphere, they travel around the earth on prevailing winds. Now contamination is appearing in New England at low levels. One reliable source of information on the implications for our food supply is the Frequently Asked Questions webpage of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Another resource about how the Food and Drug Administration is responding to the issue is the FDA’s Radiation Safety webpage. We will continue to watch the news from a food-growing perspective and share what we find through this bulletin.

For more information and to sign up for their newsletter: www.mofga.org.

From the F/V Rimrack based in Rye Harbor, NH — fresh scallops available this week, get on their email list for alerts:

4/12/11: Looks like Tuesday & Thursday will be the only days to get out this week, but as always, things can change in the fishing business. Landing times have been around 6:30 – 7pm but be sure to call ahead for confirmation on daily landing times!   603.343.1500

 

Summertime is coming and now is a great time to think about freezing up some scallops. Scallops are available 2 pints/$30 and a special this week 1 gallon/$100

 

Due to a surprising amount of interest we are offering unshucked scallops,  1 bushel/$75 -  Available by order only! Be sure to call ahead 343.1500. You can find scallops knives at New England Marine & Industrial and all sorts of other interesting marine stuff.

 

Please send us an EMAIL if you are interested on being on our alert list (only used minimally for catch changes/seasonal updating

 

4/12 Update: The word from Mike and Lee, is the Rimrack will be landing between 6:45 – 7pm tonight at Rye Harbor with plenty of scrumptious & sweet scallops. Mike says to bring your camera, kids and lots of change to load up on scallops for the year before they disappear to wherever they might go. Scallop catches seem to be fading, but we definitely plan to go Thursday and hopefully one day this weekend.

For more information: www.rimrackfish.com

Farmers from Brookford Farm will be participating in this upcoming community lecture at Garrison Players Arts Center in Rollinsford:

Plowing Ahead: Farm Enterprise Past and Present

Garrison Players Arts Center

60 Portland, Rollinsford, NH

Saturday, April 23, 2011

3 – 4:30 p.m.

The history of agriculture in the Seacoast area spans hundreds of years, and over time, much has changed – and much has stayed the same. We begin our look at the changing face of local farming in the late 1700s, with farmer-mariner Benjamin Gerrish of South Berwick, Maine, who shipped out of Portsmouth on trading voyages bound for southern ports and the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. Though modern-day farmers in the Seacoast area still rely on distant trading partners and widespread networks of labor, goods, and services, much of the context for farming has changed.

Presenters include Nina Maurer, consulting curator at the Counting House Museum, and Luke Mahoney, Jameson Small, and Mary Brower, all of Rollinsford’s very own Brookford Farm.

To download flyer: plowing-ahead-nh-farming-past-and-present-2.pdf 

The New Eden Collaborative in Newbury, MA, is thrilled to announce their Spring 2011 workshop series. Online registration is available or on the day of the event:

• No Dig or Sheet Mulch Garden Beds ~ Saturday, April 16, 10:00 AM to Noon

• Basics of Organic Gardening  ~ Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 to 8:30 PM

• Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation ~ Saturday, May 14, 10 AM –Noon

• Chicken 101 ~ Saturday, May 14, 10:00 AM to Noon

• Creating Habitat for Pollinators and other Beneficial Insects ~ Saturday, May 28, 10:00 AM to Noon

• Compost Tea ~ Saturday, June 4, 10AM-Noon

• Strawberry Preserve Workshop ~ Saturday, June 18, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

For more information: http://www.newedengarden.org/workshops/