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Features in the Summer 2010 Issue
of Edible Cape Cod:
Frontpage Slideshow | Copyright © 2006-2010 JoomlaWorks, a business unit of Nuevvo Webware Ltd.
Summer came on hard and fast this year. Instead of the usual three months of March before the advent of the high season, we actually had sunny, warm days in April and May. Memorial Day weekend was so exceptionally beautiful that the typical greeting among our friends and neighbors was “It’s nice to have a sunny Memorial Day, for a change.” As a result of the early arrival of warm weather, friends were pressing their excess rhubarb and asparagus on us in April. Strawberries—sweet, plump and juicy—were in the local farmstands in early May. And as we were going to press, the ubiquitous orange daylilies that typically dot the landscape in early July are out a full three weeks ahead of schedule. We’re really hoping this is a harbinger for a great growing season. Certainly after the tomato blight and heavy rains of last year, the farmers on the Cape deserve a break.
With the arrival of the growing season, farmers’ markets are cropping up on towns all over the Cape. Five years ago when we helped start the Mid-Cape Market in Hyannis, there was only one other farmers’ market on the Cape. Now you can shop at one just about every day of the week (see our 2010 farmers’ market listing on page 54). Perhaps even more exciting is that it is becoming increasingly easy to buy protein at the markets as well as directly from the farmers. Last Wednesday in Hyannis we bought two lobsters, a dozen oysters and organic, free-range eggs. We have a half of a locally-raised pig on order, destined to arrive cryovaced as per our cutting and smoking instructions in the next 48 hours. And we have a couple of frozen chickens in our freezer that were free ranging in the fields near our home a few weeks ago. Curiously, it’s almost impossible to buy finfish directly from the source on the Cape. And it’s something that we are frequently asked about. So we went right to the source to get the story. Eric Hesse a life-long longline fisherman and member of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association (the Hook), explains in his article on page 41 the hardcore realities of his occupation and how the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction—and the siphoning off of local fish—came about. The good news is that with some of the issues that were diverting the attention of the Hook now under control, local fishermen have begun looking at ways to bring local fish back to the Cape. This spring a small group came together to offer a pilot weir harvest Community Supported Fishery (CSF). Similar to the CSA model offered by many local farms, the CSF connects fishermen and consumers in a direct distribution model. CSF subscribers paid in advance to receive a weekly share of sustainably-caught seafood during the weir fishing season. See Elspeth Hay’s excellent article on The Art of the Weir (page 18). We are hoping that the CSF model gains traction and that many more people will be able to participate in the future.
With this issue, we are launching two new regular features: In Carafoli’s Kitchen and Back of the House. In the Carafoli’s Kitchen feature, our good friend John Carafoli, renowned food stylist and excellent home cook, shares recipes using seasonal, local produce and artisanal products. Trust us when we say that the recipes he offers in his Celebration of Summer article (page 25) are absolutely delicious. Back of the House (page 33) will take you into the restaurant kitchens of some of the best champions of local foods on the Cape. We start in this issue with a visit to Cape Sea Grille in Harwich Port, where chef/owner Doug Ramler and his team have put a major emphasis on working with local fishermen and farmers. The result is, to steal a quote from Chef Ramler, an ever-changing menu that is true to the heart of Cape Cod and New England.
As a final note, it’s not too early to start thinking about the 2010 Cape Land and Sea Harvest (CLASH), which will be held September 24-26. We have some interesting new activities planned this year, including an ice cream ScoopApalooza and an Eat Local Week (so CLASH is really more than just a weekend long event). We’ll be updating our website as we add participating restaurants and hands-on activities, so be sure to bookmark www.capecodclash.org, or better yet, subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Enjoy the season!
Dianne & Doug Langeland
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