Please read on for several CAFC Distribution Site developments for the Summer 2012 Season.

Westboro: We’re happy to be returning to Heirloom Community Farm at 30 Hopkinton St. for the Summer and Fall seasons of 2012. We’ll be featuring weekly and bi-weekly deliveries on Tuesdays from 5–7pm starting June 6th through our  the end of our Fall 2012 season.

Lowell: We’re also returning to the Lowell Farmer Market at Lowell’s City Hall Plaza starting on Fridays July 6th from 4–6pm for 8 weekly and 4 bi-weekly deliveries.

Fenway: We’re sorry to say we won’t be delivering to our Fenway site in Summer 2012. There’s been some fluctuations in the delivery location there this past season. We appreciate the patience and understanding of the folks who’ve been getting their shares during Fenway’s Spring 2012 site location adjustments. When a more permanent location gets determined, we hope to return to that community in future seasons.

West Gloucester:  On the flip side, we’re excited to be continuing our partnership the Marshall’s of Gloucester with deliveries to their Marshall’s Farm Stand at 144 Concord St. Starting on Friday June 8th from 3–7pm, we’ll be featuring weekly and bi-weekly deliveries there for the Summer and Fall 2012 seasons.

Harvard Square: For the first two deliveries of our Summer 2012 season (weeks 1 & 2—June 5th & 12th), the deliveries to Harvard Square will be located at 10 Everett St. We’ve been asked to move by the University because there’s going to be major construction happening between Memorial Hall and the Science building over the next few months. When the Harvard Sq. Farmer’s Market starts on June 19th, our week 3 of Summer 2012, we”ll be joining the Harvard Square Farmer’s Market at their new locale at “30″ Oxford St.—in front of the Peabody Museum.

Why? Here’s what they posted on their Facebook page today.

“We are so pleased to feature local farmers, fishermen and other food producers on our menu. The next time you come in, check out the blackboard at the front of the dining room to see who’s supplying us with the ingredients for your dinner! Here’s what’s on the board today.”

What are some of your favorite local restaurants? Do they pay as much attention to their ingredients as you do at home?

Six Pairs of Hands will have four performances at the Casey Theatre, Fine Arts Center at Regis College.

• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 11–13, 7:30pm; Saturday, April 14, 2pm
• General Admission: $15 general public. Tickets are available online.

Six Pairs of Hands will also have four performances at The Cape Ann (The Annie) in Gloucester.

• Friday & Saturday, April 20 & 21, 7:30pm; Saturday & Sunday, April 21 & 22, 2:00pm
• General Admission: $15. Tickets are available online.

Cape Ann Fresh Catch is a program of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives

Milk and Honey Green Grocer (32 Church Street Salem, MA, 01970) pledges to source products methodically and thoughtfully. Much of their meat, dairy and produce are delivered from local, small family farms with attention to food safety and humane growing practices. You won’t find factory farmed products in their store.

They accept and encourage EBT purchases, and offer these other perks: delivered gift baskets of cheese, crackers, chocolate fruit, wine from Salem Wine Imports and other yummy products, gift cards, daily samples, recipes, meal planning, wine pairings from Salem Wine Imports, weekly specials, and phone ordering with curbside pickup! You can also find them on Facebook.

Jones Farm (246 Acton Rd. Rt. 27) is an ecologically friendly farm stand. The Farm is full service offering garden plants, fruits and vegetables, compost and loam, and leaf collection. Additionally, they are stating their third year having their own CSA from June through October.

Jones Farm’s Greenhouse Cafe is also mentioned to be the most delightful place in Merrimack Valley to relax, take in the scents of fresh flowers, tropical plants, fresh brewed Organic coffee while chatting with friends or listening to a talk on gardening by Phil Jones. Check out their website for all the information you need: http://www.jonesfarm.net

I’m a tad envious of those out there who sport a green thumb. Both of my parents were avid gardeners. Despite all my time spent learning peat/loam/watering/planting depth ratios, I never grew into a gardener. This makes me more appreciative of those who can coax life from the soil onto our plates.

It’s the same with fishing. Painting with a very broad brush, if a boat doesn’t land fish when a certain person is onboard, they get labelled a “Jonah.” Articles of clothing, certain behaviors, nearly anything can get labelled a Jonah on board.

To folks like myself who don’t have much luck growing their own food, or heard asides of “Jonah” on recreational fishing trips, I’m grateful for those with the skills who can make food happen.

Food has a distinct duality though. There’s gathering the bounty and then cooking it.

Yet as a society, it seem’s we’ve become far too removed and complacent about where our food is gathered. Sometimes we need to get suspicious about the bounty one can find in the aisles of a supermarket. More specifically, at what cost does that cornucopia impact us beyond our wallets.

Along with the health benefits that come from eating fresh, local food, there’s another key health factor to eating locally: our local economy. Here at Cape Ann Fresh Catch, we’re a wee-bit-biased on this topic. Bringing you fresh, locally-caught seafood is our “bread and butter” so to speak. Sourcing as much food as you can from local sources is a critical element to a community’s health.

So with our upcoming blogs, we’ll be focusing on issues regarding food sovereignty and “healthy eating.” From locally-sourced food’s impact on our local economy, the health benefits of eating local foods, and in turn the impact of large corporate agribusiness on our environment, through the conversations in our upcoming blogs we hope to provide some “food for thought” about the importance of this multi-faceted “health” related issue.

Find more of heather’s recipes and food chronicles on her blog, Food for Thought, or her column for the Gloucester Daily Times under the same name.

***

Thursday afternoons I pick up my Cape Ann Fresh Catch Share, the fisherman’s version of a Community Supported Agriculture.

A Fresh Catch share holder has a choice of being brave or safe:  you can choose to receive a whole fish or you can choose – ahem – fillets.  Or you can waffle, as I do, alternating weeks of whole fish with fillets.  For some reason, every time I sign up for my share, I think fillets are for whusses.  But, on a Thursday evening the only words worse than, “whole fish today, Heather!” are “Mom, what’s for dinner – I’m hungry!”

Roasted Cod with Cilantro Salsa and Cod Salad with Wheatberries, Spinach and Lime

Ingredients

• 2 small whole cod
• 1 inch knob of ginger, grated
• 1 orange – juice and grated peel
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• a pinch red pepper flakes

Cilantro Salsa

• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted first if possible
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 pound spinach
• 1 1/2 cups wheatberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a roasting pan with foil.

Rinse fish well, and remove head and tail, simply chopping off each.  Lay fish in the pan.  Stir together dressing, and pour over fish.  Roll and rub so that all is covered.  Roast for 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes when the skin is poked.  Raise oven temperature to broil, and broil the skin for a crispy finish.  We didn’t eat the skin, but it was more attractive, and guaranteed the flesh was cooked.

To serve, simply divide the fish into pieces, depending on the size.  Cut right through the spine, so that each serving is a cross section of the whole fish.  The meat falls away easily from the bone.  Yes, the plate remains are messy – lots of skin and bones – but the flavor in the meat is worth it.

To make the salsa, simply stir all ingredients together and serve on top of the fish.

To make the salad, prepare the wheatberries according to the directions.  Sautee the spinach in 1 tablespoon of butter with salt and pepper added at the end.  Gently mix together flaked fish, wheatberries, spinach, salsa, and the marinade left from the roasting pan.

There’s the Win2011 weeks 7 & 8 still to get delivered though.

We’re targeting February 3rd to have details sorted for the Spring 2012 Season slated to start on Mon. March 5th…

We’ll announce/post the new season details soon.

New delivery sites, new share types…

There’s changes afoot for Spring 2012.

At CAFC, we’re trying our best to keep it fresh…

Stay tuned for more details…

Photo courtesy of Food on Food

When you have time, check out her blog and read the full story behind Cracking the Recipe: Lobster Bisque. For now, enjoy this week’s lobsters and think about trying out her lobster bisque recipe!

Lobster Bisque

This is not a quick recipe by any means, but if you’re going to slap down the money for lobsters, you might as well put some effort into it! You will need lobster crackers, some patience, and several hours to spare. I sometimes boil the lobsters the night before, letting them cool in the refrigerator until morning.

2 live 1-1/2-lb. lobsters
1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus 1 tsp.
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
4 cups lobster stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. brandy
1/4 tsp. cayenne
White or black pepper to taste

Bring a large stockpot with a half-inch of water, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, and the vinegar to a boil. Drop in the lobsters, close the lid, and steam 20 minutes until done. How do you know if they’re done? Set a lobster on its back and stretch out the tail. It should snap back against its belly convincingly. Remove from pot and let cool until shells can be handled easily.

Over a large bowl, separate tails, claws, and arms from bodies of the lobsters. They should pull apart easily. To remove the meat from the tails, use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut straight down the middle of the underside of the tail. Pull back on sides of tail to separate the shell and remove meat. Dice tail meat finely as it can be chewy in larger pieces. Remove meat from arms and claws using a lobster cracker to crush the shells so you can extract the meat. Careful: shells can be jagged, pointy, and sharp. Cut claw meat into larger, bite-sized pieces. Place all the lobster meat in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F, and set the bodies and empty shells on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake shells 20 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Transfer shells to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skim the foam from the top, and simmer 30 minutes. You can get fancy with the stock (bouquet garni and such), but I did not. Strain out and discard the shells, reserving the liquid. You will need about 4 cups of stock. Freeze the rest for future bisques or lobster risotto!

Make sure the stock is still steamy when you start the soup. If not, reheat in a small pot. Melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over low heat. Add the onions and celery, and slowly sweat the vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Do not let brown. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Add heated lobster stock slowly while stirring. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool completely. In four batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Yes, I know we haven’t added the lobster, yet. Patience! Also, make sure the soup is cool and that you don’t fill the blender more than halfway or you will spray hot soup all over your kitchen. You want cool soup, small amounts of liquid in the blender, and a dishtowel placed over the top of the blender lid just in case. Pour batches of pureed soup into a bowl as you go.

When ready to serve, add the pureed soup back into the pot. Add in the lobster meat, cream, brandy, 1 tsp. salt (or to taste), pepper, and cayenne. Gently heat the soup until hot and steamy. Do not boil. After all this, you don’t want to risk curdling the cream. Keep an eye on it. Serve hot in small shallow bowls.

Local Sources:
Lobsters: Cape Ann Fresh Catch, Gloucester, MA
Butter: Cabot, Cabot, VT
Onions: Waltham Fields Community Farms, Waltham, MA
Cream: High Lawn Farm, Lee, MA

Another tidbit that’s flown under some news radars is the former NMFS parent organization, NOAA—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is slated to move from the Commerce Department to a new home under the Department of the Interior (DOI). This was announced last Friday, Jan. 13th.

Current speculation over what this portends is mixed right now. And ultimately, it’s up to the approval of Congress to move NOAA from Commerce to Interior. Given the current Congressional willingness to agree with the Obama Administration—even on the time of day—makes for some interesting political theater down the road.

So how does this affect our Fishing Fleets? Honestly, it’s too early to tell how NOAA and its Fisheries Service fares under DOI jurisdiction. Initially, there shouldn’t be significant changes. In the short term, it’s just shuffling boxes on an Organization Chart. If approved by Congress, down the road the move could have far wider implications when it comes to matters of funding.

Focusing back on near-term impacts to fisheries policy, currently there’s a series of meetings scheduled to address Fleet Diversity. These meetings will address the proposed Amendment 18 to the Magnuson-Stevens Act—the regulations which control how commercial fisheries and our oceans are managed by the government. These meetings are intended to be a chance for public comments.

To get a better sense of what Amendment 18 is about, when these meetings will be held, and how your comments can have impact, check out the work of our sister organization, the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA). Their website can be found at www.namanet.org.

As for concerns over the recent stock assessment and its impact on fishermen this upcoming fishing year starting in May, things just got a lot more interesting. There’s an intriguing article from the Jan. 16th Bangor Daily News that outlines what might be in store for all the nation’s fisheries.

Policies regulating our oceans are in flux. Here at CAFC we’re taking a “wait and see” attitude with the hopes that prudent and sound policy measures are put in place to find a harmonious balance between man and nature. Considering previous regulatory decisions and policies governing our fisheries and oceans, we’re not going to hold our breath.

It reminds one of that timeless statement, “may you live in interesting times.” For our nation’s fishermen and the shoreside operations that support them, these are interesting times indeed.

Fish stock is the foundation for seafood soups and stews.  My basic method is from the 1990 Fannie Farmer Cookbook (By the terrific Marion Cunningham), although I have tinkered with it.  After the fish has been cleaned (all organs removed), everything else can be used for stock.  How many recipes do you know that call for a fish skeleton? 

Prep time:  20 minutes (not including filleting the fish, which I assume you did for a previous meal)

Cook time:  30 minutes

Yield:  8 cups stock

INGREDIENTS
One white fish skeleton (This recipes assumes a skeleton about 2 lbs – scale other ingredients if you have more or less)
1 large carrot, scrubbed, then peeled again with the shavings going into the stockpot
1 bunch parsley, washed and coarsely chopped
1 medium-size onion (pool ball size), coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
9-10 cups water (enough to cover the ingredients in the pot)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS
Wash the fish skeleton and place in a stock pot, along with the carrot peelings, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, bay leaf, and cloves.  Add the water, and cook over medium heat to a simmer, then turn heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Pour through a sieve or colander with narrow slots into another container, and season with salt.  Cool, and then refrigerate or freeze.

Tasty Variation:  Add 1 or 2 cups dry white wine in place of the equivalent amount of water in the stock.

Tip:  Save your plastic 16 oz. butter/margarine/cottage cheese tubs.  Each holds 2 cups and is a perfect container for freezing stock.

Tip:  White fish makes the best stock.

Served up by fish fanatic (and cookbook author)  Tod Dimmick