Edible East End

Heritage oysters, farmland preservation, and Osprey's Dominion in Fall Issue.

2007-10-30T17:14:58Z

With our fall issue fresh from the printer, the pages are oozing with Halloween hunter-gatherers, u-pick apples and some 20-somethings who are reinventing their family farms. For those who haven't yet dived in, this monthly amuse bouche explores the challenges of farmland preservation, samples some premium oysters, and sips wine with the adventurous band of men at Osprey's Dominion. Look for a copy at your favorite wine shop, microbrewery, gourmet store, restaurant or winery. And let us know what you think. We're always looking for intriguing letters, recipes, and feedback. Yours, Brian Halweil and Stephen Munshin

High Summer Issue is on the streets.

2007-09-04T16:01:25Z

Look for the High Summer issue at your favorite winery, farmstand or restaurant. Here's Grist for the Mill to give you a little preview. Our otherworldly cover photograph by Chuck Close provides a nice metaphor for high summer. “It’s an amazing process,” said Close, the artist who splits his time between SoHo and a homestead near Mecox Bay, where his wife plants an impressive vegetable garden. Close was referring to daguerreotype, the detailed and expressive photographic process. “It has an astounding range of grays,” Close continued. “From the brightened whites reflecting off the polished silver surface to deep dark velvety blacks and everything in between. And it’s not panchromatic, so it doesn’t read color in a normal way.” In the case of this sunflower, the petals which we normally see as yellow turn out darker than the flower head which we normally see as gray. The dark green stem disappears almost entirely. And sort of like an ephemeral sunflower itself, daguerreotype yields no negative, so it cannot be reproduced, making it all the more precious. Surreal and precious—not too different from the rushing abundance of August. Anything goes. The heat dulls our senses and inhibitions and energies enough that we dress down, let our hair frazzle, and diverge from standard mores. ]]> A friend recently declared that we had officially entered “tomato and cheese sandwich season.” The following week, she said it was now “cucumber and cheese sandwich season.” We heard about another person who had apparently eaten melon three times a day for several days. Our photo essay of netting and then frying whitebait testifies to the completeness of even single-ingredient meals (p. 22). In our Supply and Demand department, Natalie Byrne of Robert’s in Water Mill cruises down the road to the Green Thumb and embraces what she finds, building her menu as she shops (p. 66). Tomato-related afflictions seem to be common—and not just the sore tongue and inner cheek kind. When the tomato crop arrives at Sang Lee Farms in Peconic, Karen Lee makes an array of salsas, roasted tomatoes, soups, and even color-specific sauces from the 40 or so heirloom varieties grown by her husband, Fred (p. 10). Sag Harbor’s Tomato Lady quizzes customers on when they will be consuming their purchase—and whether it will have to endure L.I.E. traffic—so that she can fine-tune the ripeness of their fruit (p. 52). The appeal of fresh tomatoes inspires Pietro Bottero of Annona in Westhampton to climb a ladder and harvest his own rooftop crop for cherry-tomato pasta sauces (p. 11). Cooking in summer does tend to become more plastic as recipes make way for large amounts of certain ingredients. For Cooking Fresh, we gathered a handful of recipes for succotash, a traditional corn and beans stew; some include such exotica as Long Island lobster, fava beans, and whatever looks good at the farm stand (p. 36). As the fall harvest approaches, the landscape offers its own surreal pleasures with beige-toned parched fields, legions of bowing sunflowers, or tasseling sweet corn (p. 14). Part of the appeal of visiting Long Island wine country is the chance to stroll in paradisical settings, whether Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue, whose vineyards reminded our writer of the North Fork in the 1950s (p. 40), or the small, family-run Waters Crest tasting which, amidst the bustle of a Route 48 shopping center, can focuses even the most harried summer afternoon on what is truly surreal and precious (p. 18).

Bonacker video and Low Summer issue

2007-07-11T21:18:59Z

The latest issue of Edible East End hit the streets last week and there's another drop of magazines on the way. We'll be uploading it to the website in the next couple days so check back. In the meantime, check out this short Endangered Bonackers video from Gabe Johnson and Corey Kilgannon at the New York Times, who followed bayman Brad Loewen through a day of work.

Food in Boxes

2007-07-03T23:07:01Z

The last vestige of a farm stand in the heart of East Hampton Village officially closed this past fall when Bogo's Food Spa on Race Lane sealed its drafty barn doors. This eclectic shop filled with local produce, gourmet cheeses and meats, dried goods, smoothies and juices, and other provisions was popular among customers who knew that the proprietor, John Bogosian, knew quality food and could tell you the story of a particularly strange looking tomato or particularly expensive type of wild rice. Fortunately, Bogosian isn't hanging up his purveyor's cap just yet. He has launched BOGOFOOD, a sort of collective bargaining effort to get wholesale-type prices on everything from local produce to natural meats, from hard-to-find ethnic foods to earth-friendly cleaning products. BOGOFOOD offers home delivery from Southampton to Amagansett and free pickups in Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Montauk. More at bogofood.com.

Farmstand Guidance

2007-06-28T21:31:28Z

On a recent anniversary trip to Italy, James Monaco, a publisher based in Sag Harbor, was startled by what he saw in a Rome book store. "There were three full shelves, floor to ceiling, of agritourism books," he said, referring to the notion of touring a region's food and wine producers as part of a vacation. Monaco's publishing company focuses on local issues, including hiking and kayaking guides, as well as books of poetry by local authors. And now the company has published a guide to Long Island farm stands, farmers markets, CSAs (community supported agriculture or food subscription schemes) and local food purveyors. With a detailed list of farm stands and gourmet food shops-big and small, renowned and undiscovered-the book would make a perfect gift for any foodie that is new to the area or the locals who are curious to see if they have found all the good food in their own backyard. (Who knew that Nassau County had so many farm stands or that the farm stand around the corner from me was named after the farmer's twin girls?) "What we discovered in doing the research is that there are many more farmers markets and CSAs on the Island than you would imagine," said Monaco, who plans to make the book an annual series and is working on a guide to Long Island's wineries. (Find the book at local bookstores, farmers markets, and hepdigital.com.) Just as the interest in eating local has multiplied so have the guides to make it easier to find that nearby harvest. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County has just released its 2007 Pick-Your-Own List, identifying fruit and vegetable farms complete with locations, telephone numbers, and picking hours. (For those who like to plan ahead, there’s even a list of pick-your-own Christmas tree farms.) For a free copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: U-Pick, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, 423 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 or download the list at: www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk. Long Island Farm Bureau offers a free, colorful Farmstand Guide (call 727-3777), with information on more than 50 farmstands and pick-your-own farms, as well as an all new interactive farmstand map at www.LongIslandFarmstands.com.

Peconic Bay tour, June 30.

2007-06-26T17:44:42Z

Our tour will take place aboard the Peconic Star, departing from Greenport at 4 pm. Meet and talk with baymen Peter Wenczel and Howard Pickerell, along with lighthouse historian Merle Wiggins and environmental planner Jeff Kassner. The tour will be led by Long Island Traditions’ executive director Nancy Solomon. During the tour there will be a facilitated discussion on the issues facing commercial fishermen, moderated by folklorist Nancy Solomon, who has been studying commercial fishermen on Long Island since the late 1980s. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn directly from these fishermen how the east end baymen are faring, and understand the issues they face. Amid this scenic backdrop local baymen will discuss their family traditions and how fish and shellfish are harvested. Howard Pickerell is a traditional boat builder and bayman from Watermill. Pickerell has worked the bay his entire life, and is one of the few remaining traditional boat builders on the south fork. Peter Wenczel is a working fisherman and bayman who resides in Southold. He has been active in the Southold Baymen’s Association. Wenzel and Pickerell harvest finfish and shellfish in the Peconics, using a variety of methods. In addition lighthouse historian Merle Wiggins will educate passengers on the history of east end lighthouses. Completing the panel will be environmental planner Jeff Kassner of the Town of Brookhaven's Division of Environmental Protection, who has conducted extensive research on the ecological and environmental history of Great South Bay and the Peconics. Space is limited and reservations are required! The cost is $40/person, $20 for children under 16. The tour will take place from 4 to 7 pm. To reserve your spot call Long Island Traditions at (516) 767-8803 or visit www.longislandtraditions.org . Deadline for registration is June 29. This program is sponsored in part by the New York State Council on the Arts and Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs.

July and August Events from Peconic Land Trust

2007-06-25T16:48:15Z

Friday, July 6 Plein Air Peconic Exhibit, Presentation and Artists Reception 4:00 p.m. Presentation on the Peconic Land Trust/Artist Connection 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. “Meet the Artists” Reception Riverhead Free Library 330 Court Street, Riverhead Celebrate the beauty of our East End landscape! Join us at the library to meet several of the plein air painters and landscape photographers who created the exciting traveling exhibit, Plein Air Peconic. This stunning exhibit offers a chance to view the natural beauty of over 20 sites protected by Peconic Land Trust from vantage points not accessible to the general public. Attend the presentation at 4 p.m. to learn about the landscapes and the connection between the Trust and the artists, and stay for the reception! All work is for sale and a percentage of sales will be donated to the Trust. Participating artists include: Casey Anderson, Susan D’Alessio, Aubrey Grainger, Gail Kern, Michele Margit, Gordon Matheson, Joanne Rosko, Eileen Skretch, Tom Steele, Kathryn Szoka and Ellen Watson. Light refreshments will be served. Exhibit runs from July 3 – 29. Saturday, July 7, 10:00 a.m. Talk to the Bees with Mary Woltz Side Hill Lane, Amagansett Join Quail Hill Farm’s own beekeeper, Mary Woltz, owner of Bees Needs, to learn more about the challenges and rewards of keeping bees. Get an up-close look at a hive, and develop a better understanding of the dynamics involved in the secret life of bees as Mary shares insights into the lifecycle of these “furry” little creatures. No charge to Quail Hill Farm and Peconic Land Trust members, $5 all others. Rain date is July 14. Thursday, July 12, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Meet the Goats at Catapano Dairy 33705 North Road (Route 48), Peconic Have you ever milked a goat? What does goat fur feel like? What do they really like to eat? Meet us at the Catapano Dairy Farm, one of the most well-known and respected cheese making operations in the Country, to learn the answers to these and other questions about goats! Hosted by Karen Catapano, your children will get to pet these lively little animals, try their hand at milking, have a taste of goat cheese and goat-milk fudge, and learn all about the farm. Before leaving, stop in at the Catapano’s Delicate Doe Goatique to browse a wide selection of goat milk products, including cheese, body creams and soaps. All children will receive a child-size bar of their very own goat milk soap! $5/person, suitable for children in grades K-6. **Please note, there is no restroom at the farm, and moderate to heavy rain cancels. Saturday, July 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Wigwam Life on Long Island with “Tipi” Ted Downs Farm Preserve at Fort Corchaug 23800 Main Road (Route 25), Cutchogue Visit Downs Farm Preserve for a chance to experience Native life from long ago! Meet “Tipi” Ted and learn how animals, plants and rocks provided for many of the daily needs of Native Americans. Touch animal skins and bones, closely examine stone tools, learn to grind corn and make a Native craft to bring home. Sponsored by the Town of Southold, all ages welcome. For any program questions, please call Ted at The Wilderness Traveling Museum at (631) 722-4645. $5/person. Reservations requested. Thursday, July 26, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Sang Lee Farm Tour and Cooking Demonstration 25180 North Road (Route 48) Peconic Have you ever wondered about some of those new vegetables and greens at the market? Meet Fred and Karen Lee for a fun and informative tour and learn how to prepare some of these tasty new vegetable varieties! Established in the 1940s, the Lees have expanded their agricultural operation through the years to feature over 250 varieties of specialty vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, baby greens, mesclun, herbs, Asian greens and flowers! Learn how they provide naturally grown, fresh vegetables year-round to the Long Island and Metropolitan markets. Tour their greenhouse, venture into the fields to pick fresh greens, and return to their professional kitchen for a stir-fry demonstration and tasting, accompanied by fresh mint tea. $10/person, limited to 30, reservations requested. Saturday, July 28, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Birds of Prey at Quail Hill Farm Side Hill Lane, Amagansett Hawks, Owls, and Falcons deftly swoop through the air with eyes and ears alert for unsuspecting prey! Their unique design makes them some of the most beautiful yet formidable known hunters. Meet us in the orchard at Quail Hill Farm where we will host the Theodore Roosevelt Audubon Educators and their feathered friends. You will view these beautiful birds up close, learn how to identify them, and gain a greater understanding about their habits, prey and the physical adaptations that make them skillful hunters. Rain date: Sunday, July 29. $8/PLT supporters, $10/all others. Saturday, July 28, 10-6 p.m. and Sunday, July 29, 11-5 p.m. 10-10-10 Event to Benefit Peconic Land Trust at Theory 60 Jobs Lane, Southampton Shop for your summer fashions at the new, upscale Theory women’s clothing boutique in Southampton, browse serene “en plein air” landscapes painted by Casey Chalem Anderson, and support the Peconic Land Trust! Theory and Ms. Anderson have teamed up for a 10-10-10 event at Theory during this weekend. Shoppers will enjoy a 10% discount on all purchases, and a 10% donation from the proceeds of any sales of clothing, accessories and paintings will be made to the Peconic Land Trust. Refreshments will be served. Wednesday, August 1 through Friday, August 3, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Wilderness Camp with “Tipi” Ted Downs Farm Preserve at Fort Corchaug 23800 Main Road (Route 25), Cutchogue What would you do if you were lost in the woods? Do you know how to find your sense of direction, or the best site to set up camp? How about what is safe to eat and what is not? Learn woodland survival skills, campfire safety, how to use a bow and arrow, and how to make native crafts at “Tipi” Ted’s Wilderness Camp. Meet other children interested in a wilderness experience who are 7-11 years old, bring your bag lunch and your sense of adventure. Cost per child is $50.00 for one day, $90.00 for two days, and $120.00 for all three days. Sponsored by the Town of Southold, reservations required by July 15 to Tipi Ted at 722-4645, or email at wildernesstravelingmuseum@yahoo.com. Saturday, August 4, 10:00 a.m. “An Inconvenient Truth” Readings and Lecture with Sara Gordon In The Orchard at Quail Hill Farm Side Hill Lane, Amagansett What is “global warming”? How is climate change affecting the planet? What can I do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help slow planetary warming? Sara Gordon, a trainee of Al Gore and The Climate Project, will address these questions in an informative lecture and reading inspired by the slide show from An Inconvenient Truth. Free! Sunday, August 5 12:00 p.m. Fifth Annual Through Farms and Fields Country Luncheon Celebration Oceanview Farm, Bridgehampton Join us at Ray and Lynn Wesnofske’s fabulous Oceanview Farm, and celebrate the summer season with a sumptuous luncheon to benefit the work of the Trust! Joined by Luncheon Chairs Marci Klein and Scott Murphy, and Doug and Paige Campbell, the Wesnofskes have once again thrown open the doors to their beautiful, restored barn to host a gastronomical feast featuring local fish, produce and wines. Last year’s Country Luncheon was a sold-out affair and we are expecting no less this year. A surprise celebrity auctioneer will do the honors in a live auction with impressive “experience” prizes. The barn will be draped with antique quilts from the collection of local residents Thos. K. Woodard and Blanche Greenstein. These colorful examples of “American Folk Art” include the strikingly graphic, 19th Century Sunburst and Feathered Star quilt, with a nod to our glorious local annual crop of sunflowers. This beautiful quilt – the inspiration for the luncheon’s theme -- has been graciously donated by Woodard and Greenstein to be auctioned at the luncheon. The event is sponsored by The Corcoran Group. For ticket information, please call Robin Harris at 631-283-3195. VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted. Sunday, August 5 – Sunday August 19 Farmstand Heritage Celebration North and South Forks The Peconic Land Trust is joining with the Long Island Farm Bureau and the local farming community to sponsor a two-week promotional campaign to encourage residents and visitors to the East End to visit their local farmstands—and experience all the wonderful fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, meats, poultry, dairy, and food products our local farmers grow, raise, and create! With some of the most fertile soil in the United States, Long Island farmers and producers offer an agricultural diversity that few other areas in the State can match. Local crops include potatoes, corn, rhubarb, asparagus, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples, cherries, sunflowers, garlic and peas, to name just a few. Additional information on this farmstand celebration will be publicized through local newspapers and radio advertisements in the weeks leading up to the program – so keep your eyes and ears peeled for these important messages. And buy local!!! A map listing all the participating farmstands will also be available from the Trust’s website, www.peconiclandtrust.org; or by calling 631.283.3195 by mid-July. Friday, August 10 Plein Air Peconic Exhibit, Presentation and Artists Reception 4:00 p.m. Presentation on the Peconic Land Trust/Artist Connection 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Artists Reception Mattituck-Laurel Free Library 13900 Main Road, Mattituck Peconic Land Trust’s Plein Air Peconic Traveling Art Exhibit at the Mattituck-Laurel Library offers you a chance to view the natural beauty of over 20 sites protected by the Trust from vantage points not accessible to the general public. Attend the presentation at 4:00 to learn about the landscapes and the connection between the Trust and the artists, and stay for the reception! All work is for sale and a percentage of sales will be donated to the Trust. Participating artists include: Casey Anderson, Susan D’Alessio, Aubrey Grainger, Gail Kern, Michele Margit, Gordon Matheson, Joanne Rosko, Eileen Skretch, Tom Steele, Kathryn Szoka and Ellen Watson. Light refreshments will be served. Exhibit runs from August 2 – 31. Saturday, August 11, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Talons, A Birds of Prey Experience Laurel Lake Preserve, Main Road, Laurel Explore the symbiotic relationship between the sport of Falconry and environmental conservation through interaction with free-flying hawks, falcons and owls from all over the world! Meet Falconer Lorrie Schumacher for a fascinating, interactive presentation about these beautiful birds, and enjoy two flying demonstrations, 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. There will be plenty of opportunities to handle the raptors and pose for pictures, so don’t forget your camera! Spend the day outdoors enjoying the beauty of Laurel Lake Preserve, the Town of Southold’s conservation area comprised of over 480 acres of preserved land, conserved with the help of the Peconic Land Trust. Program sponsored by Town of Southold. $5 charge per person, children under 2 are free. Reservations requested. Thursday, August 16, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. “Through the Seasons at Quail Hill Farm” presentation and reception with Kathryn Szoka Amagansett Free Library 215 Main Street, Amagansett Please join us at the library to meet Kathryn Szoka, co-owner of Canio’s Books, and creator of “The Vanishing Landscapes” series, a photographic essay documenting the changing rural landscape on the East End. Focusing on our own Quail Hill Farm, Kathryn has brought new life to scenes of winter snow, sowing seeds, and working the land, after spending countless hours at the farm, next to workers and farm members. This beautiful exhibition runs from August 10 through September 5 and is supported in part with funds from the Special Opportunity Stipend (S.O.S.) Program through the New York Foundation for the Arts, administered by the East End Arts Council. Light refreshments will be served. Saturday, August 25, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. “Tipi” Day at Downs Farm Preserve 23800 Main Rd. (Route 25), Cutchogue Meet us at the Ralph J. Solecki Visitors Center at Fort Corchaug and help “Tipi” Ted erect a full-sized tepee! Listen as he talks about Plains Native People, and hear of the relationship they had with the buffalo, the provider of most of their daily use items. Touch buffalo skins and bones, play drums and bone games, and make a necklace. Take a hike along the trails and enjoy this special place. Family oriented, visitors’ center will be open. Sponsored by the Town of Southold, $5.00/person. Reservations requested.

June/July Events and Summer Camp from Cornell Cooperative Extension

2007-06-15T11:54:51Z

June/July 2007 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Lots of food, cooking, gardening, and marine activities for kids and families, including a few week-long camp sessions. Preregistration is necessary for most of our programs. Please call or visit our website for additional information: www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk, or see the below list. JUNE Collaboration for Health, Activity and Nutrition in Children’s Environments (CHANCE) is a nutrition and parenting skills program for parents and care givers. CHANCE is a pilot program which is being offered at no charge by Cornell Cooperative Extension. The sessions are 1 ½ - 2 hours long, conducted in 7 or 8 consecutive weeks. The program is currently available in Shirley, Patchogue and Bellport. Contact Dr. Zahrine Bajwa, 631-727-7850, ext. 347 for more information or to schedule programs. EAT WELL SPEND LESS is a series of 6-8 nutrition, health and well-being sessions 30-60 minutes long. Classes, which are offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension educators in Spanish and English, are run throughout the year all over Suffolk County. No charge for food stamp, Head Start, WIC, and limited income families and caretakers of young children. Contact Betty Chesnut, 631-727-7850, ext. 352, or Zahrine Bajwa, 631-727-7850, ext. 347 for more information or to schedule programs. June 14, 21, 28, July 5, 12 and 19, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Diabetes Self-Management The Suffolk County Health Services in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is pleased to offer this six-week series of sessions designed to inform and help people learn to live with and manage their diabetes. Seating is limited. Please call to register. Please bring a snack or bagged dinner to class.The Elsie Owens North Brookhaven Family Health Center, Coram. Free. 631-853-3023, June 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 OR 24, 10:00 am to noon, OR 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Jr. Marine Biologist Program, ages 3-5 with an adult Marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension will help you and your preschooler learn about the marine environment through hands-on activities with live marine animals, beach activities, and crafts. A great way to introduce your child to marine ecology! **Weather permitting** Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, $18 per session for each child and one adult, 631-854-5544. June 20, 21 and 22. 10:00 am - noon. Junior Marine Biologist, ages 3-5 with an adult Age-appropriate marine and environmental studies camp involving outdoor investigations and working with live marine animals with marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. SMELC, Southold. $20 per student. 631-852-8660, ext. 23. June 25 - August 10, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm Scientific Research Camp, ages 9-12 Age-appropriate marine and environmental studies camp involving outdoor investigations and working with live marine animals with marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Six week-long sessions from which to choose. SMELC, Southold, $300 per session, 631-852-8660, ext. 23, June 25 - August 17, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm The Sea Explorers Marine Day Camp, ages 6-8 and 9-12 These weeklong summer experiences for children are taught by Cornell Cooperative Extension marine educators. Hands-on activities including marine research techniques, beach and marsh exploration, fishing and beach seining, touch tanks, games and marine crafts. Sport Fishing Education Center, Cedar Beach Marina in Babylon. Call 631-587-2873 for fees. June 25-August 24, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Marine Fun Days, ages 6-8 Age-appropriate marine and environmental studies camp involving outdoor investigations and working with live marine animals with marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Eight week-long sessions from which to choose. SMELC, Southold, $275 per session. 631-852-8660, ext. 23, June 30, 7:00 – 10:00 pm Full Moon Kayak Paddle Join educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension for a serene full moon paddle on Peconic Bay. Participants must be 18 or older. Limited space. Please call early if you are interested. Cedar Beach, Southold, $30, 631-852-8660 JULY Weekends in July 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Weekend Wagon Rides, all ages. Visit our gardens and farm animals, then join us for a wagon ride around the farm. Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank. $2 adult, $1 child, free under 2, 631-852-4608 Through August 10, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Scientific Research Camp, ages 9-12 Age-appropriate marine and environmental studies camp involving outdoor investigations and working with live marine animals and marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Week-long sessions from which to choose. Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, Southold, $300 per session, 631-852-8660, ext. 23 Through August 17, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. The Sea Explorers Marine Day Camp, ages 6-8 and 9-12. These weeklong summer experiences for children are taught by Cornell Cooperative Extension marine educators. Hands-on activities including marine research techniques, beach and marsh exploration, fishing and beach seining, touch tanks, games and marine crafts. Sport Fishing Education Center, Cedar Beach Marina in Babylon. Call 631-587-2873 for fees. Through August 24, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Marine Fun Days, ages 6-8 Age-appropriate marine and environmental studies camp involving outdoor investigations and working with live marine animals and marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Week-long sessions from which to choose. Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, Southold, $275 per session, 631-852-8660, ext. 23 July 1 - August 25 Peconic Dunes Summer Camp, ages 8-15 A unique environmental day or overnight camping experience for children from the educators at Cornell Cooperative Extension. Activities include basketball, kayaking, soccer, softball, swimming, canoeing, archery, pond study, marine science, forest and woodlands, and campfires and cookouts. Training in outdoor survival skills as well as fishing and environmental crafts will be offered. Peconic Dunes, $480-$495, 631-727-7850, ext 328 July 2 - August 17 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Sea Stars Marine Camp, ages 6-8 and 9-12 Week-long, hands-on camp activities exploring the beach and salt marsh, and learning about the animals living there, are offered by marine science educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Touch tanks, planetarium shows, museum visits, seining, beach games, and arts and crafts. Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. $160-$200 per child. Call for availability: 631-854-5544. July 9 - August 17 Summer Fun Days, ages 2 - 18 Cornell Cooperative Extension offers themed summer camps including farm animals, ponies, nature, sewing and veterinary careers. Before/after care is available for an additional fee. Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank. $200-$350. 631-852-4600 July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10:00 – 11:30 am The Children’s Garden, ages 5 and older Children will participate in choosing plants and herbs to grow in ‘their’ plot at the Children’s Garden on the Farm. They will be introduced to good insects; plant and harvest strawberries; learn about planting a butterfly garden and bird garden, and much more. Sessions include crafts, farm tours and hay rides. Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank. $50/$75 for two siblings. 631-727-7850, ext. 345 July 16 - 20 OR July 23 - 27, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm 11th Annual Robert K. Sweeney Summer Fun Days, ages 5 - 10 This recreational 4-H Youth Development program is for children with diabetes. In addition to basic diabetes education, programs include arts and crafts, farm animals, sports and games. Diabetes education programs are presented by health care professionals. Mandatory parent meeting prior to camp dates. Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank, $195 per child, per week 631-852-4959 July 23 - 27 Summer Fun Days: Let’s Sew, grades 4-6 One of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s themed summer camps. Bring your American Girl™ doll and learn how to make a quilt for her. Farm fun includes a wagon ride and visits to the animals. The week ends with a tea party and quilt show. No sewing experience necessary. Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank, $200 (includes fabric, all supplies and camp t-shirt), 631-852-4600 July 29, 6:00 – 9:00 pm Full Moon Kayak Paddle Join educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension on a serene full moon paddle on Peconic Bay. Participants must be 18 or older. Limited space. Please call early if you are interested. Cedar Beach, Southold. $30. 631-852-8660 July 29, 3:00 – 7:00 pm Barn Dance Chart Guthrie is the caller for this old-fashioned barn dance, barbecue and auction. This benefit for Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program features Dunegrass playing Americana music and a delicious spread of pulled pork and chicken, grilled sweet potato fries, baked beans and cole slaw. Come on down for a fun afternoon! Martha Clara Vineyard, Riverhead, $20 (21 and over please) 631-852-4959

Winemakers walks and more at Castello di Borghese

2007-05-24T21:45:25Z

Saturday June 2nd, 1 pm Budding Beauty ~ Winemaker’s Walk A guided tour of the winery and production facility plus wine tasting at Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery. $15 per person. Please call to make reservations (631) 734-5111. Friday, Saturday, Sunday June 8th, 9th, 10th 5th Annual Piano Tasting Weekend Frank and Camille Fine Pianos, the largest piano dealer in the tri-state area, will display a beautiful selection of top-notch brand pianos. Please come to play, admire, try or just sit at one of these beautiful works of art, while savoring the flavor notes in our wines – making beautiful music together. Recital Shows at Saturday - 10:30, 3:30 by invitation only. Saturday June 9th, 1pm Bud Break ~ Winemaker’s Walk A guided tour of the winery and production facility plus wine tasting at Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery. $15 per person. Please call to make reservations (631) 734-5111.

All-Oyster Dinner, June 5

2007-05-21T16:16:55Z

All-oyster Dinner at VINe Wine Bar + Cafe, June 5 Enjoy a six course dinner featuring local oysters from Widows Hole Oyster Company. Each course will be accompanied by a Long Island wine pairing. $85 per person, includes complete tasting menu with paired wines. A portion goes to s support the Conviviums's educational programs. Please join us! Reservations are required for limited seatings available from 6 to 9pm. Please RSVP by calling 631-477-6238 or email events@vinewinebar.com. Amuse: Oyster Shooter w/ Herb Salad Raw Oysters w/verjus mignonette Oyster Beignets w/ saffron aioli and sadad of local field greens Oyster Vichyssoise Oyster Pot Pie Oyster and Asparagus Risotto Dessert

Greenport's Working Water

2007-05-10T19:45:58Z

ON THE EDGE By David Berson Photographs by Juliana Thomas GREENPORT—This is a photo series about people you know, some better than others. You will probably recognize some of their faces. They are our neighbors; we see them on the street, shopping at the supermarket, sitting in the bars. They all share one thing in common, they are at the bitter end of a long maritime tradition in the village. In one way or another, these people are still able to cobble a living working on or around the Greenport waterfront. There was a time when such a series would have been physically impossible to mount. So many people’s lives were tied to the waterfront, that to have all their photographs displayed would have required a space many times larger than any available in this small village. It is probable, as well, that had such an exhibition been hung 20 years ago it wouldn’t have attracted any notice, for in a community built of shipwrights, fishermen, ship-yard workers, who would have thought that they deserved special notice? ]]> These images and text were taken from the larger series “On the Edge: Workers on the Waterfront,” available at julianathomasphotography.com/projects.html. “This is one of the only projects that I have ever done where the reality of the presentation exceeded our expectations,” said writer David Berson, who hatched the idea for the show with photographer Juliana Thomas in the summer of 2006. “Everyone in the show was seen walking around the village looking like rock stars in the weeks after the show.” A self-taught photographer raised in Manhattan, Thomas has been taken by her work around the world and has learned to pack only what she can carry. When taking a photograph, Thomas believes the “essence of the individual is brought more sharply into focus by utilizing their environment as a backdrop.” Berson, a Greenport resident, is the former Northeast editor of Sailing Magazine, writes celestial navigation columns for Ocean Navigator Magazine, runs the only electric-powered, non-polluting tour boat on Long Island (greenportlaunch.com), and has always been attracted to people on or around the waterfront.

The Evolving Seafood Shop

2007-05-10T19:33:46Z

“There was guy with a shack and a sign that said ‘Clambakes to go,’” Minardi recalled recently of a trip his family took to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod. “And what he had was a pretty neat little set up. He’d line the bottom of a tin bucket with clams and mussels, on top of that lobster, on top of that local corn, and on top of that potatoes all diced up. And basically…people would pick it up and put it on the stove and pull everything out.” Before long, Claws on Wheels was selling 200 5-serving tins a year. In one year, they sold nearly 300. Minardi would soon contract with a company to manufacture smaller tins for more intimate 2- or 3-person meals. When customers started asking, “Can you come and cook it?” Minardi’s crews started showing up with the tins and the burners and the paper plates and the tables. Before long, the options included shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, seared tuna, wine and beer, as well as salads and veggies. “And then it got into a full-blown, massive catering business,” said Minardi. Today, fresh seafood is just one of the many draws of Claws on Wheels on Race Lane in East Hampton. In addition to the catered options like clam bakes, the store offers to cook any raw fish it sells while you wait, and features oyster po’boys, seafood quesadillas, a dizzying assortment of comically illustrated seafood soups, and an array of thoughtful vegetable sides—from miso eggplant to braised parsnips to broccoli rabe—developed by chef Luc Turbior, who joined Minardi to meet the growing demand for more elaborate fare. “It’s a way to compete against the Citarellas and supermarkets,” said Charlotte Sasso, owner of Stuart’s Seafood in Amagansett, who, with her husband, Bruce, recently purchased Claws on Wheels. The reality, Sasso said, is that busy people do one-stop shopping. “If you come in here with four people for lunch, they may not all want seafood,” Sasso reasoned. “If the kitchen is open, you might as well expand your menu.” It’s a smart business decision, even if it isn’t exactly purist. Historically, seafood shops were an offshoot of fish-packing sheds, those garages, barns or garden sheds where baymen came together to clean, pack and ship their fish to distant markets. Some of the fish were always kept to sell locally. In Men’s Lives, Peter Matthiessen describes a shop in Amagansett that doubled as a restaurant serving a simple menu of fried bluefish, clam pie and bay scallops, depending on what was in season. “One of the advantages of our local seafood shops is that they get the fish before it goes into the city,” said Sasso, an advantage that many supermarkets without contacts or filleting facilities don’t have. But today, that’s not enough. Seafood customers run the gamut from foragers, who like to gather their raw materials and combine them at home, to folks who might have state-of-the-art kitchens but don’t know how to turn on the stove. For this latter group, seafood shops, with their offerings of poached fish or sautéed scallops, or even nonindigenous specialties like roasted salmon or shrimp bisque that can be reheated at home, are a blessing. And so most seafood businesses are evolving. At Inlet Seafood on Montauk’s East Lake Drive, the largest commercial dock in New York State, the fishermen-owners recently opened a restaurant to serve their impeccably fresh seafood. Fans of the Seafood Shop in Wainscott know that this important packinghouse also pushes its catered fare: fried oysters and clams, and an assortment of Latin-flair seafood. The homey Bob’s Fishmarket and Restaurant on Shelter Island, founded as a fish market three decades ago by bayman Bob Reiter and his wife, Kolina, later expanded to serve fish and chips and eventually evolved into a full-service restaurant—although Bob said it’s the fish market, rather than the restaurant, that still makes a profit, as economizing locals cook for themselves. Gosman’s Dock in Montauk offers perhaps the ultimate example of building a business around seafood, but not depending exclusively upon it. Along with a well-stocked seafood store and a restaurant known for its steamers and lobsters, Gosman’s offers an abundance of knickknacks and other tourist-related fare, as well as a sort of working-waterfront amusement park for families who want to dwell among the fishing boats. “You’ve got to think about what’s going to make you profitable and allow you to pay the rent,” said David Girard, owner and chef of Buoy One on West Main Street in Riverhead. When Girard purchased this shop four years ago, he got rid of the wholesale license, and revamped the dim, crowded, lattice-filled interior to turn 3 booths and a couple of tables into an airy space with eye-catching cobalt and yellow tiles that offers 30 seats inside and another 40 on the outdoor patio. Girard, who has cooked in France and at such New York restaurants as the Rainbow Room, Park Avalon and the Peninsula Hotel, tossed out the largely fried all-you-can-eat menu in favor of a raw bar, wine and beer, and a simple but creative cuisine that includes rare pepper-seared tuna served atop fried wonton skins crowned with seaweed salad and dolloped with wasabi mayo, wok-seared sea scallops with plum tomatoes, snow peas and tasso ham, and Thai codfish. Girard acknowledges that he may not have the atmosphere of a Starr Boggs or Jedediah Hawkins house, but customers craving seafood aren’t always craving fancy. “If diner wasn’t such a dirty word, it would be a fish diner,” Girard said. Ever mindful of additional markets, Buoy One has a growing catering business with Martha Clara Vineyards, where Girard’s wife, Lorraine, does cooking demonstrations. Adjusting this balance between selling raw seafood and selling prepared fare—or teaching customers how to cook—defines the challenge of contemporary East End’s seafood markets. When Bruce and Charlotte Sasso of Stuart’s Seafood decided to purchase Claws on Wheels, they reasoned that their own existing business was primarily wholesale, while Claws on Wheels’s profits were driven by a robust retail and catering clientele. At Braun Seafood in Cutchogue, evolution has been the status quo since James Homan took over the small oyster-shucking company from the Braun family. “My father peddled different things to make a living,” says Ken Homan, James’s son. We still do today. Diversification is the only reason we are here due to the ever-changing, wild nature of our industry.” Homan’s father started selling the legendary Peconic Bay scallops to restaurants up and down the East Coast, until that population collapsed in the 1980s and he moved into a wider array of seafood. Ken, whose business school thesis examined the possibilities of seafood retailing if the East End’s year-round population continued to grow, has now turned the company into the largest supplier of seafood on both Forks. The company has 65,000 cubic feet of storage warehouses, a fleet of 20 refrigerated trucks, and moves everything from Indian shrimp to whole Scottish salmon to African yellowfin tuna. He’s got a holding tank that turns over 10,000 pounds of lobsters in a busy summer weekend. Nearby vineyards use his copious amounts of fish trimmings for fertilizer. Although Homan notes that there isn’t as much local fishing as there used to be, Braun is still the largest supplier of local seafood and has even trademarked the Peconic Bay and Robins Island labels for oysters, squid and flounder in an effort to develop national recognition for the region. Ninety percent of Braun’s business is still wholesale, with sales to most of the Island’s seafood shops, “but to secure our future in the world we’re going to have to develop more retail,” said Homan. The takeout extension they added to their fish market last year is bustling and Homan has added a commercial kitchen in anticipation of his next move into the realm of dining. Others have been able to resist this shift towards prepared foods and retailing, partly by cultivating a loyal customer base focused on whole fish. “My biggest thing is my fish market,” said Charlie Manwaring, owner of the Southold Fish Market next door to Port of Egypt on Route 25. “That’s where my heart and soul is. I’m not trying to make the big dollar on the prepared foods.” And because Manwaring was a fisher (like his father and grandfather) and has contacts with local draggers, pinhookers, pound trappers, and anyone else pulling seafood from the sea, locals swear by his shop for the largest selection of whole fish on the North Fork. “There are so many questions about seafood nowadays,” he continued. “You’ve got to trust your fish guy. We get to know the guys who are bringing you the fish. We know the fish are being iced. You come in here at 10 o’clock in the morning and they’re still alive in my case.” Manwaring isn’t as confident about supermarket fish. “I hate supermarket fish. The stuff is frozen, it’s pumped up with water and no one knows that.” Still, the high price of fish has encouraged Manwaring to do his own smoking, make soups, and prepare other quick, “grab-and-go-things” that have a higher mark-up. All of this differentiation, however essential and profitable, still has its own cost. “It’s something else you have to be good at,” said Sasso. “When we bought the shop twelve years ago, they didn’t sell baguettes or brie or gourmet pasta. Now we have to know where to get good fish and good, other stuff. Seafood is still the big draw.” The next stage in her “evolution,” said Sasso, “is to do more family-style meals, so people can get a roasted chicken, meatloaf, or pot roast and take it home. People don’t know that you can come here and get a great burger.” Although most seafood shops suggest that they are moving in this same direction of ready-made meals, the list of items can seem conspicuously lacking in seafood. Which isn’t too different from the long-term shift away from just selling seafood caught nearby, according to Minardi. He admits that he lost a lot of business in his early days because he only handled fish from fishermen he knew. That meant fluke in the summer, cod, flounder and sea scallops in the winter, bay scallops and striped bass in the fall, Napeague clams in the spring. Just as shopping habits demand that you can buy a burger and guacamole at your seafood shop, most shoppers want to see smoked salmon and whitefish alongside the smoked bluefish. “It’s a global thing now,” said Minardi. “You can get fish from anywhere in the world. Before I knew where it was coming from, I knew the quality. I knew it was fresh. You can do local with a few people but you can’t really satisfy everybody.”

Amagansett Eats

2007-04-30T19:34:33Z

Almost all eateries came into being because their chef or owners deeply loved a particular cuisine and felt an intense draw to life bordered by farmland on one side, the Atlantic on the other, and to the values of the year-round East End. Seasonings are sophisticated, authentic. A respect for good fish, local wines, fresh, local ingredients, organic when possible, shines through. Yet driving down Main Street early in the morning there’s little indication that Amagansett, lined by small shops and New England-styled Amagansett Square, offers some of the best eating in the South Fork. You might begin to suspect something if you catch sight of the magnificent white Alaskan husky sitting, muscles tensed, by the door of Mary’s Marvelous! and hear him let out one lone, rumbling bark when the wait for his daily treat becomes unbearable. Buck’s reward (anyone’s if they’re smart) is a muffin-shaped frittata, a tender egg soufflé made of fresh, seasonal vegetables lightly sautéed with garlic then baked, $2.50. “Mary is the best thing that ever happened to Amagansett,” says George Poly-chronopoulos, for 31 years chef-owner of Gordon’s a few doors east, who runs a pretty mean kitchen himself. Mary Schoenlein has taken casual to the level she learned working in Manhattan’s three-star Gotham Bar and Grill, and a two-star spot in Versailles outside Paris. After sampling one of Mary’s newest creations, a soufflé of peanut butter sandwiched between crispy oatmeal peanut-butter cookies, one of Mon-tauk’s best bakers gasped, “Oh. My. God. This is the best cookie I’ve ever tasted in my life! It dissolves in your mouth.” Perhaps you’ll buy a dosa from the Hampton Chutney Company’s small shop tucked back on Amagansett Square. These sound interesting when you hear they’re crisp, paper-thin lentil crepes filled with such choices as potato masala or chicken curry. Bite into one. You’re addicted. “Dosa means silk,” says chef Gary MacGurn, co-owner with his wife, Isabel, whom he met while cooking for 12 years in South India at a Siddah Meditation yoga ashram. “The flavors are a wonderful dance of salty, sweet, hot, pungent and sour. When the dance is done correctly it can include chilis, ginger, garlic, dates, coconut, and lemon and lime juice.” The dance has proven so successful for the MacGurns that they now operate two branches in Manhattan. LA FONDITA As you enter town you’ll pass a sign for La Fondita’s Mexican food. Most gringos speed by thinking, “Taco Bell, theme-ethnic.” That’s a mistake. When Mark Smith, the late Jeff Salaway, and chef Joe Realmuto, the powers behind a half dozen eateries including East Hampton’s Nick and Toni’s and the soon-to-open Townline BBQ in Sagaponack, wanted an East End spot to indulge their personal love of regional Mexican food, the trio swung through Mexico, focusing on street food at fondas—the omnipresent street stalls—in Oaxaca and Veracruz. La Fondita opened spring 2001. Rotating daily specials include a vibrant seafood marisco, a ceviche of seafood, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and sense of Veracruz, a perfect take-out hors d’oeuvre. Others include barbacoa de res, beef ribs marinated in chili and steamed till the meat falls off the bones, lamb steamed in banana leaves, and chicken flautas. The street-food menu includes tamales, nachos, fish tacos with chipotle mayo, tortilla and pozole soups, and six brands of Mexican beer. Desserts include Mexican wedding cookies from the ovens of Nick and Toni’s pastry chef, Molly Harding. You relax at outside, shaded tables next to a pond. Everything from chef Juan Geronimo, of Acapulco, Mexico, is made from scratch. A flyer Scotch-taped to the bar advertises “English as a Second Language,” for La Fondita is a magnet for East End Latinos. (74 Montauk Hwy., 267-8800. Open Weds–Sun, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., until 9 p.m. Open daily, later.) MEETING HOUSE “The food is good, and it’s kid-friendly!” Indeed, you’ll usually find several families with children (somehow coexisting in close proximity to a lively bar scene) undoubtedly eating macaroni and cheese, but the cheese is Gruyère, at this pretty, year-old restaurant overlooking Amagansett Square. It is owned by Randy and Lara Lerner who run the Amagansett Applied Arts school in a nearby red barn. Chef Tim Bando calls it “American-Mediterranean comfort food.” Coming from the Midwest, Bando is reveling in the freshness of Amagansett’s striped bass, fluke, sea scallops. Recently he paired tile fish with arugula and toasted pasta, wild salmon with a delicious beet salad, pan-roasted striped bass with wild mushroom farro, and broccoli rabe. Bando hopes to grow organic produce this summer for the restaurant on Lerner farm acreage. (Reservations only for 8 or more. 4 Amagansett Square Dr., 267-2764. Open Sun–Thurs, 5–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat, until 11 p.m.) ESTIA CANTINA When Colin’s Ambrose’s old Estia came on the market several years ago, the chief chef who had cooked there for 13 years, Ruben Bravo, persuaded actor-bartender John Beuscher to seize the moment. And so Estia Cantina came into being. Bravo, who has a 400-acre ranch, Pansacola, in his native Guanajuato State in Mexico, says his flavors are regional mothers’ comfort cooking. On more than one occasion he has picked up the phone to check in with mom for fine-tuning. He has added interesting, lighter interpretations to some cantina standards. “And why not?” he grins with the assurance of someone comfortably in command of his kitchen. Spinach-mushroom stuffed enchiladas were delicious recently. You can breakfast and lunch north or south of the border—from omelets to burritos and tamales. Its self-described gourmet Mexican comes across more firmly at dinner. Dishes like roast lamb touched with a chipotle pepper sauce, flounder Pansacola sautéed with poblano peppers, round out traditional specialties. The restaurant’s list of tequilas grows by the month, currently numbering 135, priced from $8 to $60 a glass for Gran Patron Platinum. The adjoining bar space morphs into a shadowy, bohemian haunt on Friday and Saturday (and sometimes Thursday) nights as Estia Cantina hosts impressive jazz performers from New York City and beyond, taped live for the local jazz and eclectic music station, WLIU. This room fills up, so make a reservation. Or eat in the main dining room and hear the jazz filter in. (177 Main St., 267-6320. Daily, except Tues, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., dinner 5–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat, until 11 p.m.) THE FISH FARM Insiders treasure the Fish Farm, more formally known as MultiAquaculture System, where on a warm evening you can picnic at battered tables on a bluff overlooking Napeague Bay. “Oh, it’s Key lime pie,” one after another sighs. The pie has no whipped cream, meringue or other distractions. Marie McEnery, owner of the farm with her husband, Bob Valente (both PhDs in marine microbiology), believes it is hours-old, organic eggs from their own chickens that lift the pie’s flavor to exceptional. The Fish Farm may be the funkiest-looking business on Long Island. You approach down a bumpy dirt road, past two vast, rusted metal buildings, the last remnants of the Menhaden fishing industry that dominated the South Fork in the early 1900s. It is now used for East Hampton Town storage. You pass low 1930s wooden buildings with peeling paint. On your left are huge holding tanks for fish. You turn right into the shop. You hardly expect to see tins of Mariage Frère tea, one of France’s finest, Provençal pottery, and, sitting above a counter filled with a wealth of raw fish, the most impressive gourmet touch, a jar of preserved Meyer lemons. Menu selections vary with what’s freshest: scallops with thin shavings of preserved lemons, lobster pot pie, coconut squid, striped bass terrine, hot dogs for children, grilled swordfish, seafood stew, steamed seafood platters, oysters and mussels. (429 Cranberry Hole Rd., 267-3341. Daily from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; later in the season, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.) MARY’S MARVELOUS Many East Enders first tasted Mary Schoenlein’s cooking when she was chef for three years at Red Horse Market, or sampled her granola that until recently had three-state distribution. Now she’s limiting its sale to a few local shops to make time to focus on her spiced pecans and almonds. They are the least innocent nuts on the market—a good hostess gift. The shop is open for breakfast and lunch daily (closed Wednesdays). There are sandwiches that can be heated on a panini grill, excellent soups (always one vegetarian), scones, muffins, salads such as translucent, vegetable-studded millet, spinach pie, roasted vegetables and always a natural chicken dish, sometimes sake-marinated. Meatloaf unerringly measures any kitchen. Mary sautés shitake mushrooms, onions, garlic and parsley for her turkey version. “Ummm,” said one diner recently, “On a scale of 1 to 10, about a 15.” (207 Main Street, 267-8796. Daily 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Until 5 p.m. on Sat. Closed Weds.) HAMPTON CHUTNEY COMPANY Soft, pleasant Indian music in the background creates the feel of an ashram as you study the menu board. There are over a dozen different fillings for dosas, a half-dozen chutneys from cilantro to mango, uttapams—the same fillings, but favored by children because they resemble pizzas—sandwiches, provocatively spicy soups, an Indian vegetable plate of the day, which includes naan, iced chai, cardamom coffee, and mango lassis of yogurt, fresh mangoes and sugar. Recently, the MacGurns catered lunch including uttapams for 120 children in the Amagansett grade school, an invitation that evolved after Gary invited his son’s eight classmates to cook in his kitchen and taste the food. Palates used to McDonalds, fries and other salty, high-fat foods, are now arriving by twos and threes to order dosas, or are dragging parents in. “For them to experience something like this is huge,” says MacGurn. (Amagansett Square, 267-3131. Daily except Tuesday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., 8 p.m. in season.) GORDON’S Fans of Gordon’s swear it has the best Long Island duck on the South Fork, delectable fish and one of the best meal deals around. That’s very possible. Back in the 1960s, when it opened, and even later, Gordon’s was jacket-and-tie formal. Now it’s casual and inviting, its fish lightly cooked, and lightly sauced—perhaps reduced veal stock, butter, lemon juice and wine. Swordfish steak is broiled and then baked. In buying Gordon’s in 1976, George Polychronopoulos, who had been captain of the waiters at the Stork Club, fulfilled a dream of serving good food exactly the way he wanted to cook it. Servings are huge. Sunday through Thursdays the prix fixe is $28, and Friday $34, which easily serves two for a $5 surcharge. Saturdays are à la carte. Reservations suggested. (231 Main St., 267-3010. Daily, except Monday, 5:30–10 p.m.)

Pea and Oyster Soup

2007-04-25T20:51:40Z

The spring issue of Edible East End hits the streets next week with stories on the evolving seafood shop, 30 years of Long Island wine, and Greenport's working water, not to mention oysters and peas. Here's a little preview.

PEA SOUP WITH OYSTERS AND PERNOD adapted from The New York Times 6 c. frozen petit pois (tiny peas) 1 bunch watercress, trimmed to 2 to 3 inches long 4 T. olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 T. lemon juice 4 to 6 T. Pernod 16 oz. shucked oysters and liquor. 1. In a pot, bring enough water to a boil to cover peas. Add peas, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, and add watercress. Cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. 2. Add half the peas to a food processor with 2 T. olive oil, and process until puréed but still with bits in it. Spoon into a bowl, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining peas and oil. 3. In a pan, combine puréed peas and 2 c. pea cooking water. Season with salt and pepper; add lemon juice and 3–5 T. Pernod. If desired, refrigerate. 4. To serve, drain oysters, and add to soup with 1/4 c. oyster liquor. Place soup over medium heat, and cook until edges begin to bubble and liquid is hot and oysters have plumped a little, a couple of minutes. Do not boil. Stir in remaining Pernod; adjust seasonings, and serve. Yields 7 cups.

May and June Events

2007-04-16T04:02:03Z

Check back for regular updates on food- and wine-related events. MAY AND JUNE EVENTS May 19. The annual small canvases show opens the season at the Silas Marder Gallery. (120 Snake Hollow Rd., Bridgehampton, 702-2306, Silas Marder Gallery.) May 21, 6:30 p.m. Slow Food Market Dinner, The North Fork Table & Inn. Enjoy hors d'ouvres, four savory courses, dessert, chocolate petit-fours, and wine pairings. $175 per person includes tax and gratuity. A portion goes to support the East End Convivium of Slow Food. Reservations recommended. (765-0177, 57225 Main Road, Southold.) June 9, 4-6 p.m. A TASTE OF SUMMER Graze on the freshest flavors from our local vintners, farmers and bakers, including Bedell Cellars, The Lenz Winery, Lieb Family Cellars, Paumanok Vineyards, Scarola and Wolffer Estates. Participating farms and bakeries include The Blue Duck Bakery, Catapano Dairy Farm, The Garden of Eve, Sang Lee Farms, A Taste of the North Fork, and East Hampton Community Organic (EECO) Farm. Presented by the Stony Brook University Center for Wine, Food, and Culture at Southampton College. ($25 per person. Register at Stony Brook Wine Center, 632-9404.)]]> parrishart.org.) JAMS, PIES AND ENERGIZING DIETS IN EAST HAMPTON The Ross School’s spring offerings include the following classes. Find more information at ross.org or by calling 907-555. Farm to Table: Salads & Sauces Lauren Jarrett EECO Farm’s early season greens and herbs will be the basis for an evening of cooking with local, seasonal produce and seafood. June 6, 6-9 p.m., $85 Jamming: Strawberries! Joan Bernstein Learn from a local “preservationist” who makes jams, jellies, fruit butters, relishes, and marmalades from local produce using historic family recipes. June 20, 6-8:30 p.m., $40 Farm to Table: Local Pie Local early season fruit will be the basis for an evening of pie making, from scratch. June 27, 6-9 p.m., $85 Nutrition Series An 8-week series on reclaiming your health through food therapy, lifestyle counseling and innovative, fun cooking. Topics include shedding the winter blues, bone strengthening and flexibility foods, healthy and tasty party foods, and brain healthy fats. Eight Mondays starting April 30, 6:30-8 p.m. $20 per class or $144 for the series. WINE EVENTS Palmer Vineyards From a torilla making demo on Cinco de Mayo to a wine tasting on Mothers Day and live music every weekend in June, Palmer Vineyards holds events every weekend in May and June. Check palmervineyards.com or call 722-9463 for information. (108 Sound Avenue, Aquebogue.) Winemaker’s Walks at Castello di Borghese A guided tour of the winery and production facility and wine tasting at Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery. May 5, 12, 19, 20, 26, and June 23, 1 p.m. $15 per person. Please call to make reservations 734-5111. Wine Camp. From the vine to the wine in the bottle, a four-day immersion in grape growing, winemaking and wine tasting taught by winemakers. Enjoy three nights at a North Fork B&B as well as exquisite meals between classes. ($749 per person, 495-9744 or winecamp.org.) Thursday-Sunday, May 17-20 Monday-Thursday, June 25-28 Monday-Thursday, July 23-26 SEEDLINGS, GARDENING AND FOREST ECOLOGY WITH THE PECONIC LAND TRUST (283.3195 x. 10 or events@peconiclandtrust.org.) May 12, 2–4 p.m. Gardening talk with Master Gardener Nancy Gilbert at Winds Way, Jamesport May 19, 10 a.m. Transplanting seedlings at Quail Hill Farm with Scott Chaskey. May 23, 7–11 p.m. Junior Committee Pre-Summer Cocktail Party, The Xchange, 640 West 28th Street, 9th Floor, New York City. Tickets $150 each. June 2, 10 a.m. Forest Ecology Hike with John Turner in honor of National Trails Day. Meet at Quail Hill Farm. July 6, 5-7 p.m. Plein Air Peconic Exhibit and Artists Reception at Riverhead Library. Exhibit open from July 3 through July 29.