Our hats are off to Farm Fresh Rhode Island for a huge success at this year’s Local Food Fest this past Tuesday, August 3rd. Castle Hill was thrilled to play host once again to this great event. We couldn’t say more about the backdrop – the sun was shining and the cool sea breezes stirred the aroma of local food being crafted by some of the best restaurants in the state; creating a perfect summer afternoon. And all to benefit Farm Fresh Rhode Island and their mission to further grow a local food system that values the environment, health and quality of life of RI farmers and eaters - and with over $30,000 raised that road will continue! Thank you to all who made this event happen, we can’t wait until next year!

Watch the video below for all the action, and read on for The Rhode Show article.

While the sun rises over a tranquil Mount Hope Bay, the action underneath is anything but. It is striped bass season in Rhode Island and for local fisherman, it doesn’t get much better than this.

“The season we are in here is big time stripe bass. Beautiful fish. Twelve to 15 pound range fish are the ones we want to take home. Those are the best for grilling or roasting in the oven,” said one of The Rhode Show’s resident chefs, Jonathan Cambra of Newport Restaurant Group .

“The passion of bringing it to the plate, that’s really what it is, the catching the fish and being out here early morning, understanding the water, the bay, and our ocean,” added Cambra.

On this trip Chef Jon took to the water with long time friend and Charter Captain Billy Silvia of ‘Can’t Imagine Sport Fishing. The two men have fished Narragansett Bay for years.

“I’m 35 years old. I’ve been fishing them since I was a little guy and I really got back into the past 10 years because of the conservation of the regulation of the stripe bass,” said Cambra.

And it doesn’t take long to see the conservation efforts at work. The morning of the outing on the water, live pogies do the trick. It’s one beautiful fish after another. All well over the regulation size 28 inches.

“It really makes it for a fun, filled experience. It’s not all about pulling it into the boat. It’s about the challenge of getting it into the boat the right way, not beating the fish up, feeling the fish, understanding what it is doing in the water, and hopefully you can bring it in at the end.” We need to not forget where our food is coming from.”

Cambra has some advice for fellow fishermen out there.

“Narragansett Bay really brings us some special fish and our duty is to do the best with that fish, take care of it, ice it down, get it back into the land.”

We’re cooking pan-roasted native striped bass; Castle Hill vegetable succotash, with a lemon-chive vinaigrette with the Newport Restaurant Group.

Pan Roasted Native Striped Bass

INGREDIENTS:

4 – 6oz portions – Boneless, trimmed striped bass, skin off

STEPS:

Pre heat sauté pan, season fish with salt and pepper, place fish in hot pan, presentation side down first, sauté for about 3 minutes each side, finish in a 350 degree oven until cooked through.

Lemon-chive vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup minced chives
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

STEPS:

Add all ingredients to a blender except for oil and chives, turn blender on and slowly drizzle (emulsify) in oil to desired consistency, fold in chives at the end then check seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Castle Hill Vegetable Succotash (yields 2-4 side dishes)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups, julienne onions, mixed white and red
2 cups, diced mixed summer squash
1/2 cup, blanched green beans( cut into ½” bias)
2 tablespoons minced spring garlic
1/2 cup, diced tomatoes
¼1/4cup fresh cut basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground white pepper, to taste

STEPS:

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan on medium heat, when oil is hot add onion and garlic, sauté until translucent, add remaining vegetables, cook for 2-3 minutes, finish with chiffonade basil, salt and pepper. Serve as a side dish for grilled or roasted fish, steaks, or chicken.

“We currently are harvesting lots of different lettuces, green beans, sunburst squash, zucchini, patty pan squash, all kinds of herbs, swiss chard, and kale. Castle Hill’s team pulled garlic from the field today; it is currently drying and is beautiful. Soon to come will be many varieties of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, red, white, and yellow onions, along with many other late summer vegetables.”

…Even more to look forward to!

Ingredients (yields 4 portions)
1 strip of apple wood smoked bacon
1 5 oz filet
1 lobster tail
5 fingerling potatoes
4oz of green beans
30 oz butter
2 garlic cloves (smashed)
oil as needed

Steps:
1. Place three pots of water on the stove to boil for the, lobster tail, potatoes and green beans
2. Salt water for flavor
3. Make an ice bath for those three ingredients
4. When water is boiling place into to cook
5. Lobster tail will take 7 minutes (when done place into ice bath to stop the cooking process, follow the same step with 6 and 7)
6. Green beans will take 2 minutes
7. Potatoes will take 15 minutes
8. Lay the bacon flat and wrap the filet ( pre heat grill)
9. Place the filet on the grill to start cooking
10. Take the smashed garlic and place into a sauté pan and lightly brown
11. Add in the beans and cook for 1 minute season with salt and pepper
12. Heat the butter in a suate pan on low heat and place lobster tail meat side down to heat

Castle Hill’s Chef Jon was featured Cultivating Life with Sean Conway,  a weekly television series that aims to prove “reconnecting to the land is as easy as stepping out your back door.” Sounds like Chef Jon and Sean’s culinary philosophies have much in common.  Whether Chef is incorporating herbs and vegetables from the Castle Hill garden into his dishes or taking a fishing trip out in Narragansett Bay to catch fresh striper for dinner that night, he (quite literally) uses his backyard for culinary exploration and inspiration.

Watch the video above as Chef shows Sean how to make the quintessential New England dish, Clam Chowder.  To quote Cultivating Life, “The flavors in his version are clean, and rely on the best of his main ingredients for the flavor, bacon, onions, home grown potatoes and Quahogs harvested from the beaches nearby.”  Sounds like the celebrated approach each of our Newport Restaurant Group chefs take when creating a dish – relying on freshness and local flavors to leave a lasting impression.

Speaking of our Newport Restaurant Group family carrying on the New England Clam Chowder tradition, we have a bit of boasting to do.  At the Knorr Great Chowder Cook-Off held at the Newport Yachting Center on June 5th, chowder enthusiasts tasted various recipes from 29 different restaurants and voted on who they felt made the best Clam, Seafood, and Creative Chowders. The Boat House took home top honors for their Creative Chowder, and Waterman Grille won bronze in the same category.  Hemenway’s Seafood Grille & Oyster Bar secured second place in the largest category, Clam, as a first time entrant.  We are ecstatic that the hard work of our culinary teams was recognized at what is considered by most the premiere chowder tasting event in the country!

…Hungry yet? You can make Chef Jon’s scrumptious clam chowder on your own. Just visit here for the recipe!

Chef Steve recently stopped by The Rhode Show to share one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, Hemenway’s Mixed Seafood Grill.  Watch the video below and read on for the full recipe.

Ingredients:

4 ounces of salmon
4 ounces of halibut
4 ounces of swordfish

Topping Ingredients for salmon:

Thai curry pesto
5 leaves of rough chopped Thai basil
5 leaves of rough chopped mint
15 leaves of rough chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of rough chopped lemon grass
1/2 teaspoon of rough chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon of rough chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon of coconut milk
1 Tablespoon of sesame oil

Procedures:

In blender puree all ingredients until well blended, smooth and all oil is emulsified.

Directions for Salmon

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Pre heat a sauté pan with oil, season salmon with salt and pepper, pan sear salmon until golden brown flip over and finish salmon in oven to desired doneness finish salmon by topping with the Thai curry pesto.

Topping ingredients for Halibut

Cranberry walnut crumbs and sage butter:
Ingredients:
For cranberry crumbs:
1 Tablespoon Dried cranberries
1-Tablespoon Walnuts
1 Tablespoon Panko crumbs

Procedures:
In a food processor pulse dried cranberries and walnuts until well chopped then and add Panko crumbs
Ingredients for sage butter:
2 leaves of fresh sage
2 ounces of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:
Make sure butter is at room temperature, finely chop sage leaves, and in mixing bowl mix butter with sage add salt and pepper to taste.

Directions for Halibut:

Pre heat oven to 4oo degrees, season halibut with salt pepper, place halibut on a buttered baking dish, place In oven for 8-10 minutes or until 3/4 the way cooked, place cranberry crumbs atop the halibut and place on the oven for another 3 to 4 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degree at the thickest part of the fish.
To serve top halibut with sage butter.

Swordfish topping Ingredients:

Asparagus and Lump crab salad:
2 stems of asparagus
2 ounces of lump crab
1 teaspoon of shallots
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Procedures for salad:

Steam the asparagus until tender put asparagus in an ice bath (ice bath is ice cubes with cold water) chop asparagus to about 1/4 inch. Add shallots, olive oil, mustard and vinegar to a mixing bowl and mix until emulsified add asparagus, lump crab and salt and pepper to taste.

Directions for Swordfish:

Pre-heat the grill to 450 degrees, clean the grill well with oil, season swordfish with salt pepper, add to grill and cook until an internal temperature of l40 degrees (1 inch thick piece takes about 10 minutes to cook) to serve top swordfish with asparagus lump crab salad.

Why NRG Loves Farm Fresh Market Mobile!
Market Mobile is the newest way for chefs, schools, and grocers to obtain their fresh produce. Market Mobile works in collaboration with Farm Fresh RI, local producers, and local buyers.
An online inventory is set up to let all purchasers know what each farm has available each week (selection, quantity, and price). Purchasers choose what they want from each farm online, and later in the week, one large truck is packed up with all the produce and delivers orders to each buyer around the state.

Buying local produce is a great step in the push for a sustainable environment and Market Mobile just made it easier, by offering a delivery service. Now, instead of each chef, grocer, or school representative driving to and from the farms to purchase their produce, one round trip around the state is made weekly. Market Mobile not only makes it easier to buy fresh produce, but also reduces the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere in the process. It’s a win-win! For more information on Farm Fresh Market Mobile click here.

Calling All Chefs! Farm-to-Chef Tours this Spring!

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is back in action this spring, sponsoring tours of farms throughout the state, specifically for chefs so they can meet the local farmers and taste the local flavor. This is a great opportunity to get to know the farmers directly. Tours will be held (almost) every Monday and some Tuesdays. Tours are free, but space is limited! Gather your staff and sign up today!

SIGN UP FOR A FARM-TO-CHEF TOUR

All tours begin at 10:30 a.m. and are FREE for chefs and other wholesale buyers. Space may be limited so please RSVP to Jenn at jenn@farmfreshri.org for you and your staff at least 5 days prior.
• May 11: Schartner Farms – Exeter RI
This farm produces acres of some of the most delicious carrots you will ever taste….

• May 17: White Barn Farm – Wrentham MA
Run by Christy Raymond and Chris Kantlehner, young farm is a great example of sustainable growth in our region!

• May 24: Blackbird Farm – Smithfield RI
These guys don’t mess around. Their Angus beef is their pride and joy and they want you to visit so they can share their knowledge with you.

•  June 8: Cooks Valley Farm – Wrentham MA
Warren (Cook) will show you the ins and outs of this 90-acre farm…and we bet you will try something delicious this June day.

• June 15: Wishing Stone Farm – Little Compton, RI
Wishing Stone is the largest organic farm in RI. Come explore all the food that will be put in your CSA, found at the markets, or on Market Mobile!

And in the Fall: Orchards!

•  September 6: Hill Orchards – Johnston RI
This 50 – acre orchard is run by Allan Hill. The trees will be ready for you and you will most certainly be ready for the apple (and peach!) trees!

•  October 5: Barden Family Orchard – North Scituate RI
The Bardens want you to participate in their space with everything in bloom. Join them (and us) for a beautiful tour.

We’re cooking Scallop Chowder with Chef Michael Conetta from The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar.

Yield: 5 gallons

Ingredients:

3 lbs. butter solids
3.5 lbs. all purpose flour
1 medium bain marie diced onion
4 gallons cold water
1.5 lbs. clam base
1 qt. white wine
2 cups fresh, chopped parsley
1/2 cup dried dill
20 each bay leaves
12 oz. clam broth
desired amount of scallops

Steps:

1. In heavy bottomed large stock pot, melt butter over medium flame.
2. Add onions and sauté until translucent.
3. Add parsley and dill, stir well.
4. Add flour and make roux. Cook 5 minutes over low flame, stirring constantly. Let cool.
5. In a light gauge 40 qt stock pot, add water, wine, bay leaves, clam broth and clam base. Incorporate all ingredients before placing on flame. Bring to a boil and simmer.
6. Add liquid to roux, insuring to stir well to avoid lumps.
7. Bring to a gentle simmer and then cool in a n ice bath.
8. Wrap. Label. Date.

When reheating, whisk in desired amount of half & half. Slowly poach desired amount of scallops in chowder till firm.