Cape Cod Magazine / Relish / January 2011 / New Year’s Resolutions for the Food & Wine Fanatic

Dec 9, 201008:34 PM

Savoring the Good Life of Cape Cod

New Year’s Resolutions for the Food & Wine Fanatic

“Lose ten pounds” or “floss every day” might still be on your list of resolutions, but perhaps the path of least resistance can also help you capture the best of 2011: a food and wine inspired bucket list, courtesy of Cape Cod itself.

1. Have an “out of town” experience.

Cape Codders tend to take their home base to the extreme, but why not get out of dodge for a day? Upper Capers might take a day trip to Wellfleet, or if you come from below the elbow, maybe you’ll explore the opposite neck of the Woods (Hole). Each Cape Cod town offers its own unique landscape, shopping and dining experience, and a great place to plan your itinerary is the town’s Chamber of Commerce.

2. Visit an oyster farm (or buy ‘em straight from the source).

Take the journey from sand bar to raw bar. Although Wellfleet may be the most famous, delicious oysters are grown all over Cape Cod. Maybe this year you can trek out to the flats and see how these briny delicacies are grown, and perhaps even learn a tip or two about shucking. Most growers are happy to give you a tour; you’ll just have to be a bit spontaneous as the tides rule the schedule. Even if you don’t go, try different oysters from the market or at a restaurant to see which you like best!

Barnstable
Barnstable Sea Farms (www.barnstableseafarms.net/)
Scorton Creek Oysters (www.scortoncreekoysters.com)

Chatham
Chatham Shellfish Company (www.chathamoysters.com)

Cotuit
Cotuit Oyster Company (www.cotuitoystercompany.com)

Dennis
The Oyster Company (www.theoystercompany.com)
East Dennis Oyster Farm (www.dennisoysters.com)

Wellfleet
Wellfleet Oyster and Clam Company (www.wellfleetoysterandclam.com)

3. Make a Cape Cod wine cocktail.

Experiment with a homemade libation made from locally grown, in-season fruits and herbs. Here are some of my favorite variations (each serves about 4):

Strawberry Smash

• 12 ripe organic strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 12 leaves of one fresh herb such as mint, basil, verbena or cilantro
• 1 bottle Prosecco or other sparkling wine

Muddle (or mash) strawberries in a bowl with herb of choice. Add a dollop to each champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
Mulled Cranberry Toddy

• 1/2 bottle Truro Vineyards cranberry wine
• 1 cup dry “spicy” red wine (e.g. Zinfandel or Shiraz)
• juice of 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• cinnamon sticks

On the stovetop, simmer all ingredients over medium heat. Serve in mugs and garnish with orange slices.

Riesling Cocktail

• 12 blackberries
• 4 thyme sprigs
• Approx. 4 tbsp simple syrup (you can buy it pre-made at Trader Joe’s)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 bottle dry Riesling (try a Washington State one, they’re not too sweet)
• Muddle the thyme and blackberries with sugar. Add Riesling, simple syrup, lemon and ice; strain into a rocks glass to serve. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig.

4. Indulge in an over-the-top picnic.

Cape Cod has no shortage of beaches on which to stage a 5-star picnic. But it’s not just the scenery that makes it special; here are a few menu ideas to kick your alfresco experience up a few notches:

• Pick up a loaf of great bread from a local bakery; try Pain D’Avignon in Hyannis (http://www.paindavignon.com/), PB Boulangerie in Wellfleet (www.pbboulangeriebistro.com/), or Pie in the Sky Bakery in Woods Hole (http://www.woodshole.com/pie).
• While you’re at it, good bread needs good cheese. Pack up a wooden cutting board and whole wedges of creamy brie, authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano and some local blue or goat cheese.
• Think elegant hors d’oeuvres, to go. Shrimp or lobster cocktail, a piece of seared filet (keep it warm wrapped in foil), or smoked salmon mousse on some flatbread all taste even better outside.
• Ditch the burgers and dogs for a day. If you’re stoking up the grill, try some gourmet “finger food” like Thai-seasoned chicken wings or even some rosemary-marinated baby lamb chops.
• Break out the good stuff. Nothing makes a meal special like real china, silverware and napkins. Who cares if some sand gets in there?
• And the ultimate p.s…. don’t forget the good wine!

Side note: Not 80 degrees and sunny? Why not take the same party indoors and have a gourmet carpet picnic?

5. Try a flight of wine.

A flight is a great way to experience a range of varietals without going broke for the whole bottle. Stop by one of Cape Cod’s wine bars to taste away, or go in with some friends and do it at home.

• Harvest Gallery and Wine Bar, Dennis (www.harvestgallerywinebar.com)
• Grand Cru Wine Bar, Hyannis (www.capecodderresort.com/grand-cru-wine-bar-hyannis.php)
• Trevi, Mashpee Commons (www.trevicafe.com)
   

6. Shop like a European on Cape Cod
 

There’s no better way to gather the ingredients for a meal than to shop at a different market for each “category” of food. Get your fish at the fish market, meat at the butcher, produce at the farm stand, etc., and prepare it all that evening. In our rushed lifestyle, this can be an indulgence, but it’s one worth making time for.

7. Take a cooking class

Even the best cooks love to pick up a trick or two of the trade to spice up their repertoire. Here is a list of some venues that offer cooking classes, demonstrations, and private instruction for small groups. Please contact the establishment directly to see what’s coming up next.

• Sandwich Community School (www.scslearn.org/home.htm)
• Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School (www.uppercapetech.cc/culinary10.htm)
• Maresa’s Cooking (www.maresascooking.com/)
• Olde Manse Inn (www.oldmanseinn.com/content/old-manse-cape-cod-inn-cooking-school)
• The Wine List (www.the-wine-list.com)

8. Sign up for a CSA or CSF

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a great way to eat uber-fresh food while taking advantage of economies of scale. Commonly referred to as a “salad club,” you can sign up at the beginning of a growing season and pick up your share of local produce each week at the farm or a local farmers market. And in 2010, the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fisherman’s Association introduced their pilot CSF (Community Supported Fisheries) program where you can do the same with fish caught in local waters.

• For a listing of Cape Cod CSA’s, visit the “Buy Fresh Buy Local”   www.farmfresh.org/food/csa.php?zip=02601
• Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fisherman’s Association   www.ccchfa.org/programs/csf-pilot-program.htm

9. Take in a food festival

Almost year ‘round, there’s a gastronomical gathering centered on Cape Cod’s indigenous eats. Even if you’re a native, you’re sure to find something new at one of these local gatherings:

Culinary Event Highlights on Cape Cod
Courtesy of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce

• Blessing of the Rakes (May)
• WCOD Cape Cod ChowderFest (June)
• Cape Cod Quahog Day (June)
• Harwich Farm Fest (August)
• Bourne Scallop Festival (September)
• Cape Land and Sea Harvest - CLASH (late September)
• Barnstable County Harvest Festival (October)
• Wellfleet Oyster Fest (October)
• Provincetown Restaurant Weekend (Spring and Fall)
• Taste of Cape Cod (April and November)

10. Cross over the Bridge

The Cape truly is a magical place that can delight even the most hardcore foodie. But don’t forget to go over the bridge a few times, even if just for perspective.

 

 

Writer Tracy Anderson came to the Cape the way many do, a corporate departure with a plunge into entrepreneurship. She opened The Wine List in Hyannis in 2002, and continues to drive the marketing end of the business as well as serving as the chef du soir for the shop's wine tasting events. Tracy is also a freelance marketing consultant and copywriter, avid home chef, and devoted mom to a kid who ironically, eats not much more than chicken and fries.