Carrot Pirini Recipe

[Roxine Denison]

Mostpeople had their own vegetable gardens in the back yard, free of pesticides and chemicals. I picked blueberries in the woods and sold them for carnival money. (Half the berries went into my bucket, half went into my mouth.) These were the ways of Sagamore's Italian village by the bridge, now extinct except for a few older women who still remember the good old days, and the fresh produce we enjoyed.

Today ''organic'' is a different story. With the exception of what is grown locally (and intentionally without pesticides) during the Cape's short growing summer season, organic produce is flown in from faraway places, and we pay dearly for that transport. I say, let's go local again. Many supermarkets import unripened produce from other regions or other hemispheres. the time it reaches us, the produce may look good but it lacks most of its original, vibrant flavor and often has lost substantial nutrients en route. Plus, the amount of fuel required to transport produce adds to its cost, and wastes precious fuel. Buying locally connects us to the region where we live, bolstering the Cape's econom supporting our community. Buying local ensures that the money we spend goes directly to the farmers, helping them stay in business.

In researching this article, I talked to chefs and other people involved in the Cape's food scene. I realized I am not alone. There is a movement toward changing our eating habits, reflected by a strong interest in local organic farming, an awareness of high-quality foods and having local ingredients served in restaurants, and a thrust to educate the public - mostly through leading by example. The ''slow food'' movement that started in Europe also stresses this.

I began by interviewing Diane and Doug Langeland of Cummaquid. The Langelands' passion for exploring, discovering and sharing the best of Cape Cod comes through clearly in their magazine, Edible Cape Cod, which they started in summer 2004.

Their mission is to bring together the community's farmers, fishermen, food artisans and chefs with consumers like you and me. In talking with the Langelands, I was struck by how these two people are doing what they love, and it shows. Their knowledge, responsiveness and involvement in all aspects of growing, publicizing and distributing local and organic foods on Cape Cod is extremely exciting - both to them and to many of us.

He went on to say, ''Bringing sustainability to the local organic food industry is only going to happen if people think it is a good thing. The food has to be delicious and tasty, but it has to work from an economic standpoint as well. The consumer has to demand - and be willing to pay a little bit more for - food that is local and high quality.

''Eric Janson at The Wicked Oyster (in Wellfleet) knows that local greens are substantially more expensive, but when he comes out of his kitchen and hears people raving about their salads, it gives him an indication that people are aware of the quality he is serving. Knowing this, he can price it a little differentl he can buy more and more of it.''

In December, the Langelands and Restaurant 902 Main in South Yarmouth hosted a meeting to bring together local farmers and chefs. Out of that meeting came the region's ''Farmers amp Chefs Collaborative.''

''The ultimate goal of the collaborative is to help develop best practices for farmers and chefs to work together in order to increase the use of local produce on Cape menus,'' the Langelands write on their Web site, www.ediblecapecod.com.

Edible Cape Cod is affiliated with Edible Communities Inc., a member-driven organization with 16 food newsletters across the nation, from California to Maine. Published quarterly on the Cape, the magazine's annual circulation is about 40,000, the Langelands estimate. The magazine is free and available through advertisers, specialty food stores, visitors' centers, and farmers' markets. Edible Cape Cod is also available by paid subscription for $28 per year.

''We don't write reviews, and we don't consider ourselves 'experts.' We come at it from the role of the passionate home cook,'' Diane says. ''We write about people who make and sell food: the farmers, fishermen and artisans. We want our publication to be the definitive resource of information about where to find fresh local foods.''

When I interviewed several Cape chefs, I asked each to give me a recipe using local and organic products, in which the flavor of the food comes through rather than being camouflaged with spices, overpowering sauces or other ingredients. A salad of fresh greens need only be dressed with a good olive oil, a splash of your favorite vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper. A fresh piece of fish is best when saut

Chef Gilbert Pepin, owner with wife Kolleen of Restaurant 902 Main, provided an excellent example of ''less is more'' with his simple, light and healthful spring recipe, ''Baked Native Haddock with Asparagus and Greens.''

The Pepins, who offer seasonal, local, organic cuisine, take it a step further when it comes to ensuring a steady supply of the best produce available. Working with local growers, Gilbert selects seeds from catalogs that the farmers plant so he can serve the selected produce at 902 Main the following season.''The farmers are very willing to work with me,'' Gilbert says. ''We choose baby vegetables like beets, carrots and beans, as well as a variety of unusual and tasty greens.''

A few nights ago, I had dinner at 902 Main and was served a delicious salad of assorted greens Gilbert purchased from Veronica Worthington, owner of the Seaweed amp Codfish Herb amp Flower Farm in West Dennis. The salad was topped with a small wedge of a creamy Vermont goat cheese and a sprinkling of caramelized walnuts, and was tossed with a simple dressing that let the flavors of the fresh greens come through.

I had to meet the person who grew these unique lettuces. The next day I was off to see Worthington. I was escorted into the greenhouse where she grows everything from seed. ''I grow all winter,'' she tells me. ''This is how I supply the restaurants. Chefs like Pepin will call and say, 'Whatever you have, I'll take it!'''

She keeps lists of what has been seeded so she knows what will be available when. ''The only things I grow are things I personally like to eat. They are all heirloom, unusual, colorful and tasty. If I don't like something, I get rid of it. I don't have enough land here to grow things I don't like.''

''Yes,'' she replies, as she cuts and describes three beautiful heads of unusual lettuce. ''This one is from Italy, called Cappuccino. This one is also an Italian, called Lolla bionda. But this is my favorite and the seed seller calls it, 'Merveille de Quatre Saison.' The original strain is direct from France and has not been polluted by other seed providers. All are European-certified organic,'' she said as she hands them to me to take home.

47 owner of The Red Pheasant Inn in Dennis, cooks with fresh herbs, strawberries and raspberries from his garden. His wife, Denise, also has a prolific English flower garden that contributes to creative menus in season.

''I like the freshness of herbs picked outside my door,'' she says. ''I create a honey lavender glaze for an organic salmon, or a lavender beurre blanc, and when the nasturtiums overrun the garden, I bake them with native oysters. The peppery flavor of the flowers complements this simple oyster appetizer.''

When I talk to Michael Pirini, chef at Abbicci's dramatic reconstructed space in Yarmouthport, set to open early next month, he shares a recipe for oysters on the half shell using Barnstable Seafarms Oysters, topped with lemon-and-chive-infused oil and fresh chive blossoms. All herb blossoms are edible and are wonderful mixed into salads. Besides adding flavor, they are beautiful. Once you've tried these recipes, I think you'll agree that ''fresh and local'' is the way to go

''For this dish I use Chatham day boat haddock (caught and brought to shore each day) and Tim Friary's organic asparagus, arugula and fresh herbs. It is the perfect spring treat, accenting the fresh flavors of what can be found on the Cape,'' says Gilbert Pepin, chef

In a large bowl, toss the arugula with half of the dressing then divide evenly between four plates. Place several stalks of asparagus over the greens, place fish across the asparagus and garnish with the scallions and a sprig of thyme. Makes 4 servings.

''This is a great springtime dish as the chive blossoms are in season and growing in our gardens and the oysters from the Barnstable Seafarms are still at their peak. Any number of herbs could be substituted for the chives, such as basil in the summer and watercress in the fall. I believe the most important factor in a recipe such as this is the freshness of all the ingredients,'' says Michael Pirini, chef at Abbicci.

Grate the lemon skins with a fine grater and squeeze the juice from both lemons. Place the grated skins and juice in a blender with the anchovy, shallot, chives amp extra-virgin olive oil. Puree on high until the oil is emulsified. It should turn to a bright green color. Season with pepper. Don't add salt as the oysters already have a naturally briny flavor.

Place crushed ice on a platter that can be garnished with lemon slices and radicchio leaves. Open each oyster by holding it in a folded towel and carefully inserting an oyster knife into the hinged part of the shell while twisting. When the shell pops open, scrape the top and bottom shells, being careful not to puncture the oyster. Leave the oyster on the bottom shell and place directly on the ice. Spoon infused oil over each oyster and sprinkle with picked chive blossoms.

''This dish lets the flavor of the fish and the brightness of the herbs shine. I substitute other fish and use different herbs but the key is the incredibly fresh herbs. The recipe is simple, but I found it is important to chop the herbs at the last minute and then heat the vinaigrette just until it is barely warm so that it doesn't break,'' says Doug Langeland of Edible Cape Cod.

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