johnnyd

Michael Bauer, executive food editor and restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, visited Portland recently and wrote "Right at Home in the Other Portland" Included in the article were Fore Street, Hugo's, Evangeline, Emilitsa, Rabelais Booksand Standard Baking for special mention. Rob Evan's Duckfat also got a write-up.

The Source List - Deathmatch - Summer 2008 Snell Family Farm, Buxton, ME - Carolyn Super Chilis Anaheim Chilis Poblano Chilis Serrano Chilis Onions Leeks Garlic Chickens Carrots Shallots Cucumber Apple Wine Peaches Merriweather Farm, Cornish, ME - Matt Corn Sumner Valley Farm, Sumner, Maine - Larry & Dan Milk Heavy Cream Butter Chickens Leaf Lard Eggs Cornerstone Farm, Palmyra, Maine - Hanne Pigs by the Name of "Blueberry", "Strawberry", and "Raspberry" L&A Farm, Cape Elizabeth, ME - Lester Italian Parsley Sage Fishbowl Farm, Bowdoinham ME - Chris Carrots Heirloom Tomatoes The Rusty Stag - Westbrook, ME - Corey & Andrew Tomatoes Brandywine, Balseno, Sungold Peppers Blushing Beauty, Green Cherry Beets Apples Chives Cilantro Cucumbers Basil Oregano Green Beans Apple Cider Broadturn Farm, Scarborough, ME - John & Stacy Butter Scallions Red Pepper Fennel Onion PattyPan Squash Cold Spring Ranch, North New Portland ME - Gabe Beef Sanford Butcher Shop, Sanford, ME - Carl Pigs Clapboard Island Mussel Raft, Casco Bay, Maine - Toloff Olson / Bernie Sutherland Mussels! Overland Apiaries, Portland ME - Erin Honey Aurora Mills & Farm, Linneus, ME - Matt Stone Ground Winter Wheat Flour Podere Tramonti, Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy - Bruno Olive Oil Krupp Brothers Estates, - Jan Olive Oil Jackie Buchanan - Green Cove Springs, FL Grapefruit Lemons Pears Garlic Chives Nolan - Portland, Maine English Mild Beer Herbs Brad - Portland, Maine Herbs Salt Tuscan Kale Bronwen - Portland, Maine Crab Apples Jon - Portland, Maine Casco Bay Sea Salt Jack - New York, NY Apple wood Honey Wild Blackberries Smoked Salt Dennis McClure - Bradford, VT Maple Syrup Hawaiian Sea Salt Leslie Oster - Portland, ME Ducks Jim Marchant - Portland, ME Leeks Fennel Chives Bonnie Dietz, - Great Diamond Island, ME /Camden, ME Zucchini Yellow Tomatoes Cherry Tomatoes Rosemary Thyme Peaches Jon @ The Snug, Weld, ME Maple Syrup Doug Brown - Upstate, NY Venison Candace - Portland, ME Assorted Herbs Turnip Steve Shelton - Portland, ME Crab Apples Josh - South Portland, ME Assortment of “Herbs” Johnny D - South Portland, ME Lemon Thyme Jewel Island Seaweed Kate’s Pirate Adventures - Maybe Your House, ME Zucchini Squash What’s Missing From Your Garden Thank you for visiting the Deathmatch Summer 2008! Word has surfaced that far better photographs will become available by next weekend. Subscribe to this topic and check back later ~ johnnyd ~

Wine List - Deathmatch Summer 2008 ~~~ Forage! Grow! Kill! 2007 Amador Foothills Rosato of Sangiovese, Amandor County, California (Katie Quinn & Ben Zeitman) 2007 De Martino Sauvignon Blanc, Maipo Valley, Chile (Marcelo Retamal) 2007 Torii Mor Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon (Jacques Tardy) 2006 Gueguen Chablis, Burgundy, France (Frédéric Gueguen) 2005 Rijckaert Savignin Côtes du Jura “Les Sarres,” Jura, France (Jean Rijckaert) 2007 Alois Lageder Moscato Giallo “Vogelmaier,” Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy (Alois Lageder) 2006 Rijckaert St. Véran “En Faux” Vieilles Vignes (Jean Rijckaert) 2006 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Côtes du Py Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France (Jean-Marc Burgaud) 2006 Domaine Parize Givry “Champ Nalot,” Burgundy, France (Gerard & Laurent Parize) 2005 Sorine & Fils Chassagne Montrachet Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, France (Christian Sorine) 2006 Château de Flaugergues Côteaux du Languedoc La Méjanelle “Cuvée Sommelière,” Languedoc, France (Henri de Colbert) 2005 Castello La Leccia Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy (Francesco Daddi) 2005 Domaine la Réméjeanne Côtes du Rhône “Les Arbousiers,” Rhône, France (Remy Klein) 2006 Domaine Roger Perrin Châteauneuf du Pape, Rhône, France (Luc Perrin) 1995 Château Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon (Gaston Hochar) 2003 Spann Syrah, Russian River Valley, California (Peter Spann) 2006 K Vintners The Boy, Walla Walla Valley, Washington (Charles Smith) 2005 K Vintners Ovide, Walla Walla Valley, Washington (Charles Smith) 2005 K Vintners Syrah Cougar Hills, Walla Walla Valley, Washington (Charles Smith) 2003 K Vintners Syrah Lucky No. 7, Walla Walla Valley, Washington (Charles Smith) 2006 Stanley Lambert Three’s Company GSM, Barossa Valley, Australia (Lindsay Stanley & Jim Lambert) 2005 Stanley Lambert Cabernet Sauvignon “Silent Partner,” Barossa Valley, Australia (Lindsay Stanley & Jim Lambert) 2003 Miss Olivia Brion Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California (David Mahaffey) 2002 Arbios Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California (Bill Arbios) 2002 Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley, California (Nigel Kinsman) 2006 Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes, Roussillon, France (Olivier Decelle) NV Stanley Lambert Choc-o-Bloc, South Australia, Australia (Lindsay Stanley & Jim Lambert)

While the action outside was rolling... The scene inside was rocking. Sugar on Snow - Sean Maple Syrup Snow Hawaiian Sea Salt Sean dipped a ceramic spoon into salt he collected himself off the rocks in Hawaii, then into some scrumptious maple gratinee. Awesome combo.

As evening took over from late summer afternoon, candles were brought out for yet more Deathmatch feasting. Bronwen and Colin Wyatt had, as usual, some stunning plates: Bronwen's Braised chicken salad with herbs and maple crab apple jelly with warm bacon vinaigrette, and Colin's Beef Tartare with marinated cucumber and brown butter cider vinagrette with corn sauce.

Pickett St. Crew Josh, Kate, and Johnny D. Moules Verts avec Beurre de Dent Douce - Josh Cap'n Kate's Swashbuckled Mussels with Purloined Vegetables - Kate Clapboard Island Mussels Andalusian Style - Johnnyd Bonus Treat: Jewel Island Seaweed Salad - Posse Cap'n Kate, true to her Pirate Heritage, took off one night and scoured the neighborhood gardens for tasty ingredients. A true forager, that one. She poached squash, corn, onion and herbs, then stuffed them and mussel meats into tomatoes, with spectacular and colorful results. johnnyd put together a tapas dish I once enjoyed in southern Spain. Mussels, roasted fennel, roasted cippolini onion and roasted orange bell pepper, fresh lemon thyme leaves, all married together in about a quart of killer olive oil from Dietz's pal out in Napa Valley. We put a few pounds of mussel shells through the Hobart to use as dipping spoons. Josh's Moules Verts utilized a compound butter made from Broadturn Farm's cream and some... um, "herbs" he had growing... uh, "somewhere". The red and white plates at the outside edge of the table features seaweed I harvested from Jewel Island (see up-topic) dressed in some sushi vinegar and a little Mae-ploy (which is cheating, but hey now) served atop some turnip chips from Candace's garden and a bit of pickled daikon leftover from Deathmatch Japanese (also cheating, but my main was true to our challenge - so there). Irwin has a better shot of this dish which I hope to post later.

This is Candace Kuru from Maine Home & Design. She and her photographer, Irwin Serrano, dropped by to write a little something about the Deathmatch Posse and take some, no doubt, smashing photos. Irwin had a professional set-up. He asked several chefs to present their dishes for a formal portrait, which is good because I didn't manage to photograph everyone's effort. MH&D has featured top Portland Restaurants in prior issues like 555, Bresca and Evangeline. When the Deathmatch article appears, I will post a link here.

More dishes coming out of the kitchen: Rusty Stag - Andrew Salsa Fresca Apple Chips Herb Granita Stag – Tomato, Sungold Balseno Brandywine Peppers – blushing beauty green cherry chives, basil, cilantro, oregano green beans cider cucumbers beets! Salt – Brad Venison Ravioli en Brodo - Jon + Piepers + Patty Pommes Frites - Candace Dennis McClure Salt Smiling Hill Farm Butter Candace Garden Herbs and: ”Black berry Blue berry” wine cooler ...which I never tried but her White Pine and Teaberry Flip she made for the Bizarre Foods Deathmatch was quite memorable. ~~~~~~~~ A full list of ingredients and their sources will be posted after the photo parade.

Peter: Ice, sure; booze, no, not in this part of Maine anyway. I'd wager that canoe isn't going anywhere fast with a load like that! Chris and nakji: Not sure but I'll find out! The Pickett Street Posse sets up their table. Cap'n Kate constructed a chicken wire sculpture filled with mussel shells - yeah, we had a lot of 'em. Meanwhile, inside, Jack tends his Applewood smoked, sea salt crusted chiccaron and pork rinds, Honey – Jacks hive Wild Blackberrys – Jacks yard Mead from Steve's cider and Jacks honey Pig - Carl Chasse – Sanford Butcher Shop, ME Salt – Made yourself appletree – stolen from tree

At left, Brad, who works at 555 in Portland, made some Head Cheese: beer english mild (brad + nolan), braised belly, hardwood smoked shoulder, tuscan kale, Nolan, had some tree-ripened Snell farm peaches, Slow Cooked Pork from Cornerstone Farm in Palmyra Maine, with porch foraged herbs and honey from Overland Apiaries.

As usual, things were bustling in the kitchen. Pot in the back w/spoon has Sweet Corn & Duck Soup with House Smoked Chilis. Poblano Chilis from Snell Farms, Buxton Maine Corn - which is everywhere, really - was from Merriweather Farm in Cornish, ME Ducks were courtesy of the lovely Ms Leslie Oster.

The Deathmatch Hosts had the excellent idea to head down to the waterfront and get a truck filled with ice from the fishing supply wharf. We had to have somewhere to put all the locally produced beverages. The crowd agreed. Some of the contents therein: ~~~~~~~ Red Ale Adam Wilson Portland, ME Allagash White Rob Todd Portland, ME D.L. Geary Brewing - Summer Ale David L. Geary Portland, ME Doc's Draft Hard Apple Cider Jason Grizzanti Warwick, NY High and Mighty St. Hubbins Abbey Ale by Paper City Brewing Will Shelton Holyoke, MA

Josh, Kate and I split the 60 lbs of Mussels three ways for our respective dishes which I will describe with the others later. On the invitation of Toloff Olson, owner/operator of Ocean Approved LLC, I took a boat ride out to Jewel Island, one of the outer islands in Casco Bay, to harvest some seaweed. Toloff has been experimenting with various types of kelp and seaweed hoping to create a market. I decided to dust off the wet suit and jump in the water to get some for the Deathmatch! Any day is a good day to get in the water.

158 Pickett Street Cafe owner/chef Josh Potocki and ace co-conspirator and chef Kate Squibb round out the 'posse. They inspect the final Deathmatch bounty: fennel, cipollini Onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and pattypan squash. Stacy picks out a beautiful bouquet for our table on Sunday, Stacy wanted to say that contrary to their recent profile in Gourmet magazine, Broadturn Farm does not offer harvest dinners to the public at this time.

Next, it's off to see Stacy at Broadturn Farm in Scarborough for some vegetables and cream to make butter. It's a magical place. We saw some chickens of all sizes... Some happy pigs... Josh decided he had to have a rack of heirloom tomatoes for his restaurant, 158 Pickett Street Cafe & Bakery Little Flora decided she had to have a tomato right away... Broadturn Farm 388 Broadturn Rd. Scarborough ME 04074 207-510-1682

While we wait to gather more details of the menu from some other Deathmatch chefs, I'll break down my contribution to the evening and show how it got to the table. This is the Bangs Island Mussel Farm operated by Ocean Approved LLC. They are old friends from the sea urchin diving gig I had back in the '90s. Every so often they need an extra hand so I pull my boots on and meet them at six AM for a day harvesting - or seeding - rope-grown mussels. Since I am closely involved here, mussels are the obvious choice for Deathmatch. Here are some photos I took from a trip out to the raft last year. This is Bernie choosing a "dropper" that has market-ready mussels. They are scraped off the rope and loaded into a conveyor for cleaning. They are scrubbed clean of mud and barnacles, then de-bearded and bagged for retail and restaurants as far as Austin, Texas I called Bernie and arranged to pick up 60 lbs a couple days before Deathmatch. The Pickett Street Posse worked well into Saturday night cooking them off and extracting their delicious little meats.

Right you are, CSASphinx. The Pickett Street Posse visited Broadturn Farm Saturday to pick up some fennel, cipollini Onions, garlic, tomatoes, various squash, fresh milk and cream, and a fabulous bouquet of flowers. Stacy Brenner and Josh have been chums for a while. I know another team visited Sumner Valley Farm in Oxford county early Friday morning to get fresh milk, heavy cream, butter, beef lard (deep frying capabilities!), eggs, and chickens. The party was a whirlwind as usual so when I connect with the others shortly, I'll know more local ingredient sources and what was created with them for the Deathmatch.

Forage... Grow... Kill... Deathmatch, an occasional gathering of chefs and other restaurant professionals working in Portland Maine, considers a different challenge at each event. Each dish reflects the criteria in a unique way, with interesting, and usually wonderful results. In the past, the criteria has been Foie Gras, Deer/Venison, Japanese cuisine, and for a visit from Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, a special Deathmatch using bizarre ingredients indigenous to Maine. This Deathmatch, the challenge was to use ingredients that you found, grew or killed yourself, with an allowance of one degree of separation. So if your friend farms vegetables or raises chickens, the chain of acquisition is very close, short of getting it yourself (bonus points if you did). Therefore, the fresh-factor is obviously high, as is support for our local food community. It was yet another memorable evening with remarkable food. I will attempt to break down the feast in the following posts, as well as list the local sources where it all came from. Welcome to Deathmatch Summer 2008!

From the folks at Rabelais Books, this nugget from their newsletter:

Finally went to Portland Lobster Co on 180 Commercial St. Amazing how such a little kitchen handles such a tiny sliver of real estate on that downtown wharf considering the crush of people there last night. We were 10 adults and 4 children. It is strictly clam-shack style where you order, wait and pick-up trays of fried food or lobsters with condiments in little 1oz cups. All in all, it was pretty good. I had a Maine Lobster Dinner, 1&1/2lb with fries, coleslaw & lemon (market$: US$27.95) Add steamers and corn for another 7 or so bucks. Others at the table pronounced their lobster rolls and Fisherman's Platters satisfactory. Fries were very good. Fried onion rings had an herb in the batter which was nice. Beer and Wine flowed freely with three bar keeps - all popular local beer brands were represented. There is no wait service, just a bus boy and gal. There appears to be live music every night. I'd say these folks are doing a whopping business.

Outstanding! Thanks for the report weinoo! This year's best in the New England Forum, by far!

I see the point that there are those who take snapping their plates too far and without respect for those around them and some of those blogs should be swept into the internet rubbish heap. But nevertheless they are a scrapbook, or creative outlet for their authors so by all means, let 'em go for it. Then there are the compulsive chefs who forbid this or that in their restaurants - a price for whatever genius got them to whatever level of greatness. By all means, let 'em go for it too. I think all of us are here because we share a passion like Chufi's I enjoy the different views we at eG share on certain foods or cooking and we're richer for it, but had the internet never been invented and all of this impossible, for me, the table would still be a temple, and the plate it's alter, and I'll photograph what interests me - conditions permitting - as long as I can.Incidentally, I recently received a big box of slides from my aging dad. I found a few of a huge raucous feast in Brazil from back in the sixties. Thank god he'd had the foresight to snap a few back then because it's history now.

Thanks, though it ended up looking lots cooler than I planned: I placed the mussel mixture in a small bowl lined with large basil leaves, which I managed by some sort of comical contortion to drop straight down on this plate. A tuck here and a tuck there, a little plastic wrap, and we have a presentation I never imagined at first, but will continue to experiment with from now on.

Mussels in a curry/mayo sauce, with a touch of cumin and chipotle powder, wrapped in basil

A mini terrine, perhaps?