Under the Big Top – Lobster Tent Sale at Bayview and Ralph’s Thriftway

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By Mary Ellen Psaltis

lobster olympia
Ralph’s Thriftway Meat and Seafood Manager, Adam Beasley, is moving lobsters to the parking lot on Friday.

Autumn weather is blowing in from all directions, but take heart. Grab your jacket, if necessary, and come to the Lobster Sale under the giant tent on Friday at Ralph’s Thriftway and November 7 at Bayview Thriftway.

Adam Beasley, Meat and Seafood Manager, will be moving the goods outside to offer live and cooked lobsters, clams and oysters. The big tent recalls summery circus memories for me. But since the weather has been cooling down, I will be considering using my luscious ingredients for more heart and body-warming meals.

Treat yourself like French royalty and indulge in the luxury of Lobster Thermidor. Tender lobster meat is mixed with egg yolks, mustard and brandy (often cognac) then topped with oven-browned Gruyere cheese. Emeril Lagasse’s recipe adds crispy bacon and uses Parmesan cheese and white wine. You can save time and effort by letting Ralph’s cook your lobsters for you. It will give you time to light the candles and set the table.

Oysters can be cooked right on the barbeque grill (now there’s a bit of summer spirit).  No shucking involved. When the water inside the shells turns to steam they will pop open and be ready to eat. Drizzle with a spicy Thai sauce and serve.

With the availability of fresh clams and local potatoes and leeks, clam chowder sounds mighty fine. Salt pork is often used as seasoning, but meat is not required for your soup. Paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley and thyme and a bay leaf add plenty of flavors. If you have an ear or two of corn left in your store, roast or steam them then include these nuggets, too. If not, add a package of frozen corn.

My new friend Erica Wright from Jamaica suggested this idea for cooking shellfish. Put thyme, scallions, hot pepper, garlic and butter in a pot to boil. Add fish. Cooking time depends on pot size and number of shells. Crack and eat directly from the shells. She recommended serving these tasty morsels with rice.

bayview school of cooking
Bayview Thriftway will host the lobster sale on November 7.

From a nutritional point of view, there are many plusses for seafood. You will get vitamins such as B12 and micronutrients like potassium. For me seafood sits lighter in my stomach yet provides substantial protein. The generally milder tastes allow for seasonings of all sorts.

Beasley has fun with the tent sale. He likes “working with customers. They get excited.” I asked long-time cashier Barb Kneeland what she liked about the lobster sale. A smile came to her face. She recalled that in the past (maybe more than once) a band of Evergreen students have pooled their resources to purchase a fresh lobster with the intent of releasing it in the Sound. Fish tale? You decide.

The Lobster Tent Sale begins on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. and goes as long as supplies last. Bayview Thriftway will host the Lobster Tent Sale on November 7.  Beasley is hoping for a bit of summer-like sunshine, but the event will take place rain or shine. Of course, inside both Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway you can find anything you might need for your fish feast – salad makings, fresh vegetables, wine and even those candles you’ll have the time to light.

Eat Well – Be Well

 

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