GOLDEN BAY MUSSELS

We like mussels at our house.... a budget-conscious and delicious buy from Monterey Fish. Plus the quick prep makes for an easy dinner. At home in California, foraging for Mussels is a no-no. Quarantine signs warn of contamination and unhealthy waters.

For the first time in my life, we got to harvest our own mussels off the shore! We were recently in Golden Bay, New Zealand - tucked into the lightly populated shores on the gorgeous South Island, the waters are clean and harvesting seafood from the beaches is just fine.

We heard that the tides were low at ten am, so off we set with a few buckets in hand. Within 15 minutes we had plenty of mussels to cook up.

In trying to keep our meal as simple and local as possible, we threw together an easy spaghetti with mussels. We borrowed a few spices from our neighbor, harvested some herbs from the garden there, then walked to the nearby market and bought some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, local onions, butter, olive oil, sea salt, and pasta.

Mussels with White Wine and Herbs

Not everyone cooks mussels at home, but if you are a fan of these beauties, try cooking your own and you will be highly rewarded.  If mussels are a new ingredient in your kitchen, this classic french recipe is a great introduction. With few ingredients, little expense, and minimal preparation, you will be eating a steaming bowl of mussels in less than a half hour.

The bright flavor of spring onions from our garden, the crisp mineral of the wine, and the briny taste of the mussels were enough to entice our six year old to devour at least a half dozen of these lovelies.

"Tastes like the ocean", we all agreed.

INGREDIENTS
adapted from Patricia Wells's Bistro Cooking

• 2 pounds fresh mussels
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 bunch spring onion (or one large onion), minced
• 1/2 celery stalk, minced
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bunch parsley

Rinse and scrub mussels with cold water. Remove beard by simply snipping with scissors.

In a Dutch Oven or large pot, combine mussels, thyme, white wine, celery, and onions. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook covered about 5 minutes until mussels shells open. Toss out any mussels that don't open after cooking.

Immediately serve mussels in their shells. Either sop up the liquid with crusty bread or heap mussels and their cooking liquid on top of fettuccine. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and lots of fresh pepper. Eat right away.

Why don't we make mussels more often?

Serves 2-4