Chesapeake Caramel Corn

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Did you guys know that March 9th is National Crab Day? It’s true. So, while I’m counting down the days until I’ll be taking the back road to Saxis to buy a bushel of #1’s right off the boat, we’re not quite there yet. Nevertheless,I still wanted to mark the occasion here on the blog by sharing some crab-centric recipe recipe with you guys.

Now, it’s a well known fact that folks here on the Eastern Shore will put Old Bay on just about darned near anything and everything. In fact, I think it’s probably a part of my blood content at this point in my life. My dad had me dipping crabs in vinegar spiked with Old Bay as far back as I can remember, probably even before I started on solid foods. Heh. And, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Whether it’s a more traditional application of the seasoning – like steamed blue crabs or succulent steamed shrimp. To something a little more unconventional- like sprinkled on top of a creamy potato salad or a Chesapeake Bloody Mary. Or maybe by adding a subtle spicy twist to a batch of your homemade caramel corn…

I happen to adore salty and sweet combos to begin with. But add in a little spicy kick with a few savory notes going on (I’m looking at you celery seed),  and you really have something quite phenomenal going on.

I’m going to be making batches of this all summer long to take out on the boat with us for our fishing trips and beach days. It stays good for a few weeks if kept fresh in an airtight container, not that it will last that long. Handy to have on hand!

Chesapeake Caramel Corn

1 cup popcorn kernels, un-popped
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Old Bay

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.

Pop popcorn using your preferred method, I use and air-popper and have to do two batches. Place the popped popcorn onto the baking sheets.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 5 more minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract, and 3 tsp Old Bay. The mixture will bubble up and become frothy. Evenly drizzle the caramel sauce over the popcorn on the baking sheets, and use a silicone spatula to gently toss and coat thoroughly. It’s okay if there are some clumps of caramel throughout, it will melt and coat popcorn while baking.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, removing from the oven to stir every 15 minutes or so.

Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack, and season with an remaining Old Bay – about 1 tsp per tray. Stir one last time, and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in an airtight container for storage.

Coconut Lime Macaroons

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Have you guys ever heard the song “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson? We’re talking old school here, kids. If you haven’t, listen to it – it’s such a fun song. A song that I can’t help but singing out loud when I’m making mixing these babies up. My apologies in advance, it’ll be stuck in your head for a week! One of the lyrics is “put the lime in the coconut and you’ll feel better”… Harry was onto something – these little bites are a true taste of summer days, something that I’ve desperately been needing a dose of lately.

Macaroons are kind of an old fashioned sweet made with egg whites and shredded coconut. They’re great, because they’re really adaptable to switching up with different flavor combinations. But to be honest, you’re not going to want to look any further than the addition of the fresh zesty lime…

I got the recipe from my friends at Main Street Shop & Coffeehouse, who offer them in the afternoons when they’re open in season. I’m missing so many things now that everything is closed for the winter here on Chincoteague Island. Spring can’t come soon enough, y’all.

These macs couldn’t be easier to whip together, using just a few simple ingredients. Since they don’t have a bunch of butter, or oil, or egg yolks – they’re not too bad on the waistline. Also gluten-free for all you folks looking out for that.

After baking until golden brown, I let them cool and then give a nice drizzle of dark chocolate. They freeze beautifully, it’s nice to have a few on hand to package up as a little treat for someone you love. This recipe makes a dozen, so if I’m baking for a crowd I’ll often double it. They always fly out the door at bake sales! 

Coconut-Lime Macaroons

3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
(14 oz) bag sweetened shredded coconut
zest of 1 lime
juice of lime
pinch kosher salt
semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and sugar until combined and nice and frothy, about 2 minutes.

Add the almond extract, coconut, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Mix to combine well.

Using a large cookie (cupcake) scoop, pack the mixture into the scoop using clean hands, leveling off. Place on baking sheet. They won’t spread, so no worries on spacing issues.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool for about an hour. Meanwhile, mix chocolate chips and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl and nuke for about 1 minute. Remove and stir using a spoon until chocolate finishes melting. Drizzle chocolate over macaroons.

Let chocolate harden before placing in airtight container. Store in freezer for maximum freshness.

Source: recipe adapted from Martha Stewart via my baking friend Karen

Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Herb Butter

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Fall has arrived here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia – which means, oyster harvests are in full swing in the waters surrounding our little peninsula. From the salts on the seaside, to the sweeter guys harvested out of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers on the western shore – we have such an amazing variety of oysters in Virginia.

A couple of weeks ago the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce hosted it’s 45th Annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival – an event that’s anticipated all year long. Fried oysters, steamed oysters, raw oysters…a true celebration of the briny bivalve.

I was running around taking photos to earn my keep, in exchange for my ticket. But, I managed to tote over my little portable grill and snag a few oysters to throw on it, to get some photos to share of this super easy way to prepare them with you guys.

Oysters on the half, brushed with a simple garlic-herb butter while on the grill. Couldn’t get easier, delicious, or more impressive. If shucking isn’t your thing, you can steam them until they pop open, and then pry off the top shell – the garlic butter will still keep them plump and juicy.

If you’re really lucky, like I was on this particular day, you may find a tiny friend lurking inside your oyster. Pea crabs are considered a delicacy by many around here, tender yet slightly crunchy little crustacean parasites that like to set up shop inside our oysters. We eat them, but if it’s not your thing – by all means, serve them their final eviction notice before enjoying.

A few minutes on the grill is all you need, just until you see the butter start to sizzle. A little squeeze of fresh lemon juice to finish.  Enjoy them hot, and be prepared to reload the grill. You can’t eat just one!

Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Herb Butter

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
12 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
24 large oysters, shucked and on half-shell
fresh lemon wedges, for serving

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and herbs and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat your grill to the low end of the high spectrum (about 450 degrees).

Carefeully place oysters on the grill and spoon a small amount of the garlic butter into the center of each oyster (about 1 tsp). Cover, and let oysters cook for about 5 minutes.

Once the butter is sizzling and they oysters have plumped up, they’re ready. Remove from the grill and let cool for a couple of minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges and give a squeeze just before enjoying.

Day Trip To Tangier Island

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Living on the Eastern Shore, and Chincoteague in particular, we spend alot of time out on the boat in the summertime. It’s not flashy or fancy, a 23-foot Carolina Skiff – but the vessel we’ve dubbed the “Flat Bottomed Girl” always gets us where we need to go safely. We usually keep to the waters around the island – either hanging at Little Beach (the locals spot on Assateague Island, only accessible by boat), fishing a few miles offshore (bagging some keeper flounder), or finding a new secluded beach for some beachcombing (#teamchesapeake for life). Needless to say, it’s been a great summer for our family!

This past weekend we hooked up the boat, and trailered her over to the Chesapeake Bay side of the shore to drop in for a day of exploration on the bayside. Our destination? Tangier Island. A tiny dot on the map, smack dab in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. I’ve lived here 20 years now, and growing up reading books like “Beautiful Swimmers” by William Warner, and it’s always been at the top of my list. So, my heart was so full to finally make the voyage across the Pocomoke Sound!

We docked in town at the ferry dock to try to figure out where we could tie up to disembark on the island. Next time we’ll go to Parks Marina and dock there  – $5 buys you a slip all day. But the gentleman who were with the Steven Thomas, (the ferry that departs Crisfield to Tangier daily) and  own the dock we tied to, were so friendly and told us to just stay docked right where we were. We took them up on their offer. Good people, I tell you!

We walked around town for a bit. The island is 3 miles long, by 2 miles wide. A good amount of that space is taken up by vast, lush green marshlands. You’ll find narrow alleyways adorned with tiny coastal cottages, little shops, a local history museum, and large pathways cutting through the heart of the marsh that connect the three main clusters of communities to each other.

And of course crab houses and workboats, as far as the eye can see. Canals also connect parts of the town, lots of folks were zipping around in little skiffs and jonboats. The Venice of the Chesapeake!

We went into a couple of the little shops (I’m always a sucker for a local cookbook), treated ourselves to slushies and ice cream at Four Brothers Crabhouse – a great spot to grab a quick bite,   and moseyed around town soaking it all in. Next time dinner and sunset are definitely on the agenda. I’d also like to take a tour by golf cart. Lots of locals offer this service right when you get off the ferry. It’s a great way to see the town and learn some local history from those who know it best!

Speaking of those locals, they speak a form of Old English dialect. Many of the settlers came from the Cornwall region of England hundreds of years ago, and since the island is so isolated – the accent has remained. I couldn’t help but listen to conversations, just to hear them “cut up” in their native tongue. I love to hear an old Chincoteaguer talk, but a Tanigerman? Could listen to words, quirky sayings and  their legendary “backwards talk” all day long…

Afterwards we hopped back in the boat to head home, but not before we did a little bit more exploring. Went a bit to the north and anchored off of Uppards, the northernmost portion of the island. It was once inhabited 50 years ago, but erosion has taken it’s toll. Now it’s nothing but sandy beach and marshland.

I did a little beachcombing while the Jon and the boys enjoyed some time off the boat in the water and on the beach. You may have seen Tangier in the news recently, in national media reports. But, it’s another thing to see a headstone laying in the shoreline for yourself. The folks on Tangier have always been good at making due with what they have, and not relying on help – from anyone. But, they really need help from the outside to help combat the erosion problem. It’s a serious time-sensitive issue. Hopefully all this attention in the media lately will help on that front. I want my little ones to be able to bring their little ones to this special and unique place, in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay, and share it with them one day.

Afterwards we took the 20 minute ride home across the sound. It was dinnertime, so we docked at Capt E’s Hurricane Bar & Grill in Saxis and enjoyed dinner. That’s such a fun little spot – good eats, drinks, and atmosphere. It’s also very convenient to dock and eat. Always alot of griping trying to get the boat on the trailer with hungry kiddos…

After a dinner of soft shell sandwiches (washed down by a Grapefruit Crush) we pulled the boat out and headed home.  It was a great day visiting our neighbors in the Bay, so different than my little coastal community, yet so much the same. You could say that for most of the towns here on the Eastern Shore, I guess. They all weave together to create the special fabric that is life here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. And for that, I’m so thankful that I get to call this place home!

It was only our first time, but most definitely won’t be our last. Thanks for giving the Davis family such a memorable day, Tangier! We will be back soon.