For our new series on healthy meal ideas, we’re going straight to the source: the people behind the North Fork’s pristine produce, seafood and poultry. Learn what a day of eating looks like at their homes.
Meg Dowe | Yennicott Oysters
Meg Dowe comes from a long line of oyster farmers — 10 generations to be exact. She and her husband, Cam Dowe, run Yennicott Oysters and Tilth and Smoke Farm, growing not only oysters but produce, flowers and herbs and raising bees as well. For Dowe, food is all about bringing pleasure. Her celiac disease and sensitivity to dairy force her to cook gluten- and dairy-free, but her diet is far from boring. She is constantly eating food from her farm and incorporating oysters into her dishes. And some days, even call for a daiquiri or glass of wine.
Sunday
Waking to the sun casting light on the billowing clouds, I knew it was going to be a windy day. Since March I have been weaving together a support system of friends and community to keep things afloat. This Sunday morning the coffee grinder is whizzing with extra beans for my friend who will be helping me on the farm. All of the adjustments living in the age of Covid has made us use creativity and build a network of fellow growers for survival. It has also brought attention to the amazing resources we have at our doorstep. It is amazing that you can locally buy eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, wine and fresh seafood, all from small family run farms.
My husband delivers an extra-large latte to the kitchen. I start breakfast; pour some gluten-free, dairy-free buckwheat batter into the waffle iron, fry up some super thick bacon and scramble local eggs with garden herbs and sunchokes. We head off to the oyster grounds and spend a windy day on the water. I’ve packed a thermos full of homemade bone broth with broccoli and mushrooms, some tea and we dig into my stash of potato chips. We finish up the day and head back with the setting sun. At home, the music is playing and my friend, Georgette, is shaking up a classic Daiquiri. Together we chop up vegetables from KK’s the Farm and start building an Ad Hoc chickpea coconut curry stew. I have black rice in the cooker and we put together a garden salad with white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. All is good and we are sitting down and relaxing in 25 mins.
“My husband delivers an extra-large latte to the kitchen. I start breakfast; pour some gluten-free, dairy-free buckwheat batter into the waffle iron, fry up some super thick bacon and scramble local eggs with garden herbs and sunchokes. We head off to the oyster grounds and spend a windy day on the water. I’ve packed a thermos full of homemade bone broth with broccoli and mushrooms, some tea and we dig into my stash of potato chips. We finish up the day and head back with the setting sun. At home, the music is playing and my friend Georgette is shaking up a classic daiquiri. Together we chop up vegetables from KK’s The Farm and start building an ad hoc chickpea coconut curry stew. I have black rice in the cooker and we put together a garden salad with white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. All is good and we are sitting down and relaxing in 25 minutes.”
Monday
Monday is catch up with a really basic breakfast of gluten-free toast and avocado. I pop in and out of the kitchen cooking things for the week while doing tasks and paperwork. I make up a gluten-free, dairy-free corn chowder with oysters and potatoes, zucchini noodles with KK’s pesto and a green tea. The weather is getting cold, and we are craving hearty things. I make up a pot of beef and bean chili verde with vegetables, repurpose the black rice and toss together an arugula salad with roasted delicata squash from Deep Roots farm. We splurge and open up a bottle of Pomerol, French red wine.
Tuesday
Tuesday is a boat day! The weather is amazing, the bay is calm and the sun is shining. This morning I get an early start and have some gluten-free toast and homemade broth for breakfast. The tide ends up working against me, so I head in for a late lunch. It’s leftover chili with corn tortillas and a small garden salad with toasted seeds. The rest of the day I’m drinking elderberry tea outside while sorting oysters and fixing equipment. By the end of the day, I’m starving and need a steak. I found the best way to cook steak at home is in a really hot cast iron skillet. I put a quick sear on it, add roasted garden peppers and make up a gluten-free sorghum whiskey peppercorn sauce. I had some pre-cooked potatoes, smashed them in a skillet tossed with some herbs and olive oil cooking them until crispy, quickly sautéed some spinach with ginger and sat down for a nice quiet dinner with my husband and a glass of Pomerol.
