Once again I've teamed up with Bainbridge Island Parks & Rec and master shellfish grower John Adams of Taylor Shellfish to offer shellfish foraging and cooking classes at beautiful Dosewallips State Park, near Quilcene, Washington.
Students will meet at the park, on the west side of Hood Canal. From there we'll explore one of the most productive shellfish estuaries on the West Coast. The Dosewallips River tumbles out of the Olympic Mountains to the west, mixing cold, glacial melt with the salt water of Puget Sound, promoting an abundance of intertidal life. Several species of oysters and clams populate these tidelands, and we'll also see eagles, ospreys, seals, and lots of other wildlife. Sometimes a herd of elk even comes down to the beach!
After a crash course in the biology of our local shellfish, we'll learn how to find and identify a variety of oysters and clams; how to forage them in quantity; and how to process our haul. At the park picnic shelter we'll change out of our boots and cook our catch, learning the finer points of shellfish cuisine, from shucking oysters to making steamed clam dishes that will delight your dinner guests.
The coup de grace is a potluck meal that will include at least two clam dishes, all the raw oysters you can eat, and—on cold or wet days—barbecued oysters around a warm fire. These potlucks have also been known to involve impromptu beer and wine tastings, homemade charcuterie, and all other manner of hearty food and drink. Each student will go home with a bucket full of clams and oysters.
Note: Geoduck classes are smaller, do not include oysters, and cost $135/person.