1 Photo
Back in the 1980s, New York Times food critic Florence Fabricant asked me if I thought Long Island had a distinctive regional cuisine.
Florence, who has traveled the world extensively to write with intelligence and wit about food trends, was curious about the intersection of the burgeoning wine industry here with the region’s established farms and fisheries. At the time, although I answered her that the efforts of local vintners paired well with local duck, potatoes, and seafood, I felt that the repertory was limited, in part by the agricultural monoculture of potatoes, and also by the predominance of just a few grape varieties, especially chardonnay and merlot. Also, back then, only a handful of restaurateurs—notably, John Ross, Ted Conklin, and Tom Schaudel—made any effort to feature “grown on Long Island.”
Today, chardonnay and merlot remain the region’s most-planted varieties, and the leading food crop here is still potatoes. But the range of other crops has become so wonderfully diverse, better prepared, and so much better distributed that we can all agree: a Long Island regional cuisine not only exists; it is worthy of acclaim and celebration.
On August 25, at the Hampton Classic Fairgrounds in Bridgehampton, the Long Island Merlot Alliance, Long Island Wine Council and a grand array of locally-inspired chefs and vintners validated the region with Harvest East End, which was rightly touted as “a joyful nod to the product of our farms, seas and skies, transformed into artful and delicious dishes by our region’s talented chefs.”
Coming together to salute the upcoming harvest, and also to benefit the Peconic Land Trust, the Group for the East End and East End Hospice, hundreds of happy tasters and tipplers (many, fresh off the beach and barely covered in summer frocks) went from station to station, exclaiming over such delicacies as scallop mousse with lobster mayonnaise, Balsam Farms sweet corn and scallion salad and crispy duck tongues.
Duck tongues? As Donald Duck would say, “Thsssuffering thuccotash!”
They were fabulous, tender bite-sized morsels, freshly deep-fried and crispy. Everyone loved them.
And the wines, too: this snazzy crowd was full of oohs and aahs, as its members discovered Palmer’s zesty Albariño, Sparkling Pointe’s vivacious bubblies, Sherwood House’s classic chardonnay, Channing Daughters’ unique Mosaico, Suhuru’s deeply fruity “Red” meritage. This abundance revealed the very flavors that define the region.
No artifice was needed to tart up these foods and wines; simple was best. There was corn directly from the field, oysters plucked from the bay, chardonnay bottled from the fermenter and duck straight from the quack. At Harvest, all were fresh, aromatic and exciting.
On Long Island, right now, it’s not just that tomatoes taste tomatoey, or clams taste briny. There is something more: an innately vivacious quality and delicacy define our cuisine.
The days to harvest here are sunny, but it’s a hazy sun. The temperatures are warm, but moderately so. The winds are softly breezy.
Grapes and field crops ripen slowly but steadily, so that sugars develop while natural fruit acids and esters remain fresh. Unlike the irrigated deserts that provide the bulk of America’s food and wine, Long Island’s agricultural lands are rain-fed and friable; the soils drain well and cultivate easily.
Long Island’s produce has always been fine, but the Harvest event pointed up the real revolution here: we are evolving from commodity crops to specialty crops. Old-timers like Art Ludlow, Marilee Foster, John Halsey and the Sidor family have adapted or changed the potato farms of their forbears to make cheeses, grow heirloom vegetables, make cider and potato chips—value-added products unique to the region.
Newcomers raise oysters and breed Charolais beef, free-range chickens, pigs and goats. They cultivate mesclun, lavender, golden raspberries, Mr. Stripey tomatoes and bok choy.
And as for the grapes, Long Island wines express an increasing range of grape varieties and of personal styles.
Finally, the potential of the region is fulfilled, and celebrated.
More Posts from 
