Josh Bouma, of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, overlooks the Port Madison Community Shellfish Garden. Triploid Pacific Oysters are tended by an army of volunteers for nearly 2 years before harvesting. Similar to community garden spaces found in urban areas, a community shellfish farm is a volunteer driven, small scale, aquaculture operation designed to connect the people living in the area with the production of their seafood. Unlike a land-based garden, where a small parcel of space is “rented” by an individual and farmed however the tenant sees fit, this oyster farm is managed by an experienced biologist and shellfish farmer, Josh Bouma. Members of the community then volunteer their services in seeding, sorting, and harvesting oysters, and Bob and Vance count out 250 oysters to put into each of the grow bags. From there, they will feed and grow in the cool salty waters of Port Madison.
What is the reward for all of their hard work? Port Madison Petites that are delightfully compact, bursting with a sweet and briny goodness. These single shell, deep cup oysters are specially farmed to be popped open and enjoyed in a single bite. Sure, you can add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of hot sauce, but the unique characteristics of this particular site comes from the salty ocean water naturally mixing with the fresh water seepage to create a truly delicious oyster. It takes up to 1.5 years on the grow site to grow a deep cupped oyster. These oysters bring the community together and down to the beach. They are able to see where their food is coming from and have a hand in how it is produced. Instead of ordering food to be delivered to their front door, farm members actively get to see and care for the environment their food is grown in, gaining a quality product along the way. All dressed up and ready to go with hot chili oil, cilantro, fermented black beans, cold papaya salad, and a fresh squeeze of lime. Both are delicious!
Hatchery-reared, single-shell oysters are placed in special bags, similar to what commercial growers use. The result is a single shelled oyster with a deep cup and a plump oyster inside. The flavor and mouthfeel of these special treasure chests of the tide flats is perfect for slurping. Even though they are Pacific Oysters, a fairly common oyster throughout the world, the method in how and where they are grown puts these oysters in a category all their own. Similar to fine wines, the environment that these oysters are raised in imparts distinctive flavor notes found only in oysters from this unique area of Puget Sound.
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