We have such a great resource right down the street from our Inn. www.dryridgeinn.com We have been enjoying the fresh seafood that is available from one of the vendors. The last couple of weeks, Wednesday night here at the the Inn has been Scallops night. These are JUMBO Scallops out of the ocean off of the North Carolina Coast no more that 24 hours earlier.
Weaverville Tailgate Market Celebrates the
Flavors of Summer!
July 29th, 2009
2:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Lake Louise Community Center
Pepper and Corn roasting
Michael Gentry of the Sustainable Gourmet
Tomato tastings
Music
Come celebrate the bountiful flavors of summer with us!
http://www.buyappalachian.org/listing/1441
Scallops are most commonly harvested using scallop dredges or bottom trawls. Nowadays there is also a market for scallops harvested by divers. Scallops are hand-caught on the ocean floor, as opposed to being dragged across the sea floor by a dredge which causes them to collect sand. As a result, diver scallops tend to be less gritty. They can also be more ecologically friendly, as the harvesting method does not cause damage to undersea flora or fauna. In addition, the normal harvesting methods often mean delays of up to two weeks before the scallops arrive at market, which can cause the flesh to break down, and results in a much shorter shelf life.
In Western cuisine, scallops are commonly sautéed in butter, or else breaded and deep fried. Scallops are commonly paired with light semi-dry white wines. In the U.S., when a scallop is prepared, usually only the adductor muscle is used; the other parts of the scallop surrounding the muscle are ordinarily discarded. Sometimes markets sell scallops already prepared in the shell with only the adductor muscle intact. Outside the U.S. the scallop is often sold whole.
