News from Penn Cove Shellfish

Newsletter Header photo

Penn Cove Shellfish Newsletter

April 2011

Welcome to the April edition of the Penn Cove Shellfish Newsletter!

Spring has finally sprung up here in the Northwest. Birds are singing, kids are finally playing outside and Penn Cove Mussels are growing like crazy. In addition to our Mediterranean Mussels, we recently started harvesting our 2011 crop of Penn Cove Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) and are now shipping them across the country. Although not as well known as our Mediterranean Mussels outside the Seattle area, the Penn Cove Mussels are very sweet and flavorful and they really fill the shell nicely. carlos

When it comes to live shellfish, fresh is always best. Our mussels are harvested after orders are placed and shipped early the next morning. Our oysters and clams are wet stored in Penn Cove where they continue to thrive and feed until orders are placed. Along with our mussels, they are shipped and in most cases delivered within 24 hrs of being pulled from the water at Penn Cove. We take great pride in our ability to offer the absolute freshest, highest quality shellfish. Worldwide or just down the street, we only deliver our products at their the best.

We hope you visit our Penn Cove Shellfish website to learn more about us and our products. Also here's a link to our most recent Oyster Evaluation Sheet.

Call Keith Paddock anytime you have any questions or comments about

Penn Cove Shellfish at 360-678-4803 or email keith@penncoveshellfish.com

Boston Seafood Show in Review

Boston Booth display 08
We had a fantastic time at the Boston show again this year. The word is out on just how great West Coast Oysters, Mussels and Clams are.

Not only did we create more business opportunities but along with that made some new friends as well. Thank you to all of our new business friends and we look forward to a long and properous relationship with you.

We will do everything we can to deliver you the highest quality shellfish and the best customer service in the industry.

Shout out to Schlafly in St Louis!

Once again it was a crazy, fun filled weekend in St Louis with our friends at the Schlafly Brewery and their Stout and Oyster festival last month. Over 20,000 oysters and a heckuva lot of beer was served up in 3 days of laughing, shucking and jiving. Thank you Stewart, Stephen, Sarah and the gang for a great time! And to anyone who is visiting St. Louis do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a great meal and a fantastic beer at the Schlafly Brewery!

Penn Cove Mussels now available in 2 pound retail bags

We are happy to announce that we are now offering our Mediterranean Mussels and Penn Cove Mussels in convenient 2 pound bags.

Perfect for display and just the right size, the 2 pound bags are grea for your retail customers to grab and go. They even have string handles for to carry away. Another nice feature is there is less handling for the seafood departments and therefore less damage to the mussels as well. To see for your self just ask for a sample 2 pound bag with your next order.

Recipe of the Month- Curried Wok Roasted Mussels by Andrew Zimmern

2 pounds Penn Cove Mussels

2T peanut oil

1/2 cup sake

3 smashed garlic cloves

3T julienned fresh ginger

1 dried red chile

1t Thai green curry paste, and yes you should use a fresh one from your local Asian market, but barring that a commercial one is OK, just be careful of brand with too much sodium/stabilizers etc (Thai Kitchens brand is fine)

1/2 cup coconut milk

10 basil leaves

3T sliced shallots

1/2c up julienned carrot

1t fish sauce

1T lime juice

Mint and cilantro for garnish

Place a wok over high heat and add the oil

When just barely smoking and oil is 'smiling' add the garlic, ginger, chiles and curry paste.

Swirl and add the shallots, carrots, basil.

Add the mussels.

Toss several times

Swirl and add the sake and coconut milk.

Cover and cook until mussels are open. This will only take a few minutes. Remove lid.

Season with the fish sauce and lime. Swirl and count to 30.

Serve, garnishing with julienne mint and cilantro

Penn Cove Mussel Video

mussel photo

Here's a nice video the local Seattle show "Northwest Backroads" made with our General Manager Ian Jefferds about Penn Cove Shellfish and our mussel farming operation.

Penn Cove Mussel Farming Video

Oyster of the Month :

The Deer Creek

A perfectly sized oyster for those just beginning to discover one of nature's best kept secrets. This 2.5-3 inch extra small oyster, is just the right sized to taste and yet full of a fresh, briny and crisp flavor to leave one desiring more. This little oyster is grown on the cobble beaches of the Puget Sound in the heart of oyster country. Harvested at approximately two years of age, it has a round and deep cup and is flush with meat. The intertidal culture process leaves this young oyster with a good hardened shell which is perfect for shucking.

Shellfish Nutrition

It's good for you!

The nutrition of shellfish is often overlooked because people are too busy enjoying eating shellfish to worry about the healthy qualities of what they are eating.

Putting aside all of the famed aphrodisiacal qualities of shellfish for the moment; If you had just one thing to eat from the sea.. Mussels, clams or oysters are a great tasting and extremely healthy choice. Shellfish are loaded with essential minerals, protein, vitamins B12 and C, and Omega-3 fatty acids to help keep cholesterol levels in check.

Our shellfish are low in fat and calories, like a lean piece of beef or chicken, and as with anything else, it is how you cook them or what you eat with them that you want to watch if you are counting calories.

Some Schlafly Photos