Chesapeake Bay News

Six junior chefs from Maryland competed for top honors in the 4th annual Junior Chefs Rockfish Cooking Contest.  The event, which was sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Marketing Program and the Sea Grant programs of the universities of Maryland and Delaware, took place on Jan. 29 as part of the 2011 East Coast Commercial Fisherman’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition in Ocean City.

The contest was part of the Maryland Rockfish Celebration, which is also taking place in Maryland restaurants and retail markets through the end of February.

The following are the results from each division:

Kids Division – Ages 7-12

1st Place: Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.
Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Fillets

2nd Place:  Adriana Maurer, 10, Galestown, Md.
Fancy Rockfish

3rd Place: Jack DiPietro, 12, Timonium, Md.
Jack’s Rockin Rockfish Cakes

Junior Division – Ages 13-17

1st Place: Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.
Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

2nd Place: Brian Miles, Jr., 16, Burtonsville, Md.
Mexicali Rockfish

3rd Place: Mason Mauerr, 16, Galestown, Md.
“Off the Hook” Rockfish

All participants received a plaque and cash prizes of $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. The winning recipe for each category follow:

Amelia’s Devil Made Me Do It Stuffed Rockfish Filets
Amelia DiPietro, 10, Timonium, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillet
dash paprika
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine to taste
1 cup cold water
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 lemon
1 package frozen corn
4 tablespoons butter
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing/Wet Mixture:
1 pound fresh lump crab meat
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons salad mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

TO MAKE THE STUFFING: Mix all wet ingredients together to make a wet mixture. In a separate bowl, add crab meat, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper and toss lightly. Add wet mixture and gently mix together.

TO STUFF ROCKFISH: Place one rockfish fillet on pan, top with deviled crab meat mixture. Take another rockfish fillet and slice lengthwise in the middle as to make a place for the stuffing to show through. Top rockfish with roasted pepper slices and sprinkle with paprika in a frying pan. Add dry white wine, cold water and melted butter and lemon slices. Add rockfish, cover, and cook until done.

Rockfish Ravioli with Pesto Sauce
Julie Ansorge, 16, Olney, Md.

2 pounds rockfish fillets
homemade pasta (below)
homemade pesto (below)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt/pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup orange bell pepper
parsley
basil leaf for garnish

Pasta Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons softened butter

PASTA PREPARATION: Place eggs, water, flour and salt in mixer bowl. With flatbeater, mix for 30 seconds on speed 2. Exchange beater with dough hook and knead for two minutes on speed two. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead one to two minutes.

Process into sheets with rollers. (Contestant’s dish had ravioli approximately 3 to 4 inches across.)

Pan fry rockfish in olive oil and garlic. Set aside to make pesto.

PESTO PREPARATION: Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor and mix at high speed. Add cheese and butter and process just enough to incorporate into the basil mix. Before spooning over the dish, mix in 1 tablespoon of the hot pasta water if necessary for thinning.

RAVIOLI ASSEMBLY: Combine ricotta, egg and parmesan. Add orange bell pepper and parsley to ricotta mixture. Cut rockfish into 1-inch pieces and add to ricotta mixture.

Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto a sheet of pasta dough. Place another sheet of pasta on top and seal ravioli. Boil ravioli for 4-5 minutes. Place four ravioli on a plate. Pour or drizzle pesto sauce on top. Garnish with basil leaf.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be co-hosting a “Celebration of Maryland Seafood” at the Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The purpose of the dinner is to promote Maryland’s diverse and high quality seafood from the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Coast and aquaculture industry through local restaurants,  grocers and other retail markets. By empowering the local seafood market, Maryland is building a sustainable fishery, reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and creating green jobs.

The evening includes a cocktail hour with raw bar and five-course meal featuring Maryland oysters, crabmeat, striped bass (rockfish) and yellow perch.

The event is hosted by the Boatyard Bar & Grill, Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance and Natural Resources Secretary  John Griffin will be featured speakers.

Tickets are $40, which includes all food, tax and gratuity, and will be limited to the first 125 to reserve their spot. Call the Boatyard Bar & Grill at 410-216-6206 to RSVP and for more information.

The annual Bay Bridge Boat Show in Stevensville, MD is scheduled to open its doors with special features April 28 – May 1, 2011.  In its twenty-ninth season, this show is recognized as the largest spring recreational boating extravaganza in the mid Atlantic.

The Marina facility has been completely renovated with high quality floating docks and a more efficient show layout. The revised exhibitor price list will allow your organization to display more boats or boating gear for less money. New show features and regional advertising are expected to attract more visitors to the show than any time in recent history.

For the 2011 show, several attractions are planned:

Delmarva Dock Dog Competition

The Delmarva Dock Dogs are the regional group of the National Dock Dogs, www.dockdogs.com.  They will compete in an above ground pool in three waves: speed retrieval, extreme vertical, and big air.  This competition will bring fun to the show for all ages.

MSSA Rockfish Tournament Weigh Station

The Maryland Saltwater Sportsfishermen’s Association and AllTackle will be adding a weigh station at the Bay Bridge Boat Show for the largest Rockfish Tournament in the Nation.  In addition the Bay Bridge Boat Show will be hosting a weekend rendezvous for the anglers. Adjacent to the weigh station will be a “fishermans pier,” which will house unique fishing boat makes.

Other Show Features

Expansive Food Court

Children’s fishing activities and demonstrations by AllTackle on the weigh station

Daily seminars co-sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Magazine and Annapolis School of Seamanship

Live entertainment at the Pool Bar & Grill

Racing hydroplanes from Kent Island Racing Association

Bay Bridge Boat Show :     April 28 – May 1, 2011.

Show Hours:

Thursday, April 28         Noon to 6pm
Friday, Saturday, April 29-30    10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 1            10am – 5pm

Tickets:

Adults $12.
Children (7-12) $4.
Under 6 Free.
Two day ticket $19

For tickets and complete details:

www.usboat.com
Phone 410-268-8828

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking interested adults to become TEAM (Teaching Environmental Awareness in Maryland) volunteers. Volunteers will educate students about the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s environment through interactive activities in classrooms Statewide.

“Since its inception in 1998, TEAM DNR volunteers have reached over 40,000 elementary and middle school students in Maryland,” said Amy Henry, Conservation Education Specialist at DNR. “Influencing our children to respect and care for the one world we were given will help preserve our natural environment for generations to come.”

Volunteers should have an outgoing personality and a strong desire to protect the Chesapeake Bay. No prior teaching experience is necessary. Currently, TEAM offers schools-free classroom program on the following topics:

* Chesapeake Bay Watershed
* Streams
* Oyster Reefs
* Horseshoe Crabs
* Chesapeake Watermen.

Upcoming Workshops:
February 4 and 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lobby Conference Room, Tawes Building, Annapolis
(Located at 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, 21401)
March 11, 10 a.m. TO 3 p.m., Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary, Lothian
(Located at 1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, 20711)

Participants are asked to bring their own lunch; beverages and snacks will be provided by the TEAM program.

To register for this training, contact Amy Henry at 410.260.8828 or ahenry@dnr.state.md.us. For more information about TEAM DNR, visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/education/teamdnr

source: MD DNR

January 11, will mark the start of the second season of Boatyard Bar & Grill and PropTalk’s popular “Anglers Night Out Fishing Flick & Tales.”

Every other Tuesday through the end of March, anglers from around the Bay will gather at the Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis MD to eat, drink, and spin interesting fishing stories, fairy tales, and anecdotes.

The series features fishing movies and documentaries shot around the world shown super-size on the Boatyard’s large, high-definition projection screen. The event is held in the Boatyard Market Section with seating limited to 40, so be sure to get there early. Dinner and drinks start at 6 p.m. with specials on meatloaf and half-price bottles of wine. The feature presentation starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

The January 11 feature is “RISE,” by Confluence Films, the same producers of the popular “DRIFT” documentary shown last year during the inaugural series of Anglers Night Out events. The documentary features freshwater and saltwater fishing in locales such as Venezuela, Idaho, Florida, Alaska, New Orleans, and Patagonia.

The 2011 East Coast Commercial Fisherman’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition is fast approaching, and this year’s show will once again be offering young chefs a chance to show off their skills.  This year’s expo will mark the 13th year of the East Coast Junior Watermen’s Show, and all chefs between the ages of 7 and 17 are encouraged to enter their best Rockfish recipes in the 4th Annual Junior Chefs Rockfish Cook-Off.  The top ten finalists will compete in the Cook-Off on Saturday, January 29 in Ocean City, Maryland.

The contest will consist of two age groups, 7 – 12 and 13 – 17.  Five finalists will be selected from each age group to compete for cash prizes and plaques.  First place will receive $200 and a plaque, second place will receive $100 and a plaque and third place will receive $50 and a plaque.  All finalists will receive Rockfish pins, aprons and certificates.

All entries are due by Monday, December 13, 2010.  Finalists will be notified by Thursday, January 7, 2011.  A daytime phone number is required on all entry forms in order for finalists to be notified.  The recipe should be an original entrée or main dish.  Each finalist will receive two pounds of rockfish fillets to use the day of the competition.  All other ingredients and cooking utensils are the contestants’ responsibility.  Judging will be based on taste, originality, appearance (or attractiveness), and predominance of rockfish.  Parental permission and supervision must be provided.

The Cook-Off is sponsored by University of Delaware Sea Grant Program, University of Maryland Sea Grant and the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Marketing Program.  For a list of all official rules and regulations, as well as an entry form, please email Doris Hicks at dhicks@udel.edu or visit www.marylandseafood.org.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service will launch a commercial shellfish tagging program in August 2011 to meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) national public safety requirements. DNR will host three open houses in November to discuss the elements of the program and to solicit ideas from watermen and aquaculturists about the development and implementation of this important program.

Tagging shellfish will allow public health officials to trace back to a source if an illness is caused by eating shellfish. A shellfish harvesting area can be checked for water quality and other potential health concerns. DNR, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Maryland Department of the Environment may then take action to reduce the public risk. The tagging system will also enhance DNR’s ability to monitor the harvest and manage a sustainable fishery.

The proposed plan will require watermen to tag each bushel of shellfish in a standardized container. The tag will allow public safety officials to determine precisely where, when and by whom the shellfish were harvested.

The FDA has an informative slide show on the National Shellfish Sanitation Program online at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm180442.htm.

Additionally, two of the open houses will include representatives from the Maryland Oyster Aquaculture Financing Program to discuss the elements and requirements for participating in an exciting new opportunity. As part of Governor Martin O’Malley’s Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Program, $2.2 million in subsidized loans are immediately being made available for aquaculture projects. Representatives of the program will be on hand at the Annapolis (November and Princess Anne (November 22) open houses to answer general questions and to schedule appointments with interested parties to begin the business planning and application processes.

Those seeking subsidized financing for shellfish production must hold a DNR shellfish aquaculture lease or must have applied for a shellfish aquaculture lease by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 15, 2010.

Information on the Aquaculture Financing Program is available from the Maryland Department of Agriculture at (410) 841-5724 and online at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/oysters/industry/funding.asp.

Shellfish Tagging Open House Schedule:
November 8 from 4 to 8 p.m., C-1 Conference Room, Tawes Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis
November 22 from 3 to 7 p.m., Somerset County Library, 11767 Beechwood St., Princess Anne
November 30 from 4 to 8 p.m., Queen Anne’s County Library, 121 S. Commerce St., Centreville

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources press release

The Maryland Park Service, Kent County Parks and Recreation and the Kent Museum will hold a Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 to celebrate autumn along the Sassafras River. The event will take place at Turner’s Creek landing, the Kent Museum grounds and historic Knocks Folly, part of the Sassafras Natural Resources Management Area (NRMA) in Kent County.

A great way to enjoy the change of the seasons, the fall festival will feature traditional fall activities such as hayrides, pumpkin decorating, fishing competitions, games, food and more. Kent County Parks and Recreation staff will be on hand to help children design and create their own scarecrows to take home to decorate their homes and yards (families should bring old clothes and pantyhose for the scarecrows). Volunteers from the Kent Museum will also be on site making apple cider and displaying pieces from their extensive collection of antique farm equipment.

The Fall Festival will also be the first opportunity for the general public to access Knocks Folly. Commencing with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12 p.m., visitors will then be allowed to explore the Folly’s interior and enjoy displays and informational panels on the history of the area. The historic mid-eighteenth century log home with a three-story, Federal brick wing, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will serve as a visitors center for the Turner’s Creek county park and the 1,000-acre Sassafras NRMA, and will be open on weekends from May through mid-November. The Knocks Folly Visitors Center will feature displays and information on the area’s diverse natural history, as well as its important role in colonial history of the upper Eastern Shore.

The Maryland Park Service’s Scales and Tales program will entertain crowds near Knocks Folly with a variety of games and displays. Local clubs and non-profit groups will also be on hand with displays and activities. There is still space available for interested groups that would like to set up exhibits or sell food during the event.

For more information about the Fall Festival or directions to Sassafras NRMA, contact the local Maryland Park Service Park office at (410) 820-1668.

Maryland is hosting an inaugural aquaculture conference in Annapolis on November 9-10, 2010.  The Maryland Aquaculture Conference will focus on the process for establishing successful shellfish aquaculture businesses that will provide economic growth and employment to rural areas while aiding the environment.

“Sweeping legislative changes have created an exciting opportunity to expand the aquaculture industry in Maryland,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance.  “We encourage anyone interested in shellfish aquaculture to attend this valuable workshop.  Aside from growers, there will be a need for hatcheries, nurseries and others to build an economically sound and sustainable industry to help keep Maryland smart, green and growing.”

Conference participants will learn how to obtain bottom and water column leases; find and apply for financing; monitor for disease; target markets; and create profitable businesses through proper planning. Growers from other areas will discuss how they got into business, showcasing opportunities they took advantage of and highlighting how they see the future of Maryland’s shellfish industry.

Event sponsors are: the Maryland Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

The conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel, 210 Holiday Court, Annapolis, Md., (off Riva Road at Forest Drive) on November 9 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and November 10 from 8 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.  The registration fee is $75 for the full conference or $40 per day.  For more information and to download a registration form, visit: www.marylandseafood.org or contact Martha Milligan at 410-827-8056.  Space is limited, so register early.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture

Over 45 schooners are expected to race in the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, starting just south of the Bay Bridge near Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 14, 2010, sailing through the night, and docking in Portsmouth, Va., on Oct. 15 for the 21st annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.

Depending on winds and conditions on the Bay, the race can take from 12 to 15 hours. The event’s mission, with the motto “Racing to Save the Bay,” is to promote public awareness of the Chesapeake Bay’s maritime heritage and to encourage the preservation and improvement of the Chesapeake’s natural resources.

The first Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race was founded in 1990 by the late Captain Lane Briggs, as a personal challenge between his Tugantine, Norfolk Rebel, and the Pride of Baltimore II. It was his contagious commitment to the maritime heritage of the Bay and his love of schooner-rigged sailboats that energized the growth and success of the event.  Since Briggs’ death in 2005, the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race has been held in his memory.

“This is a great adventurous event because it perpetuates Captain Lane’s dream of bringing attention to the Chesapeake Bay’s history, tradition, and the need for its preservation,” said Al Roper, president of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Roper said the event breeds better Bay stewards through its educational component. Hundreds of local school students at both the starting and ending points of the race have the opportunity to go on board some of the schooners while they’re docked to learn knot-tying, sail-hoisting, and the teamwork it takes to crew a boat. “You take a kid and put him on a boat and it changes his life” said Roper.

Through the years, the race has raised more than $140,000 for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) environmental educational programs.

Dubbed a world class racing event by sailing enthusiasts, the Race is organized by volunteers representing four boat clubs: Fells Point Yacht Club in Baltimore, Portsmouth Boat Club, Towne Point Yacht Club in Norfolk, and Broad Bay Sailing Association in Virginia Beach.  Each year, more than 100 committed volunteers donate their time, energy, and financial support.

Although the race begins October 14, the public can enjoy related festivities throughout the race week. For more information, contact Virginia@schoonerrace.org or Maryland@schoonerrace.org.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

BALTIMORE, MD

October 10, 1:00 p.m.:  Dinghy Race fundraiser in Fells Point to benefit the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race

October 12, 6:30 p.m.:  Schooners & Crooners free concert on Broadway Pier

October 13, 9:00 a.m – noon: Education program at Broadway Pier; area students get hands-on experience aboard select schooners

October 13, noon:  All schooners docked in Fells Point, some open for tours

October 13, 5:00 p.m.:  Parade of Sail through Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Fells Point

NEAR CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE, ANNAPOLIS, MD

October 14, 1:30 p.m.: Photo opportunities abound as race begins with as schooner-rigged vessels in full sail, embarking on their fast-paced adventure down the Chesapeake.

October

FINISH LINE HAMPTON ROADS, VA

October 15:  East-West line at the Thimble Shoal light off Hampton’s coast for classes A and AA.  Others finish at Windmill Point.  All dock in downtown Portsmouth.

PORTSMOUTH, VA

October 16, 9:00 a.m.- ?noon: Bay related educational opportunities; open house tours of racing schooners; variety of related activities and exhibits during Schooner Days, Old Towne Portsmouth.

source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation