Support Local Farms at the Coastal Growers Market

Those on the Rhode Island food scene are proud to point out how we have the highest direct-to-consumer sales of food of any state, at 10%. It is something to be proud of, but it also means there’s a lot of room for improvement. One of the ways we can bump up that percentage, and eat far fresher tastier local food, is by not abandoning those farmers markets that are accessible in the winter. It’s a delicious homework assignment. Coastal Growers Market at the Lafayette Mill is a cozy spot, with food trucks like Pat’s Pastured and Talullah’s Tacos manning the parking lot, hallways with jams, and an airy main hall humming with the sound of strings bowed and plucked. Yes, the veggies thin out midwinter, but some products are evergreen, like fish and mushrooms.

More people think of fish when they think South County, but with the explosive growth of Rhode Island Mushroom Company, perhaps both should come to mind. Over their last two years Rhode Island mushroom company has gone from a basement operation at Sweet Berry Farm, to a mushroom farm in Warwick and expansion out to the Cape. Their striking baskets of golden oysters, maitakes and many other farmed mushrooms are of the highest quality, and in season they feature a dizzying array of foraged mushrooms, including many from in-state. This recipe marries the best of Rhode Island is high points, fish you can find locally from Matunuck Oyster Company, or the Local Catch, crisped with a spicy miso crust, and served in a delicious winter-warming miso broth.

Miso Ginger Crusted Fish in Miso Leek Mushroom Soup

Soup:
• 4 cups water, 4 T miso paste
• 1 lb of chopped mixed mushrooms (shiitakes, maitakes or pioppinos)
• 3 cups chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro
Paste:
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 T finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 T miso paste
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 12 oz fish of choice (I tend to like the firmer fishes that will hold up when added to broth, think swordfish or mahi mahi, but you can also use a delicate fish like skate, that will fall apart when added to soup)

1. Boil water and add miso paste, whisking till dissolved. Set aside.
2. Sauté leeks on medium high heat in oil till soft, approximately 5 mins, then add mushrooms and cook until their water is released and they are just beginning to color. Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
3. Deglaze pan with miso broth, then bring to boil, and turn down to simmer.
4. While soup simmers, take fish out of fridge so that it begins to warm. Cut filet into pieces that will fit in a soup bowl. Mix oil, ginger, miso paste, and green onions into a paste in mortar and pestle.
5. Liberally rub paste all over fish. Once fish is covered, sprinkle with panko crumbs, and press into fish to stick. Shake off excess.
6. Fry fish on high heat until just cooked through and paste is beginning to blacken but isn’t burned.
7. Serve soup, splashed with sesame seed oil, and sprinkled with fresh chopped green onions and cilantro to garnish. Float the fish in the soup and eat.