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Forum Dish Preview - Bleu Northeast Seafood

July 20, 2016

Chef Doug Paine has an interesting job at Bleu Northeast Seafood - running a locavore seafood restaurant in a state without an ocean coast. Alongside the sustainable, regionally sourced seafood on the menu at Bleu are fish proteins sourced from Vermont as well! Chef Doug makes a tasty Lake Champlain perch sandwich and you may also soon see a dish featuring Vermont born and raised Tilapia! Finn & Roots farm is an aquaponic farm in Bakersfield that will be selling their own bred, hatched and raised Tilapia this fall.

Bleu already partners with Finn & Roots - featuring their greens on the menu in salads, on burgers and as garnish. "It was a natural fit and a unique connection," shared Doug, "and there's no waste - the product is delivered still alive." As a champion of Lake Champlain and Vermont water quality, the fact that Finn & Roots produces essentially no wastewater or runoff was also an important factor when deciding to partner with them -- that and that he'll be getting deliveries of beautiful, live greens throughout the winter.

Chef Doug will captain two tables at the Vermont Fresh Network Forum on August 7th at Shelburne Farms, for Bleu and Juniper Bar and Restaurant. He was generous enough to share his dish for Bleu, featuring Finn & Roots lettuce - 

"Lobster and wild crafted lobster mushroom Finn & Roots Farm lettuce wraps with a housemade hot pepper sriracha-style sauce, sweetened with Vermont honey and garnished with herbs."

Try this dish, and come taste what Chef Doug makes for Juniper at the Forum - learn more about the 20th Annual Forum and buy tickets here! 

Chef Doug will also be roasting a pig for the Vermont Land Trust Benefit Dinner in Greensboro on July 30th. Guests will enjoy food and beverages from VLT-conserved farms such as Pete’s Greens, Jasper Hill Farm, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Bonnieview Farm, Fable Farm, and Ploughgate Creamery.

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