"CSF" news and stories

Time to tuck away those shiny Mardi Gras beads. Lent is officially underway, and for many observant eaters, that means several fish-focused Fridays. Lucky for you, we found some folks offering tasty specials where the spotlight shines only on sustainable seafood. That makes it easy to leave your guilty conscience at home.

While Wisconsin throws a mighty tasty fish-fry, they're not the only ones. At Jackson 20 in Alexandria, Va., chef Dennis Marron says they're adding U.S. farmed channel catfish to their traditional fried chicken offering during Lent, making it "Fryday". (He said it, not us!) "We try and stay true to our Southern-influenced concept, and we like to get our fish from as close to home as possible. We track our carbon "fish-print"," he says. The catfish he serves is raised in closed containment systems and fed a mostly vegetarian diet which garners it a Seafood Watch best choice rating. Pass the tarter sauce, would ya?

While Louisville is deep in the heart of the fried-food South, chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia steers clear of a fryolator. His Fruits de Maine is a play on the traditional French dish, fruits de mer. "We try and embody the entire North Atlantic in one dish by incorporating four or five different seafood items from the coast of Maine." Depending on what Maine fishermen bring in each week, that could mean line-caught cod, Maine lobster or fresh clams.

Other chefs are making thoughtful choices too.

Even before the locavore movement exploded, members of traditional CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) gladly paid upfront for their weekly bounty of plump carrots, sweet lettuce and other heirloom, seasonal treasures. When the drumbeat for locally grown food grew louder, plenty of CSAs met demand by offering add-on subscriptions to local goodies, such as pasture-raised meat, farm-fresh eggs, artisan cheeses and hand-collected honey.

In some coastal communities, the idea continues to evolve by expanding into wild-caught fish with CSFs (Community Supported Fishery). Members partner with small-boat fishermen and collect weekly shares of fresh shrimp, cod, haddock, pollock, flounder and more.