Ups and down dining in Riverside, Rhode Island. A big up was dinner prepared by Lesley R. (with some modest sous chef aid from BSK). The feature was a steaming bowl of Fregola Sarda, a Sardinian pasta. Lesley R. added some white wine to the Fregola and cooked it with a variety of good things. Chunks of swordfish (nicely underdone). Upscale jarred Italian tuna. Onions. Garlic (plentiful). Hot pepper. Black olives. Tomatoes and lots of chopped mint and basil. Olive oil was added at the table. Not familiar with Fregola? Semolina flour is formed into tiny balls and toasted. When cooked, it has a flavor reminiscent of kasha (buckwheat groats). The shape is akin to Israeli couscous but is much more robust. Sardinians often use Fregola in a soup/stew of clams, tomatoes, garlic, etc. HG/BSK cooked this at their Prince Edward Island paradise using Island quahogs from By the Bay Fish Mart in St. Peters, PEI. Will repeat the lusty dish this summer. The down of the Rhody day was HG’s lunch at the Blount Seafood truck near the Riverside carrousel. Normally delicious, HG suffered this visit with a heavy-crusted, flavorless fried fish. Unpleasant New England clam chowder (glutinous stuff with no brine, mini amount of clams and lots of potatoes). BSK enjoyed her fried clams and French fries. Go figure. HG had a splendid lobster roll (melted butter and no mayonnaise) at Blount last year. Will try again.
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