A locavores' dinner on Long Island

The New Oxford American Dictionary declared locavore the word of the year for 2007. Simply put, the word means food that comes from near where you live. Some locavores limit it to within 100 miles, some to fewer.

Earlier this month, chef Matthew Boudreau prepared a dinner that used almost exclusively seafood, meat, vegetables and wines that came from within 50 miles of the Ram's Head Inn on Shelter Island.

"We're lucky to have this food," Boudreau said, "and we can have it in the middle of the winter."

The local Slow Food Convivium (the word this movement uses instead of chapter) was the impetus behind this gathering of locavores. Slow Food was founded in 1989 to combat fast food after a McDonald's made a bold move and opened an outlet at the foot of the venerable Spanish Steps in Rome. The idea behind Slow Food is to preserve traditional food ways, and to take the time to enjoy eating in a leisurely fashion.

The "Slow" Night, as it was billed, began with wok-fried local squid (from Bryan Gosman, a third-generation fishmonger from Montauk) with lemongrass and a radish and frisée salad (greenhouse-grown by Paulette Satur and Eberhard Müller, Satur Farms in Cutchogue) with a 2006 sauvignon blanc from Jamesport Vineyards. Next came a long-simmered winter vegetable soup, made with Satur Farms vegetables and prepared in the style of a risotto, with a gastrique of local honey, verjus and sorrel. It was accompanied by Macari's fresh-tasting 2007 Early Wine, which Don Brisson, representing the vineyard, said is fermented "quickly and coolly."

Baked Montauk cherrystones from Gosman with Catapano goat feta were served with Lieb Cellars 2006 Pinot Blanc, the same wine used in making them. Rib-eye of Long Island bison from Dee Muma and Ed Tuccio of Riverhead was served with smothered cabbage and Mecox Bay butter from Art Ludlow's Brown Swiss cows in Bridgehampton, paired with Lenz's 2002 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon. Roasted East End monkfish (Gosman again) was served with herbed salsify, escarole and sweet-and-sour chicory and Paumanok Vineyards' 2006 Festival Red. The strong flavors made the red wine a good match with a fish course.

Charles Massoud, owner of the vineyard with his wife Ursula, was nearly ecstatic. "In 25 years, I've never seen it put together the way it's put together tonight," he said, speaking of the local food and wine. Finally, there were braised legs and seared breasts of Jurgielewicz Farms duck from Moriches with curried turnips, celeriac and bok choy from Satur. Castello di Borghese's 2004 Pinot Noir accompanied that course. For dessert, there was Catapano Farm goat- milk ice cream (Peconic) with Brigham's honeycomb, then Mark It With G macaroons from just across Shelter Island. Lieb Cellars 2004 Blanc de Blanc was one of a selection of dessert wines.

I dallied over the meal in such an appropriately Slow Food way that I raced off to make the last ferry back to Greenport and left behind my souvenir copy of the menu.

On the ferry, soft snowflakes sparkled in the lights from the dock and settled quietly over the cars, reminding us that it really was winter, and peaceful, and life could be slow.

E-mail: sylviacarter@optonline.net

MATTHEW BOUDREAU'S BAKED MONTAUK CHERRYSTONES

This seafood course was wonderful, contrary to the Italian wisdom that cheese and seafood do not go together.

2 cloves garlic

1 large shallot

2 tablespoons butter

1 dozen medium cherrystone clams

1 cup dry white wine (the same wine you will serve with the dish)

1 bunch baby fennel or 1 fennel bulb

1 tablespoon capers

Zest of 1 lemon