On the Central Coast, the ocean is an enormous source of food. We all know about fish and shellfish. But what about seaweed? Harvesting seaweed is super easy, and there is an endless supply. Father Ian Delinger dove right in, and took Playing With Food to new depths.
Playing with Food: Foraging for seaweed
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Seaweed foraging near Estero Bluffs State Beach north of Cayucos, CA
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Foraging seaweed is best at low tide, in this case, in the evening
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Clip off the seaweed, like you would many other plants, rather than rip it off the rocks by the root.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Rock weed
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Sea lettuce, which looks much more like lettuce when submerged in water
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Sea grass is not edible, but is important for the tidal ecosystem.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Bladderwrack
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Turkish towel - not edible, but usable for skin care
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Kombu - key for rich flavor
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The combination of seaweeds for our ramen on the beach
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Spencer regularly makes ramen on the beach with his simple setup.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Our haul from the foraging
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Fr. Ian followed Spencer's instructions for drying seaweed.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Fr. Ian making his own seaweed ramen
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Seaweed ramen made at home
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Fr. Ian modified an Indian chicken and spinach curry recipe to incorporate seaweed.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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The cooking of the curry released an interesting mix of curry and ocean smells.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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The curry was eaten by both Fr. Ian and Spencer. Both enjoyed it.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Fr. Ian requested an failproof way to make seaweed ramen, so Spencer has created this kit.
Fr. Ian Delinger
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Seaweed ramen made easy
Fr. Ian Delinger
