The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department announced the reopening of a portion of the Bellamy River to shellfish harvesting after a 20-year ban. Softshell clams and American oysters are the primary shellfish species available for recreational harvest in the Bellamy River, but for the time being, it’s mainly clams that can be realistically harvested in the reopened area, which is located in the southern portion of the river, beginning at the Route 4/Scammel bridge and extending north approximately 3,500 feet.

Bellamy River reopens to shellfish harvesting
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department announced the reopening of a portion of the Bellamy River to shellfish harvesting after a 20-year ban. Softshell clams and American oysters are the primary shellfish species available for recreational harvest in the Bellamy River, but for the time being, it’s mainly clams that can be realistically harvested in the reopened area, which is located in the southern portion of the river, beginning at the Route 4/Scammel bridge and extending north approximately 3,500 feet.

The ban, which came after a survey in the 1980s revealed high levels of bacteria and other pollutants, has been lifted thanks to a massive restoration effort by federal, state, and local government organizations. Projects included reducing sewage overflows from pump stations following heavy rainfall, upgrading the sewer infrastructure in residential areas, eliminating failing septic systems, and, believe it or not, stepping up local pooper-scooper laws. According to DES Commissioner Michael P. Nolin, a surprising amount of contamination comes from pet waste when it is not properly disposed.

Speaking at a small ceremony held at the Bellamy River Saltwater Fishing Access Point to announce the reopening, Nolin and several other speakers lauded the comprehensive project, which, in addition to the efforts of Fish and Game and the DES, included participation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project, and the City of Dover.

The two significant oyster beds—the result of restoration efforts by the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory—lie further north in the still-closed portion of the river, and the lab’s research director, Dr. Ray Grizzle, says those beds would ideally remain off limits for another five or 10 years. In the meantime, the clam flats will be open on a conditional basis, with excessive rainfall being the primary reason for temporary closures. 

To find out about the status of a clam flat in New Hampshire, call the clam hotline, run by the Department of Fish and Game, at 1-800-43-CLAMS. 

Eat Your Vegetables; but make them really yummy first
Local chef Theresa Marquardt will make ordinary vegetables exotic with her cooking class, “Eat Your Vegetables,” at Kitchen & Company in Newington on Monday, Nov. 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. With tasty recipes like Warm Cauliflower Salad, Spiced Buttercup Squash, Hazelnut Risotto with Brown Butter, and Catalan Spinach, Marquardt will demonstrate how to create interesting flavor combinations with ordinary vegetables, and will also demonstrate how to prepare out-of-the-ordinary vegetables like Turban squash, fresh fennel, and more. Cost is $25. Call 603-433-2100.

to make a cookbook, first measure 14 years of experience
“I’ve always wanted to write a cookbook,” says local cookbook author Denise Landis. After 14 years of testing hundreds of recipes for the New York Times, she approached the company with an idea for a cookbook. They discouraged her concept, but asked instead if she would be interested in doing a book about dinner parties. “It was a perfect fit,” says Landis, who has done plenty of entertaining in her Exeter home. “Dinner for Eight,” guides the home cook through the entire preparation of 40 complete dinner party menus, organized by season and each including appetizer, first course, main course, accompaniment and dessert. To create the collection, Landis pored through her collection of recipes, organizing them into categories, then matching them up to create complete menus. She then filled in any gaps by collecting more recipes from family and friends, or by creating new recipes from scratch. Landis will be at Attrezzi in Portsmouth (78 Market St., 603-427-1667) on Saturday, Nov. 26 at noon for a signing and discussion, then at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter (125 Water St., 603-778-9731) on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

new on the menu
Thanks to customer demand, the Orchard Street Chop Shop is now featuring nightly specials of prime, dry-aged steaks, including the whopping 2-pound Porterhouse and T-bones steaks.  In addition to big steaks, the restaurant may soon be holding singles nights at the Top of the Chop. Talk about a meat market. Go to www.orchardstreetchopshop.com for updates on the goings-on at the eatery.
Crescent City Bistro is offering a three-course meal on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for $24.95. Selections include a first-course choice of soup or salad, a main-course choice of turkey, prime rib, or roast pork and a dessert choice of apple or pumpkin pie. Call 603-742-1611 for reservations. Check www.crescentcitybistro.com to find out about other happenings, such as Salsa Night, Cask Mondays and live blues.

Stonewall Kitchen opens seventh retail shop
With six stores already in operation in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts (including the flagship store in York and Portsmouth’s Market Square location), Stonewall Kitchen just opened a seventh store in South Windsor, Conn. As with the other outlets, the new store will feature the company’s extensive line of specialty foods and will also offer a full line of items for the home, including dinnerware, decorative pieces, kitchen tools and more.

Send your news to Paula Sullivan at news[at]wirenh[dot]com.