It's not headline news that Alaskans love their seafood. With thousands of dipnetters making their way to the mouth of the Kenai River to stock their freezer with sockeye salmon, it's obvious - sometimes painfully obvious.

What is news is Alaska's performance over the weekend in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Chef Patrick Hoogerhyde, previously of Orso and currently of the soon-to-open Wild Fin Sea Grill, brought home a third-place finish - the best Alaska has placed in the cook-off, which is in its sixth year.

Hoogerhyde wanted to show off Alaska's seafood - and all of the state's other fine produce too. He based his "whole premise" on introducing an all-Alaska creation to push the idea that Alaska has its own regional cuisine, separate from that of the Pacific Northwest or Pacific Rim, and to showcase "the best we have in seafood, produce and unique, imaginative products.

"It couldn't have come out better from an execution position. I feel we did Alaska proud with third place, and that puts us in the mix for future competitions. They will take notice that Alaska is here to compete."

Hoogerhyde's menu included troll-caught king salmon, Alaskan Brewing Co.'s Smoked Porter, an Alaska-produced birch syrup, vegetables from the Valley, lowbush cranberries and Alaska-cultivated oyster mushrooms.

If you're in the mood to try fresh seafood but didn't make the trip to the Kenai Peninsula, stop by New Sagaya, where, John Jackson says, there are plenty of choices, although the troll-caught kings are done until August. Troll and net silvers are available, along with a couple more weeks of high-quality red salmon.

Fresh Pacific cod fillets and rock fish are available, along with halibut. Live Dungeness crabs are in the tanks at the market, and some produce from Hawaii is expected this week.

And following Hoogerhyde's lead, be sure to include fresh Valley produce in your dinner plans. Here is some to look for:

The Rempel Family Farm will have certified organic carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, herbs, sorrel and new potatoes at the Northway Mall market (Wednesday) and the South Anchorage Farmers Market (Saturday).

Also at the South Anchorage Market - from a variety of vendors - expect strawberries, cucumbers, peas and several lettuce options.

The Dinkel Family Farm will have zucchini, green beans, vine-ripened tomatoes, crookneck squash, green peppers and a variety of other items. They will be at the Wasilla Wednesday market, the Northway Mall market, the Friday Fling and at two markets Saturday - the downtown Anchorage Market and Festival and the Center Market. Get there before noon for the best selection.

Arctic Organics will have plenty at the Anchorage Farmers Market. New items include kohlrabi, beet greens, dandelion greens and garlic whistles. Plenty of herbs will be available too, including marjoram, fresh basil, epazote, Italian and regular parsley, sage and chives.

Visit the markets

Wednesday: South Anchorage Farmers Market,

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., south side of the Dimond Center;

Wednesday Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Northway Mall parking lot;

Wasilla Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., behind the Wasilla Public Library.

Friday: Friday Fling, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., pavilion across from the Visitors Center in Palmer.

Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to

2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street;

South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Subway/Cellular One Sports Center at Old Seward Highway and O'Malley Road;

Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to

4 p.m., University Center mall.

Sunday: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to

6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets.

Tuesday: Eagle River Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., Eagle River VFW Post parking lot.

Correction

In last week's Market Fresh, we touted the upcoming Mat-Su Farm Tour, which is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The correct contact for reservations or more information is Patricia.ONeil@alaska.gov.

Patrick Hoogerhyde's Great American

Seafood Cook-off recipe

4 king salmon fillets, 6 oz. each

4 Alaskan alder-smoked sea-salt dusted Susitna Valley hash,5 oz. each

8 oz. fresh greens

6 oz. smoked Alaskan Porter and alder Moostard vinaigrette

6 oz. foraged low-bush cranberry infused birch syrup molasses

2 tablespoon butter or oil

2 tablespoons birch syrup

Kosher salt

Pepper

Chives or scallions

Heat a sauté pan with butter/ oil, season salmon with birch syrup (see recipe), chives/scallions, salt and pepper.

Sear salmon and cook to medium rare; adjust heat as necessary and rotate fish to evenly cook salmon.

Toss greens in smoked Moostard vinaigrette. (See recipe.)

Plate hash, greens and salmon. (See recipe for hash.)

Drizzle salmon with glaze and swirl vinaigrette on plate.

Alaska alder-smoked, sea-salt-dusted Susitna Valley hash

1 pound potatoes

½ cup mushrooms, pulled

½ cup onions, medium diced

2 tablespoons butter

Smoke salt

In sauté pan melt butter, season and caramelize onions and mushrooms

Season with smoked salt

Crisp potatoes in fryer and toss with onions, mushrooms and smoked salt

Foraged lowbush cranberries infused with birch syrup molasses

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup shallots minced

4 tablespoons garlic minced

2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

2 cups birch syrup (maple may be substituted)

½ cup fireweed honey

2 cups lowbush cranberries

Heat butter in pan and sweat shallots and garlic.

Add honey, syrup and peppercorns; simmer 3-5 minutes.

Fold in cranberries, remove from heat.

Smoked Alaskan Brewing Porter and alder Moostard vinaigrette

2 tablespoons shallots

1 tablespoon garlic

1½ cups alder smoked Moostard (stone ground mustard)

¾ cup white wine vinegar

½ to ¾ cup Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter

2 cups canola oil

Kosher salt

Roughly chop shallot and garlic.

Combine in food processor or with hand blender shallots, garlic, mustard and vinegar; puree.

Add in ½ porter and slowly drizzle in oil to emulsify into vinaigrette.

Taste and adjust with salt and porter for consistency and desired flavor.

- Recipes courtesy of Patrick Hoogerhyde

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Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have a tip for a Market Fresh column, contact him at sedwards@adn.com.

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