Summah’s Ovah.
The local accents of New England are dear to me. Many, many years ago I spent a September week with my siblings and their kids in Chatham, on Cape Cod. (I was brought along as the kids’ manny.) Spending time with my nieces and nephew (ages 1-4, think ) was really fun, if at times exhausting. I remember a rare moment alone one morning walking on the beach; I came across a local man with a thick mane of sun-bleached hair and a long, scraggly beard that jutted out over his school bus yellow rain slicker. He was pulling in floats from the ocean. All he said to me was, “Summah’s ovah.” We both looked out to sea; I nodded, he nodded, and then we went on our ways. Classic Yankee taciturnity; I smile every time I think of it.
Summer’s waning, while sad, reminds me that it’s also lobster (lobstah) season which is definitely a happy thing. There is nothing like a perfect lobster roll with just enough mayo to hold the sweet chunks of lobster meat together, piled high in a grilled New England bun. True, I love a simple steamed lobster, too, though it’s much messier with all that melted butter. (How is melted butter a problem?) But I never buy or eat lobster tails sold by themselves—I was taught by my fish monger in Maine that you never do that. They’ve been long dead and will have no flavor.
But cooked lobster meat—fresh or flash frozen—is Maine-approved. While visiting friends in Flagstaff, I decided we needed some lobster in our lives. Amazingly, a local grocery chain (Fry’s if they are anywhere near you) had half-pound bags of frozen claw meat, which I find sweeter and more tender. I decided to make a favorite: Lobster in Tomato-Tarragon Cream over pasta. It’s a tad decadent, quite special, and I saved a few claws for garnish, which made it look even more so.
Now that I know where to source this lobster meat, this pasta might show up more regularly on our table. Or maybe I will learn to make New England hot dog rolls from scratch so I can make lobstah rolls at home. Whatever I opt to make, I certainly don’t have to wait for summah to be ovah. Ayuh.
~ David
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Carolyne
September 21, 2024 at 4:44 amThanks for the tips on buying “lobstah”…I have purchased the frozen tails before 😳
Cocoa & Lavender
September 21, 2024 at 9:28 amFresh is the only way to go! Or cooked and frozen!!
Mimi Rippee
September 21, 2024 at 6:10 amAbsolutely beautiful! And such a fabulous recipe. I love lobstah.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 21, 2024 at 9:27 amThanks, Mimi!
Barb
September 21, 2024 at 7:56 amYUM!!! I could eat this at any time, regardless of the season! It’s a perfect combination of flavors and it plates beautifully.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 21, 2024 at 9:27 amThanks,Barb! I’m with you! I’ll add an R to any month for this!
Jane Sanders
September 21, 2024 at 8:20 amDavid – it’s so nice to have a friend who can speak my kind of English – we both know that an “r” at the
end of a word is really useless! I can’t wait to try this recipe and will scour Tucson for lobstah claws.
I always felt that the tails were tasteless also and now I know the reason why they are that way.
Jane
Cocoa & Lavender
September 21, 2024 at 9:26 amThanks, Jane – I realize I should have divulged where I found it! Fry’s has the lobster meat. Hugs, David
Johanna Lockhart
September 21, 2024 at 12:51 pmBe still my heart! Chatham, quintessential Cape Cod, was my family’s summer home for decades. Our much anticipated annual trip to The Fish Pier to select the summer’s ‘catch’ began with piling 6 kids into our station wagon (my Father was a brave man) along with a container to secure anywhere from 1-4 of those mysterious creatures. During the short ride home we had handled and named each one- not without much disagreement.There was always a Norman 1,2,3,4 an so on. Once home, the lobstah pot was ready. (not the Julia way) and most of us scattered screaming. A couple of us just ‘had to watch’. Thus began our unforgettable culinary adventure. Thank you Chef David.
I’m off to Fry’s. JL!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 21, 2024 at 2:16 pmWhat wonderful memories! I’d completely forgotten about the Fish Pier… We used to go there, too. I have to get myself back to Fry’s to get some more. So good! Thanks for your wonderful comment, Johanna!
Jill W Becker
September 21, 2024 at 3:33 pmOn my way to Fry’s very soon.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 7:37 amI was so excited to find it in Flagstaff — now to look in Tucson.
sherry
September 21, 2024 at 5:31 pmOoh yes please. Give me lobstah! Hubby sadly does not eat seafood at all. Your mention of lobstah etc reminds me of when we lived with our Quaker friend in Philly – her friends used to ask us (as did many strangers) to say words like that and car and so on. They thought we were hilarious!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 7:36 amThat is hysterical, Sherry — all they had to do was go north to Quaker Meeting in Rhode Island to hear the same thing! Glad you like the lobstah!
Mad Dog
September 22, 2024 at 4:06 amI think you’ve outdone yourself this week – I wish I could eat that now!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 7:35 amThanks Mad Dog — sorry I’m behind in reading. I just got back from Botswana where I had no Internet.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
September 22, 2024 at 9:00 amI think the tarragon is the perfect match for the lobster in this delicious dish.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 8:30 pmIt is a wonderful combination. Thanks, Karen!
angiesrecipes
September 22, 2024 at 11:22 amCan’t remember when I last had a bite of lobster…what a luscious and yummy pasta dish!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 8:31 pmThanks, Angie — it’s a very special treat for us!
Citu
September 22, 2024 at 6:04 pmMe gusta el linguini. Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2024 at 8:31 pmMuchas gracias!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
September 23, 2024 at 1:11 pmWhat a fabulous flavour pairing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen or has tarragon with pasta, but I love this idea. Needless to say, the dish looks terrific!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 23, 2024 at 3:20 pmI bet you get wonderful lobster up there! Tarragon and lobster are perfect companions, I hope you get to try them out soon. Thanks for your kind comment, Ben.
FEL!X
September 24, 2024 at 2:11 amNo lobstah heah! But prawns in different sizes fresh from the sea every day.
Tomato & tarragon is a dream-team for me too!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 25, 2024 at 4:59 pmI’m so sorry, Felix — but large prawns sound great and looked wonderful in your post!
Raymund
September 24, 2024 at 3:21 pmI love your reflections on the New England accents and that beautiful moment on the beach! Your memories of Chatham sound delightful, and I can just picture that classic exchange. Lobster season is such a treat, and your description of the perfect lobster roll is making my mouth water!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 25, 2024 at 4:59 pmThanks, Raymund — I now want a lobster roll!
Pauline McNee
September 24, 2024 at 11:26 pmDavid, I think that lobster deserves a decadent sauce to be served with it. Until recently, we were able to source lobsters from Western Australia in our supermarkets at a good price which was a real luxury still for us, because the Chinese stopped importing them. Haven’t seen them for a while though. I would love to tuck into your dish. Love your sense of humour.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 25, 2024 at 5:01 pmI’ve never tasted Pacific lobster, Pauline — I wonder why it isn’t sold here, either! Maybe someday I can try it.
Jeff the Chef
September 25, 2024 at 5:16 amI can’t say that I’m a lobster fan, but I am, as always, a fan of your posts. I resonate with your bittersweet feelings of waning summer – although were I live, just a few days ago it was in the 90s! But that can’t hold out forever.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 25, 2024 at 5:02 pmThanks, Jeff — that means so much to me. We had lovely October weather last week — also in the 90s — but we are back to the 100s this week. Ugh.
2pots2cook
October 15, 2024 at 5:30 amBeautiful pasta dish! Can’t go wrong with lobster!
Inger
October 27, 2024 at 7:00 amYou’re making my mouth water David but happily I just bought crab claws at our high end grocer’s “Crab Fest”! So I’m thinking it was good luck I got so far behind reading your posts!
Christina Conte
November 16, 2024 at 8:51 amRecipe looks stellar, David!
I used to think I didn’t like lobster for about 20 years. My husband took me to Red Lobster to try my first, and that was it. 🙁 Wasn’t until about 10 years ago that my neighbor begged me to come over when they were having lobster. I finally consented and tried some: OMG. I was so upset with my husband!
I have really changed my tune since then as I recently invested in a lobster company because their quality is so marvelous! Can you imagine? Haha! It’s really difficult to get certain types of really good quality seafood here, as you know. I now use Get Maine Lobster (shameless plug) for most of my seafood since they even have haddock!!