Once again, we are talking about the best in New England Lobster. This wholesale food distributor has you covered now and even in the off season when it comes to lobster. But we are in New England, its summer, and people come to this region from all over to sample our seafood. It’s what New England is known for.

I spent some time in our Test Kitchen with our Seafood Buyer James LeDuc talking about the timely topic of lobster and all AGAR has to offer. It’s a great time if you want lobster. Nut what do you do if you want to go off the path and try something different? Yes, you always should feature the traditional lobster dinner and all the other traditional dishes that use lobster.

But if you really want to mix it up a bit and differentiate yourself from other restaurants in your area, try to create other lobster recipes that create a little interest.

For some great insight into the lobster market here in New England and s couple great recipe ideas over and above the traditional lobster dinner, take a quick look at the video below with James and I.

While it’s always seafood season in New England, it’s now in full swing here. Yesterday was the official first day of summer and we New Englanders are ready for some great seafood.  And this wholesale food distributor and expert solution provider has everything you need. New England Seafood is a tradition and we’re here to help.

From every part of the lobster, scallops, shrimp and everything you need to satisfy your customers and keep them coming back, we got it all…

And new Nautifish products are coming in on a regular basis with our great seafood team getting all the best deals and seafood products they can find for you.

But the real deal is not in AGAR just supplying great seafood products to you but the solutions we always provide an operator with our lines of products. As you know the seafood markets can be volatile as others markets such as beef and other commodities. We’re out there all the time getting the best deals for you and then once you get that, AGAR can help you with menu solutions to keep you competitive.

If you want to mix up your menu, contact us and set up a visit with me in our Test Kitchen. We’ll go through your menu and make you a prime destination for seafood in no time…

And while you’re here, take a look at the video below with our Seafood Buyer, James LeDuc. He has all the answers when it comes to AGAR and Nautifish Seafood.

A couple of weeks ago, something happened near AGAR that I thought I’d never see. Someone cut the rail lines that lead to our warehouse and as a result, a train with a food shipment headed to AGAR derailed. Eight feet of train rail was missing and presumed stolen.

Our first thought is that someone could have gotten seriously injured or even worse. You have to ask; what was someone thinking when they did this? And what kind of manpower did it take to cut and remove eight feet of rails from the ground?

We have rail car service for a number of reasons at AGAR but the main reason is to save customers money on their food which ultimately saves their customers money. In these challenging times, everyone is watching how they spend their money including business owners and our rail car service directly impacts what consumers pay for food.

Take a look at the short video below and if you know who did this, we want to know. There is a reward for tips that lead to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this. Call 800-669-6040.

The Fiesta Chicken Wrap is a celebration of flavor and familiarity. Tender chicken enveloped in a warm wheat or spinach wrap is inviting and gives diners a great menu choice. Rich and smooth guacamole paired with applewood smoked bacon give the wrap a sumptuous basis for the addition of hearty, roasted corn and black beans. Salsa on the side creates a zesty essence and when combined, all ingredients take diners on a holiday. Fries complete the overall meal and help satisfy diners looking for a filling yet mouthwatering choice. Our good friends at American Patriot Sales are to thank for this great recipe.

Ingredients:

Wheat or Spinach Wrap                                                                                     1 ea.

Simplot Fresh Western Guacamole (912641)                                           2 oz.

Dutch Quality Naturalle Chicken Breast (815194)                                  4 oz.

Simplot Roastworks Corn & Black Bean (977776)                               3 oz.

Farmland Applewood Smoked Bacon (101369)                                  2 ea.

Preparation Instructions:

Season and grill Dutch Quality chicken Naturalle breast. Set aside. Heat Simplot corn and black beans. Set aside. Warm wrap. Spread with Simplot western guacamole (or sliced avocados). Top with Simplot roasted corn & black beans, sliced Dutch Quality chicken naturalle breast, Farmland applewood smoked bacon and sour cream. Salsa may be an optional side garnish. Roll, slice and serve with Simplot fries.

Ribs….Can’t say much more about that. We all love em’…Kalbi marinade gives tender ribs a full flavor that delights the mouth and the stomach. When paired with a hearty ear of corn dripping with herb-seasoned butter, the dish becomes mouthwatering and irresistible. A corn muffin served on the side helps sop up left over sauce and butter and is the perfect addition to this hearty and satisfying meal. Thanks again to Chef Shannon at Pinnacle Foods for this one.

Ingredients:

Stock Pot of Kalbi Marinade Sauce   24 oz.

Hartfield’s FC Petite Cut Ribs

With Dry Rub (12-16 oz. portioned)  8 Racks

Herb and Butter Corn:

SunGlow European-Style Butter

Blend, Room Temperature                  1 c.

Chopped, Fresh Thyme Leaves          2 T.

Chopped, Fresh Rosemary Leaves     2 T.

Chopped, Fresh Marjoram Leaves      2 T.

Chopped, Fresh Marjoram Leaves      2 T.

Chopped, Fresh Chives                       1 T.

Fresh, Husked Corn                            8 Large Ears

Corn Bread With Chorizo Sausage:

Karps Corn Muffin Batter                  24 oz.

Red Bell Pepper and Onion                ½ ea.

Preparation Instructions:

Sauté chorizo and finely dice pepper and onions. In a small muffin tin, scoop 2 oz. corn muffin batter and add spoon-full of chorizo mix on top. Bake at 325 degrees for around 10-15 minutes. Marinate ribs in Stock Pot Kalbi sauce for at least 30 minutes in refrigerator before grilling or baking. Bake or grill ribs until thoroughly heated (Hatfield ribs are precooked).

For Herb European Butter Blend and Corn: Whisk butter and all herbs in medium bowl then season add butter. Season with salt and pepper. This can be made up to one week ahead of serving time. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Arrange corn on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let stand (for up to 2 hours) until ready to grill. Grill corn until tender and charred to show gill marks. Be certain to turn often and brush with herb butter for about 10-minutes. Transfer to serving plate and top with more butter and garnish with remaining butter on the side.

Wings are a definite crowd-pleaser. Whether served as an appetizer or entrée, most enjoy the delectable chicken dish that is casual and fun to eat. The option of three different wing varieties comes from our good friends at Pinnacle Foods. Buffalo-style wings are a traditional favorite that please those looking for a familiar menu choice. Asian wings delight those searching for tender chicken infused with chili flavor. The addition of green beans completes the exotic tastes and provides a nourishing and substantial addition to the dish. Diners looking for a party atmosphere will be delighted with Bourbon-style wings. Andouille sausage creates a bold flavor when complimented with peppers and onions while the Bourbon adds a rich, full soul to the meal.

Three-way Wings

Ingredients:

Precooked Pierce chicken wings      12

Unsalted butter                                   1 oz.

Small clove garlic, minced                  1

Wingers hot sauce                               ¼ c.

Blue cheese crumbles                          2 oz.

Saratoga Asian sweet chili sauce        ¼ c.

Fresh, whole green beans                    2 oz.

Saratoga Bourbon Marinade               ¼ c.

Bourbon                                              2 oz.

Andouille Sausage                              2 oz.

Onion, finely diced                             1 oz.

Green bell pepper, finely diced     1 oz.

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat fryer to 350 degrees. Fry all wings for 4-4 ½ minutes.

For buffalo style: Melt butter in a small pan along with garlic. Pour mixture along with hot sauce into a bowl large enough to hold all four chicken wings and stir to combine. Remove all wings from fryer and transfer to bowl to toss with sauce then top with crumbled blue cheese.

For Asian style: Fry green beans for around one minute then add Saratoga sweet chili sauce. Add wings into bowl and toss with sauce and green beans. Serve.

For Bourbon style: Sauté Andouille sausage with finely minced onions and peppers. Add Bourbon and Saratoga Bourbon marinade to mixture then toss with warm wings.