I am pretty picky about fried shrimp- they need to be dipped in a very light, silky tempura type batter which clings as a diaphanous coating to the shrimp so that when they are fried the result is a thin, crispy crust encasing a juicy, plump shrimp. ( Highly recommend the soft shell crab batter recipe in John Schield’s excellent cookbook, “ Chesapeake Bay Cooking” as a great batter for shrimp.) I’m delighted to say that these were delicious– sweet, pink, juicy mouthfuls of succulent shrimp served with an excellent homemade tarter sauce. After completing one full circuit, pausing at the Holly Grove Winery station,( one of our three excellent local wineries ), to pick up a refreshing glass of cold chardonnay, I headed around to the shrimp station while my husband headed across the green for the crabcake tent. So we proceeded on, the day sunny and bright, soft breezes wafting in from the Chesapeake Bay, temperatures in the mid-70’s, a perfect Indian Summer’s day. Standing In Line For The Ever Popular And Totally Scrumptious Shrimp The intensive labor to produce them explains why soft shells are not commonly on menus and why they are expensive when they are.)

For the watermen who process “busters”, those with cracks in their shell and about to molt, it is a process of constant vigilance because the newly molted crab has to be plucked out of the water virtually immediately or else the shell will get hard or the other crabs will eat it themselves, not being shy about cannibalism. (For those not familiar with eating “soft shells”, when a crab molts, for a few hours until its new shell hardens, it is a “soft shell”, plucked out of the water so that the shell hardening process is suspended and ready to be battered, friend and eaten whole , legs and all, accompanied by a squeeze of lemon or tarter sauce. Not everyone likes to do that– the sight of a couple of plump soft shell crabs nestled on a bun, just waiting for a big dollop of tarter sauce, slowed some of our group down to a halt, the better to swoop up a plate of these crustacean delicacies. I always like to make a circuit, peek at everything and then start making my choices. Yellow trays in hand, we set off on a leisurely stroll to survey this year’s offerings, “we” being moi, hubby, Eldest Daughter, Middle Daughter and friend. Juicy And Crisp- Delicious Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches With Tarter Sauce Their advice and mine– get your tickets early ! The Chamber always has tons of folks calling the week before, requesting tickets, which of course are already sold. Remaining true to its mission, held the first Wednesday of October each year from noon to 4pm, showcasing the delicious seafood and other regional foods popular on the Eastern Shore, Harvest Fest is always a sold-out event, the 3000 tickets offered first to Chamber members and then to the general public. Sponsored by the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the original concept of the Harvest Fest at its debut 15 years ago was that it would be held at harvest time (duh) and would feature traditional Southern and Eastern Shore dishes. Sort of like a tapas bar concept except that you stroll through several acres of grounds which overlook the Chesapeake Bay and beach and feature dozens of tents, each preparing one particular and delicious food. Eastern Shore Harvest Fest On The Sparkling Sand Shores Of The Chesapeake BayĪs you hand in your admission ticket you’re handed back a broad yellow tray, the better to stack and tote the little plates of scrumptious goodies you are going to choose.

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