with Florence Lowell of The Naked Oyster
There is nothing more critical than our health, and there’s frequently not enough time in our days. What if we could prioritize our health by cooking delicious, nutritious meals more often with the end goal of saving time and money by maximizing what we can make with the food we purchase? Here you’ll find a recipe from one of our local chefs, purchasing what we need to create that dish. Then, I’ll share an additional recipe (or two in this case) with the ingredients that are left. I won’t add more than three additional ingredients – and some of those you’re likely to have around the house. This is an investment in us, so let’s get cooking!
Florence Lowell is the owner and executive chef of The Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar on Main Street in Hyannis. It was exciting to feature this talented woman chef as part of Jeni’s Table.
Lowell was born on the Atlantic coast of France near Bordeaux, which has some unique similarities to the Cape. When she moved to the United States as a student, she landed in Austin, Texas and got her first job as a sommelier at La Provence in Austin. Over the next few years, she diversified her culinary knowledge by working in Northern Italian, Cajun, French, Texan steak house, and traditional Mexican restaurants. She thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace, creativity, immediate decision making, camaraderie, and multifaceted aspects of the food/hospitality business.
Florence’s passion for cooking is deeply rooted in the French traditions of the Basque countryside and southwest France. She thrives on travel and the constant excitement of culinary discoveries. She points out, “I am inspired by the scents of herbs, spices, fresh produce, and local catches. I like to preserve and showcase the original flavors and bring a little surprise in every dish.”
She and her husband, David, moved to the Cape when he had an opportunity to join Spaulding Rehabilitation in Sandwich. It was a big change but one that led her to purchasing The Naked Oyster, and we’re certainly glad she did! Now years later, her son Julien Swanson is alongside her in the kitchen, while daughter Stephanie Swanson handles the front of the house.
Florence added “oyster farmer” to her resume with Naked Oyster’s own two-acre oyster farm in Barnstable Harbor. These freshly harvested oysters are brought to the restaurant and enjoyed in various preparations such as in her oyster stew, baked or “naked” (raw) – all of which highlight the best in sustainability.
Florence also strives to work diligently with local farmers and fishermen to feature farm- and sea-to-plate menus whenever possible. She beautifully weaves the freshness of Cape Cod with her traditional French roots to bring some exquisite dishes to the menu at The Naked Oyster.
For this column, Florence shares her recipe for Salmon Wellington. “What I like about this dish is it’s a very elegant dish, and it’s accessible for everybody to make,” she says.
The Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar
410 Main Street, Hyannis
NakedOyster.com
Jeni Wheeler is the Executive Director, Co-Founder and Creative Mind behind the Family Table Collaborative and Owner and Chief Culinary Artist of Jeni’s Joy, a boutique private chef/catering company. Through her collaboration with local partners and sheer will, and over 20,000 hours of manpower annually from their dedicated army of over 500 volunteers, they have served over 190,000 nutritious, delicious meals to our community. They rescued and put back into our community over 80,000 pounds of fresh produce. Jeni is passionate and dedicated to creating sustainable change through making nutritious, delicious food more accessible, as well as addressing the education necessary to make cooking easier and more fun. Jeni has her MBA, with a focus in Social Entrepreneurship, from Babson.
