Chef liaises with other business owners

A Coupeville chef has expanded his partnership with local business owners to help his restaurant survive during the coronavirus pandemic.

From the Oystercatcher’s dining room, which has been turned into an extension of the kitchen after the COVID-19 restrictions put the kibosh on indoor dining, chef Tyler Hansen prepared a dozen or so lasagna meals for 3 Sisters Market in San de Fuca.

“It’s been a nice little bump to our business in a time that we needed it,” Hansen said. “It’s a nice partnership. We use a lot of their products in our food.”

Hansen said shoppers can find a variety of dinner options at the market. All three dishes highlight local ingredients.

As its name suggests, the 3 Sisters beef bolognese lasagna relies on the Muzzall sisters’ beef for its classic sauce.

Hansen’s chicken pot pie features vegetables from Kettle’s Edge Farm in Coupeville. Green Isle Farm’s Shepherd’s Pie uses slow-roasted lamb from Central Whidbey farm.

Prices start at $18 and one meal is enough for two, Hansen said.

Loyal patrons may also be excited to learn that the restaurant recently reopened outdoor dining on Saturdays and Sundays, if they are looking for a change from eating at home.

Roshel Donwen, one of the three sisters, said tasty meals have been “extremely popular” both for the Oystercatcher’s name and their use of local ingredients. The partnership has been mutually beneficial.

“It’s a two-way street,” she said.

The market has always offered a multitude of locally sourced products, and Donwen said that niche became increasingly important during the pandemic.

“Everyone’s trying to be creative to try to stay in business, and that’s a way they thought could be successful,” she said, highlighting the Oystercatcher’s new offerings.

“It was a way to help them and contribute to our community by selling their products, and that’s something we’re proud of.”

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