Barton Seaver at Dartmouth

     Last November, notable chef, author, and environmental leader Barton Seaver came to Dartmouth to share his recipes and spread his message of sustainable consumption practices to students. Seaver, a Washington D.C. native, attended the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated with honors in 2001. He continued his education at the C.I.A. through a prestigious fellowship position at the under the guidance of Chef Corky Clark hwhere he assisted with teaching culinary students about fish. A few years later, Seaver started working at José Andrés' restaurant, Jaleo. In 2007 joined the staff at the sustainable seafood restaurant Hook in Georgetown, where he eventually became executive chef. As well as receiving national media recognition as an ambassador of sustainable cooking, he is also a National Geographic fellow, working to boost public awareness about ocean-related environmental issues. He recently published his first book, For Cod and Country, which expounds on the importance of sustainable food systems and responsible consumption.

     At Dartmouth, Seaver prepared several delicious entrées for the Class of 1953 Commons, including "Best Aquaculture Practices Certified" Tilapia with cranberry-maple sauce, linguini with Rhode Island squid and poblano peppers, and a barramundi salad topped with warm apple cider vinaigrette and toasted walnuts. Seaver sourced the barramundi from the Turner Falls Aquaculture Farm, located in Turner Falls, Massachusetts. He also cooked a series of sides to accompany these seafood dishes, including pecan quinoa, clove braised fennel and chard, and maple roasted potatoes. Throughout each meal, he educated Dartmouth Dining Services as well as students on the benefits of sustainable seafood procurement. Members of the Dartmouth community had the opportunity to participate in a dinner discussion with Seaver at the Class of 1953 Commons about his food and his quest for sustainable fish consumption. He gave an additional lecture in Kemeny Hall that illuminated the ways in which unsustainable fishing practices damage the fragile ecosystems in the marine environment and consequently, what consumers can do to help restore them and prevent future destruction.