MUSSEL BEACH

Mussels are perhaps the easiest seafood meal, ready in mere minutes. Their subtly sweet taste is enhanced in all types of recipes, from buttered pasta to spicy Thai soups.

Cultivated mussels have some advantages over wild varieties: The waters they grow in are pristine and constantly monitored, plus they're sustainable, making them an eco-friendly seafood choice. Cooking mussels is simple if you know the right moves. Here, helpful tips from Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, Washington, a Puget Sound farm that's cultivated mussels since the 1890s.

• Buy live mussels. It's OK if the shells are open as long as they shut quickly after a gentle tap. If the shells stay open, toss them out.

• Place mussels in a large bowl in the refrigerator with a damp towel draped over the top. (Soaking in water suffocates them.) If storing on ice, drain accumulating water often.

• Err on the side of safety; store only up to three days in your refrigerator.

• Before cooking, "debeard" the mussels: Pull the fuzzy threads toward the hinge of the shells to detach and discard them-or ask your fishmonger to remove them for you.

• Don't undercook. Perfectly cooked mussels are plump, round, and sweettasting. They take only about 5 to 10 minutes to steam-when shells are open, they are done! -Julia Rutland

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

ACTIVE: 20 min.
TOTAL: 30 min.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2/3 cup diced carrot
2/3 cup diced turnip
2/3 cup diced parsnip
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 Tbsp. crème fraîche

Crusty bread

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and next 6 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.