Like many Maine families, our Sunday afternoons in January have been occupied with watching the 2020 National Football League playoffs. After the Patriots loss to the Titans last year in the wild card round, we
When my Meyer’s lemon tree, heavy with fruit, starting falling over and out of the pot, I knew it was time to harvest. With the daylight hours growing longer, the spindly branches were practically growing
The seed catalogs flooding the mailbox always inspire me to reflect upon my garden and pantry this time of year. I evaluate the successes and operational challenges, design my planting rotation, select new seed varieties,
The Maine scallop season is here, and we’ve stepped up our consumption of these rich, succulent bivalves. As excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin B12, Maine scallops are also an integral part
One of my favorite winter root vegetables is the beetroot, or beets. Deep garnet red, bright yellow, golden, even candy-cane striped, the taproot portion of the beet plant has a sweet and earthy flavor. Despite
Last week, my culinary students at Deer Isle-Stonington high school prepared and served a Harvest lunch for their 120 classmates and staff. It was a heroic effort that involved the whole school and spanned over
Through much travel and separation, our family has remained bound together with a passion for good eating. Some of my most vivid memories are of the foods, meals and feasts around the dining room table.
There’s an industrious level of excitement around our household as the month of October draws to a close. When the temperatures drop and daylight hours become shorter, we’re like the red squirrels, scurrying to prepare
Winter squashes sustained the Native Americans in the New England region for at least seven thousand years before the European explorers landed. Back when Maine became a state, it was common practice for farmers to
In her book, “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”, Marcella Hazan writes “one of the most satisfying salads is based on that old standby of the ingenious poor, bread and water.” In Panzanella or Italian Bread
Besides the iconic wild blueberry, Maine apples are one of my favorite year-round fruits. An important crop for the early Colonial settlers, apples were a vital part of homesteading life and used in numerous ways
One of my favorite children’s novels is “James and the Giant Peach”, written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. There have been several different illustrated versions of the book over the years, plus a
My friend Barrett Gray, owner of Boyce’s Motel in Stonington, runs the Healthy Island Project’s lunchbox program for senior citizens down here on the island. Every week, individuals get a wellness check-in telephone call from
Looking for recipes that use the zucchini explosion in your garden? Zucchini Yogurt Muffins, warm from the oven, make a delicious summer breakfast. The delicate, moist interior flecked with green and oozing with slightly melted
These days, my refrigerator shelves are overloaded with jars and small bowls of ingredients waiting for someone to eat them: extra-ripe raspberries, pulled chicken breast, roasted tomatoes, wild blueberry fruit sauce, and grilled summer veggies.
This season there are more families since World War II who are enjoying the benefits of their own “victory garden.” Back then, Americans were urged to “plant in every patch of available soil”. In doing
An advertisement for Matlaw’s stuffed clams in Down East magazine caught my eye: America’s Favorite Stuffed Clam! GREAT ON THE GRILL. A quick search revealed that Matlaw’s, a Glouster, Massachusetts seafood company has been creating
Saturday night supper and a staple at grange hall meals, baked beans have been enjoyed by generations of Mainers. The mighty bean, indigenous to the Western Hemisphere, actually migrated to Europe before returning in intoxicating
The slow, cool spring produced a bumper crop of rhubarb for many folks. Although usually eaten as a “fruit”, botanically speaking rhubarb is vegetable. An invaluable homestead plant in Maine, this tart tasting member of
Who doesn’t love a fresh chocolate chip cookie hot from the oven? America’s favorite hand-held confection is credited to Ruth Graves Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. In 1938 Ruth made
Ron Fortier from Ellsworth recently wrote to me, “With the present stay-at-home situation, I have been delegated as chief cook. I’m rapidly running out of comfort food ideas. Please, if you have any fresh ideas,
The long stretch of keeping to home has given me the opportunity to catch up on some necessary spring-cleaning projects. Clothes have been sorted, books dusted and windows washed. One fruitful endeavor was tackling the
I keep a close eye on my pantry inventory these days; sorting root-cellared apples for sauce, peeling and freezing garlic, and roasting the butternut squash with soft spots. The urge for this annual routine of
