Maine Events Calendar: July 2009

Let's hope the sun begins to shine in Maine with the beginning of a new summer month! Rain, rain, go away. There are several events, as always, to take in and enjoy all over the state. If you have something you'd like to add to our July events calendar, please forward it to blog@mainefoodandlifestyle.com

Three-Cherry Clafouti with MInt

Clafouti is a cake and custard all in one. It's easy to make a delicious both warm and at room temperature, making it perfect for a picnic. We like to use a mixture of cherries and types of mint, but this is also good with just one variety of each.

Stir-Fried Egg Noodles with Beef and Broccoli

Stir-Fried Egg Noodles with Beef and Broccoli
Noodles Every Day, Corinne Trang

Egg noodles with beef and broccoli is a Chinatown restaurant classic, made with either Chinese or Western broccoli, depending on the cook’s preference. Fresh round egg noodles about the size of spaghetti are used here. Although they are called fresh, the thick egg noodles known as dan mian (literally “egg noodle”) are precooked and do not need to be boiled for this recipe. Seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine), this is a hearty dish. If you cannot find fresh dan mian, feel free to use the dried version of this noodle or thinner fresh or dried ramen. If you use ramen, you might want to cut the beef into strips to balance the textures.

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

Tidal Falls Lobster Kettle in Hancock has numerous claims to fame, including superb lobsters and a truly knockout view, but their amazingly delicious homemade lemonade might in and of itself be enough to get me there. Biggish chunks of lemon rind make all the difference.

Linda Greenlaw's Spicy Swordfish Steaks

Here's a great recipe for swordfish--this one with a neat spiced cucumber topping. Swordfish happens to be my personal all-time favorite seafood, but then I have been spoiled by years of thick swordfish steaks cut seconds after the fish have landed on deck. In general, the quality of fish to the consumer has improved drastically in the past twenty years. Commercial boats are often equipped with saltwater ice-making capability and much fish is sold at auction where the middleman sees, smells, and feels the product. Also, there is a great incentive to deliver pristine fish, because the best-quality fish commands the highest price.

Spinach Fettuccine Puttanesca with Shrimp

Pasta dishes play a key role in the diets of many people, yet few of us actually prepare pasta from scratch. Dry pasta is very convenient and fresh pastas are now readily available at major supermarkets. Fresh pasta, however, is simple to make, and there is something utterly satisfying about eating pasta made by your own hands. In my Pasta Pasta Pasta cooking class, we begin by creating various flavored pasta doughs. Participants learn how to roll out the dough to create a wide variety of shapes from farfalle to fettuccine, and learn how to create filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini. I demonstrate the best way to cook fresh pasta and we finish the pasta dishes with various sauces and meats.

Smoked Corn in the Husk with Hot Pepper Herb Butter

If you make lots of this recipe, cut the excess corn off the cob, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. The smoked corn can be added to dips, soups, and stews.

July 4th: Salmon Comes Indoors This Year

A highlight of my trip to the West Coast was last night's potluck with friends, the perfect prelude to a weekend of Independence Day festivities. Instead of grilling outside where a relentless heat wave was keeping evening temperatures stuck in the 80s, we gathered around the dining room table in the air conditioning.

Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream for 4th of July

At Arrows, we make everything from scratch, including this rich, fruity ice cream that tastes like the essence of summer. To make raspberry or vanilla ice cream, see the note that follows this recipe.

Salmon Cakes with Pea and Mint Sauce

Salmon, peas, and mint are all available (theoretically) at about the same time in early summer in New England, so they were often served in combination at traditional Independence Day dinners. In fact, on the dairy farm in Winslow where I grew up, we ate broiled salmon and fresh peas in cream sauce every Fourth of July. This recipe is an elegant way to put these same ingredients together. You can get most of the work done ahead of time and finish it shortly before serving.

Strawberry Shortcake

Shortcake is one of America's most estimable contributions to the roster of the world's great desserts. Simplicity itself, shortcake, which requires little in the way of culinary expertise except for a light hand with the dough, is the epitome of good Yankee country cooking, and strawberry shortcake, made with dead-ripe, fragrant native berries, is probably the queen of all shortcakes. Whether gathered on hands and knees at a pick-your-own-farm or bought from a roadside stand or farmers' market, in-season strawberries are surely one of nature's most priceless seasonal offerings. The "short" (meaning very buttery) egg biscuit is made into one large cake for an impressive presentation to a large group. Although shortcake is best served warm, I do give instructions for preparing all the elements before guests arrive.

"Caviar of Maine" makes a fancy debut

On a lazy Sunday morning, if you're looking for something to go with your Ducktrap smoked salmon, try the caviar at Browne Trading Company. If it's good enough for Le Bernardin, it's probably good enough for a weekend nosh.

Recipe Hunt 2: Looking for Great Recipes

OK...I'm hungry again, so let's go check the blogs and see what we can hunt down to inspire us to shop, cook, and eat! How about Salmon, Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin, Herbalicious Chicken, Pan-Fried Gnocchi, Ancho Lentil Soup, Baby Back Ribs, Maine Baked Beans, and Orange and Spice Cookies? Got your attention yet?

Stuffed Crab Shells

Called cua farci in Vietnamese, these stuffed crab shells make for an excellent appetizer or a light meal when served with a salad on the side. The dish reflects a French influence: The word farci is French for “stuffed,” for example, and the dish contains butter. But it is very much Vietnamese in flavor and texture. After you have enjoyed Atlantic blue crabs or small stone crabs (with black claws) in other dishes, scrub the shells and save them to make this dish. Otherwise, you can use individual soufflé dishes or ramekins.

Heirloom Tomatoes, Now and Later

When I'm in California to visit family, I always have a list of favorite things I like to do while I'm there, and a trip to the local farmers' market is my Number 1 To-Do. The market in Ojai, a little town about 75 miles outside of Los Angeles, never fails to knock my socks off. Not only is the produce and fruit available almost year-round, but it's where I am guaranteed to run into old friends and catch up on their news. Not surprisingly, it takes me a couple of hours to make the rounds, all the while sampling the wares of farmers showing off their strawberries, tangerines, and apricots.

Perfect Picnic on Monhegan (Conclusion)

The perfect picnic isn't complete without divine desserts and complementary spirits. Here are a few suggestions to finish off the idyllic day on the island. Beverage suggestions follow recipes.

Perfect Picnic on Monhegan (Part 2)

Here are a couple more sides to add to your picnic basket. Delicious, simple, and perfect to pack for your day trip over to the island.

Perfect Picnic on Monhegan (Part 1)

IF there is a better moment in time to visit Monhegan Island, I cannot imagine what it is. When the last of the lilacs bloom coincides with the lupine show, it's pure magic.

It's no wonder that the island continues to spawn generation after generation of artists...locals and rusticators alike. Not having any real connections to Monhegan, a day tripper like myself must be content to spend a full and glorious day or two hiking, and give careful consideration to one's own provisions.

Rockland Throwdown: Lynn Archer vs. Bobby Flay

Amidst circulating rumors of a Food Network cooking event in Rockland's Buoy Park, a tip-off from a reliable source prompted us to investigate. We were completely unprepared for the event which would unfold!

Lynn Archer, chef and proprietor of Rockland's Brass Compass Cafe arrived a little before noon, clad in leather, on her motorcycle. Friends and family who had been issued invitations to this private event gathered around a tent, where there was a definite air of anticipation. Clearly, something would soon be cooking!

A party atmosphere filled the small gathering. Lynn began with a message of grateful thanks for being blessed by all the good things about small town America, including the tremendous support of a close-knit community.

She then began a cooking demonstration: making bread, shucking lobster, and with great humor and rapport with her audience, began making her signature Lobster Club BLT. As she finished getting her ingredients prepared, who walks into the tent but Bobby Flay, who challenged Lynn to a Lobster Club Throwdown! Totally unfazed, Lynn said she was comfortable on her turf, and had "nothing to worry about."

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

A little known food holiday just slipped by us. Let me be the first to wish you a belated Happy National Sense of Smell Day. (Who knew?)

Can Peanuts Grow in Maine?

My garden is in full swing. As a rule, I do not plant what I do not eat, and this year I have planted some unusual things, at least one of which may not be used to the Maine growing season.

Another Oatsy-Fruitsy Morning

We here at Camp Cook & Tell, of which I am head counselor, really like oats.

You may recall our recent homage to granola, that oatsy-fruitsy cereal melange that sank into oblivion shortly after it was introduced by early health food faddists. Unappreciated for a century, the honeyed grains et al finally were embraced by the beaded and headbanded cohort of 1960s hippiedom and became their breakfast of choice. The rest of us tagged along and helped granola achieve enduring popularity.

Homemade Granola

Guests John and Tammy from Delaware are granola connoisseurs. John told me that he would buy my granola if it were available for sale. This is for you John, now you can make your own!

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring It On!" (Conclusion)

Day Two: The five finalists were announced. Among them, Texas, Maryland, and of course the favored son of New Orleans, who was now representing Mississippi, John Currence. Chef Currence, on day one, had sauntered in wearing ripped jeans, cowboy boots, and a seriously wrinkled chef jacket. Day two, he at least wore an ironed jacket but I somehow knew he was not be underestimated.

Champagne-Buttered Lobster Tails with Mâche Florets

Champagne-Buttered Lobster Tails with Mâche Florets
300 Big & Bold Barbecue & Grilling Recipes

4 rock lobster tails (each about 8 ounces)
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Champagne Butter
1 cup unsalted butter                                 
½ cup Champagne                                   
¼ cup chopped fresh lemon balm leaves     
8 ounces mâche florets (about 4 cups)          
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice             
1 loaf crusty French bread, warmed              

Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill. Using kitchen shears or a cleaver, cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise. Brush lobster meat with melted butter.

Prepare the Champagne butter: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in Champagne and lemon balm. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Place lobster tails cut side down on the grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes to lightly char the meat. Turn and grill on the shell side for 7 to 9 minutes, or until meat is opaque and just firm to the touch (the shell may char).

Dress mâche with lemon juice and place in the center of each plate. Set a lobster tail on each portion of mâche. Serve with Champagne butter on the side for dipping and crusty French bread for sopping.

Definitely sip on the remaining chilled Champagne while enjoying this French version of grilled lobster tails. If you don’t have lemon balm, substitute 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (or to taste).

Serves 4.

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring it On!" (Part 2)

Night One: Our information packet gave us directions to the Arts District where we were treated to an amazing sampling of local cuisine prepared by chefs of New Orleans. One could not turn around without bumping into a bartender. (I am not complaining here.) From there we were loaded onto an air conditioned tour bus and escorted to the next stop, by far the best looking Harley riding big bald police officers imaginable. Lights flashing, sirens blaring, cars pulling out of the way. It was something!

When Life Gives You Mint, Make Ice Cream

When a large bunch of mint showed up in my CSA bag last week, I puzzled over how to use it. I've never liked mint in any context but toothpaste and dessert, so chutney, jelly, tea, and biryani were out. Ignoring the mint until it went bad was not an option, as I've vowed to eat everything that arrives from the farm this season (except beets: I make my husband eat those).

Maine Lobster Chef McLellan: "Bring It On!" (Part 1)

If you can’t take the heat, get back in the kitchen.

Culinary competition. Ask any chef how they feel about it and you will get one response or the other. Terrifying or exhilarating. I happen to be of the latter school.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Herbs and Caramelized Onions

Rib-eye steaks, which the French call entrecôtes, are richly marbled, which makes them quite juicy and full of flavor. Because they don't dry out over high heat, rib-eyes are our favorite cut of beef to throw on a searingly hot grill. Try to find aged rib-eye steaks, which are more tender and have a mellower flavor. Most aged beef is sold directly to restaurants, but good butchers and even some supermarkets stock aged beef, especially in the summer grilling season.

In this recipe, sweet caramelized onions stand up to the smoky flavor of the meat. Intensely aromatic herbs like tarragon (the foundation of that classic steak accompaniment, béarnaise sauce) also work well with grilled beef. Here we mix herbs into a salad that is sprinkled over the steaks.

Martini Smoked Salmon

Smoking is the most flavorful way to cook a whole salmon. It gets a nice smokiness and is very moist and tender. Leftovers never go to waste. Leftover salmon, flaked and combined with cream cheese and a little lemon juice, makes a great cocktail spread.

Midya Dolma (Pilaf with Mussels)

This Armenian dish of delectable mussels with rice and cabbage was one of author Nancy Mehagian's favorites made by her mother. She shares this recipe and many others in her book, Siren's Feast An Edible Odyssey.

Classic Down East Haddock Chowder

The virtue of Maine-style fish chowder is its simplicity. It's a milky, brothy chowder, unembellished with wine or heavy cream, tasting mostly of the good, fresh, locally caught haddock from which it is made. This recipe is classic, with the main concession to modernity being the addition of fresh thyme, which you can omit or reduce if you so prefer. The secret to chowder's depth of flavor lies in the aging process during which all the chowder's elements have a chance to meld and blend, resulting in a most successful and happy marriage.

Veggie Burgers Worth Showing Off

With barbecue season upon us, it's time to rethink the soggy gray veggie burger. As any vegetarian knows, those frozen patties' attempts to imitate meat elicit only mockery and scorn at neighborhood cookouts.

Instead of trying and failing to taste like beef, my favorite veggie burgers highlight the flavors and textures of chopped vegetables, grains, beans, and nuts. Creative seasoning can turn these simple ingredients into mouthwatering burgers that appeal even to skeptics.

Rockland's Renaissance, indeed!

With a decisive stamp of culinary approval, the Portland Press Herald devotes two full pages to Rockland in today's food section. Finally putting to rest the reputation for which Rockland has suffered for too long (smelly, low-brow, depressed), food editor Meredith Goad declares Rock City a go-to destination for good eating and good art.

From our offices on Rockland's Main Street, we have first-hand access to today's vibrant scene of bistros, galleries, and boutiques that keep the sidewalks thrumming with visitors. Early this morning, the coffee shops were packed and already running low on muffins. A 3-story crane was installing a jazzy, new free-form awning on the entrance to the Farnsworth Museum, and people were still gawking at the Robert Indiana "EAT" sculpture that had been mounted on the museum's roof only yesterday. The aroma of roasting coffee beans was in the air, and it didn't hurt that bright sunshine was making everything sparkle like new.

Taste of the Nation Portland

Save the Date! Thursday, June 18, 2009

What a wonderful event for such worthy organizations in Maine. No cause is more important than our children. If you are in Portland tomorrow, June 18, or if you'd like to make a trip there to support one worthy cause this year, make it Taste of the Nation, Portland. Dine at some of Maine's best restaurants, and help stamp out hunger.

100% of ticket sales help ensure no kid in America grows up hungry.

At Taste of the Nation, Maine’s celebrated chefs are paired with amazing wines, spirits, and beers.

Dine on delicacies from more than a dozen Maine kitchens, including Five Fifty-Five, Fore Street, Back Bay Grill, Cinque Terre, Hugo’s and many others. Sip wines throughout the evening from an array of different vineyards. But don’t neglect the cocktails; mixologist Adrian Stratton of Back Bay Grill is overseeing that department. Preble Street, East End Kids, Cultivating Communities and Maine Equal Justice are the beneficiaries of the delicious fun at Taste of the Nation.

Every ticket sold fights childhood hunger in Maine. All ticket revenue stays here in Maine and helps us with the mission— ending childhood hunger. The money raised supports some very important organizations.

FMI: http://www.strength.org/portlandme/event_details/

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Pop the Cork 2: A Toast to the Arts

We encourage our blog readers to get out to Rockport Harbor this Thursday, June 18, for a spectacular local event. Pop the Cork 2- A Toast to the Arts is happening from 5:30-9:30pm, hosted by our friends at Cellardoor Winery. A benefit event, all proceeds will go to The Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

With so much to enjoy in such a rich area of Maine, start off the summer with food, wine, art, and music. There will be Zydeco, steel drums, a swing band, and of course fabulous wine and hors d'oeuvres. What a great time to take in a local cultural event. Make it the start of a yearly tradition! To learn more call 236.2654 www.mainewine.com Tickets may also be purchased online tickets@cellardoorvineyard.com

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Martha Greenlaw's Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup

Although I love all the old-fashioned New England dishes, sometimes I get a craving for those spicy Tex-Mex flavors. That's when I make this amazingly easy black bean soup for a quick lunch or supper.

Halibut Recipe: Siren's Feast, An Edible Odyssey

A fascinating book filled with food and adventure; this one is a must read!  Your appetite will be satisfied on both a gustatory and an intellectual/spiritual level. Check out the book jacket excerpt and try Ms. Mehagian's savory sample recipe below. You'll feel a renewed need to cook and read!

Grilled Salmon Niçoise

Enjoying them in season, wild vegetables are wonderful. Fiddleheads are the top part of immature fronds from the ostrich fern. They are found in spring in the wet lowlands of Maine particularly near shaded rivers and creeks. Their flavor is similar to that of asparagus and they are cooked in a similar manner. Asparagus, fiddleheads, or haricot verts make nice green substitutions in this recipe, depending on the season.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

This dish is wonderful served over a combination of basmati, jasmine, and wild rice with crisp-tender lemon butter green beans.

New Kid on the Rockland Block: Home Kitchen Cafe really rocks!

Long time foodie, great cook and chef/owner James Hatch followed his instincts when he opened the Home Kitchen Café, and I am reporting in that they are excellent. This place offers everything I look for in a breakfast joint except perhaps home squeezed OJ...even the option to default to lunch a bit early. The hours are 6 am to 3 pm, with Sunday brunch closing at 2pm.

Special Occasion Lobster Salad

Lobster salad for The Classic Maine Lobster Roll must be utterly pristine and simple. This composed version of lobster salad, however, is flavored a bit more assertively and is decorated brightly with snow peas and radishes. Add a basket of Maine Johnnycake or Grange Supper Baking Powder Biscuits for an absolutely splendid lunch or supper.

Arrows Restaurant's Creamy Goat Cheese Toasts

These toasts go well with salads, as part of an antipasto platter, or just on their own as a canapé. If you like, add a Tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley or a teaspoon of chopped thyme leaves.

Maine Farm Gets the Nod from Martha Stewart

Here in Maine we're aware that our local restaurants, antique shops, crafts, and farmers' markets are cherished by urban renegades who flock here to enjoy "life the way it should be." Among our more high-profile part-time residents is none other than Martha Stewart who runs a media empire and escapes to Bar Harbor whenever she can.

Linda Greenlaw's Grilled Marinated Scallops with Ginger and Sesame

A friend who drags scallops showed up at my door one evening bearing the gift of 2 gallons of freshly shucked scallops. (This may be due to the fact that he had overimbibed at a party on a previous night, passed out in the middle of my kitchen floor, and had to be carried home. The gift was appreciated, and he was forgiven.) The scallops were gorgeous! Although scallops do freeze well, nothing compares to those straight out of the shell. I tried to consume as many scallops as I could while they were fresh. Luckily, I also love them marinated and grilled. The only way to hurt them is to dry them out by overcooking. Like most seafood, to err on the side of undercooking is divine!

Anadama Bread

( A famous artist, a mean old wife, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles )

I was given this recipe by my husband, who baked bread fairly often when he was younger and had more time. He made this in a sort of bucket apparatus with a crank handle…a non-electric “bread machine,” as it were. There are lots of recipes for Anadama bread; the only common required elements are the corn meal and molasses…you can substitute milk for some of the water, or you might add in some whole wheat flour--vary it as you like.

"Logger" family to dish up eats in Millinocket

The Pelletier family, nationally known for their Friday night show “American Loggers" on the Discovery Channel (except to me, who had no idea that this show existed before today, but will now surely become obsessed with it), has purchased two shuttered, adjacent businesses in Millinocket and started to merge the spaces into a "large eatery." With logging work slow, the family and a contracting team have thrown themselves into extensive remodeling work in hopes of opening the restaurant later this year.

Isle au Haut Getaway: Off the Beaten Path

Every person that steps on Isle au Haut – be they hiker, camper, sightseer, worker, repairman, photographer, news reporter, house guest or whatever – becomes a member of this small community the instant their toes touch the town dock. When you visit an island as small as ours, you don’t really have the luxury of being a casual observer. If there is a fire, we may ask you to haul buckets. If someone goes missing, we may sign you onto a search party. If there is a parade, we may invite you to construct a float, or bang a drum, or honk a horn. We will encourage you to participate in our annual talent show, or make a cameo in the island contra dance band, or bring a dish to one of our potlucks in the town hall. 

Bok Choy, from Farmers' Market to Picnic Table

This week at the Orono Farmers’ Market, the hot item was neither rhubarb nor asparagus. Bok Choy, the leafy, versatile Chinese cabbage, made its first appearance of the summer and was eagerly snatched up. 

Recipe Hunt – Chicken, Grilled Pizza, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Martini

You probably shouldn't go clicking around the food sites when you're hungry. It's no different than food shopping on an empty stomach. While most things tend to look really good under both circumstances, here are a few recipes that I've added to my "I gotta make this" list.

Granola Goodness

It was the Fuller Brush man who introduced us to granola, when we were living in San Diego in the late sixties and the hippie culture was in full roar. Tad's base was San Francisco; none of us was anywhere near radical. He was a button-down traveling salesman, selling brooms to make money for launching a business of his own - publishing travel guides and directories of West Coast antiques dealers and restaurants. I was a freelance artist and writer. Before long, Tad hired me to work with him in his publishing endeavors.