Nowadays I tend to use brown rice for every rice dish because it’s “heart smart,” but I still prefer the way white rice looks. I make this to accompany baked haddock or similar white fish. The lemon flavor nicely complements the fish.
image: yummy4tummy.wordpress.com
This is a great-tasting mussel dish. I make it often, either with the wild mussels that live on our rocks and ledges or with Dave Hiltz’s rope-grown mussels from his float in the harbor. It’s also a nice recipe to know about if you happen to have cooked mussels left over from a mussel feast.
I collect cookbooks and cooking magazines. Because I am totally addicted and can’t bear to throw them out, I have a cluttered house to say the least. A few years ago, I remember an article about a Washington, D.C. dinner party. The menu caught my eye because evidently former Senator Bill Cohen from Maine brought a dish called Cool Green Salad. I love Senator Cohen (who doesn’t?). Perhaps that had something to do with why I made the salad for my next dinner party, and I’ve been making it ever since.
image: allyou.com
I confess to being a little apprehensive the first time I made this stew because I wasn’t sure about the prunes and almonds. As it turned out, I loved it and my husband Jim raved about it. He attributed the good flavor to the Guinness. You can decide for yourself!
The very name of this warming toddy makes me think of old whaling ships coming into port in the dead of a cold night. Maybe people on the dock are waiting to catch their lines and the crew disembarks and heads to the nearest tavern for a hot toddy. In today’s world it would certainly be a welcome libation after a long afternoon on the ski slopes.
image: 365foods.files.wordpress.com
When we want something to warm us up, I make this long-cooking chili and keep it hot on the back of the stove. It has a kick to it, but you could adjust the heat by only using one or two cherry peppers. Great with cornbread!
Continue reading “Martha Greenlaw’s Three-Alarm Maine Chili” »
My friend Mary served this shrimp and pasta salad to our bridge group for lunch not too long ago. I especially loved the lemony dressing, and she agreed to give me the recipe. When someone else asked Mary for the recipe she said, “Sorry. Now you need to wait for Martha’s cookbook!”
Continue reading “Martha Greenlaw’s Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad” »
Yorkshire pudding was traditionally baked in the roasting pan with the roast, but I always bake it separately, as I suspect most people do. It’s best made with the pan drippings from the roast, but you can use butter if need be. Just make sure the fat is sizzling hot when you pour the batter over it.
(mini-Yorkshire pudding image courtesy of Wikipedia)
This pie is all my own creation. My mother baked magnificent pies and was well known for them. When I was growing up, we each got to pick the kind of pie she would make that week for Sunday dinner and I usually chose apple. My brother Freeman chose lemon meringue, Chuckie chose blueberry, Gracie chose pecan, Avis asked for graham cracker pie, I made the filling with lots of citrus for its fresh, clean taste. The crust uses only vegetable shortening because that’s how my mother made it. If I see a pie crust recipe that calls for butter, I’ll try it. Continue reading “Island Apple Pie” »
Pork and apples just go together and when fall arrives on the island, I braise tenderloins with some good apples. I like Granny Smiths, but you could use any firm, crisp apples. Those from a local orchard will taste best, and of course all through New England we have wonderful orchards where you can pick your own or buy them from the side of the road. Continue reading “Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Caramelized Apples” »
Not too long ago, Linda rented an apartment in Portland, Maine, for the winter and became friends with her eighty-six-year-old neighbor, Maxine Wright. I met Maxine at a publishing party Linda had at the Dry Dock Bar in Portland, the bar she wrote about in her book All Fishermen Are Liars. Maxine and I started swapping stories, and when she learned that Linda and I were working on a cookbook, she offered me her lifetime collection of recipes. I had fun browsing through them and chose this cobbler to include in the book. Thank you, Maxine! Continue reading “Apple Cobbler” »
My mother baked beans every Saturday night, and she usually made coleslaw and hot biscuits to go with them. There were six of us children in the family and Mama let us take turns choosing which kinds of beans we’d have, which meant that I had to wait six weeks for my favorite. I liked these “little beans” or pea beans, flavored with Maine maple syrup and molasses. Continue reading “Mama’s Maple-Flavored Baked Pea Beans” »
You wouldn’t believe how good this casserole is! It’s one of the specialties of Mary Ann, a longtime member of our gourmet group, who has served it to the group on many an occasion. Mary Ann said recently, “Not again. Let’s give it a rest.” But we all like it so much that I’m not sure we’ll let her quit making it. Continue reading “Gulf of Maine Haddock Casserole” »
This is my favorite way to stuff tomatoes. It’s especially good during the short time at the end of the summer when our Maine gardens are bursting with ripe tomatoes. I urge you to try it with garden-fresh tomatoes. The sausage makes it robust, more of a simple main course than a side dish. You will love it. It easily serves 6 as a light main course or more as a side dish.
If I want to make a hit with the men at my dinner table, I serve this potato dish. Everyone loves it, but men seem to be special fans. I’m a big fan, too, but for different reasons. I love the way it tastes, but I also love that it’s made ahead of time and then only needs to be popped in the oven for about 40 minutes before serving.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Martha Greenlaw’s Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup” »
This soup is really nice and delicious. A little ginger gives it great flavor. We cook with ginger a lot in our family and we love it. Not a cream soup but puréed, this is easy to make, with good flavor. It also does very well prepared a day ahead of time. Just let the hot soup cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat over medium heat until hot. Serve garnished with parsley.
