Wassookeag Lake Asumi Salad

Crunchy, nutty, sweet, and sour, this recipe for Asumi Salad is a regular favorite at Lake Wassookeag.

1 head of cabbage, shredded
3 - 4 chopped scallions
¼ cup (or more!) toasted slivered almonds
2+ Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 packages ramen noodles - added just before serving

Dressing
1 cup canola oil (not olive)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 of a cup of rice wine seasoned vinegar

Shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl with some water and ice cubes to keep crunchy. In the meantime, whisk together canola oil, sugar, and rice vinegar in a bowl and set aside. Drain cabbage and then mix with all other ingredients and dressing in a bowl. Serve immediately!

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

Closing up Camp at Lake Wassookeag

It is a bittersweet time at the lake - so different from the spring opening when the leaves have not popped, and everything is bright green and new. The lake comes alive with the return of summer and its inhabitants -  both the 2 legged, winged, and swimming kind.

Toward the end of August, there comes a chill in the air in the late afternoon calling for a sweater and perhaps socks. Looking out at the lake in the early morning, we see the steam rising. The air is cooler than the lovely warm water of summer. We still sit outside in the screened-in porch and have coffee, dressed in a fleece or warm robe, and drink in the peace that the lake gives us. These last days of summer are precious and a bit sad. Summer friends pack up and begin to say their good-byes, the docks come in, the boats go to their winter hiding places, and the mouse proofing (not really possible!) is in progress.

Fall brings a new kind of beauty as the leaves turn and are reflected in the lake creating double color. The days are still warm but the nights are crisp and cool - perfect Maine weather. Yes, we love fall and, yes, we shall get through another Maine winter which will lead us back to the lake in the spring.

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L

Wassookeag Lake Guacamole

Yet another variation on a theme from Wassookeag Lake! Last night we sat out on the porch with friends listening to the loons, crickets, and tree frogs as we enjoying one of the last warm nights of Maine summer. We drank good wine accompanied by a baked brie with hot pepper jelly and blue taco chips with traditional salsa, pomegranate and black bean salsa, and, of course, our beloved guacamole. That was dinner! And it was just perfect.

Guacamole
3 avocados mashed but still lumpy
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 to ½ cup salsa
2 Tablespons fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ Lemon or lime, to taste.

Mix in a bowl and enjoy.

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L

The Zen of Custard

Who doesn’t love real frozen custard? For the best, we head to Hodgman’s Frozen Custard in New Gloucester. It's known as “Zen Cus” by the locals because those were the letters left after the other lights blew out. And the name “Zen Cus” stuck because it is soooo close to perfection. We have received numerous reports that the Pumpkin Frozen custard is THE best! Established in 1946, this roadside shop is practically an establishment.

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

Downeast Blueberry Cake

A Downeast recipe from an up country friend...

Lake living is easy, fun, and relaxed - as is our casual entertaining. It is an unwritten rule that everyone brings some part of the dinner. The hostess supplies the main dish and drinks and the guests bring hors d'oeuvres, salads, desserts etc. When there are eight to ten people involved, it makes it fun for everyone since all the best recipes arrive at the door. I provide index cards for the trading of those special dishes. Everyone goes home with new ideas and the hostess is not exhausted! Last weekend, the winner of the evening was Downeast Blueberry Cake - a twist on an old Maine favorite.

Ice Cream With A Moo!

Love ice cream? Then Route #115 in North Yarmouth is your yellow brick road! It leads to the renovated caboose known as Toots! Ice Cream at the Thornhurst Farm where we found the sources of the product mooing their welcome. The flavors are playfully named Bah-nah-nah, Cinnamoo, and, one of the perennial favorites, Extremely Black Raspberry, and on and on. Do take the kids, grandkids, or great grandkids. And if it is on a weekend, wander over to the building next door and also try the home-made gelato. Or wander the farm grounds and check out the farm life. And get it soon - Toots! closes its doors at the end of September and doesn't reopen till next season!

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

Farmers' Market in Central Maine

I have just returned from the Dexter Community Farmer's market which comes together every Friday thanks to the generosity of a local grocery store that makes their parking lot available to the vendors. Among the vendors is my friend Sandy who raises goats and makes the most delicious and delicate goat cheese I have ever tasted. The garlic flavored cheese had already been snatched up so I picked up the herbed flavor. The message: Get there early!

Jason's Summer Mango Salsa

My darling son-in-law Jason is a very good cook, and loves to improvise! Jason's Summer Mango Salsa is a delightful mélange of flavors. It is slightly sweet, slightly piquant, and can be served with chips, chicken, fish, or meat -- whatever suits the cook's fancy.

Jason's Summer Mango Salsa
Juice of 6 limes
2 large mangos                     
1 medium Vidalia onion
2 medium avocados
2 medium tomatoes
1 yellow or red pepper
½ jalapeno pepper (depending on how much spice you’d like)
¼ cup of cilantro
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Dice up all fruits and vegetables to approximately the same size and serve with chosen foods - delicious!

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

Simple & Delicious Grilled Salmon

I am of the "keep it simple" school. If I have company for dinner, it is because I want to spend time with them, so I try to have everything ready and delicious with the hope that it will be memorable - which means that they ask for the recipe! This marinade, courtesy of my friend Judy, is wonderful on salmon and has become a staple of my summer entertaining. Just try it once and you'll see why.

Marinade:
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon (reserve the other half for later) and allow it to sit for 10 or 12 minutes. Place salmon on hot grill, skin side down. Discard marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill 4-5 minutes. Turn with spatula and grill for another 4-5 minutes. The salmon will be a bit rare but will continue cooking as it sits.

Transfer to plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

Tequila Nights

Having a meal with friends in a wonderful place -- whether it be in my own kitchen or dining room, cooking  outside on the grill, or dining away from home -- is one of the great treats of life. I love to marinate a flank steak and cook it on the grill.

My favorite marinade is made with Tequila. This is Harry Anderson's recipe from the old Guilford B&B. We used to religiously attend their Thursday night dinners which were open to the public and then they went and sold it! I relive those nights with this recipe.

Tequila/Lime Flank Steak
(marinade for 4 steaks)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tequila
7 cloves garlic, mashed
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon pepper and a "glug" of honey!

Marinate overnight. Grill as desired. Cut flank steak on the diagonal, and enjoy!

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.

The Road Less Traveled...

Taking "the road less traveled" often leads us to interesting and wonderful discoveries. For example, the little hole in the wall that is deceiving from the outside and looks more like a pepperoni pizza and Bud light "palace" (not that there is anything wrong with pepperoni pizza and Bud light!), but turns out to be owned by a chef who is a graduate of the Culinary Arts Institute. His creations are both delicious and original. What a find, and more proof that it is important to look beyond the exterior and see for yourself!

Or, conversely, we tried a restaurant that boasted one of our favorite kinds of foods -- middle eastern -- only to have the experience dampened by a too-loud vocalist who made conversation all but impossible. Shame on him, and the restaurant, for not managing the sound level. Or how about no music at all? But then maybe he was a relative? But we will return (if we find the vocalist is on vacation), and have another go at the lamb dishes, hummus, grape leaves etc. Oh well, it is all part of the discovery process.

And the visit to the inviting spot in a high end community? The $.50 cookies were just that and less, and the tuna sandwich was inedible, more reminiscent of cat food than Ahi! So, whether it is white table cloths and fancy silver, red-checked table cloths, or no table cloth at all, wait staff decked out in black and white, a single wait person, cafeteria style or take-out, $ or $$$$$, it's all interesting and worth trying.

Once again, more proof that appearances may be deceiving, and that getting out of our safety zone enriches our lives in many ways, not least of all being humor. We shall continue to take the road less traveled...

Katherine Emory is a columnist for MF&L.