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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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!

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. 

More Wonderful Watercress Recipes

I love this recipe with peas fresh from the garden, but frozen may be substituted. Try as a topping for grilled halibut or maybe with salmon fillet as a fresh take on salmon, peas and new potatoes for the Fourth of July!

Spring Cleaning From Within: Watercress Recipe

A river runs through it.

Well, a stream actually, but resembling a small river after these several days of rain! But it's my little stream and the better part of the reason that I chose this property to be my home, which was originally part of an old farm stead, complete with a meadow, old pear and apple trees, a water source, and ancient venerable trees. It's a lively stream, this stream of mine, and it babbles its way over rocks and makes waterfalls in a few different spots under big willows. It has a gentle voice, and accompanies my gardening tasks, urging me on after the blackflies have worn me down. It's great to have water so nearby, assisting with irrigation needs for vegetable seedlings, doggie drinks, and foot dipping. Did I mention mosquito breeding? Yep, I'll bet it helps with that too.

Terra Optima Homemade Crock Pot Chili

This dish is full of flavor, hearty, and can be prepared with relative ease. With the use of a crock pot, slow cooking results in tender meat and big taste. And trying this recipe is a great way to support our farmers by sourcing pork locally.

Isle au Haut – A Memorable Culinary Getaway

Our Island Gourmet Girls Culinary Getaway on beautiful Isle au Haut on June 13-15 and June 15-17 is an event we know you will enjoy. Join me, along with Linda Greenlaw and Kate Shaffer for a weekend cooking extravaganza. You will learn to perfectly prepare and cook succulent Maine fish, make delicious complementary side dishes, and finish off with an artisan chocolate making class. Walk away with recipes and memories to last a lifetime.

I love dinner parties: the planning, decorating, preparing, the laughter and fun. The satisfaction and happiness I get feeds my soul as well as the bellies of my guests. Heck, I even opened an inn on an offshore island with no restaurants so I could do it 7 nights a week!

Maine Blueberry Coffee Cake, Oriole Orange Coffee Cake

This recipe is very popular among the visitors to our summer bakery, but it really shines when a cake is needed that will stand up to being sent through the mail! Island kids off to school on the mainland love it, and their roommates and teammates love it even more! It seems lots of people get chocolate chip cookies from home, but not everybody gets Maine blueberry cake. This keeps well, if wrapped, for several days, and freezes nicely.

Memorial Day in Maine: Grilled Lobster

Well here it is. The unoffical start to summer. Grills are dusted off and fired up, children have the day off from school, and families celebrate together with picnics and barbecues. Some travel, some stay close to home. Flowers are planted at the graves of loved ones. State parks and beaches officially open.

Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Attempts World's Longest Lobster Roll

Look out for Linda Bean's Perfect Maine as they make a Guinness World Record Attempt! Their feat will involve assembling and authenticating the World's Longest Lobster Roll: A 60 foot long Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll!!

Arrows Restaurant Appetizer: Asparagus Soup with Lobster, Morels, and Chervil

This is the ultimate spring soup. Few dishes could make a more elegant start to a celebratory dinner. It is not hard to make, but be careful not to overcook the asparagus or it will lose its bright color and turn mushy. We enjoy the delicate look of chervil, and its aniselike flavor brightens this rich soup. Chervil takes about 6 weeks to grow from seed, but you can plant it quite early (a month before the last frost) or grow it indoors in pots on a sunny windowsill.

Sauté of Fiddleheads, Sugar Snaps, and Baby Carrots

Fiddleheads are one of the most significant culinary harbingers of spring in Maine, and in this recipe they're combined with two other seasonal vegetables to create a gorgeous, colorful mélange. If you can't get fiddleheads, asparagus cut into 2-inch lengths is a fine substitute.

Rockland Farmers' Market Season Begins May 21

Hooray! It's time for the Rockland Farmers' Market to open in our area, and we can't wait. What seasonal offerings are we looking forward to gobbling up? Asparagus, herbs, and spring greens such as mesclun, spinach, and dandelion greens. The ambitious gardeners of us may take away some seedlings, too. And of course, maybe some fresh cut flowers for the office....

Get to the Harbor Park in Rockland on Thursday from 9am-12:30pm. Everything there is fresh, local, and you will taste the difference! Check out local participating vendors, and for more information, email info@RocklandFarmersMarket.org

From the staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.

Leek and Asparagus Barley Risotto

Since asparagus showed up at my farmers’ market, the first hour of shopping has turned competitive. Typically mild-mannered customers, crazed by the precious green and purple spears, cast territorial glares as they scout which farmers have got the goods and race to claim their shares. By nine o’clock, not a trace of asparagus remains. 

In this dish, fresh asparagus lends its earthy flavor to a spring risotto. Like pasta and stew, risotto is a year-round dish that can be endlessly customized to showcase seasonal flavors. Making risotto with barley is both easier and healthier than using arborio rice, which has been scrubbed clean of nutrients and requires constant stirring.

While mild rice serves as a backdrop for flavors and textures, barley asserts itself: its warm, nutty flavor and chewy texture complement subtle spring vegetables. Pearl barley, the type most commonly found in grocery stores, has been scrubbed of its bran. Hulled barley, which retains its bran, has a nuttier flavor and more fiber, protein, and healthy oils, but you’ll probably have to make a trip to the natural foods store to find it. 

Made with whole grain, barley risotto sticks to your ribs. It’s just the thing to warm you up on a cool, rainy spring night. 

Leek and Asparagus Barley Risotto

Small bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1½ cups)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cups sliced and rinsed leeks, white and light green parts only (about 2 medium)

1½ teaspoons chopped garlic

2 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup barley (pearl or hulled)

½ cup dry white wine

4 cups vegetable broth, or 2 cups broth and 2 cups water

Salt to taste

Lemon wedges

Steam asparagus 3-4 minutes, until just tender. Rinse under cold water and set aside. 

Warm broth (and water, if using) in a small saucepan over low heat. Keep broth warm on a back burner. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté leeks, garlic, and thyme 8-10 minutes, until liquid evaporates and leeks begin to brown lightly. 

Add carrot, celery, and barley to pot and stir for three minutes. Add wine and stir frequently until almost evaporated. 

Add 2 cups of the broth and stir. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until broth is absorbed. Add the remaining broth and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until broth is almost absorbed. Add steamed asparagus and stir frequently, until liquid is absorbed and asparagus is heated through. 

Remove from heat. Season with salt to taste. Serve with a drizzle of the remaining olive and lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

Mary Lake is a writer, teacher, columnist for MF&L, and vegetarian blogger: Mitten Machen

Linda Greenlaw's Spicy Pan-Fried Mackerel Fingers

When the mackerel are running, any idiot can catch them. For those mackerel lovers out there, here's a way to cook it so it can really be enjoyed. You'll need four nice big fat mackerel ("horse" mackerel, as opposed to the smaller fish called "tinker" mackerel) that are big enough to be filleted.

Sweet Potato and Seafood Chowder with Asparagus

Seafood chowders are really popular up here in New England and you will find them made with everything from clams and lobster to haddock and scallops. I use a combination of Maine shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat in this chowder recipe, but any type of seafood can be used, depending on availability and personal likes and dislikes. Seasonal vegetable supplements can bring out the best in your chowders: asparagus in the spring, corn in the summer, and squash in the fall.

Linda Greenlaw's Grilled Halibut with Basil Butter

We do a lot of grilling, especially of fish. Halibut is great cooked on the grill, but it can be dry if overcooked, so be careful! We make this basil butter when we get hold of a nice bunch of that fragrant herb.

Fiddlehead Ferns with Brown Butter and Bundnerfleisch

One of the special treats of a New England spring are fiddlehead ferns, which grow wild along mossy stream banks. They are simply the immature leaf fronds of ostrich fern plants that have not yet opened. Fern leaves are poisonous once they open and can only be enjoyed in this early stage, when they taste like a cross between artichokes and asparagus. Not everyone enjoys this "forest food", but we find that the sweet, nutty taste of brown butter adds smooth richness to the woodsy flavor of ferns.

Chatting with a Maine Alewife

Christopher Hayden of The Exception Magazine recently had a heart-to-heart with Billy Bob (no, not Billy Bob Thornton), but an equally libidinous namesake. Maine's alewives are back on the block for their spring appearance, and Hayden was most fortunate to have been granted an interview with one, an early arrival named Billy Bob Alewife.

Chicken Breasts with Morels, Leeks, and Cream

Every year in Maine, knowledgeable local people forage morels: the mushroom of spring. With their dark brown, pitted, conical caps, some say morels look like a sponge on a stick, but they taste divine, with a rich, woodsy flavor that harkens back to the earth from which they spring. Morels are beautifully showcased in this dressed-up chicken dish that combines them with leeks, cream, and some good white wine. Accompany the meal with the same Riesling, and serve the chicken with such seasonal sides as asparagus or fiddleheads, sugar snap peas, and baby carrots.

Warm Dandelion Greens with Bacon Vinaigrette

When it is a bit chilly in the New England spring, nothing tastes better than a salad of wilted dandelion greens. Besides being a warm comfort food on a cool night, the fresh greens tantalize with hints of the unfolding season. If you do not have dandelion greens, you can substitute just about any other hearty green such as Napa cabbage, Swiss chard, or spinach. This salad is great served with warm crusty sourdough bread.

Mussel Bisque with Artichokes

The exact origin of artichokes is unknown, though they are said to have come from the Maghreb (North Africa), where they are still found in the wild state. The various names of the artichoke all ultimately come from Arabic al harshuf. The Arabic term Ardi-Shoki means "ground thorny."-Wikipedia

I recently returned from Egypt, and my travels inspired this artichoke based recipe. Hmm, who would have ever thought of Maine mussels and Arabic artichokes?

Crab Louie, Shrimp Louie, Avocado Louie!

This recipe was passed down from author Leslie Bilderback's grandmother, who got it from the chef of The City of San Francisco, which ran between Chicago and Oakland. The train was famous for being buried under a snow drift in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for 6 days in the 1950s. Thankfully, Grandma wasn’t on board then.

Isle au Haut Culinary Getaway: the Island Gourmet Girls

If you are looking for on unforgettable experience this summer, you've just found it! The Island Gourmet Girls Culinary Getaway in beautiful Isle au Haut is an experience you can't afford to miss!

Summer Dawn: the Inn at Isle au Haut. © Jim Bazin

Mark June 13-15 and June 15-17 on your calendar and sign up now for an amazing opportunity to join the talented and celebrated ladies on Isle au Haut for the time of your life. You'll meet innkeeper and chef Diana Santospago at her Inn at Isle au Haut, where she'll prepare a lavish meal for you. Next morning, you'll take some cooking lessons from her, have lunch, and enjoy some R&R.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

I make these often for my appetizer table. The platter most always comes back empty!

Asparagus & Rhubarb: Acquired Tastes and Found Treats

Among the piles of rope, buoys, scrap iron, stainless steel sinks and other treasures bequeathed by previous owners of my home, there is a rhubarb patch.

Actor Gary Merrill (Conclusion) and Irish Lobster Pie

“Raspberry pie, lots of sugar, and the most elegant crust of flour, cider vinegar, and lard for the shipwrecked. “ I had learned the love of cooking at this early age under the unconventional instruction of  Miss Ada. (Nana could not cook a bit nor did she ever try to, but she could dance and sing and swim.) Ada’s dishes were a delightful hodgepodge of Jamaican, Irish, typical Maine fare, and a new found flair for Italian. With the resources of the barn, coops, slaughterhouse, and lavish gardens up at the “Big House", meals were always a well orchestrated event. Ada had recently learned to make pasta from one of Grandsir's card buddies, Rome Cabone, a local store owner and native Sicilian. For a couple of weeks, long strands of pasta hung over a wooden clothes-drying rack. Her favorite way of preparing it was with  Campbell’s Tomato soup. (That recipe needed some work!)

Actor Gary Merrill Puts Yacht Aground in Back River (Part 1)

I lived a charmed life as a child in Boothbay. My grandparents' home on Murphy’s Point sprawled from the formal and elegant big house (and I mean “big”) down through the fields abundant with blueberry bushes and rustic (wine grape) arbors, to the shore via the well worn dirt road. My grandfather, who was in his 70’s when I was born (my grandmother was 30 years younger~a story for another time), had lived his life, amassed his wealth, and took pleasure in creating fun for his family. At the shore he had built a summer cottage to resemble the home he had grown up in on the Irish coast. 

Spring Salad with Apricot Glazed Tofu

This weekend I picked up my first CSA delivery of the season, a bag of radishes, spring onions, and delicate salad greens. The reappearance of edible plants has me dancing around the kitchen and daydreaming about salad. This one, light and fruity, highlights the gently-flavored vegetables you'll find this week at your local farmers' market.

Brooke Dojny: Skillet Rhubarb-Ginger Chutney

Old-fashioned chutney recipes called for simmering the fruit-spice mixture for upwards of two hours, which resulted in a very thick, dense compote. The contemporary cook is usually after something lighter, in which the identity of the primary ingredient remains recognizable. This rhubarb chutney is done in less than 30 minutes, start to finish--and it lasts at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It'll be gone before that, though--eaten with any hot or cold roast meats, especially ham or pork, or spread on smoked turkey sandwiches.

Maine Made Cookies by Mail

While doing some delicious research for the new issue of Maine Food and Lifestyle, we were fortunate to find the following mail order cookie companies that we'd like to share with you. Satisfy you sweet tooth and mail order some today!

Comfort Food an Economic Trend

As the current economy is forcing many to change the nature of their food buying habits, a recent Nielson poll reported more shoppers are turning to just the basics, or "comfort" food. This trend is generating creative chefs who also aren't ready to scrimp on taste or quality. Leslie Bilderbac, CMB, has a new book out called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comfort Food. It is a guide to over 350 recipes that taste great and won't break your bank. Here's one to try: