Recently, I spent a few days in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine, and I made an effort to visit a few of the newer places in the area, those with updates, and a few favorites.
The Tides Beach Club: Located in the completely renovated and elegantly updated former Tides Inn by the Sea on Kennebunkport’s Goose Rocks Beach, the Tides Beach Club restaurant comprises a chic and sophisticated lounge with small dining room in the glassed-in porch, with big views. The chef is Bryan Dame, previously with the Inn at Ocean’s Edge in Lincolnville.
The menu is rooted in fresh and local (no surprise there, what self-respecting Maine restaurant isn’t these days). I began with the “crispy fish,” Chef Dame’s take on a classic fisherman’s platter, with tasting portions of fried calamari, Maine shrimp, clam fritters, horseradish, and potato. Definitely a keepah. I also loved the “cod chowder,” not a soup, but an entrée comprising fresh cod and cured cod, bacon, radish, and creme fraiche ($27). Truth is, I could have made a light meal off the appetizers alone, especially paired with the bread. Afterward, tea on the porch. Perfect! The restaurant serves lunch and dinner.
Earth: Located in The Tides Beach Club’s tony sister property, Hidden Pond, Earth is the creation of Boston’s James Beard award-winning chef Ken Oringer. The setting is haute rustic, with both indoor and outdoor seating and a menu that emphasizes farm-to-fork cuisine; much of the produce grown on the property. .
Pedros Mexican Restaurant: I’d heard mixed reviews on this new restaurant in Kennebunk’s Lower Village, and after dining there, I understand why. I snagged a table on the deck and ordered the small plate of tacos (2 for $8), which allowed a choice of two of six tacos (a large plate came with rice and refried beans for $12). I opted for the mahi-mahi with lime-scented cabbage, salsa fresca, and sliced avocado and the carnitas with chipotle-braised pork, cheddar, lettuce, onions, cilantro, and queso fresco. Both were all heat with little flavor. If you’re not that familiar with Mexican (Cal-Mex, in this case) or are going for drinks and apps, you’ll likely love it, but if you’re craving authentic flavor, this doesn’t do it. (FYI: The folks at tables around me who were raving had also asked questions such as “What’s a burrito?”)
Old Vines Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant: I fell in love with this spot when I visited last winter. This time, I found it even better, with an outside patio for evening drinks and dining, along with the inside dining area and bar. It’s just a few doors away from Pedros, on Route 9 in Lower Village. Also new this year is a full bar. The summer white gazpacho (chilled almond and garlic soup) was divine (if you love garlic), especially accompanied by grilled bread. Owner Mike Farrell knows his wines, and allowed me to choose a bottle, then divided the price to reflect a per-glass rate. Nice! The bar also creates its own juices and mixers, including bitters and infused syrups, such as ginger habanero cane and lemon-flamed orange twist. There’s a house-made limoncello, too.
Cape Porpoise KitchenLocated at the Route 9 intersection in downtown Cape Porpoise, this combination gourmet market/catering company/take-out cafe is a gem and a good spot to pick up creative freshly made sandwiches for a picnic.
Pier 77: Truth is, we had planned on having a light meal at The Ramp, the small pub underneath this waterfront restaurant in Cape Porpoise. That was packed, but I knew we could order off the same menu, if we asked, in the fancier— yet still casual—restaurant upstairs. Although also busy, we were able to sit at the bar, where we cobbled together a meal from the bar menu, enjoyed the sea views out the windows, and listened to the pianist play in the background. FYI: The acoustics here aren’t conducive to a quiet meal.
The annual Yarmouth Clam Festival is more than a seafood celebration, it’s a full-blown festival, with entertainment, crafts, a parade, and more. Events include bike races, foot races, and canoe and kayak races, as well as concerts, children’s activities, a diaper derby, and, of course, plenty of clams and other Maine seafood.
Highlights include:
• The Clam Festival Parade, Friday, July 15, 6 p.m., on Main Street. The theme of the 2011 parade is Great American Inventions.
• Maine State Clam Shucking Contest, Sat., July 16, 11 a.m. (registration begins at 10 a.m.) at the Merrill Memorial Library Lawn Tent.
• Firefighters’ Muster Competition, Sat., July 16, 1 p.m., on the Memorial Green on Main Street. Watch firefighting teams compete in events such as a bucket brigade, firefighter suit-up, and an old-fashioned hose-pull contest.
• Carbon Leaf, Friday, July 15, 8:15 p.m. in the NYA Tent: Celtic/bluegrass rock.
• Gypsy Tailwind, Sat., July 16, 7:30 p.m. in the NYA Tent: folk/rock/alternative
What’s green, then blue, then red, then black all over? A Maine wild blueberry field through the seasons. Author Virginia M. Wright spills the berries about this delectable fruit in The Wild Blueberry Book. (Down East Books). Sure, the whoopie pie may have been selected Maine’s official treat, but it’s the wild blueberry pie that’s the state’s official dessert.
Here’s a little teaser, a bit of trivia that I bet you didn’t know: There’s is no one wild blueberry, and that’s why the flavors are so rich and varied. “One acre of wild blueberries typically contains well over one hundred varieties of the berry, each one as generically distinct from the other as a McIntosh apples is from a Delicious.” It’s that rich genetic diversity that provides the equally rich and distinctive flavor. “There are more than 6.5 million distinct wild blueberry clones in Maine alone.” Now compare that with the uniformly sized cultivated or highbush blueberry, which has only a bit over one hundred possible variations. No wonder the latter taste flat, downright boring, when compared with Maine’s little gems.
Speaking of gems, this book is one. It’s a treasure of Maine wild blueberry facts, legend, lore, stories, and, yes, recipes. Not just any recipes, mind you, but Blue Ribbon recipes from Maine’s top wild blueberry chefs, winners in the Union Fair’s Wild Blueberry Festival and Machias Wild Blueberry Festival annual cooking contests, along with others supplied by blueberry experts and cookbook authors.
Maine wild blueberries have long been prized by cooks because they hold their shape when baking. Recipes include: Faye Harvey’s Blue Ribbon Blueberry Pie; Rose Skidgell’s Blueberry Mountain Muffins; Andy Knoch’s Blueberry Spice Whoopie Pies; Charles Urquhart’s Blueberry Golden Been Salad; Wild Blueberries with Roquefort, Celery, and Cucumber; Wild Blueberry Daiquiri; and that’s just a sampling.
There’s even a recipe for an ultra-healthful Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie. This is a good place to note that Maine wild blueberries are rich in antioxidents. Studies have shown wild blueberries can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels; protect against urinary tract infections; protect against eye diseases; and reduce some of the effects of aging. They may also ward off diabetes by improving blood sugar levels. So go ahead, and indulge in these ultra-sweeties.
I’ll end with Catherine Ryan Quint’s recipe, a prize winner at the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival that combines two of Maine’s favorite foods, lobster and wild blueberries:
Baked Stuffed Lobster (serves 2)
Ingredients:
Two 1.5-pound lobsters, ready for stuffing
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup blueberries
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cub crabmeat (optional)
Directions
Melt butter; add garlic and onion and sauté until soft. Stir in parsley and wine; cook 2 minutes more. Ad bread crumbs, crabmeat, and blueberries. Remove from heat. Season to taste. Stuff body cavity of ech lobster and place in shallow baking an. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
Long before the movie, Maine’s Belgrade Lakes were drawing fishermen, summer rusticators, writers, and even beauty queens. On Golden Pond, that dreamy sunset-of-life film starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda, may have been filmed in New Hampshire, but playwright Ernest Thompson took his inspiration from Great Pond, the largest of Maine’s Belgrade Lakes. (Note: Updated Aug. 3, 2019)
“[The mailboat was] one of the few inland mailboats left in the country,” says Esther Perne, owner and editor of Summertime in the Belgrades, a biweekly summer newspaper. Her family roots here date from 1908.
“People still come here for the fishing. They know they can give their children and grandchildren an On Golden Pond experience.” —Esther Perne
“Historically, what put Belgrade Lakes on the map was the fishing. Fishermen can’t keep their mouths shut, and they started talking,” Perne says. They began arriving at the turn of the last century to cast their lines for large- and small-mouth bass, northern pike, salmon, brown trout, brook trout, and other species. They returned with their city friends, some built summer cottages, others stayed at sporting camps.
“People still come here for the fishing,” Perne says. “They know they can give their children and grandchildren an On Golden Pond experience.”
The mailboat and the endless stream of anglers capture the timeless allure of this region, a timelessness bred from familiarity. Beginning in 1904, writer E. B. White spent many an August of his youth here. When he returned with his own son many years later, he wrote of “there having been no passage of time, only the illusion of it as in a dropped curtain” in his 1941 essay “Once More to the Lake.”
White mused: “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving. There had been jollity and peace and goodness. … The only thing that was wrong now, really, was the sound of the place, an unfamiliar nervous sound of the outboard motors.”
The Belgrade Lakes, Perne says, “is a bit of a time warp; there’s still enough of the old that remains. People from away come and think it’s heaven.” Kids play with abandon, hopping in boats with no preconceived destination, no agenda but the pureness of play, no oversight other than the community of neighbors and families whose grandparents grew up together and parents played together.
There are no supermarkets, box stores, or fast food chains. In these parts, general stores sell everything from hardware to trinkets, fresh meat to hot pizza. People leave their cars open and running when they dash in to pick up a few necessities.
One of my favorite throwbacks is the Sunbeam Roller Rink, a lakeside treasure in nearby Smithfield.
“The area is remote, but not removed,” Perne says, but change, although subtle, is coming. “Augusta is galloping up the road,” she cautions, pointing to the creep of progress northward.
The sounds of summer drown out the hoof beats of development at Castle Island Camps, one of four traditional, American Plan sporting camps woven into the time warp that is the Belgrade Lakes.
White stayed at Bear Spring Camps, but I’ve checked into the past at Castle Island, a blip on the causeway bisecting Long Pond. The camps, opened in 1929, after owner Leighten Castle trumped his formidable neighbor, cosmetics maven Elizabeth Arden. Their David-versus-Goliath lawsuit over property ownership pitted the Belgrade native and fishing guide against Arden and her Maine Chance, a farm-to-table spa-like experience patronized by wealthy and famous women.
Fourth-generation owners John and Rhonda Rice now operate the camps, which comprise a main lodge, where all meals are served, and guest cabins fronting on—or in some cases actually built over—the lake, and a recreation hall. It’s not only fishing that attracts families to sporting camps these days, John says.
Those seeking the ease of not having to prepare meals or desiring their children to discover life beyond social media, smart phones, and video games also fill the dozen simple one- and two-bedroom cabins. There is Wi-fi, but no TV on the premises. The recreation hall features Ping Pong, pool, board and table games, but no one comes to Castle Island or the Belgrade Lakes to play indoors.
While I could ease the day away by simply gazing down Long Pond, attempting to hook a mega trout, paddling along the shoreline’s nooks and crannies, or motoring a boat up to Day’s Store for an ice cream cone, I’ve come here to noodle the rural byways around the lakes and foothills, to explore the shops, galleries, and farm stands splashed amidst the children’s camps and summer cottages, and to hike the trails etched into the hills.
I came expecting deer and perhaps moose, but I find lions and tigers and bears, as well as hyenas, monkeys, zebras, and other exotic-for-Maine animals at DEW Haven (the D. E. W. stands for domestic, exotic, wild), a non-profit zoo and rescue in Mount Vernon. Julie and Bob Minor raise and rehabilitate exotic and animals and educate visitors about them on guided tours.
From protecting wildlife, I segue to protected wildlands with a hike up French Mountain, off the Watson Pond Road, a byway connecting Castle Island Road with Route 27, in Rome. This property is protected by the 7 Lakes Alliance, which aims to conserve areas that provide high value habitat and protect water quality and also to expand recreational activities that promote healthy living.
It’s a relatively easy jaunt to the summit ledges on the roughly 1-mile loop trail. The rewards far outweigh the effort, with views taking in Whittier Pond, Long Pond, Great Pond, Mt. Phillip and The Mountain.
When I return to the camps, a guest is checking in. “Where’s the moose?” he asks. “I’ve been coming here for 30 years, and there’s always a moose.”
Rhonda replies that the moose is out for a bit of taxidermy assessment, as he was looking a little worse for wear. She fills me in on the back story: Over those 30 years, it hasn’t been the same moose. One was stolen during the winter (ponder that for a minute). Another, placed in a restaurant for safekeeping during the off season, burned with the restaurant. Rhonda is hoping the curse has been removed with the moose.
I retreat to my cabin, exhausted from my day’s explorations and well satiated from filet mignon paired with potatoes and corn and chased by a brownie sundae. Out my window, a brilliant rose-colored sunset surrenders to the smoky hues of dusk as the joyful noise of day cedes to the silent symphony of nightfall. Water sings a lullaby and one loon, then another, add their choral voices to the song. I drift off dreaming about chasing fireflies, laughing and playing unencumbered by responsibility or worry, listening only for a bell to call me home.
If you go
Besides Castle Island Camps, other traditional American Plan, Maine sporting camps in the Belgrade Lakes Region include Alden Camps on East Pond, Bear Spring Camps on Great Pond,and Whisperwood Lodge on Salmon Lake. The per-person rate at each includes lodging as well as three hearty, homestyle meals daily; box lunches are usually available for those who don’t want to return for lunch. Use of canoes and kayaks is often included for guests. Rental motorboats are available as are fishing guides for additional fees. Service fees/gratuities and taxes are not included.
Bunk down in primitive cabins or pitch a tent, dine outdoors under a tent, and fiddle the days and nights away at the lakeside Maine Fiddle Camp. The program of workshops, jams, song swaps, concerts, and dances, focuses on the traditional dance music of the Scots-Irish, French, and Scandinavians, with a Maine accent.
While fiddle is the focus, other instruments available, including guitar, piano, bass, banjo, mandolin, accordion, harmonica, cello, whistle/flute, voice, and more. Camp is open to all ages and abilities, although children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The $350 pp fee ($300 for each additional family member) covers the program, cabin bunk or campsite, and meals.
I mean, really, where else in Maine, or New England for that matter, can you see a trophy marlin caught by Ernest Hemmingway; a ceramic amphora recorded to have come from the ruins of the palace of Nebuchadnesser, King of Babylon, 605-562 B.C.; or a double-wattled cassowary? Yet, all that and much more await visitors to the L.C. Bates Museum. This early 20th-century natural history and cultural museum is on the campus of the former Good Will-Hinckley School, just east of Skowhegan on Route 201.
In 1889, preacher, professor, and social progressive George Hinckley opened the Good Will farm school for needy children, emphasizing faith, education, and work. He also acted upon a childhood dream and created a museum displaying his collections from the natural world. The museum, quips long-time director Deborah Staber, began with three rocks: a stalactite from a Kentucky cave, a fossil, and a lump of sulphur. Each was given to Hinckley at age 8.
Hinckley encouraged donations to his fledgling museum, and the collection grew. Friends, fans, and even the Smithsonian Institute sent gifts such as taxidermy specimens and mineral collections. By 1904, in Hinckley’s own words, the museum owned “225 birds, 40 quadrupeds, and 650 specimens of minerals. Smaller collections illustrate entomology, botany, history, and foreign missions.”
In 1920, Lewis Carlton Bates financed renovating a former manual training center into a museum to house Hinckley’s growing collections. Little has changed since it opened; displays are simple and without technological improvements or enhancements. Now this quirky cabinet of curiosities reflects Hinckley’s fascination with the natural world and the curatorial techniques of the era.
Although Hinckley’s original three rocks were lost to a fire, the current collection of rocks, minerals, and gems fills a downstairs room. Oceanic treasures, such as shells and mounted fish, fill another room. Here you can see an 800-pound tuna and Hemmingway’s marlin, as well as a claw from a 33-pound lobster. Cultural artifacts vie for attention in another room.
Most impressive are the mammal and bird rooms, filled 28 natural history dioramas created by American Impressionist painter Charles B. Hubbard. Hinckley commissioned the Guilford, Conn., artist to paint them between 1922 and 1924. Each depicts a Maine location that complements the period taxidermy specimens. When possible, Hubbard replicated the setting of where the animal was found or killed. Black bear, whitetail deer, moose, and even a bobcat are set in wooded habitats. And shorebirds flock near Thunder Hole, in Acadia National Park.
Eclectic surprises and treasures
The double-wattled cassowary, one of the world’s largest birds, can be seen in the Bates Museum.
In addition to the dioramas, other mounted specimens fill cases and shelves in both rooms. Although most are found in Maine, there are a few surprises. Snakes, a Gila monster, and a spotted hyena can be viewed in the mammal room. Amidst the eagles and shorebirds, waterfowl and warblers, in the bird room, look for parrots and peacocks, and that double-wattled cassowary, one of the largest birds in the world.
More surprises await elsewhere: a collection of circus memorabilia and models, ceramic pottery from Panama’s Chiriqui Indians, a diagram detailing the life history of a June Bug, two seals from MacMillan Arctic expeditions, even walrus whiskers. And, there’s even a true cabinet of curiosities, Mattie Wadsworth’s insect collection (her dragonfly collection is in the Smithsonian).
Outdoor pleasures
Hinckley’s passion for nature reached beyond the museum’s door into its campus backyard, where trails lace acres of forest habitat. Nature guides and activity booklets are available at the museum. Educational programing may include guided walks and tours, allowing visitors to seek outside the flora and fauna they spied inside.
If you’re visiting Maine from another country, or if you’re a U.S. citizen whose planning to dip over the border to Canada (perhaps to visit Campobello Island International Park or venture up to Quebec City or explore New Brunswick or Nova Scotia), then this information, provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, is worth reading.
Travel Requirements for U.S. Citizens
U.S. citizens traveling abroad must have approved travel documents when returning home. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable travel document, such as a passport, a U.S. passport card, a Trusted Traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST) or an Enhanced Driver’s License that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. U.S. and Canadian citizens under age 16 may present a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship when entering by land or sea.
A radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled travel document such as a U.S. Passport Card, Enhanced Driver’s License/Enhanced Identification Card or Trusted Traveler Program card expedites entry and makes crossing the border more efficient. There are currently 10 million RFID-enabled travel documents issued.
WHTI document requirements for air travel have been in effect since January 2007. Almost all travelers flying back to the United States need to present a passport or NEXUS card.
Requirements for Visitors to the U.S.
All nationals or citizens of VWP countries are now required to have an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, and once approved, generally will be valid for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries into the U.S. CBP recommends ESTA applications be submitted as soon as an applicant begins making travel plans.
Small Vessel Reporting System
CBP now offers a new small vessel reporting system which allows boat operators and passengers an alternative to the current reporting system. By applying online and visiting a customs office in advance, owners and passengers can now obtain entry clearance by phone. The system is available in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as along the northern U.S. border. The program will be expanded during the coming year to cover small vessel entries country-wide. For more information, please visit www.cbp.gov/svrs.
CBP offers the following travel tips for travelers:
• Tip #1 – To avoid fines and penalties associated with importing prohibited items, travelers should familiarize themselves with this section of the CBP website.
• Be prepared to declare all items acquired abroad. Travelers should prepare for the inspection process before arriving at the inspection booth and have their approved travel documents ready.
• Build extra time into the trip in the event of crossing during periods of exceptionally heavy traffic.
• Know the difference between goods for personal use versus commercial use.
• Do not attempt to bring fruits, meats, dairy/poultry products and/or firewood into the U.S. without first checking whether they are permitted. Visit for more information.
• International border crossers should expect a thorough inspection process, even during busy holiday periods, when entering the U.S. CBP officers are authorized to conduct enforcement examinations, ranging from checking luggage to a personal search, without a warrant.
• If you are a frequent cross-border traveler and haven’t already become a member of a trusted traveler program, sign up now.
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to attend a brunch at Portland’s Pomegranate Inn launching Dana Moos’ new cookbook, The Art of Breakfast: How to Bring B&B Entertaining Home (Down East Books, May 2011). Dana made putting together a nine-course (!) meal look easy, and she says it is, explaining how in this book.
The Art of Breakfast, Dana says, is about “creating beautiful art on a plate by combining fresh fruits and vegetables in imaginative, yet simple ways. It’s about seeing food in colors, the way we learned from the color chart in elementary school. It’s about looking at a plate of food as a composition and balancing colors, textures, and flavors.”
That was evident in each of the nine sampling courses presented. These ranged from a fiddlehead frittata, made with caramelized shallots, goat cheese, beets, jicama, and carrots, to an egg roulade with leeks, Parmesan, lobster, and sherry butter (her signature dish); cheese blintz souffle made with mango puree and blackberry coulis to banana-stuffed French toast prepared with raspberry coulis and dark chocolate sauce. Each course was eye candy, as delightful to behold as to eat.
I’m including a few recipes here, but if you want more, pick up a copy of the cookbook, which also features Moos’ photographs of many of the dishes presented. While I haven’t included the recipe for watermelon and kiwi with coconut lime creme, I’d highly recommend that light but flavor-rich treat, which transported me briefly to the Caribbean. Another favorite from the tasting was the poached eggs over sweet potato pancakes with poblano cream, mango, papaya and strawberries, lemon, and basil (and maybe I’ll share that one at a later date).
*** Fiddlehead (or Asparagus), Caramelized Shallots, and Goat Cheese Frittata
This recipe holds up well in a warm oven for an extended period of time, likely due to the heavy cream. I don’t incorporate my toppings into the frittata, in case an item is not to someone’s taste, it can be removed without ruining the whole dish for them. I use Fiddleheads when they’re in season in Maine during a few weeks in early spring. Fiddleheads are the unfurled fronds of a fern and several varieties are harvested; cinnamon ferns are one of them. I think they are similar in taste and texture to asparagus and broccolini.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
20 large eggs
1.75 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 shallots, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.25 to 2 cups fiddleheads (or asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces)
4 ounces goat cheese
Preparation
1. Mix the eggs, cream, and salt in blender for about 4 to 5 seconds. (A blender really incorporates air and increases the volume dramatically.)
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
3. In a small skillet over low-medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the shallots until caramelized, about 16 to 18 minutes.
4. Boil the fiddleheads until tender, about 15 minutes, and drain. (If using asparagus, steam in the microwave in a bowl covered with a wet paper towel for 2 minutes).
5. Heat an ovenproof 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the egg mixture and stir constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula until curds form. Once you see curds form, quickly lower the heat and continue to move the eggs around, never stopping, almost as if to scramble. Remove from heat when the eggs are about half set. This helps the bottom from cooking in place and browning.
6. Place on the center rack in oven for about 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and top with the goat cheese, shallots, and fiddleheads or asparagus. Finish in the oven for another 10 minutes, just until the toppings warm slightly.
8. Let sit 3 to 4 minutes before slicing and serving.
***
Egg Roulade Filled with Sautéed Leeks and Parmesan, Topped with Lobster, Sherry, and Melted Butter
Roulade simply means rolled. This is constructed just like a jelly roll on a sheet pan, but with egg; it’s basically a rolled and baked omelet. The results are worth the extra steps. This version was our signature savory dish at the inn, a particular favorite for the chunks of fresh Maine lobster on top. This is one of the most indulgent entrées we served, but it was worth every calorie and penny. We even received a recipe request from Gourmet Magazine, but unfortunately, our recipe didn’t make it into the magazine before we sadly had to say farewell to the publication. So here it is.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
8 eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large leeks, washed and thinly sliced
one (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
juice from 1/4 lemon
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter
1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry sherry
16 ounces fresh, cooked lobster meat, cut into small chunks
one (10-ounce) package baby spinach, washed and dried
fresh chopped chives, for garnish
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a rimmed heavy-duty half sheet pan with butter or vegetable oil, then line with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment, making sure to press it flat to the surface of the pan, leaving at least an inch overhang.
3. In a blender, mix the eggs, 2 cups of cream, and 1/2 teaspoon salt on high speed for 4 to 5 seconds. Pour the mixture into the lined baking sheet. Bake until you begin to see the surface of the egg just start to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.
4. While cooling, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the leeks, covered, until soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. When soft, add the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir. When the cream cheese is thoroughly incorporated, add three tablespoons of butter, mix in, and remove from heat. Let cool for about 3 minutes.
5. Dollop small amounts of the leek filling onto the egg. Using an offset spatula, carefully spread the mixture over the entire egg sponge, trying not to tear the egg as it is very delicate. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the filling.
6. Here’s the fun part: the rolling. With the short edge of the pan closest to you using the parchment as a guide, roll the egg up onto itself (like a Hostess Ho-Ho!) until you end up with the egg seam on the underside of the roll. Keep the egg covered with the parchment left after rolling as it will help keep the egg moist. Cover the entire roll with aluminum foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
7. While baking, melt the remaining stick of butter in a pan with the sherry and cook for about 5 minutes, allowing much of the alcohol to burn off. Then add the lobster, lower the heat, and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes.
8. To serve, place a pile of fresh baby spinach on a plate. Slice the roulade into 4 to 6 slices, layer onto the spinach, and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the lobster butter. Garnish with fresh chives.
***
For more from Dana and The Art of Breakfast, read her blog.
Azaleas, rhododendrons, and lilacs are beginning to blossom, and these Maine public gardens are full of their color and promise. Note: Some have donation boxes—give the suggested amount if you can, more if possible.
Home to one of the largest collections of lilacs in the country, Bernard McLaughlin’s labor of love, now entrusted to a nonprofit, really struts its colors in late May for the annual Lilac Festival. Expect talks, walks, demonstrations, food, and other activities highlighting the 200+ lilacs blooming here. Can’t make it then? Check the current days and hours when this woodland and flower oasis is open; on a midweek day, you often will have it to yourself.
Lovely to visit from spring through fall, from late May through June, Asticou is especially vibrant thanks to its collection of colorful azaleas and rhododendrons drawn from around the world.
Visit this 30-acre sanctuary owned and managed by the New England Wildflower Society in mid July to see the 5.3-acre stand of Great Laurel (Rhododendron maximum), a very rare species in Maine, in full bloom. Also at least 39 wildflowers bloom here.
Stone paths lace through the Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden, with hundreds of plants accented by a natural pond and a lovely waterfall. Admission charged.
One of my more fun and challenging assignments for the best few years has been picking the Best of Maine for Yankee Magazine. (I shared a few of my 2011 picks on 207, the evening magazine TV show). It’s not an easy task, and one I don’t take lightly. I agonize over these, as there are so many worthwhile candidates and so little space.
How does one go about selecting the Best of Maine? How do I choose the best food & dining, lodging, attractions, local secrets, and bargains? Do I go with the big-name icons? What about the little gems? And what to do with those out-in-the-boondocks finds? If a place has been named a best one year, is it automatically disqualified from being in the mix again even if it truly is the best? Yup, those are just a few of the arguments that roll on a looped tape through my brain. In the end, I mix and match, balancing icons with sleepers, biggies with boonies, perennials with finds.
The Tides Beach Club: Located in the completely renovated and elegantly updated former Tides Inn by the Sea on Kennebunkport’s Goose Rocks Beach, the Tides Beach Club restaurant comprises a chic and sophisticated lounge with small dining room in the glassed-in porch, with big views. The chef is Bryan Dame, previously with the Inn at Ocean’s Edge in Lincolnville.
The menu is rooted in fresh and local (no surprise there, what self-respecting Maine restaurant isn’t these days). I began with the “crispy fish,” Chef Dame’s take on a classic fisherman’s platter, with tasting portions of fried calamari, Maine shrimp, clam fritters, horseradish, and potato. Definitely a keepah. I also loved the “cod chowder,” not a soup, but an entrée comprising fresh cod and cured cod, bacon, radish, and creme fraiche ($27). Truth is, I could have made a light meal off the appetizers alone, especially paired with the bread. Afterward, tea on the porch. Perfect! The restaurant serves lunch and dinner.
Earth: Located in The Tides Beach Club’s tony sister property, Hidden Pond, Earth is the creation of Boston’s James Beard award-winning chef Ken Oringer. The setting is haute rustic, with both indoor and outdoor seating and a menu that emphasizes farm-to-fork cuisine; much of the produce grown on the property. .
Old Vines Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant: I fell in love with this spot when I visited last winter. This time, I found it even better, with an outside patio for evening drinks and dining, along with the inside dining area and bar. It’s just a few doors away from Pedros, on Route 9 in Lower Village. Also new this year is a full bar. The summer white gazpacho (chilled almond and garlic soup) was divine (if you love garlic), especially accompanied by grilled bread. Owner Mike Farrell knows his wines, and allowed me to choose a bottle, then divided the price to reflect a per-glass rate. Nice! The bar also creates its own juices and mixers, including bitters and infused syrups, such as ginger habanero cane and lemon-flamed orange twist. There’s a house-made limoncello, too.
