Here’s sort of an update of the day-to-day goings on around here lately. I’ll get back to some of those stories I’ve got in the hopper–from those Captain’s logs I found in the woods, to what’s been going on around the island–sometime next week.
I’m happy to report that the cafe had a successful opening on Memorial Day weekend–I think we had close to 100 people come through and munch on my Raspberry-Cream Cheese Scones, Banana-Coconut Bread, Orange-Glazed Cinnamon Buns and chocolate chip cookies.
We’ve been open every weekend since and as the locals get used to coming round for their daily cup again, I’ve had some time to work on some new truffles for our upcoming Farm Market Collection. Steve and I dreamed this one up sometime this past winter, no doubt while we were fantasizing about longer, warmer summer days. Each truffle in this 8-piece collection will feature an ingredient grown or produced on a small farm on the Blue Hill Peninsula. Cardingbrook Farm had a fabulous sugaring season this spring, and I’m currently working on a “tree to sea” caramel featuring their syrup and Maine sea salt. I’ve just finished recipe testing for a truffle featuring Stoneset Farm blueberries and zippy lemon zest. He looked at me real funny when I suggested it, but Bob Bowen of Sunset Acres Farm seems game to let me experiment with his wife’s soft chevre I dream of incorporating in a silky dark chocolate truffle. Rhubarb, strawberries, mint, pumpkin and Pete and Kim Lindley’s island-grown Wolf River apples are all on the list for testing. One of the most exciting new ingredients I’m playing with is Elena Bourakovsky’s Creme de Cassis–made with her own currants she grows in her beautiful garden in Blue Hill.
Meanwhile, we’ve just come home from a gorgeous event at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens where we were one of 21 vendors at a 4-day Garden Fair. Though the weather was far from ideal for chocolate (freezing and pouring rain one day, sweltering hot and humid the next), Steve, Lisa and I met lots of great folks, including our great tent-mates from Fish in the Garden, Stillwood Pottery and Courtney Design jewelry.
So, last week found me in high production mode for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Garden Fair, teaching 2 cooking classes to some great kids from Rutland High School in Vermont, and a chocolate making class as part of the Inn’s Island Gourmet Girls weekend. Innkeeper Diana Santospago blogs about the weekend on Maine Food & Lifestyle’s blog, Plating Up. Check it out!
Also make sure you check out the new issue of Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine–hitting the stands this week. In it you’ll find some great stories about summer food in Maine, schooner trips and a story about the island by yours truly.
