Bye-Bye Berries

Here they are: The last of this season's farm fresh berries. I picked up the blueberries at Wednesday's farmers' market, and I'm trying to make them last as long as possible (which won't be long). When I was at the market yesterday, I learned that the blueberries are officially done for the season and that the raspberries I was buying marked the end of the line.

It will now be a good 8 months before I can buy fresh, Maine-grown berries. But I'm thankful that the frozen Moon Hill Farm berries are back in the freezer case at my local grocery store. They'll give my taste buds the needed sweetness and tang to make it through the coming winter.

Retirement sunshine

I'm raising a cyber toast to my dad, who officially retired on Friday after more than 30 years leading engineering and building firms in Maine.


Check out the bottle he's holding, it contains "Retire-mints." (Isn't that a clever gift? Wish I could take credit for it!) He's looking forward to having more time to devote to his hobbies, his favorite charities and his golf swing. A big congratulations Dad!


Adam and I traveled up to Sunshine Farm for the weekend to help celebrate. On Saturday, a few relatives who live nearby came over for a cookout. The meal included my dad's favorite foods: Red hot dogs, B&M Baked Beans and corn on the cob. For dessert we ate the always crowd pleasing vegan chocolate cake from Whole Foods. The fudgey frosting and apricot jam layer never fail to score high marks.


Since it was so warm and muggy, I knew it was time to break out the rum. That morning I'd picked a cup of wild blueberries from the bush that is much older than I am and growing near the Honeymoon Cottage. I let these intense beauties inspire the cocktail.


Luckily I'd brought along a few organic lemons, which always lighten up any summer drink. The result is a perky balance between sweet and sour - perfect for a long afternoon of relaxing in the sunshine. Even for those of us who aren't retired.


Blueberry Sunshine

1 organic lemon
3 oz. rum
2 oz. Maine maple syrup
4 tsp. wild Maine blueberries
4 springs lemon balm

Cut two wedges from the lemon and then juice it. Split the lemon juice between two old fashioned glasses. Then add a spring of lemon balm and 1 tsp. of blueberries to each glass. Muddle for 2-3 seconds. Add the rum and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and then split the mixture between the two glasses. Add the ice from the cocktail shaker to the glasses (you'll need to add a few more fresh cubes to fill each glass). Garnish with a lemon wedge, 1 tsp. of blueberries and a spring of lemon balm. Makes 2.

Red, white & breakfast

Along with Thanksgiving and New Year's, the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. The days are long, the food is abundant and the time is perfect to reconnect with family and friends. We had plenty of opportunities to do just that throughout our week-long vacation.

For me, this celebratory week kicked-off with a lovely bridal shower followed by a rockin' bachelorette party for my friend Denise (who I've known since Kindergarten). The evening's festivites started off with drinks and apps at Margarita's, then we stopped by The White Heart (to give the place an injection of tulle) and finally we wrapped up the night dancing to the captivating beat of King Memphis at Empire Dine & Dance.

More party hopping continued on Thursday, when we headed up to Sunshine Farm for the annual Fourth of July throwdown. While the party's numbers were diminished by an unexpected death in the family of our good friends (whom we thought about all weekend), we soldiered on with plenty of games and good eats.

The games included numerous sets of volleyball, a Yankee swap and a slingshot contest. My friend Kate, who is seven months pregnant and seated in this photo, even saw some action on the court. (We recruit future players in utero on the farm.)

Of course we needed this activity to work off all the wonderful food we were eating. The highlight for me was the tortilla buffet my sister made for lunch on the 4th. Here she is chopping tomatoes in the kitchen of Big Mary.
She used black beans, red kidney beans, onions and a tomato-based broth to create a delicious, plant-based filling for the whole-wheat tortillas.

I made a chunky guacamole to go with the wraps. I used 7 ripe avocados, 6 limes, 1 Vidalia onion, 3 cloves of Maine-grown garlic, a Tbsp. or so of garlic sea salt and a dash of Mother's Mountain Habanero Heaven hot sauce. I peeled and roughly chopped one avocado at a time. After I added each cut avocado to the bowl, I squeezed lime juice over it. Then I stirred in the chopped onions, minced garlic, salt and hot sauce.

My mother bought locally-raised hamburger which she wanted to be cooked up as a meat-eater's option for this buffet. But with my sister at the helm in the kitchen, me her first mate and no one who knew how to cook beef (or who wanted to cook it) nearby, we make the executive decision to keep the whole buffet vegetarian.

I went pretty traditional with my topping choices, going for the beans, salsa, red onions, green peppers, black olives, lettuce and, of course, guacamole. It was fabulous. Marcie made the yummy salad, which consisted of corn, black beans, rice and peppers in a tangy dressing.

The next morning (with the afterglow of the fireworks and the annual bonfire still clouding my vision), I rolled out of the Honeymoon Cottage and took over buffet duty in Big Mary's kitchen.

Instead of beans, this meal centered around a hearty pot of cooked whole oat groats. Topping choices include strawberries, shredded coconut, blueberries, bananas, walnuts, crushed flax seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, vegan chocolate chips, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, hemp milk and rice milk. The results were truly delicious and decadent.

It proved the perfect fuel to get us out the door and over to the Hill family reunion on Little Sebago Lake, where we chatted nonstop, ate a ton and totally forgot to snap any pictures! Even without photographic evidence, I can tell you the food was phenomenal. As usual my mother-in-law's vegan baked beans were a stand-out. I enjoy them so much, I even ate some of the leftovers for breakfast this morning.

Hot cereal + cool lake

This is the view I opened my eyes to this morning: Green dappled sunshine spilling into our bedroom. A cool lake breeze swept through an open window and the bird song encouraged us to drift back to sleep. By the time we finally pulled ourselves out of bed, we were thinking about our favorite breakfast of oatmeal and tea.
Whenever we spend time at Sunshine Farm, I pack a few pantry staples. I can always find a use for things like walnuts and sea salt. Popcorn is another favorite treat to whip up while hanging out at camp. But we we weren't interested in popcorn for breakfast. We wanted oatmeal.
Adam lit the ancient gas stove with a wooden match, and I filled a pot with the pristine spring water that flows from the taps at Sunshine Farm. I set the water and oats to boil and, after a couple hands of cards, the oatmeal was ready to go. These sweet blueberry dishes that my mother stocks in the Middle Cottage kitchen made the perfect complement for this blueberry infused porridge.

Blueberry walnut oats

2 cups water
3/4 cup organic steel cut oats
1 cup organic walnuts, crushed
1/4 cup flaxseeds, crushed
1 1/4 cup organic wild blueberries
2 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup

Add water and oats to pot and cook on high, uncovered, until it boils. Then turn down the heat to a simmer and place the lid slightly askew on the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Add the frozen blueberries, stir and then put the lid back on for another 2-3 minutes. After crushing the walnuts and then flaxseeds with a mortar and pestle, add each to the oats. Add the maple syrup, stir and serve.
And when we start the day with these blueberry oats, we're ready for any adventure life might throw our way (as Adam demonstrated with this flawless cannonball off the end of the dock).

Blueberry blues

We ate these exquisite locally-grown blueberries all winter. I found them at the Whole Foods down the street. Grown in Washington County, Moon Hill Farm Organic Blueberries are the most heavenly berry I've ever bought from a freezer case. Juicy little packets bursting with the sugary tart taste of summer in Maine.

But then one day they were gone. Sold out for the season.

Which I guess isn't surprising considering the quantity I was buying them in. I add a cup to the steel cut oats I make each morning. And they're always a welcome addition to desserts, smoothies and pancakes.

Good thing July and blueberry season is right around the corner. Then I'll be able to pluck them straight from the low-bush blueberry patch at Sunshine Farm. Until then I have fond memories of Moon Hill to help me ward off the frozen blueberry blues.