Tempeh toast to summer

Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of the summer season in Maine. Now is the time of backyard BBQs, easy lakeside lunches and simple camp fare. Growing up, I remember eating salmon and peas on toast in the early summer, usually around the 4th of July.

In a nod to that traditional open faced sandwich, I created this quick lunch. The strawberries were leftover from yesterday's Opening Day picnic at my husband's family camp. Imported from California, the berries lacked intense flavor but made up for it in bold color. Any locally-grown fruit would make an excellent substitution. I also piled on my early farmers' market finds: pea shoots, onion, chives and baby kale, sauteed with garlic and tamari.

Early Summer Tempeh Toast

10 strips smoky tempeh, fried crisp
4 slices whole grain bread, toasted
2 Tbsp. sweet & spicy mustard
2 tsp. Maine maple syrup
2 cups pea shoots
2 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 small onion, sliced
2 organic strawberries, sliced

To assemble the sandwich: Spread two toast slices with mustard and two with maple syrup. Pile sauteed kale and sliced garlic on the maple syrup side. Top with a sliced strawberry. Top the other side with pea shoots, onion and chives. Eat with a fork and knife as is, or assemble, slice and serve as a sandwich. Serves 2.

>>Sauteed Kale
4 cups baby kale
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 small cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp. organic tamari

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add freshly washed kale. Move the kale through the hot oil using a pair of tongs for 1 minute. Pour on the tamari and turn the kale for less than a minute. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Red hot autumn

Apples and cranberries show up for the short days and cool nights of autumn. Their vivid red skins add instant color to the Portland Farmers' Market and make a lively addition to many meals. While the apple's sweet juice is worlds away from the bitter cranberry's bite, the two share the season's tart, sassy taste. And when combined, they're heavenly.

I use the fruits together in salads, salsas, pancakes and even vegetable roasts. But one of the easiest ways to combine their complementary flavors is in a simple cran-applesauce. I leave the apple skins on and add a touch of maple syrup to create this quick and easy dessert that boasts the season's best tastes.



Chunky cran-applesauce

4 Macintosh apples, chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 cups water
3 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes, until most of the water is evaporated. Serve warm or cold.

Inspired by cabbage

When I spotted a gorgeous head of Nappa cabbage at the farmers' market, the thought of stir fry quickly filled my mind. Suddenly I could taste the cabbage's earthiness balanced by a sweet and tangy sauce. I grabbed a few market staples, paired them with my pantry staples of canned black beans and brown rice and I had dinner on the table in less than a hour.



Cabbage & carrot stir fry

2 cups brown rice
4 cups water

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 carrots, julienned
1 onion, sliced lengthwise
1 pepper, sliced lenghtwise
1/2 head Nappa cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup black beans, canned
4 cloves garlic, slice

Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. black beans, mashed
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Combine water and rice on stove. Bring to boil, then cover and reduce heat to low, cook 30-45 minutes until all water is absorbed. Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside. Heat wok or stir fry pan and add olive oil and garlic. Saute 1 minute then add sliced onions. Saute until they begin to soften, then add carrots, peppers and sauce. Stir for 5 minutes. Finally add black beans and cabbage. Cook until cabbage wilts. Spoon stir fry over cooked rice. Serves four.

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.

Market indicators

There's lots of talk these days about the slumping economy (and I certainly hear my share of it working in the publishing industry). But you wouldn't know money is tight by checking out the Portland Farmers' Market. Here popular items frequently sell out and we patiently wait in long lines to buy the amazing food grown by our local farmers.

I snapped this photo while standing in the middle of the line to buy corn at today's market. Sure, it was the first time corn was available at the Wednesday market (it debuted at the market this past Saturday), but I stood in line to buy lettuce too.


Since this seaside city is filled with foodies and progressive thinkers, it's no wonder so many of us realize that eating real food (as opposed to the processed and packaged variety) is the key to maintaining life-long health. The trick at Portland's booming farmers' markets is just getting your hands on some ...


But when you do, it's only a couple quick steps to deliciousness. Tonight, we whipped together a super simple market meal. I took advantage of this evening's rain and cooler temps to crank up the oven and bake a handful of lovely red potatoes. Then I threw together a vinaigrette, and Adam chopped up a salad. A few ears of corn on the cob finished this meal that came together in a flash with minimal prep time.


And the taste is the sweet flavor of summer itself.

Bowled over

I love the noodle bowls at Pom's Thai Taste and tonight I created my own version. I had lots of farmers' market goodies on hand, such as sugar snap peas, bok choi and cilantro. And I'm super psyched to still have a supply of Maine garlic from last year's harvest.

When I was down at Whole Foods, I picked up a block of the handmade tofu from The Bridge, located in Middletown, CT. I sliced it up and created a quick marinade by tossing on a dash of this and a pour of that.
Tofu marinade

1 Tbsp. organic olive oil
3 Tbsp. organic soy sauce
2 Tbsp. organic toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Captain Mowatt's Pineapple and Papaya on Fie-Yah

Pour over tofu in baking dish and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, I created a a broth for the noodle bowl.
Noodle broth

1 Tbsp. organic olive oil
2 Tbsp. finely diced organic onions
4 Tbsp. organic soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup
1 Tbsp. organic red miso
1 Tsp. organic vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil and add onions. Saute over medium heat until translucent. Add soy sauce, maple syrup, miso and Worcestershire sauce. Stir for 1 minute and then remove from flame.

At the same time, I was making the stir fry and the noodles.
Thai Noodle Bowl

2 Tbsp. organic olive oil
3 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 organic sweet onion, sliced in strips
1 head of organic bok choi
1 cup of organic sugar snap peas
15 oz. organic tofu, cubed and marinated
4 oz. thin rice noodles, soaked in boiling water and drained
fresh organic cilantro, coarsely chopped
noodle broth

Add olive oil and garlic to stir fry pan and place on high heat. Stir for about 1 minute (careful not the burn the garlic) then add onions and stir 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add peas and bok choi and stir 1-2 minutes. Add tofu and stir 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

Add noodles to a deep soup dish. Pour on the broth and then add the stir fry. Top with cilantro. Serves 2-3.

We finished the meal with a dish of the brand new coconut milk ice cream in mint chocolate from Purely Decadent. Thanks to Chocolate Covered Vegan for the heads-up on this creamy treat!

Stalking the wild ginger

When I was a kid, I gave this patch of wild ginger a wide berth. I feared snakes and spiders and ever other creepy-crawly waiting beneath those heart-shaped leaves. I didn't care to expose my bare ankles to such unknown depths. No way.

I never once walked through it.

Which is probably a good thing. Today wild ginger is listed as threatened by the state of Maine. This patch was much smaller 25 years ago and has slowly swelled to its present size. Unlike dandelions or plantain, wild ginger doesn't just fling its seeds around everywhere. So when it's wiped out by construction or human activity, it won't show up elsewhere in the neighborhood.

My mother washed a plant and a bit of root after I picked it for dinner Saturday night. Adam and I were up at Sunshine Farm for a Father's Day weekend visit, before traveling to Adam's parent's home the following day for more celebrations. Our Saturday dinner included a wild salad, and my mother took us on a tour around the property looking for edibles.

I couldn't resist grabbing a few of these late-season dandelions growing in a shady spot (see the moss?), where they never bloomed. I picked the still tender, less jagged leaves.


This bright green clump of lamb's quarters self-seeded itself (as in does every year) in one of my mother's gardens. A common plant often found in disturbed soil, it is a sweet, delicate and delicious addition to salads and stir fries. My mother harvested some of these baby lamb's quarters the night before, so we only took a pinch.

We added in a few chives and red clover blossoms and had quite the garnish for our salad. I took the mixed greens, the micro greens and the dill I bought at that morning's farmers' market and topped it with these wild treats and a few sunflower seeds.

When I made my red wine vinaigrette, I added a few pieces of finely chopped wild ginger root, which gave it an added zing.

Strawberry days

Is there anything as delicious as a freshly picked strawberry? If there is, I can't recall it right now because my head is swimming with the utter swoon inducing taste of the first-of-the-season Maine strawberry.Yup, we just came back from the farmers' market, where we picked up one of the last pints of strawberries. The only reason we managed to get some was because instead of our typical Saturday morning routine of me laying around in bed until 9 am, then getting up to take a shower, get ready (leisurely, as my husband would say) and finally make breakfast before heading off to the market (which means we don't get there until about 11:30) we rolled out of bed and headed straight for the market.
We picked up a bunch of things, other than the to-die-for berries. Among our purchases: sugar snap peas (another first for the season), cilantro (which Daniel Price from Freedom Farm tells me helps rid the body of heavy metals), bok choi, red lettuce, fresh dill, blueberry raspberry jam and micro greens.

Sauté 3 ways

I'm a huge fan of green vegetables, especially whenever I can score them fresh from the farm (like this pac choi I got at the farmers' market). However, I never boil them and only rarely use my steamer. My favorite way to prepare greens is a simple garlic soy sauté. Here's how:
Garlic soy sauté

5 cups fresh baby rainbow chard (or whatever green you have on hand)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Organic soy sauce

Heat a stir fry pan or wok over medium high heat and add a Tbsp. or so of oil. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Then add greens and a few shakes of soy sauce. Stir the greens until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes enough for 2.
This technique works for all sorts of veggies, including fiddleheads (above) and broccoli. The flavor is absolutely amazing for a recipe so simple.

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.

My weekend crush

I made my first sojourn of the season up to Sunshine Farm this weekend for my uncle's 50th birthday celebration. It was a wonderful party, and it was such fun to see so many of my relatives. My uncle looked great, and I can't believe how quickly my little cousins are growing up!

Before I left, I grabbed a handful of lemon balm from one of my mother's herb gardens. This member of the mint family has to be one of my all-time favorite herbs. Lemon balm's smell is heavenly and its flavor is the essence of summer. We often use it in iced teas and you can rub it on your skin to keep mosquitoes away. Because I was headed back to the city, I tucked it in my bag knowing it would be the perfect addition to a cocktail.

I used an organic Santa Cruz tangerine soda as a mixer, but freshly squeezed lemon would work well too.

Lemon balm crush

2 sprigs lemon balm
1 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. rum
1/2 of a can of organic citrus soda
ice

Add one sprig lemon balm and maple syrup to glass. Muddle the lemon balm briefly. Add the Cointreau, rum and soda and stir. Fill glass with ice and garnish with the remaining sprig of lemon balm. Enjoy!

Making market salads

Because I'm lazy on Saturdays and love to linger in bed until 9, Adam and I had to dash out of the house between torrential downpours to make it to today's farmers' market in Deering Oaks Park. By the time we got there it was a coming down like crazy again. We didn't mind though, since it's been weeks since we had a good soaking rain. (And what's a little wet clothing when in pursuit of farm fresh food?)

According to Simon Frost of Thirty Acre Farm, we missed the worst of it. He said just before we showed up lighting struck on the other side of the duck pond from where the market sets up. Simon said it was pretty wild and the ground actually shook.

The thunderstorm had moved on by the time we dashed from tent to tent looking for goodies. Given our late arrival, much was already sold out. But we did manage to score some micro greens, pac choi, radishes and fresh dill. The dill inspired me to make salads.

First, I made a Big Salad, using the micro greens, the last of the red lettuce I picked up at Wednesday's market, the radishes, the last of my storage carrots and the dill. I dressed it with a red wine vinaigrette.

Red wine vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
dash of sea salt
3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup
garlic powder
ground black pepper

Pour vinegar into a bowl and add salt. Mix with a whisk. Taste to see if it has the perfect balance between saltiness and acidity. Add more salt as need, or add vinegar. Then add olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder and pepper. Whisk together and serve.

Then I made a potato salad, another great way to make use of fresh dill. I used two different varieties of Maine-grown potatoes, which gave it great color contrast between buttery yellow and white.


Tangy potato salad

6-7 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 Vidalia onion, diced
3 small garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup organic olive oil
2 Tbsp. Maine maple syrup
fresh dill
garlic sea salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Steam potatoes until fork tender. When done, steam peas for no more than 1 minute. Mix potatoes, peas, onions and garlic. Drizzle with vinegar, oil and maple syrup. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on top. Snip springs of dill onto salad. Mix together until well blended. Chill for 2-3 hours.

Greens, reds & gossip at the market

You had to look for them, but tasty treats, including this asparagus and field grown red lettuce, could be found at today's farmers' market in Monument Square . I also saw more lettuce varieties, rhubarb and chives for sale among the seedlings and flowers. I didn't see any fiddleheads, but they were available inside the Public Market House.

While I was shopping, I ran into Dan Sripasert, one of the owners of the Green Elephant, and he told me the restaurant is now doing a Sunday brunch from 10:30 am-1:30 pm. It features Thai style dishes, including a tofu scramble. I'll have to check it out.

Meal for mothers

I whipped up a seasonal vegan dinner for my mother and Adam's mother in honor of yesterday's Mother's Day festivities. This ensured that neither of them had to do any work, and instead they could kick back with a glass of wine (Kungfu Girl riesling), while Adam and I made sure they were well fed. (It also proved a great excuse to get out the rarely used China.)
Dinner started with a simple and always crowd pleasing bruschcetta, made from Backyard Beauty tomatoes, Olivia's Garden basil, Maine-grown garlic and Maine sea salt. I spooned the mix over toasted baguette slices and they disappeared quickly.
My mother brought a jar filled with dandelion greens down from Sunshine Farm, and I chopped them up and dressed them with the most simple of vinaigrettes (organic olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and a touch of apple cider vinegar, plus just a hint of sea salt). Unlike the 1 to 4 vinegar to oil ratio of a traditional vinaigrette, I went heavier on the vinegar because I find the acidity is the perfect balance for the astringent bite of dandelion greens. I sprinkled a bit more sea salt on top and it was the ultimate spring tonic.
In keeping with the wild food theme, I also served fiddleheads from Windy Hill Farm in Windham. I sautéed them with olive oil, thinly sliced garlic and soy sauce. Here they are partially obscured by steam.
Lentil cakes served as the meal's main course. To make these I used my go-to mujaddara recipe, substituting a short-grain brown rice that tends to be much stickier than the long grain varieties. I formed them into patties and lightly browned them in a cast iron skillet. Thai chili sauce gave the cakes an added kick of spice. Olive and garlic rolls from Whole Foods rounded out the plate.
Finally, we concluded the meal with chocolate mousse pie. To make it all you need is two packages of firm tofu (I prefer organic Mori-Nu Silken tofu), a bag of vegan dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, grapeseed oil, Maine maple syrup and a pre-made graham cracker pie crust. Pour about a 1/4 cup of oil in a blender and then add the tofu and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Puree. As it begins to turn to the consistency of pudding, add the maple syrup until it is sweetened to your taste. I probably use about a 1/2 cup. Meanwhile, place the chocolate chips in a double boiler and allow to melt. Once it's melted, pour it into the blender and blend until well mixed. Pour this into the pre-made crust and top with crushed walnuts or fruit. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving. Few will ever guess this is made from tofu.

Fiddleheads!

I scored some of the first fiddleheads of the season from K. Horton's in the Public Market House today. At $5.99 a pound these fresh picked delicacies were quite the bargain. According to Kay, the fiddleheads come from Corinna, ME and the guy who harvests them predicts a longer than usual season (due to the heavy snow pack).

Monument Square was full of farmers today (the official start of the market season). They were selling tons of flowers and tempting seedlings, such as strawberries and tomatoes. This Saturday marks the first day of the farmers' market in Deering Oaks Park, from 7 am-noon.

1st chives of the season

My mother brought these sweet, succulent chives back from Sunshine Farm (aka the commune). They made a wonderfully fresh topping to last night's Maine baked potatoes, served with organic olive oil, Maine sea salt and sautéed onions. Yum!

1970s flashback

I came across this poster today on the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association website. It brought back memories of that first Common Ground Country Fair, held in my hometown of Litchfield. The Nearings spoke. Their was a demo about how to make wine. But I don't remember any of that. All I can recall is the rope maze near the booth where my parents were selling organic veggies. This is probably because it was 1977, and I was only 4.

This year's fair takes place Sept. 19-21 at MOFGA's complex in Unity. It'll be light years beyond that first natural foodie love fest in 1977. And while attendance has exploded and the posters have become more sophisticated, the fair's still as down to earth as can be.

Farmers out in force

The farmers' market is hopping in Portland's Monument Square this afternoon. This is the biggest crop of vendors I've seen all season. Not many veggies (other than the ones I had on order from Thirty Acre Farm), but tons of flowers and herbs.