The Root Cellar

What’s in your root cellar? Possibly more important than “what’s in your wallet” as the commercial goes.

Here, I’m sharing an image of my little farmstead. The reason being that not only is it a beautiful shot of Maine in March, but perhaps you can imagine my traditional root cellar built into the basement of this old house I call home. The temperature stays at an ambient 40 degrees, much like my restaurant’s walk in. Good for roots, cabbage and wine too!

March is a key month for eating up what remains in store from the growing season. Typically, in Maine, that’s apples, potato, onions, turnip, cabbage and carrots. Add some salted or corned beef and we can see how the boiled dinner stayed a key player in late winter menus the world over. I’m thinking of the Irish corned beef and cabbage popular at St.Patrick’s Day and how appropriate that still is to a traditional Maine menu.

Let’s finish up with apple pie and celebrate the best of Maine and Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day.

Ides of March Refrigerator Challenge – Maine Potato Boxty

Sure, these are a traditional Irish food and you can wait until St. Patrick Day and wash these fluffy potato pancakes down with a Guinness.

But , honestly, most Mainers have Maine potatoes in their refrigerators right now along with green spring onions …or at least an old onion with greens on top. Splurge on some buttermilk and you basically have it made.

Boxty are traditional potato pancakes, a dish most closely associated with the Northern Midlands of Ireland and my recipe of preference contain potatoes both grated raw and boiled/mashed. I season mine with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. That’s it. Otherwise its potato , flour eggs and buttermilk mixed with the mashed and grated potato to form a patty then fried in oil. Crispy on the outside and fluffy interior, that’s what you’re after. Makes a wonderful side dish, or make them thin and use them like a wrap. My favorite may be to create tiny, bite sized ones and top with sour cream or creme fraiche and caviar or smoked salmon like a blini appetizer! Nice with a glass of Cremant!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1tsp. Baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup mashed Maine potato
  • 1 1/2 cups grated raw potato
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Butter or oil to fry ( I prefer avocado oil)

METHOD

Sift all dry ingredients in one bowl.

In another, mix mashed and grated potato.
Add the dry ingredients.
Gently add the buttermilk, taking care not to over stir, which toughens the mixture.

You’ll want a stiff batter, almost a dough. Add more buttermilk if the mixture seems too stiff.

Using a cast iron griddle , pre-heat the pan. The pan should be hot but not smoking Add some oil, then a dollop of batter, flattening slightly.

Cook until golden brown using a moderate heat  (needed to cook the dough through without burning), then flip only once.

Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm ,covered in the oven ,until all dough has been fried.

These delicious pancakes can be just as welcome at breakfast or as a side dish for dinner!

Because they are so quick to make, I sometimes enjoy them as a fast lunch with a green salad.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Chocolate Mousse

Buckle up for the simplest and most pleasing dessert ever. Forget that it’s made from tofu and keep an open mind!

Actually Vegan and gluten free, this mousse can stand in for a “fancy” dessert and can be whirled up in minutes in a Cuisinart.

It’s made simply from silken tofu, semi sweet chocolate chips, Maine maple syrup and pinch of salt and vanilla.It may even be good for you.

Here’s how it goes:

TAKES MINUTES . YIELDS ABOUT 6 PORTIONS

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 blocks of silken tofu
  • 10 oz semi sweet chocolate, melted 1 TB vanilla
  • Maple syrup to taste
  • Pinch of sea salt

METHOD

  1. Place tofu, salt, some maple syrup and melted chocolate into a cuisinart. Process until creamy. Add as much chocolate as you’d like to create a denser pudding and correct the sugar to taste by adding more maple ,if desired.
  2. Pour into ramekins and let set for a couple of hours to chill, then decorate the top with fresh berries and chocolate shavings.
  3. Practically guilt free and sure doesn’t taste it!

MAKE THIS FOR YER SWEETIE! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

February Valentines


Valentine’s day is the bright point in an otherwise grey Maine month.

While the occasional fine winter weather creates an opportunity to get outside and play, it’s easy to let thoughts of a sandy beach or exotic shores take over.

Winter is a great time to travel and dream. Or to hunker down and embrace the goodness of Maine solitude if travel isn’t in the plans. Imagine a cozy fire, dinner on a cookstove, wet mittens from a ski or a good read and beloved pet who’s happy to have you at home on a snow day!

This Valentine’s Day for me will be a homespun one…a dinner table set for two in front of the fireplace and a French farmhouse speciality simmering on the back of the stove. A chocolate dessert.

That’s how this year feels to me and I am grateful for home, hearth and companionship.

Vegan-Resolve To Eat Clean

Photo Credit Laura Cabot

What does it mean to be a Vegan? In a phrase, “a stricter vegetarian.”

There is a rainbow of variations on veganism: flexitarin, pescatarian, lacto-ovo veg, lactose free veg, ovo -veg…and these are not new ideas. Some of these date from the 6th century BC. Many believe that Jesus was vegetarian, maybe even a Vegan.

When considering a super clean and eco-responsible diet, Veganism immediately comes to mind. By omitting animals from the diet , and the violence of slaughter , animal testing and animal by-products as well as embracing a “plant forward” approach to diets and eating, the focus changes to one that supports our planet in less obvious ways. Vegan speaks to health, ethics, environmentalism and in some cases religion. As well as being kinder and gentler on the body, which is the ultimate “temple.”

In today’s world, the average chicken consumption per person is 100 pounds annually, up markedly from years past. Have you ever thought about how much water this generates the need for? In the chicken processing component alone, one of the world most precious resources is extravagantly overused. Yes it’s true that vegetables need water too, but soybeans require far less of a “footprint” than say beef, the biggest user/ polluter of them all.

“Problems are born of excess”. This is a quote from me. I firmly believer that most disease comes from too much…too much food and drink, too much cholesterol, too much protein ,alcohol, coffee, cheese, whatever… too much quantity, too much inactivity.

Veganism with its insistence on a plant based diet and healthy oils naturally tends towards the inclusion of more vitamins and minerals, fiber and healthy plant compounds.

We need our plants and trees to stay in balance on this earth, not more grazing land for McDonald’s burgers. Give me the mysterious rainforests with all their still undiscovered secrets.

Many people I talk to don’t even try to make New Year’s resolutions. The thinking is that they can’t even change themselves let alone the world. My thinking is that one by one, we can create change if we embrace it ourselves. One by one…. and the time is now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
~ Laura Cabot

Vegan Truffled White Bean Pate

Everybody loves Hummus….but why not up your game and try this delicious twist on a bean spread that everyone will adore. Great as a spread on bread or a dip for veggies.

Truffle oil is the luxury ingredient and it is optional, since not everyone loves the flavor. I like to use white cannelloni beans and save the “aquafaba” , or bean water from the can as a healthy egg alternative. The stuff has a viscosity a lot like eggs and will stand in for whipped egg whites in many recipes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 CUP COOKED AND DRAINED CANNELINI BEANS, SAVE THE LIQUID
  • 2 TB EVOO
  • 2 TB FRESH LEMON JUICE, AND A LITTLE LEMON ZEST
  • 1 LG CLOVE GARLIC
  • 1/2 tsp. WHOLE GRAIN GARLIC
  • SEA SALT AND FRSH PEPPER , TO TASTE
  • FRESH HERBS TO GARNISH OPTIONAL
  • 1 TSP WHITE TRUFFLE OIL OPTIONAL

In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until smooth with a bit of chunk ( that’s how I prefer it, others like it silky smooth).

Using a spatula, place the dip/pate into a bowl . GARNISH with EVOO and chopped parsley

Depending on how you intend to use the pate, you may add some of the aquafaba if you’re going for more of a dip that a spread.

Keep the mixture tight for a sandwich spread. Wonderful on a pita with lots of sprouts and cucumber!

Cranberry Bogs

Move over Ocean Spray! Not all cranberries come from Cape Cod.

I was surprised to learn that Maine has it’s own century long heritage of growing and harvesting the tart fruit. A bog or marsh is a beautiful and special ecosystem, formed by glaciers and layered with gravel, sand and peat, attracting many different flora and fauna that thrive with the wetlands. Growing on trailing vines which can live up to 200 years, the garnet red berries are a favorite with deer.

Cranberries need cold and sunshine to develop their color. It’s tricky when it’s close to harvest because it’s a waiting game of developing the deep color without suffering a deep freeze, which ruins the crop. In a Maine summer such as the one we just had, the Maine cranberry crop suffered a pale outcome due to too much rain and not enough sun! A white cranberry can still taste good, but is less marketable. Hey, could that be a marketing angle?

A bog is typically about 18 inches deep and flooded just prior to harvest. Because the berry is built to float due to four air pockets internally in each tiny berry, they are easy to gather with the help of a special contraption called an “eggbeater” which loosens the berry from the vine and allows it to float to the top of the water. They’re then vacuumed up by way or a hose into trucks.

The American cranberry or Vaccinium Macrocarpon grows wild from Georgia to to the Canadian Maritimes and into parts of the midwest. In fact, Wisconsin produces more berries than any other state in America leading in world production. Massachusetts is second. Fun fact, they are sold by weight in units called “barrels” a throwback to days of yore when that was also the prime shipping method .

In Maine expect to find most bogs Downeast, comprised of 30 growers with 80 % located in Washington County. Evidently the warm days and cool nights are a perfect recipe for a very marketable crop combined with an acid soil. Maine now enjoys a multimillion dollar cranberry business. Each barrel is generally worth just under $100…although prices took a dive this season due to poor growing conditions. The buzz is that the niche market and local chefs desiring a local, sustainable and healthy ingredient may make the difference in survival of the industry. So let’s use some Maine cranberries this winter!

There are many reasons to love cranberries. Not only are they rich in fiber, but they support health in the urinary tract and immune system. They’re also very high in antioxidants. Tough to stomach raw, their sourness comes from a high tannin content so they are usually consumed sweetened.Their many uses extend to cooking, baking, smoothies and drinks, even wine.

Maine cranberries during an optimal year are the envy of growers all over the US for the deep color and the especially fine taste they offer. If you do forage and find cranberries, wash them well before eating. They are perfectly safe and healthful raw but should be taken in moderation as they can upset your stomach.

With the holidays upon us, seek out Maine-made ingredients from Maine farmers and growers. Let’s give these hard-working (cranberry) farmers a boost and be good to our bodies too!

Bight Blessing for a Happy Holiday Season, Laura Cabot

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Photo Credit: Laura Cabot

TOPPING
2 CUPS FRESH COARSLY CHOPPED CRANBERRIES
1/2 CUP SUGAR
1 TSP ORANGE ZEST
1/2 CUP CHOPPED TOASTED WALNUTS

CAKE
3/4 CUP MELTED BUTTER
3/4 WHITE SUGAR
2 LARGE EGGS, ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 TSP. VANILLA ZEST OF ONE SMALL ORANGE
1 CUP FLOUR
PINCH SEA SALT

METHOD

  1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
  2. GREASE A 9 IN SPRINGFORM PAN
  3. IN A BOWL COMBINE CRANBERRIES, WALNITS, SUGAR AND ZEST. TOSS WELL. POUR INTO THE PAN.
  4. IN ANOTHER BOWL, COMBINE SUGAR AND BUTTER. MIX WELL. ADD EGGS, BEATING WELL.
    THEN ADD VANILLA AND REMAINING ORANGE ZEST.
    ADD FLOUR AND SALT, MIXING TILL SMOOTH.
    BATTER SHOULD BE QUITE THICK , SPREAD CAREFULLY OVER THE FRUIT/NUT MIXTURE UNTIL COMPLETELY COVERED
  5. BAKE ON A PARCHMENT SHEET FOR 30-35 MINUTES.
  6. LET THE BAKED CAKE COOL FOR 15 MINUTES, THEN LOOSEN THE PERIMETER WITH A KNIFE, CAREFULLY RELEASING THE SIDES OF THE PAN. REMOVE THE RING SLOWLY AND REMOVE.
  7. GENTLY INVERT ONTO A PLATE USING A BUTTER KNIFE TO ASSIST WITH THE EDGES, IF NEEDED.
  8. YOU’VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL AND FESTIVE HOLIDAY DESSERT, LUSCIOUS ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH COMPANY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ~ Laura

Southern Collard Greens

Actually originating as a slave dish, it jumped the fence into plantation homes due to sheer goodness and clever cooks. Many say that”pot likkur” or the rich stock remaining from the cooked greens actually sustained many slave families as it is the most nutritious part and was undervalued by the whites.

Cooked with a ham hock or smoked turkey leg the dish is delightfully smokey. Vinegar and pepper adds a kick, chicken stock, time and a slow flame work the rest of the magic.

Let’s warm up the kitchen….

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 LARGE BUNCH COLLARD GREENS,
  • RIBS OR STEMS REMOVED, LEAVES WELL RINSED
  • CHOP INTO MEDIUM SQUARES
  • CHICKEN BROTH, 1 QT.
  • 1 SMOKED TURKEY LEG
  • 1 LG CHOPPED WHITE ONION
  • SALT, PEPPER AND RED PEPPER FLAKES TO TASTE
  • OIL TO SAUTE
  • A DASH OF CIDER VINEGAR

METHOD

  1. CHOOSE A HEAVY POT WITH A HEAVY LID.
  2. PLACE ON A MEDIUM FLAME
  3. ADD OLIVE OIL TO THE POT, MAYBE A 1/4 CUP
  4. ADD ONION AND SEASONINGS AND SAUTE UNTIL TRANSLUCENT.
  5. ADD GREENS AND TOSS TO COAT
  6. ADD TURKEY LEG AND CHICKEN STOCK, GIVE A STIR.
  7. COVER AND COOK OVER LOW FLAME FOR A FEW HOURS, STIR OCCASIONALLY.
  8. THE MEAT OF THE TURKEY LEG MAY BE CHOPPED AND RETURNED TO THE POT.
  9. KEEP COVERED AND BE SURE THERE IS ADEQUATE LIQUID FOR THE LONG COOKING PROCESS WITHIN.ADD ADDITIONAL IF NEEDED.
  10. SERVE WITH HOT CORNBREAD AND HONEY BUTTER. ADD A PILE OF BBQ RIBS OR BEANS! A GREAT NOVEMBER MEAL.

NOTE: the ribs of the collards mat be saved, chopped and started sauteeing first ( if you prefer not to waste them). They take a little longer to cook ,so give them a head start!

Collard Greens

Photo Credit Laura Cabot

If you tour Maine’s farm stands right about now you will find a lot of root vegetables, potatoes, onions, baked goods and donuts….but most notably BRASSICAS.

This plant genus covers all things cabbage-y from Brussel sprouts, so impressive on their thick stalks, to broccolini and broccoli , mustard greens and the many variations of cauliflower…. to my personal favorite, the Collard Greens.

I love them so much that I grow my own. Revered in the Deep South they are wonderful stewed or long cooked with onion a piece of “side meat” which is a fatty cut like bacon, or cut into a chiffonade and blanched to an emerald green. A great side for pork ribs and a nice addition to a vegetable soup.

Collards come into their own after the first frost, which sweetens and tenderizes them making them perfect November fodder. I wait until the frost subsides from the leaves and harvest them in the afternoon for the evening meal. Eating “live” food is a particular joy!

Cook up some cornbread in a spider ( a large cast iron fry pan) and serve up a mess o’ greens with beans or ribs. You will be popular. Promise!