Recipe: Danielle's Blueberry Coffee Cake

I love wild Maine blueberries. They are smaller, sweeter, and don’t explode in baked goods like larger high bush blueberries. I’ve also noticed the smaller size of wild blueberries allows greater density of fruit in cakes and muffins, giving them a studded, jewel-like appearance.

For many years, my family made a blueberry buckle during the peak of Maine blueberry season. Buckle is a type of crumb cake that has a wobbly or “buckled” top, due to the berries or fruit softening during the baking process. I loved our version of blueberry buckle, but I also realized it needed some updating. Here’s my newest version, renamed Danielle’s Blueberry Coffee Cake. It is sweet, moist, and studded with blueberries. It also has a lot of crispy, sweet topping; my boyfriend’s favorite part. I’ve really enjoyed revising this recipe, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Blueberry Coffee Cake
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup white sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain yogurt
2 to 3 Cups of blueberries (I use 3/4 of a quart)

Crumb Topping
1 Cup flour
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 Cup butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan, or two 9 inch round pans.
2. Cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add to the wet ingredients. Mix well, then add the yogurt.
4. Gently fold blueberries into the batter, blending until the batter is evenly studded.
5. Spread the batter into prepared pan(s).
6. Make the topping: cream the butter and sugar, then add flour and spices.
7. Spread the topping over the cake using your fingers to even spread it over the surface. There will be little gaps because it’s crumb topping.
8. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set.

Serve warm with coffee or ice cream, or at room temperature. This cake is delicious for breakfast and snacking. Don't let it sit too long, though. It only lasts three or four days at room temperature.

Restaurant Review: Hot Suppa!

203 Congress Street, Portland, Maine

“Love Real Food.”
This is the simple slogan of Hot Suppa!, a Portland restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Their food, classic Americana with the occasional eclectic twist, is easy to love.

I visited Hot Suppa! on a recent sunny morning. Walking inside, I was happy to find an empty booth in the small restaurant. Although the high, painted ceiling makes it feel big, the space fits only seven booths, two tables, and a small counter. There is a small waiting area, though, complete with stacks of neighborhood papers. High, half-brick walls are decorated with landscape paintings and painted clam shells, not quite ironic enough to be hip. Big windows facing Congress Street let in sunlight and interesting views. My booth was comfortable due to the black leather bolsters at shoulder height. A cake tin rested on the wooden table, full of extras like jam packets, catchup, and Vietnamese hot sauce. It was very loud, as a rowdy mix of hipsters and locals worked their way through late breakfast.

It is possible to get lunch or breakfast at Hot Suppa! regardless of the time. The lunch menu includes new American classics like grilled cheese and a cup of creamy tomato soup, mac and cheese with grilled kielbasa, or tuna melt on a bagel. They also serve unique bistro offerings like The Cubano: a grill pressed sandwich on soft french bread stuffed with roasted pork, ham, Gruyére cheese, pickles, and spicy brown mustard. Having ordered this before at Hot Suppa!, I can confirm that it is as delicious and decadent as it sounds. All lunches are served with one side. Choices include baked beans, hand-cut fries, fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, or baby arugula salad. Lunches range from $7.95 - $9.95, and individual sides are $3.25.

The breakfast menu is a little more traditional. Hot Suppa! offers french toast, buttermilk pancakes with or without blueberries, breakfast sandwiches, and various egg options. Creative stand-outs include homemade corned beef hash, Fiddler’s Green Farm Organic 7-Grain Porridge, and Southern-style biscuit and sausage gravy. I had the latter during a previous visit. The biscuit was topped with two poached eggs, and I can confirm that it was a hedonistic experience I will repeat when my arteries recover. Most breakfast plates come with sides like homefries, fruit, toast, bagels, muffins, and bacon, Canadian bacon, or sausage. Sides can be ordered separately. Breakfast prices range from $4.95 to $9.95.

On my recent visit with my cousin Alex, we were quickly served coffee from local roastery Coffee By Design. Juice, hot chocolate, and espresso beverages were also available. Our friendly server kept our mugs full, and our food arrived fairly quickly.

I ordered Eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes ($9.95), also available with Canadian bacon. They arrived with dark brown, cubed homefries and a beautiful circlet of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, watermelon, and strawberries. The homefries were badly overdone. However, the eggs were tight, round orbs perched atop thick fried tomatoes and crispy english muffins. A sprinkling of fresh cut flat-leaf parsley and paprika added the brush of color the eggs needed. They were delicious! The eggs were perfectly cooked with hard set whites and golden, gooey yolks. I’m used to heavy hollandaise sauce that punches me with rich density. Hot Suppa’s! hollandaise was a delicate, lemony variation that perfectly tempered the tangy, tart green tomatoes. I loved the contrasting texture of creamy eggs, crispy tomatoes, crunchy english muffin. This is one of the best versions of Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had.

My cousin got a french-style omelet with cheddar, bacon, and spinach ($6.95). It was served with homefries, fruit, and Alex’s choice of cinnamon-raisin toast. The omelet was a long, creamy yellow cylinder. Neither Alex nor I had seen a french omelet before, so the thin, fluffiness of the egg wrapping was surprising. It was more like an egg crepe than traditional, half-moon omelets. Although he was worried the omelet was underdone, Alex enjoyed it. “It’s awesome,” he said. “Oh, wait, was I supposed to say something more profound?”

All in all, it was a great visit. We were able to linger, thanks to a quiet morning at the restaurant. Our bill, for two coffees and two breakfast items, came to $20 pre-tip. We definitely loved our real food at Hot Suppa!

Breakfast and lunch are served from 7:00 am - 2:00 pm, Monday through Saturday; 7:30 am - 2:00 pm Sunday. Most major credit cards and cash accepted. No alcohol. On-street parking is required; bring quarters for the meters. Contact them at 207-871-5005.

Restaurant Review: Cook's Lobster House

Cook's Lobster House
Route 24, Bailey Island

Most coastal Mainers have a list of favorite seafood shacks, often broken into categories for best lobster rolls, fried clams, lobster stew, or fish and chips. Knowledge of the best seafood shacks is closely guarded by locals who are tired of fighting off tourists. B, for example, once gave a tourist couple false directions to our favorite spot. (He was justified; they wanted to find “Hera’s Secret.")

Summertime is also the season of friends and relatives visiting. These lovely, lovely people want more than a Freeport shopping trip. They want lobster, served at an authentic, picturesque seafood shack. If they are of a certain age, economic bracket, or overall agility, your favorite shack may be a little too ... rustic. I learned the hard way that my upscale urban friends did not want to wait in line to eat lobster rolls at sticky picnic tables.

So, where to take your seafood-craving, finicky guests? If you're up for some old-school lobster pound kitsch, take them to Cook’s Lobster House, located in Harpswell on Bailey Island. This is a restaurant where you can count on being seated in a reasonable amount of time, food is served on plates instead of plastic baskets, and no one has to whack a lobster with a wooden mallet. Cook’s Lobster House is the perfect place to bring your relatives and friends who want Maine without the mess. In fact, Cook’s has been voted Maine’s best seafood restaurant for over a decade.

The scenic drive to the restaurant winds through Harpswell, crossing over Great Island and Orr’s Island. Sharp eyes may spot blue herons and osprey fishing along the coastal route. The drive ends just past the Bailey Island Bridge, a unique cribstone bridge made from a latticework of granite. The restaurant is situated on a slender peninsula on Merriconeag Sound. This prime location affords ocean views from virtually every window in the restaurant. There is an outdoor patio, too.

Be forewarned: the restaurant is very popular. Tour buses and the Casco Bay Lines ferry make regular dining trips to Cook’s Lobster House. They do not take reservations unless the party is 25 or greater. Thankfully, the dining rooms are sprawling, including several additions and a gift shop. The decor is unapologetically old school. Honey varnished pine booths, navigational chart lampshades, lobster trap decorations, and a smattering of tenacious, spiny plants decorate the interior. The placemats give directions on how to eat a lobster. (If, by chance, you haven’t eaten a lobster before, do not follow the directions on the mats! Instead, ask for help from your knowledgeable server.)

The menu is extensive, providing a solid range of both classic steakhouse and seafood shack options. Appetizers are priced from $5.95 - $14.95, from lobster dip to bacon wrapped scallops. There is a healthy variety of chowders, too. Dinners include classics like Fillet Mignon and Lobster Newburg, most priced over $20. Classic shore dinners come in various permutations of lobster, clams, mussels, and/or shrimp with copious sides. These generally fall in the $40 range, and will keep your relatives happily occupied and stuffed. There’s also the somewhat daunting lobster menu, broken down into categories by stuffing and lobster size. Diners can get a simple steamed 1 1/4 pounder or a seafood-stuffed 4 pound gargantuan. (The latter is the most expensive item on the menu at $86.) The lobster, like most of Cook’s seafood, is fresh and local. The menu includes illustrations of "their" lobstermen’s buoys, some of which are visible out the window in the Sound.

I would like to say that the varied and expensive menu options at Cook's Lobster House are excellent. I can't. I believe most of Cook's menu is targeted to elderly patrons and tourists. Personally, I avoid menu items that are overpriced or over-reaching for the restaurant. My indication that Cook's might over-reach with their menu: the rolls. They are the classic "restaurant rolls" that companies sell frozen, in bulk. They indicate comfort with mediocrity, volume over quality. If I am going to order an expensive meal, I want fresh, well-made food. Most of the menu at Cook's does not inspire confidence that I will get what I want.

I did say most of the menu, however, not all of the menu. Head right to the “Lighter” and “Hearty Sandwiches” sections of the menu. Don’t be alarmed; “lighter” at Cook’s isn’t healthier. Most of the items are fried, but the portions are smaller, as in one person will be stuffed instead of a small village. The options include simple seafood choices like fish and chips, lobster rolls, clam rolls, and fish sandwiches. The food on these menu sections are less expensive, and more honest. I may not have faith in Cook's more expensive items, but I do believe they can make righteous fried seafood plates.

On my recent family reunion-inspired outing to Cook’s, my entire family wisely ordered from the Hearty Sandwiches menu. Five of us got fried fish sandwiches, rightfully called “a local’s delight." The sandwich was served on a soft bun with a huge, crispy triangle of fish curling out of it. The fish, freshly caught in Beal’s Cove, was tender, flaky, and delicious. It came with requisite tartar sauce, a pickle, and your choice of fries or cole slaw and chips. I recommend the cole slaw, which Cook’s calls “world famous.” It is a mixture of chopped white and purple cabbage that has a light, sweet, tangy, almost lemony flavor. It’s mayonnaise free, super crunchy, and worth the title. If you are still hungry after dinner, there are classic Maine dessert options, including strawberry shortcake and indian pudding. I haven't tried the desserts yet, but they seem humble enough to be made locally. I personally stick to the free, chocolate coated mints available on the way out.

Cook’s Lobster House is open year-round, seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm. They serve beer, wine, and liquor. Most major credit cards are accepted. Contact Cook’s at cookslobster.com or 207-833-2818.

Spicy Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

It is cucumber season! I know this because my very first vegetable garden is growing in my backyard. Virtually every plant drowned last week, except for the cucumbers. They've soaked in the rain and, yes, the time has come to eat them. I've decided to celebrate with a falafel dinner. Falafel is the super tasty Mid-Eastern fried chick-pea patty. (I know, I get really odd looks when I bring it to work for my lunch.)

Okay, I don’t make my own falafel. Unlike my friend John, who recently made delicious falafel from scratch, I use a dried mix from the grocery store. I love to serve the cooked falafel in whole wheat pittas with sliced cucumbers, lettuce, onions, hummus, and this delicious yogurt sauce. I came up with this recipe when I was in college. At the time, I was a little confused about Tzatziki, the traditional Greek yogurt sauce. I didn’t have a recipe, so I guessed what might be in it. I came up with this sauce, which is not Tzatziki, but is a lovely blend of spicy heat and mellowing coolness. The recipe is flexible; you can add more or less of everything except the yogurt. If you have tahini, it also adds to the body of the sauce, making the flavor fuller.

Spicy Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 jalapeño, minced (remove the ribs and seeds for less heat)
1/2 cucumber
1/2 small, red onion
Juice from 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (you can swap it for dill, too)
optional: 1 tablespoon of sesame tahini

1. Measure yogurt into a medium sized bowl. Add the jalapeño.
2. Chop the cucumber and onion into small chunks.
3. Finely chop the cilantro.
4. Add the cucumber, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and (if you have some) the tahini to the yogurt mixture. Stir well.
5. Allow the yogurt sauce to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour, letting the flavors meld and intensify.

Serve with falafel, or anything else that needs a spicy, yet cooling sauce.

Dinner After the Farmers' Market

When I get home from the Farmers’ Market, I always am excited by dinner prospects. It is hard to figure out what to cook, because my kitchen is often overflowing with fresh, delicious produce. One dinner, however, has become a household favorite. B and I eat mussels in a traditional garlic-wine sauce with a loaf of Ciabatta bread from Zu Bread. The bread is wonderfully absorbent and chewy; a perfect tool to soak up the delicious broth from the mussels. We add a fresh vegetable salad made from greens and whatever else looks good. This dinner is perfectly finished with ice cream topped with fresh berries.

Mussels (Adapted from Blue Dragon’s Favorite Wild Mussel Recipe)
Serves 2 hungry adults
Blue Dragon Mussels are sold at Crystal Spring Farmers’ Market. Harvested locally, these mussels are supremely delicious. They are also inexpensive, with market prices last posted at $2 per pound, or $5 for 3 pounds.

2lbs of native mussels
4 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 of a chopped, white or spanish onion
Butter or olive oil
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh, mixed herbs (my favorite is a mix of parsley, thyme, and basil)

1. Wash the mussels in cold water. Pull off any beards that are still attached.
2. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan or pot with butter or olive oil. Over medium heat, add the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
3. Add wine and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the mussels, and cover. Cook over medium high heat for about ten minutes, or until the mussels open.
5. Add the herbs, then cook for another 5 minutes
6. Crack fresh black pepper, and sprinkle salt to taste, over the mussels when done cooking.

Serve hot, in bowls, with the broth ladled over the mussels. (Don’t forget to put a clean bowl on the table for the empty shells.) Don’t eat any mussels that didn’t open. Use bread to soak up the delicious broth.

Where did the Jalapeños Go? (or Why I Shop at Farmers' Markets)

I recently went on a quest to find jalapeños. I was hosting a fiesta, and needed “vast quantities” of peppers (okay, three or four) for homemade salsa. Actually, I didn’t know this would be a quest when I headed out; jalapeños are a staple of the produce section, along with carrots and celery. Imagine, then, my horror to discover the jalapeño section was empty! I tried both Hannaford and Shaws: no luck, no jalapeños. What gives? I wondered. A few days later, a news report on public radio enlightened me. The tomato salmonella crisis, formerly the spinach salmonella crisis, was now the jalapeño salmonella crisis. Like each previous health crisis, the hazardous vegetable was stripped from the supermarket shelves around the country. This, of course, is what we get for having food shipped internationally from large, commercial farms.

If you are still looking for jalapeños, or any other recently banned vegetable, I have a source that does not rely on an interstate transit system. This vendor has large baskets overflowing with luminous green jalapeño peppers. They are sold for a mere 50¢ each. The source of my secret jalapeño dealer? It’s Crystal Springs Farmers Market, in Brunswick.

Jalapeño peppers aren’t the only reason I shop at Crystal Springs Farmers Market. I like the usual motivators: I can support local farmers, I reduce my carbon footprint, I can support the local economy, the food is riper, fresher, and more tasty, organic food is more nutritious, and I can eat food that is locally in-season. Those are the “preachy” reasons. I also really like to go to the market because it’s a beautiful, cheerful way to start my Saturday morning.

Now, there are many wonderful farmers' markets in Maine. I personally prefer Crystal Spring Farmers' Market because it’s close to my home and every vendor is organic. I can buy eggs, cheese, meat, poultry, seafood, baked goods, ethnic food, flowers, honey, and all the fruits and vegetables that are in season in Maine. Depending on the weekend, I can also learn more about local non-profits, buy crafts and furniture, listen to musicians, watch a knitting circle, or pet llamas and baby bunnies. When I need to walk off the delicious almond roll I purchased from Zu Bread, I can go for a hike on the beautiful trails surrounding the farm. I also really like to visit the sheep pastured adjacent to the market.

If you are interested in finding your own local source for jalapeños, or any other local produce, check out Maine’s website, www.getrealmaine.com/buy/farmers_markets.html; a searchable database of farmers' markets in the state.

No matter where you go, consider the following tips before your trip:

• Bring cash.
• Parking is usually limited. Bikes are always welcome.
• Farmers sell what is locally in-season. We live in Maine, which means some things are not available every week. One week I will find baskets of delicious raspberries. They’re gone the next week, replaced by blueberries. Swap your shopping list with a flexible, open mind, and celebrate the foods that are actually growing in our communities each week.
• Sometimes, weather conditions make it hard for the farmers to harvest certain fruits or vegetables. Try not to be too disappointed when that week of rain prevented farmers from harvesting your favorite berries.
  
• Vendors come and go, depending on the season or the weather. Some days, my favorite vendors will not be at the market. This is another nice way to develop flexibility.
• Bring your own bag or basket to carry your purchases. If you have your own small plastic bags for bagging fruit and veggies, even better. Some vendors reuse cardboard containers, too, such as egg cartons. Vendors appreciate it when you bring your own to reuse.
  
• Dogs are usually allowed. It’s appreciated if your well-behaved dog is on a leash, though.
• Come early to get the best selection, but not too early, as in before they open. The vendors need time to set up their stands.
• Be patient, because everyone is enjoying the day, sunshine or fog. But please don’t block the vendors’ booths when you run into your neighbor and need to have a long, happy chat. It is still a market, after all.

The Crystal Spring Farmers Market is held each Saturday from 8:30 - 12:30 on Pleasant Road in Brunswick. For directions, visit their CSA website, crystalspringcsa.com.

Honey Tarragon Wax Beans

In my opinion, yellow “wax” beans are the sad middle sister to the bright, crisp green beans. When I was little, I would pick long yellow beans from my grandmother’s garden. She would steam or boil them, and serve them with a little butter and salt. Alas, even with my grandmother’s loving attention, wax beans tasted flat and bland to me. Thus, it was surprising when I was tempted to buy some at my local farm stand yesterday. The beans looked pretty with their lemony yellow slender bodies and curling green tips. I bought two pounds, and then plotted this new recipe. I wanted the beans to taste sweet, yet I also liked the traditional vinegar in the classic three-bean salad. It was really important, too, for the beans to avoid the soggy, mealy texture I remembered. I like the end result a lot, which gives the beans a lovely tangy-sweet dressing without overpowering their delicate flavor.

Please let me know what you think!

Honey Tarragon Wax Beans

1 1/2 pounds fresh wax beans
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 Cup and a squeeze of honey
2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, snap the tops from the wax beans. Break them into bite sized pieces, or leave them whole, whichever you prefer. (I used a mix of both snapped chunks and whole beans for visual texture.)
2. When the water is boiling, add the wax beans. Boil them for 6-8 minutes, just until they are al dente!
3. While the beans are cooking, measure the vinegar into a glass measuring cup. Squeeze in 1/8 Cup of honey (watch for the liquid level in the cup to rise to the midpoint between 1/4 Cup and 1/2 Cup).
4. Microwave the vinegar and honey for 30 seconds, or until the honey is melted. Add the chopped tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
5. Prepare a strainer in the sink for the beans. Then, put very cold water and a lot of ice in a large bowl. This ice bath will “shock” the beans and stop them from continuing to cook after they come off the stove.
6. When the beans are done, strain them, then toss them in the ice water. Gently stir until the beans have cooled down. Then strain them again.
7. Toss the now-cool beans with the dressing.
Serve at room temperature or cold.