It’s that time of year….Fiddlehead time! Even though we may take for granted here in Maine the selecting, gathering, and cooking of these tasty spring morsels, it might not be a bad idea to review some “official” words on the process. Here’s a link to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Bulletin #4198, Facts on Fiddleheads. I’ll bet there is at least one fact there that you didn’t know. Enjoy the recipes at the end of the article. Facts on Fiddleheads
How about something different on the Thanksgiving table this year. The library has a wide selection of cookbooks to peruse. Try something new! It may become a new family classic. From Celebrate! by Sheila Lukins, here is a very easy recipe for Orange-Ginger Cranberries 2 pounds fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed 4 cups sugar 2 cups fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger 1. Divide the ingredients evenly between two heavy saucepans and stir well. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop open, about 10 minutes. 2. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal …
Summer time is salad time . . . . and nothing beats the comfort foods of Maine like those featured in the cookbooks of Marjorie Standish. Cooking Down East was published in 1969; Keep Cooking – The Maine Way was published in 1973. Both books are available at the Gardiner Public Library. Try the recipe that follows for macaroni salad or check out one of the titles to look for other down home comfort foods from Maine. MACARONI SALAD 2 cups elbow macaroni ½ cup mayo 1 tbl lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar ¼ tsp diced pimiento …
As the temperatures drop, the phrase “Soup is good food” runs through my mind. There is nothing like a delicious bowl of soup to warm you up on a chilly day. The library has at least three books dedicated to only soup recipes: Maine-Course Soups & Stews by Dorothy Ivens, Saved by Soup by Judith Barrett, and Lee Bailey’s Soup Meals by Lee Bailey. Of course any general cookbook will also have great section of soup recipes. They are so varied in scope, can be so easy to throw together, and can be stretched to feed many. Some soups that …