A Visit to Portland's Farmer's Market

A Visit to Portland Maine's Farmer's Market in Deering Oaks Park!  Colorful carrots, Maine blueberries, and gorgeous arrangements of cut flowers are everywhere to be found.  It is a big market with a lot of variety and tons of yummy fresh fruits and veggies, meat and dairy products,

and beautiful plants and flowers!   

Straight From the Farmer's Market

Summer time is here!  And in the midst of the hot temperatures, the blazing sunshine, and the thunderstorms, we have farmer's markets  and farm stands full of colorful and delicious produce.  I often find myself juggling bags of peaches, tomatoes, and leafy greens as I walk home, unable to carry anything else.  I plop the bags on my counter and inspect my purchases, filled with excitement and ideas about all of the wonderful meals that I will make.

Here are a few highlights from the past week or so...

 

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Scapes with Thyme and Sea Salt.  I simply slice up the eggplant, season with dried thyme, salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.  In this case I scattered a few garlic scapes for  a little added flavor.  I roast in the oven at about 350 degrees until the eggplant become golden brown.  They are delicious in a panini, in pasta, or as a side.

Linguini with garlic, fresh tomatoes, and basil.  This is one of my staple pasta dishes in the summer, when the tomatoes are a ripe and bursting with color and flavor.  I saute garlic cloves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and dried thyme until the garlic is browned.  I add a splash of white wine, and some pasta water, and at the very end the tomatoes and basil.  I toss the pasta in the sauce, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and Voila!

This is a new variation on penne with pancetta and peas that I experimented with this week and it was yummy!  I sauteed cubed pancetta, onion and garlic with fresh thyme and rosemary until browned, added white wine, and a touch of chicken stock.  Next, I added fresh peas and let them soften in the sauce, and then added whole peeled tomatoes that I roughly broke up with my spoon.  Add penne, fresh parmasean, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Eat!

And finally for dessert, a peach and raspberry bake.  This yummy dessert exists somewhere between a fruit tart, cake, and custard.  It is great warm with ice cream too of course!

More to come!!

The Flowers of Monhegan Island Maine

Monhegan Island, located 10 miles off of the coast of Maine is an inspiring destination, full of diverse plant life and geological formations.  July is the perfect time of year to visit, the weather is beautiful and the flowers are in full bloom.  Throughout my explorations and wanderings around the island, I came across wonderful wildflowers, and perennials peaking out around every corner.  Here are some  that caught my eye.

 

It's Lily Time!

It's lily time in the garden.  I've collected a variety of lilies over the years, at nurseries, plant exchanges, and catalogs.   They are great to divide and transplant throughout the garden.  They add a colorful touch during the wilting heat of the summer months with so many different varieties that bloom throughout the season.  Here are a few of my favorite varieties that I have collected over the years.