Greetings to all!
Labor Day Weekend has passed and now begins my favorite time of the year in New England--Fall!
The hectic pace of Summer is now a memory, replaced by guests reading on the front porch, or inn Great Room. The smell of Cinnamon Bread ooze through the kitchen and inn as I write this post. Something in the air changes with the humidity gone. It is inspiring.
For breakfast today, we served a "Yankee & Rebel" breakfast. My thoughts of my sassy Creole friend, Denise, in New Orleans inspired me to make something Southern. Starting with a Maine Blueberry Coffee Cake, and followed by a Omelet filled with a Chicken and Smoked Sausage Jambalaya, everyone was happy, and well fed.
A great cookbook that I have been reading lately is called "Old-Time New England Cookbook" (by Duncan MacDonald and Robb Sagendorph, 1993). It is one of the best books that describes the seasonality of New England cooking. Breaking down the year into micro-seasons, the recipes are borne out of harvest from both our gardens and our ocean and lakes.
The authors have excellent recipes and the narrative throughout the book is like poetry, painting a picture of New England life (as I have loved since my boyhood).
"Gone is summer's sweltering heat. Labor Day is like a signal for the start of autumn schooling, for lawn mowers to vanish, and for rakes and wheelbarrows to appear. The scent of wood-burning fires drifts on the air, and the step of life seems somehow more brisk and snappy."
Beautiful writing!
September 10-October 20 is what the authors call "Early Fall." Recipes such as Pumpkin Preserves, Codfish Balls, Nantucket Scallop Chowder, and Cranberry Glazed Ham are given. Yummmmmm!
May this time of year be a time of reflection and re-direction for your cooking--and maybe even your own Life! Try some new soups, try a lower fat version of your chicken pot pie, or take a moment to taste the glory of simple comfort food that Fall inspires.
Back to my baking bread. Be well!!!
Keith
Your Maine Innkeeper
Naples, Maine
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