Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the Savoring Maine calendar blog. Below you'll find photos of the prepared recipes from the calendar and some additional information regarding the recipes and the people who contributed them. We welcome your feedback on the calendar and the recipes. Let us know what you think! 

January: Bloody Mary Oysters

This recipe would make a fabulous dish for a New Year's celebration. It's a bit decadent, very festive and extremely tasty. Charlie Cicero at Anneke Jans in Kittery, who contributed this gem, has been out on the water with the Pemaquid oyster folks and is devoted to serving these oysters. I can see why. They're full-bodied and lemony.

February: Winter Radish Salad

The tang of the rice vinegar in this salad pairs nicely with the heat of the radishes. You may want to alter the amount of vinegar depending on how tart you'd like the dish to be. The tarragon adds a great earthy flavor. Again, a very attractive dish that will help brighten dark winter days.

This recipe was kindly contributed by Seth Kroeck at Crystal Spring Community Farm in Brunswick, where every Saturday from May to October you can find local farmers selling their goods.

March: Spring Parsnip and Leek Tortilla

This recipe got rave reviews at a tapas potluck with some neighborhood friends. Spring parsnips add a wonderful sweetness to the otherwise savory dish. I used Maine-made goat cheese in mine and it worked very well. A firmer cheese like Asiago or Piave Vecchio would probably be delicious too. Recipe contributor Jay Villani of Local 188 says "traditionally, Spanish tortilla is made with potato and onion, but when farmer Dan comes in with spring dug parsnips after a long, hard winter, it's hard not to use the super sweet roots! Feel free to use whatever combo of ingredients you have on hand."

A cooking tip: To keep the tortilla from sticking to the pan, be liberal with the olive oil and keep sliding a spatula under the egg layer while it cooks. Periodically shaking the pan may help too (and even if it doesn't, it makes you look like you know what you're doing).