Author: fireislandchef

Blueberry Pie

Posted on by fireislandchef

  
Blueberry season marks the height of the summer here in Maine and there is no more iconic way to celebrate than a delicious blueberry pie. 

  
Over the years I have tried countless recipes and was never completely satisfied until I made my own by combining the best bits of every recipe I learned from. Some were too runny, some didn’t have enough flavor and some were close but didn’t quite hit the mark. After four years of trying and tweaking and trying again, this is my favorite blueberry pie recipe.

Perfect Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

 2 pints blueberries (4 cups)

3/4 cup sugar

1 lemon, zested

5 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon, juiced)

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp Demerara, turbinado or other coarse sugar, for top of pie

2 individual pie crusts

Directions:

Combine 1 cup berries with 3/4 cup sugar and lemon zest in pan.

  
Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and mixture is very liquid. This will take about 10 minutes.

  
Combine cornstarch, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in bowl. Stir until mixture is completely combined and homogenous.

Add to pan with blueberries and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thick.

  
Pour hot mixture into large bowl. Allow to cool until warm.

Fold in remaining 3 cups of blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter.

Let cool completely before adding to pie crust.

  
To create a lattice crust, cut top crust into even strips and lay half of them on top of the pie in parallel lines.

  
Fold back alternating strips and place one strip perpendicular to the others.

  
Replace the alternating strips, covering the perpendicular strip of dough and fold back the others.

  
Continue repeating this process until the crust is complete.

  
  
  
Tuck the edges under and shape to your preference.

  
Preheat oven to 400 F. Refrigerate for fifteen minutes or longer before baking.

Gently brush top crust with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar liberally over pie.

  
Place a crust protector or piece of aluminum foil around the edge of the pie to keep from burning.

  
Put pie in oven and immediately decrease heat to 375 F.

Bake 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack  at least one hour before serving.

  
Slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

  

Meatball Subs and Caprese Salad

Posted on by fireislandchef

  
Today I did one of my favorite lunches. It is always a hit with the guests and most of it can be prepared ahead of time so it is low stress.

  
The Caprese Salad and Antipasto platter can be prepared an hour before serving and the meatballs can be made up to several days ahead and warmed before serving.

  
Here is one of my favorite recipes for satisfying and flavorful meatballs.

Beef and Ricotta Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds 80% lean ground beef

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

4 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. 

Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. 

Set aside.

Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly.

  
Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. 
  
A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often.

When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over them. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 5-10 minutes.

To make Meatball Subs:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

Place hoagie rolls, on aluminum foil.

Fill split hoagie rolls with warm meatballs and sauce.

  
Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top and bake 10 minutes.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Don’t forget dessert!

  
  

Dessert for Lovers

Posted on by fireislandchef

  
Dessert for Lovers

This dessert to share is full of intoxicating flavors and easy to make! You can make the chocolate covered strawberries hours ahead of time and quickly assemble the rest in mere minutes when you are ready to serve.

Ingredients:

4 strawberries

8 ounces good quality chocolate chips

4 ounces chopped almonds

2 Tbsp sea salt

8 dried apricots, halved

1/4 cup almonds, whole

6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Honey for drizzling

Directions:

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler just use a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Dip the strawberries in the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle the chopped almonds and sea salt on the chocolate. Allow to set on a wire rack until chocolate has hardened.

  
Just before serving, scatter the apricots, almonds and blue cheese on a plate. Drizzle with honey and place the chocolate covered strawberries on top. This dessert is enough for a couple to share.

  

Day off in Rockwood

Posted on by fireislandchef

  
This morning we woke up to a crisis. Somehow, we had run out of coffee and hadn’t notice until we stumbled out of bed, bleary eyed and in desperate need of caffeine.

  
We managed to make our way out the door and drove the three miles to the tar (what the locals called a paved road). There are not many options for dining out in Rockwood, Maine. We don’t even have a stoplight in town. Thankfully, we have Maynard’s, a restaurant and cottage rental in the heart of Rockwood. The only other time we had been to Maynard’s was a Saturday night in the middle of the summer a few years ago. We foolishly thought we could just walk in around six o’clock and order dinner. We were informed upon entering that no one had called ahead that night so they were not opening the restaurant or serving any food. That’s the way it goes in a small town.

  
Fortunately, they were open for breakfast and we were grateful for the hot coffee. The menu was the traditional eggs, sausage, home fries and pancakes that almost every breakfast place has but everything was done perfectly. The staff and other diners were friendly and the view of the water and mountains didn’t hurt a bit.

  
After breakfast, my son discovered the tire swing outside, along with the badminton net, the slide, the swing set, the ball toss game and the tether ball pole. We all had a fun time playing together before we headed down the road.

  
We decided to go into Greenville and ended up at the library and then the park for awhile. It seemed everyone in town was out and about in boats, trucks, atvs and seaplanes.

  
We headed down to Kelly’s Landing and hung out at the beach for awhile, enjoying the magnificent view.

  
It was getting near time for dinner so we decided to head home. We took one last look at Moosehead Lake and piled into the van.

  
On our way back to camp, our 12 week old daughter started crying so we pulled off to the side of the road to see what was the matter. While my wife was taking care of her, my son and I headed out to do some exploring.

  
As luck would have it, we had parked right next to a big wild blueberry patch and we were surrounded by perfectly ripe berries everywhere we looked! I quickly grabbed a bag and we went to work filling it as quickly as we could, snacking on delicious blueberries the entire time.

  
I could hardly wait to get home and make some Blueberry Muffins. When we got home, everybody pitched in and helped to make the muffins. It was so much fun and they turned out amazing! The perfect end to a day off in Rockwood, Maine.

  

Blueberry Muffins

Posted on by fireislandchef

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins
  

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened plus more for pan

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon, zested

1 cup sour cream

1 heaping cup blueberries

Topping:

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Demerara, turbinado or other coarse sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Butter a 12 muffin pan

Combine first five ingredients and whisk briefly. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix until incorporated. Add sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.

For Topping:

Combine butter, brown sugar and flour and mix with fingers until crumbly. Crumble on top of muffin batter and then sprinkle coarse sugar (optional) on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

 

Heading home from Greenville today, we stumbled upon a patch of wild Maine blueberries! It is the peak of season and we all greedily filled our bag together, talking the whole time about what we would do with our treasure when we returned home.

  

After some debate, we all agreed that we should make blueberry muffins. It was late in the day and we were all thinking about breakfast the next morning, not to mention an after dinner treat.

  
It took us quite a while to fill our bag, mostly because half the fun of picking wild berries is tasting them as you go! Finally, we had enough to make a batch of muffins and a few extra because we knew we would not be able to resist temptation, even on the short drive home.

  
When we arrived home, we rinsed the berries and laid them out on a dry towel before picking through to remove any stems or foreign particles. Then, I fired up the oven and mixed the batter. My wife and son helped fill the muffin dish and then sprinkle the topping on. We put the pan in the oven and eagerly waited while it performed it’s magic.

  
When the muffins were finally ready, they were so good it was difficult to not eat them all on the spot! They came out moist with a crunchy topping, even the next day. I am so glad I wrote down this recipe. These are the best blueberry muffins I have ever eaten!

Day off in Bangor

Posted on by fireislandchef

Today we decided to head south to Bangor to visit the Maine Discovery Museum.

 
On our way into town, we noticed that the Friars’ Bakeshop was open for business. This may not seem like a big deal but they have somewhat unpredictable hours and this is the first time in four years we have actually seen it open. We have always heard great things so we were more than a little excited to get lunch before the museum.

  
I must say, it was worth the wait. The place is run by real deal Fransiscan monks and the food was delicious. They have a rule against phones and it was refreshing to eat lunch in a room of people who weren’t staring down at their mobile devices. My wife and I both ordered the corn chowder and my son had an amazing blueberry muffin, maybe the best I have ever had but the real treat was the bread that came along with the soup. It was so affordably priced that I felt good about putting a little extra in the donation box.

  
It is only a short walk to the museum and we arrived in time for a live animal exhibition. My son loved every minute of it. Even though we were interrupted by a fire alarm and spent some time waiting for the building to be cleared by the firemen, the staff were amazing and picked up right where they left off with the animals.

  
The museum has three floors of exciting, educational fun for kids and even though we go at least once every summer, we never have any trouble filling an entire afternoon. We stayed until they closed at five and loved every minute of it!

  
  
  
After the museum closed, we walked around town and did a little sightseeing.

  
I couldn’t resist getting a picture of my son with the giant Paul Bunyan statue. I love telling him American folktales at bedtime and Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are favorites of ours.

  
He wasn’t so sure about being up that high but the promise of a treat helped him find his courage. He loved seeing the giant statue and kept telling me that Paul Bunyan is the biggest man in the world!

After that we all packed up in the car and started the long ride home to Moosehead Lake, already talking about what adventures might await us the next day.

Gettin’ my gratin on

Posted on by fireislandchef

Potatoes au Gratin

  

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 onion, small dice

1 Tbsp chopped sage

1 tsp chopped rosemary

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

8 oz. gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

6 medium russet potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup panko or other bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F

Melt butter in a medium pot and add diced onion. Add sage and rosemary and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

  
Gradually add flour while whisking to make a roux and cook for another few minutes, whisking occasionally until roux is a light blonde.

Gradually add milk while whisking to work out any lumps and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few more minutes, whisking regularly.

Add 1 cup (about half) Gruyere cheese and whisk until melted and smooth. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cool slightly.

Peel your potatoes and immediately submerge completely in cold water. Using a mandoline, slice 1/8″ thick.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an oven safe dish.

  
Working around the edge of the dish, shingle the potato slices until the dish is filled and spread another layer of sauce on top.

  
Continue layering until you use your all of your sauce on top of the last layer.

  
Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese on top so it is partially covered.

  
For the Topping:

Melt butter and toss with bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake at 400 F for one hour. Check at 30 minutes. The topping should be nicely browned. Cover with aluminum foil and cook 30 more minutes.

  
Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Tryout Tuesday: Blueberry Lemon Bars

Posted on by fireislandchef

  
Tuesdays on the island are usually a little slower. The guests have all left and it’s time to start getting ready for the next group. Most often, I like to use this opportunity to try something new. If it turns out good, it is one less thing I have to do in the upcoming week. If not, well, nobody has to know.

This week I decided to try a recipe for Blueberry Lemon Bars from one of my favorite books, The Bakers Manual. It is full of dependable, basic recipes that are great to use as a springboard for creative substitutions and changes. I think it is a good idea to try a recipe the way it is written the first time so the alterations can be informed ones. After that, the sky is the limit!

  
Blueberry Lemon Bars

Makes one 9″ by 13″ pan

Ingredients:

Oat Streusel:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons, juiced)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tsp lemon zest

3 cups blueberries

Directions:

Streusel:

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, oats, salt (because I only had salted butter on hand, I simply omitted the salt and used salted butter) and brown sugar together until well combined. Stir in the melted butter and mix well with your hands. The streusel mix should be crumbly but form clumps when squeezed.

  
Press half the streusel into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased, foil or parchment lined 9″ by 13″ baking pan (I found my one cup measure was a great tool for pressing and forming the streusel crust).

  
Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, just until firm. Cool slightly.

Update: I reserved the egg white and beat it with 1Tbsp water to make an egg wash. I brushed with the egg wash the crust after it came out of the oven to make a barrier between the crust and the filling. It kept the crust from getting soggy and I didn’t have to waste the egg white!

  
Meanwhile, combine the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and sweetened condensed milk until smooth (I find that if you whisk together the egg and lemon zest and juice first the filling is most uniform. I have ended up with yellow flecks of egg yolk visible when I have just dumped everything in and then mixed it together). Stir in the blueberries. Spread the fruit filling over the crust.

  
Crumble the remaining streusel over the filling (I did not end up using all of the streusel). Bake for an additional 40 minutes, until the streusel topping is golden and crisp (after the initial 40 minutes, I cranked my oven up to 450 F and cooked an extra 5 minutes to color the streusel nicely but all ovens perform slightly different). Cool until warm over a rack, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into squares.

  


I really liked how these turned out and I loved that I could make them ahead of time and have them ready at a moments notice. The bars had a lot of crispy crunchy streusel and the blueberry lemon filling really came through. The filling was much easier than lemon curd based fillings that require you to whisk eggs over a double boiler until thickened. I left a little bit of parchment sticking out the sides to help me remove them from the pan and it made it much easier. I just ran a knife along the sides that did not have parchment and lifted it right out of the pan!

I served these after lunch but I think they were most appreciated by the early risers the next day. They made a great handheld breakfast to go along with a hot coffee on a cool morning fishing trip. I am excited to try some different flavor combinations. I would love to try a lemon raspberry, strawberry calamondin or blackberry key lime twist with this recipe.