The Maine Thing Is...

As is tradition, I’m writing to you from Maine. I’ve spent the weekend in gardens and farmers markets and in the kitchen, enjoying the bounty of produce and bivalves. I’ve slept a lot and could always sleep more, but it’s been very restorative. This was our first time visiting Maine in July and it’s definitely peak crowded. We’re very lucky to stay with locals who know lots of good spots and how early to get to the farmer’s market before everything is picked over. We also were in town for the Northeast Harbor Garden tour, which gave us rare access to seven stunning gardens with beautiful views and wild blueberry bushes.

Ann, Frank, and Goose are such wonderful hosts and it’s always a treat to get so much quality time with Tilden, reflecting on where we were on our last visit and the one before. On last year’s visit, we were both new-ish pet parents and nervous about traveling with a pet or leaving one behind. This year, Kiri did so great and I knew Este was in great hands with Jared, though I still miss her. It’s all so different from my daily life and I appreciate it so much. When I scroll through my very full camera roll (don’t ask how much I pay for iCloud each month), the Maine weekends are always obvious. They’re bluer, brighter, and bursting with goodness. I’ve stocked up on maple syrup and local jam to tide me over until next time.

We fly home this evening and I’m ready for a few days at home before Leah’s bachelorette shenanigans kick off. There will be no Friday newsletter. Today’s send is full of photos so make sure you open it in your browser or the substack app.

Now, let’s dive in.

We had our weekly tofu, rice, and veggie bowl. Jared is much better at making rice than I am and for that I am grateful. He also made us a tomato salad with a burnt honey and fennel seed dressing because we had CSA tomatoes that needed to be eaten.

Years of watching Hailee Catalano have influenced me to make more salads on a platter, rather than in a bowl. It allows more layering of the ingredients, especially when lettuce isn’t the base. I made us a fennel, pecorino, and pistachio salad, dressed with lemon and olive oil. Jared made us pasta with CSA purple onions and lots of black pepper. We watched the beginning of season three of Sex and the City, which is a peak.

Once in Maine, we shook off the travel day and got cooking. Ann grilled up some summer squash and garlic scapes and we served that over labneh with pistachios and herbs. We also made a simple tomato and lettuce salad with a vinaigrette and roasted up some local potatoes and onions (extra crispy, please). Tilden made an herb garlic yogurt to go with the potatoes.

For lunch on Friday, Tilden made focaccia sandwiches with onion jam, aged gouda, and a radicchio salad. They fueled our walk around Eagle Lake in the afternoon

On Saturday, we really celebrated Maine’s waterways. Ann had won a bivalve price at a silent auction (dream prize) so we got mussels from Hollander & DeKoning (they’re a sixth generation aquaculture family who harvests in the Duth method) and oysters from Bar Harbor Oyster Company. Both of these places have fridges with an honor system and a cash box. One is at someone’s house. The quality of the product is top notch. Tilden made a chili compound butter for the mussels, inspired by London’s own butter guy, Thomas Straker, of Straker’s. She cooked them in a broth with fennel and celery and lots of herbs. I made a layered tomato and cucumber salad with basil and feta and toasted up some bread with garlic. We grilled some of the mussels too and they opened right up, ready to be drizzled with butter. Pro tip: pop the topshells off all of your mussels before you drizzle for maximum coverage. To kick things off, Ann shucked oysters and made mignonette with prosecco vinegar. It was a veritable feast.

We had leftover mussels and had them for lunch the next day with corn and potatoes in a riff on a seafood boil.

For our final dinner, we needed something more vegetable forward so we made spicy carrot rigatoni with carrots from the farm stand and local ricotta. It’s such a great recipe and the salsa verde with carrot tops adds a wonderful contrast to the creamy sauce. It’s also flexible—you don’t need to buy pine nuts since it’s only 1 tbsp and another nut, like almonds, works fine.

Once we landed in Maine, we stopped for lunch at Mother’s Kitchen, which makes excellent sandwiches. Especially up here, so much produce is sourced locally so I felt comfortable splitting a tofu bahn mi and a brie sandwich. On the side, dark russet potato chips

After a golden hour boat ride, we got dinner with Tilden’s extended family at the Nor’Easter, a seafood market and restaurant. The oysters were local and we tried three kinds, with the Cadillac being the crowd favorites. We also had steamer clams and steamed broccoli for some veggies. The restaurant is right on the water, which is the perfect setting for eating seafood.

We hit up some favorite shops like Fiore for olive oil and vinegar, Bark Harbor (pets need souvenirs too), and the Bar Harbor’s Farmers Market. Pen & Cob has great jams, spruce syrup, and pastries. Beech Hill Farms is always my favorite stop, they’re always expanding their offerings. They have limited hours so check before going—it is worth it.

We closed out our trip with coffee and pastries from Clark Point Cafe. The savory feta bun with tomatoes was the crowd favorite. A lot of stuff is closed on Mondays and the lines at Clark Point attest to this.

I finished The Missed Connection and Down to Earth and enjoyed both. The bad ex in Down to Earth was named Jared, which was a little distracting, but otherwise a good read and fun to see Julia Turshen do romance (the food descriptions are spot on). And I’ll read anything by Tia Williams—I love how her characters live and the Brooklyn setting is a nice bonus. It starts with a meet cute on a plane and takes some pivots from there.

At the pool on Sunday, I started The Reservation, which takes place during a single day at a restaurant. A bunch of steaks are missing and the owner is determined to get to the bottom of it. I’m excited to talk through it in book club.

The rainbow magic of Italy’s Lentil Bloom

How exactly can you find out if the blueberries you’re buying are from a farm that mistreats its workers? It’s harder than you think.

Rethinking wine and oyster pairings from Island Creek

Ann Friedman’s book idea that couldn’t sell. I would totally read this!

Exactly how much I made from being a lead plaintiff in the largest copyright settlement ever by Andrea Bartz, from Bartz v. Anthropic

Meteorologist John Homenuk, behind NY Metro Weather, recently suffered a life threatening heart attack at 36. So glad he’s okay and glad he’s talking about his symptoms.

At home, we have eaten 9/10 meals our of the East Fork Everyday Bowls since I got them gifted (thank you, East Fork, ily). They’re the perfect size and shape.

My SPF lip balm and trusty crossbody have been MVPs of this trip and I’ve worn my Salomons on all the walks and mini hikes.

Ruth Reichl on memorable vegetarian meals

How those donate buttons at checkout really work from Maria DeVoto

Thank you for joining me in Maine! Especially this summer, schedules were extra tough, but I’m so glad we made this trip happen.

xo, Abigail