This past weekend my husband, Clif, and I went to Camden’s Maine Fare: Celebrating the Bounty of Maine. He took the pictures, now it’s up to me to write about what we ate, saw, and heard. Readers, this was a terrific foodie event, and I regret that I’ll only be able to give a brief description of what Maine Fare had to offer. My best piece of advice is this: If at all possible, plan on going to next year’s Maine Fare, even if it means an overnight stay in the area. You will not regret it. 

The first thing I would like to comment on is how affordable Maine Fare was to people with modest incomes, a description that describes many people in Maine, including Clif and me. Yes, there were some expensive events, with a special dinner costing $75 per person. There were also $40 seminars. But here is what $10 would get you: admission to the Maine Fare Marketplace at Knox Mill in downtown Camden as well as to various panels, talks with Maine food writers, and cooking demonstrations. An incredible bargain, and there was even a special offer of $15 for a two-day ticket, for Saturday and Sunday. At the Marketplace, there was such a wealth of Maine food vendors—thirty-five or so—that I felt positively giddy when I walked into the room where they were set up. And did they ever have samples! So many that a foodie could eat herself silly, which is just what I did. Oh, the chocolates, the cheeses, the bread, and the wine. The ice cream, the apple salsa (yes, apple, and delicious), and the smoked seafood. I am happy to report that along with all the gleeful sampling, people were also buying some of these luscious products. Clif and I did our fair share, coming home with chocolate, cheese, and apple salsa. 

We went to two extremely informative and interesting panel discussions, both centered on whether Maine could feed itself. The answer was yes, with the qualifier that nobody is in a hurry to give up spices and olive oil and citrus. But the general feeling was that we needed to take greater responsibility for feeding ourselves, that we import too much food, and, ironically, this includes seafood. I was struck by the comment, (made, I think, by Craig Lapine, president of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association): “How much we lose as a culture when we choose not to feed ourselves.” Yes, we do, and when we think of a culture that promotes “the good life,” a life that is productive yet relaxed and joyful, France, the land of good eating, especially comes to mind.

Clif and I learned that in the 1830s, Maine was considered one of the breadbaskets of New England, and the state grew an incredible amount of grain. Now, most of our grain comes from the Midwest, but there is a slow but steady resurgence in growing our own. We also found out there were plans afoot in Skowhegan to convert an old jail into a grain mill, and Clif is especially interested in seeing if he can take pictures of the jail as it undergoes its transformation.

I could write 2,000 words or so just on the topic of Maine feeding itself. It is a big subject. I did take plenty of notes, which I expect I’ll be referring to for future pieces, either for this blog or for Wolf Moon Journal. However, my all-time favorite remark came from Marada Cook, from Crown O’ Maine Organic Cooperative: “We need to eat and drink more.” Now, in this country, how often do you hear that kind of advice? Especially from a very trim young woman? She did add that we might want to expand our palates. No argument from Clif and me, and judging by the laughing and clapping, the rest of the audience approved as well. 

We did splurge and go to a guided taste seminar—Smoke & Spirits—led by Sam Hayward, the chef of Fore Street Restaurant in Portland. From 1:30 to 3:00 we sipped locally made vodka, gin, and brandy, and we ate smoked seafood. We were asked to consider the various aromas and tastes, and how they combined with each other. This we did, and by the time 3:00 rolled around, many of us were a little tipsy. Those spirits were strong. Let’s just say that after this seminar, the general mood in the women’s restroom was quite jolly. Among other things, I did learn something fascinating about blueberries. When we tasted blueberry vodka, my first impression was of a peppery taste, not unpleasant, but quite strong. I mentioned this, and there was bit of a silence. Then, one of the distillers mentioned that this often happens with blueberries when they are fermented, and it can be a problem. A little later, when the seminar was over, I remembered how once in awhile when I would buy a pint of blueberries, they would produce a hot tingle on my tongue. At the time, I wondered if something had contaminated them, but now I know they were starting to ferment. Well… 

The last thing I would like to mention about Maine Fare is its wonderful atmosphere. The staff, the volunteers, and the vendors were friendly, and so was everybody else. Complete strangers began conversations, about food, of course, and this was an event that could be attended alone with no feeling of being left out. 

All in all, a splendid weekend. I can’t wait for Maine Fare 2010.

On September 11th and 12th Clif and I went to Maine Fare: Celebrating the Bounty of Maine.  The event was held in Camden, Maine.  Here are some of Clif’s photos from the Maine Fare Marketplace.

Hundreds of hungry foodies came to this tasty event. My, my, the food was good. So good that the food at Ducktrap River was cleaned out. People bought a lot, sampled a lot, and learned a lot from the various exhibitors and seminars.

A few weeks ago, I made the decision to do a food blog. Because my husband is a computer guy and I am fast writer, we were able to have the blog up and running fairly quickly. At around that same time, I became aware of three food conferences in Maine, all happening in September and October.

First there is Maine Fare, to be held from September 11^th to September 13^th in Camden, Maine (http://www.mainefare.com). Maine Fare bills itself as “An annual event which showcases and celebrates Maine’s natural culinary resources…. Maine Fare investigates the history, present and future of Maine’s wonderful food, from farm to table. The goal of the event is to communicate the importance of preserving, protecting, and sharing Maine’s storied culinary history and its rich and developing resources.” My husband, Clif, and I will be going to this conference on Friday and Saturday, and we are hoping to have a weekend of good food and provocative panels and lectures.

On October 2^nd through October 4^th, at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, there’s a conference called Food for Thought, Time for Action (www.coa.edu/html/foodsystemsconference09.htm). From the College of the Atlantic website, here is a description of the event: “Our fall conference on sustainable food, farming and fisheries will bring together a diverse range of practitioners, farmers, fishermen and scholars to discuss current issues and chart a course toward a sustainable future.” The food writer and professor Marion Nestle will be one of the keynote speakers. Clif and I hope to attend this conference on Friday, October 2^nd. Unfortunately, we will be busy for the rest of that weekend.

Finally, from October 22^nd through October 24th, there is Harvest on the Harbor in Portland, Maine (www.harvestontheharbor.com). Sponsored by the the Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau and described on its website as “Three chock-full days in which to experience the flavors of Maine, all on the magnificent coast during the beautiful harvest season,” Harvest on the Harbor sounds more like an eating event than a consciousness-raising event. But who knows? Perhaps food issues will be slipped in somewhere between the eating. However, our schedule is so tight that weekend that we won’t be able to attend even one day of Harvest on the Harbor.

But there’s even more. On the networking site Eat Maine Foods (/www.eatmainefoods.org/ ) there is a list of more upcoming Maine food events, with enough issues to satisfy the most ardent food activist. I’ll let readers discover these events for themselves by going on the Eat Maine Foods website.

So what’s going on? “Food is big,” my husband observed when I broached the subject with him. Yes, it is. But hasn’t food always been big? After all, without food, we die. That puts food, as a human concern, way at the top of anybody’s list. What seems to have happened is that lately food has become a hot topic that has stretched the boundaries of sustenance. It runs the range from being highly profitable entertainment to being seriously political. As a foodie, I can only rejoice there is so much out there nowadays about food, so much mindfulness, so much variety. (Being a native Mainer, I can remember the old days of grocery shopping in Maine, when celery was about the most exotic vegetable available.)

But I also have two very different worries. The first is that there will be overkill, so to speak, and people will become weary of hearing about all the various food concerns, from sustainability to food justice in struggling countries. And with overkill can come indifference and boredom, which are never good. The second is that all the pleasure will be squeezed out of eating, that we will rock between anxiety about eating the “right” food and guilt over the abundance we are blessed with, legitimate concerns that nonetheless have the potential to be killjoys. With our Puritan heritage, which still ripples around us, this is no idle worry, and Americans already tend to have ambivalent attitudes toward food.

I know. Why can’t I just revel in all the food events that are coming my way? Because ’tis my nature to worry. But not all worry is bad. Sometimes it brings reflection and illumination, and perhaps I will have some of both over the next month or so. In the meantime, I’ll be eating, thinking, and writing.

In Maine, Labor Day—the advent of September and fall—is a bittersweet event. On the one hand, there is no lovelier time of year than autumn. First there is the weather—warm, dry, and sunny, with deep blue skies. This is followed by October and explosions of color as the trees go from being cool green to eye-popping red, orange, and yellow. Yet Mainers know all too well what comes after all this beauty. Many months—five, to be exact—of freezing rain, snow, slippery roads, and aching cold. Yes, winter has its frosty beauty, but the older one gets, the less impressive this beauty is.

Therefore, I’ve come to regard Labor Day weekend as a gateway to fall and to all things colder. What better way to celebrate (or prepare) than with a weekend of food, friends and family? And that’s just what we did this year.

On Saturday, my husband, Clif, our daughter Shannon, her fiancé, Mike, and I went to the Windsor Fair, a small honky-tonk event complete with rides, games, livestock, and horse races. We, however, went mostly for the food, glorious deep-fried grub, as the writer Lesley Blanch might have put it. Clif and I started with fried dough, moved on to hand-cut French fries, followed with funnel cake (fried dough’s competitive cousin), and ended with crisp, fried, sweet whole clams (no strips for us!) and more hand-cut French fries. In between the French fries and the funnel cake, I cleansed my palate with a candy apple, which was surprisingly tart and fresh. Clif had a sausage digression, an extremely smelly one, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Shannon and Mike had falafel and a chicken gyro. (My, how fairs have changed since I was young. There was even a stand that sold Thai food.) Since Clif and I don’t go on rides anymore, I had supposed we’d only be at the fair for a few hours, but I had seriously underestimated how long it would take us to eat our way around the midway. We got there around 11:30 in the morning, and we didn’t leave until 4:30 or so. Warmed by the sun, propelled by the crowds and the noise of the rides, we had what can only be described as a grand eating day.

Sunday was a more genteel eating day, although one might argue that the quantity of food still tipped the scales in an excessive direction. We had friends over for a barbecue on our patio, an event that started at 2:00 P.M. and ended at 7:00 P.M., with steady eating pretty much the whole time. We began with an assortment of cheeses—Vermont cheddar, a spicy chive Cotswold, a mango Stilton, and a smooth local goat cheese—with crackers and nuts. Next came Clif’s specialty, grilled bread, which he has learned how to toss like a real pro. Could we serve the grilled bread by itself? We could not, and I had prepared a platter of grapes and local cantaloupe to go with it. Then came the main event—grilled chicken with a lemon-mustard glaze, potato salad, and green beans (from Farmer Kev’s stand) with browned butter and roasted almonds. As we finished the third course, it seemed that my friend Beth Clark had read my mind. She said simply, “Food, friends, and family.” To which I responded, “What else is there?” For dessert we had Beth’s delectable blueberry cake, from a Marge Standish recipe, along with ginger snaps Beth had bought at her local farmer’s market.

On Sunday, we had to have a follow-up, more modest perhaps, but very tasty, mostly because of the freshness of the food. Shannon and Mike came over for what might very well be the last barbecue of the season. This time we had teriyaki chicken, corn on the cob from a local stand, some of Farmer Kev’s small, red potatoes, roasted with garlic, and homemade bread not long out of my oven. As the crickets sang and the sun went down, we all raised our glasses to summer. Farewell, until next year. We will certainly miss you.

Last weekend, when I went to the Winthrop farmers’ market and spoke with Tim Leavitt, farmer Kev’s father, I learned that Farmer Kev would be at his stand on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. (Farmer Kev is a student at the University of Maine at Orono.) As it turned out, that Saturday was beautiful and sunny, and I brought my husband, Clif, along to take some pictures of Farmer Kev, his stand, and his vegetables. We bought more green beans as well as zucchini and garlic. Garden on, Farmer Kev!

In Winthrop, Maine, where I live, Tuesday and Saturday are the days for the small farmers’ market held in the center of town. Because my husband and I only have one car, and I usually don’t have use of it on Tuesday, Saturday is my “go to market day.” Last Saturday was a rainy one—tropical depression Dan was wending its way up the coast—and there was only one vendor—Farmer Kev or, to be more precise, Farmer Kev’s father, Tim Leavitt. Farmer Kev was not there for a very good reason—classes have begun at the University of Maine at Orono, where he is a first-year student. Farmer Kev is eighteen years old, and this is his second year at the farmers’ market.

I am acquainted with Tim Leavitt, and we chatted a bit before I bought some vegetables. Tim described how Farmer Kev, or Kevin as he is more commonly known, showed an early interest in gardening. When he was twelve or so, he converted an old sandbox into a small vegetable bed and grew some food for the family. But a true gardener is never satisfied with one small bed, and Kevin expanded into the family’s backyard. Soon, this also wasn’t enough, and on the outskirts of town he found some land that the owner was willing to let Farmer Kev use. Kevin also helped organize community gardens at Winthrop High School, where, until recently, he was a student. Next year, Kevin plans to build some cold frames so that he can start tomatoes earlier. This year, unfortunately, he lost his plants to blight, as so many Maine farmers and gardeners have done this rainy summer.

“How long far into the season will you be here?” I asked Tim.

“Until October,” he answered, smiling. “Kevin will be home over Labor Day weekend, but my wife and I will be helping while he’s at school.”

No small task for busy parents, but the family that gardens together, stays together?

Now, even though I have one of the worst yards in Winthrop for gardening, I have a very soft spot for farmers and gardeners. They grow our food. They keep us going. Without them, most of us would find it hard, if not impossible, to feed ourselves. Many adults have a tendency to criticize young people for not knowing enough about where food comes from, for thinking that it all begins at the grocery store. While this might be true for some young people, it is not true for all young people, and it is certainly not true for Farmer Kev. May the blight leave his tomatoes alone; may he always enjoy having dirt under his nails; and may he garden for many, many years to come. And kudos to his parents for helping out, even when it rains, for supporting him in his gardening venture.

Late August and early September are wonderful times to eat in Maine, and here is what I bought from Farmer Kev’s stand: two pounds of green beans, two heads of garlic, one zucchini, and four pounds of little red potatoes. For all of this, I paid $8, for food that is local and is grown organically.

That evening, along with chicken cutlets meuniere, my husband and I had some of those succulent green beans and those wonderful little red potatoes. We raised our glasses to Farmer Kev, to his green beans and potatoes, to all things local and delicious, and to the good life, which doesn’t always have to cost a lot.

With the release of the movie Julie & Julia, this August has been quite the month for Julia Child. And what an appropriate month. Fans of this exuberant cook will know that August 15^th was the anniversary of her birthday, and she would have been ninety-seven. (Fans might also recall that she died in 2004, two days before her ninety-second birthday.) While the movie got mixed review from some critics—in general, they admired Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child but were less than thrilled with the whiny Julie (Amy Adams)—audiences around the country seemed to love it. Indeed, the movie has taken in more than it cost to make, which is not a given for today’s films, which often rely on DVD sales to cover their budgets.

I must admit that I loved Julie & Julia, and I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD so that I can watch the extras. The food shots literally made my mouth water, especially the chocolate pie and the boeuf bourguignon, and I was enthralled by Streep’s performance, which was full of crackling vitality. However, I must also admit that I found the “Julie” parts less compelling than the “Julia” parts, but then again, who can compete with Meryl Streep and Julia Child? Most of us would fall woefully short. 

After seeing the movie, I was inspired to read My Life in France, which Julia Child wrote with her nephew Alex Prud’homme and was published posthumously. As I read the book and followed Julia Child through France, Germany, and the United States as she ate and cooked, two things especially impressed me. The first was the sheer amount of hard work it took to put together the famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Recipes would be made, tested, tasted, and made again and again. Julia Child did not just breeze her way into America’s kitchens and then become an icon. Instead, she cooked and wrote like crazy, and she didn’t give up, even when publishers rejected her work. 

The second, and most important for me, was her attitude toward cooking failures. In My Life in France, Julie Child writes, “One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed….no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” (The italics are hers.) 

I found that advice to be tremendously freeing. Yes, she seemed to be saying, mistakes will happen. It’s too bad, but that’s to be expected when you cook. Onward and better luck next time. Julie Child was, of course, American, but I can almost see this advice accompanied by a Gallic shrug of the shoulders. 

With an attitude like that, no wonder Julie Child had a bon appétit.