Heard of Molecular Cuisine? Zeph, my Sous Chef travelled to the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in Napa Valley, CA to learn about Sous Vide cooking. He has written a very informative article about the process on his blog if you are curious about this new phenomenon hitting kitchens everywhere. Yes, we are experimenting!
Archive for April, 2009
Zeph’s take on Sous Vide
Monday, April 27th, 2009Smoking Salmon
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
I often joke that with a last name of “Salmon” I had two choices as a young man for a career path: 1) to become a fisherman or 2) to become a chef. There’s not a lot of commercial fishing in my hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, so here I am. At the Inn we smoke a lot of salmon. Generally when I refer to smoked salmon, I am referring to cold smoked salmon which is a cured side of salmon that is gently smoked at low temperatures. With cold smoking, the salmon is “cooked” by the curing process and exposed to smoke for flavor. The distinctive texture of cold smoked salmon comes from curing, and makes the flesh firm, but not crumbly like salmon exposed to heat. Hot smoked salmon, on the other hand is seasoned fresh salmon that is smoked at high temperatures (350 degrees) and the fish actually cooks through while smoking. Below is a recipe for a cure mix that I use at the Inn and a brief description on how to cold and hot smoke salmon.
Dry Cure Mix
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup kosher salt
1 Tablespoon dried dill
Mix all of the ingredients together.
Cold Smoked Salmon
Coat both sides of a one pound salmon fillet (skin on, pin bones removed) with 1/4 cup of the dry cure mix. Place the salmon in a small container with a lid and refrigerate for 24 hours. This process is known as curing. The salt will draw out a great deal of liquid from the salmon and preserve it, actually “cooking” the flesh. After 24 hours, gently rinse both sides of the salmon under cold water and place skin side down on the smoking rack. Cold smoke the salmon (at a maximum of 90 degrees) for 2 hours with cherry chips. This is a delicate process in the stovetop smoker. The best technique is to get the smoker going, add the salmon, close the cover and remove from the heat. Allow the smoke to be exposed to the salmon for 10 minutes off the heat then remove it from the pan and continue the process over and over for a full 2 hours. Add new cherry chips as necessary. Cold smoked salmon is best if allowed to rest for 24 hours and sliced very thinly.
Hot Smoked Salmon (or other firm fleshed fish)
Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over 6 ounce salmon fillets (skin off, pin bones removed) and lightly coat with seasoning rub of your choice (see rubs and sauces section below). Place them on the lightly oiled smoking rack and smoke for 15 minutes with 2 Tablespoons apple, cherry or alder chips. Serve with a fruit salsa, herbed sour cream, mustard or chimi churri sauce.
Looking for a smoked salmon recipe. See my Smoked Salmon Dip with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus recipe I posted on the Maine Food & Lifestyle Blog “Plating Up” on April 20th.
2009 Garden Series at the Hartstone Inn
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
We are very excited about our new upcoming gardening series here at the Hartstone Inn and Hideaway featuring our vegetable garden guru, Shelley Johnson. Shelley tends all of the culinary gardens at the Inn and also grows produce on her farm for the Hartstone kitchen. She has a great wealth of knowledge when it comes to vegetable gardening and loves to teach, so this series is perfect for her. Each class includes 1 1/2 hours in the gardens with Shelley and 30 minutes in the kitchen with Chef Michael to cook and taste some of the bounty from the gardens.
Hartstone’s Vegetable Garden Guru – Shelley Johnson
Some of my earliest memories are of the rich smell of soil in my Grandfather’s greenhouse and of helping my Dad transplant the hundreds of azaleas that dotted the landscape around our house. While I always dabbled in vegetable and container gardening, it was the move to Maine in 1985 that allowed me to begin pursuing my gardening interests in a more expansive way. After completing the Master Gardener course of study and becoming active in Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), my interest in intensive and organic vegetable gardening blossomed. I now tend my own vegetable gardens here at Breatheasy Farm as well as those of others. I am also a commercial grower for Fedco Trees, a growers’ co-op based in Waterville, Maine.
Planting a Spring Garden
May 23-24, 2009 1-3 pm – cost: $50/person
We’ll discuss how to ready your garden for spring planting and make the best use of whatever space you have available. Since it all starts with the soil you’ll learn how to create and keep soil fertile (hint: it doesn’t come from a bag) in the vegetable and herb garden and techniques for creating raised beds that are simple and low maintenance. We’ll discuss how to choose the proper plants, plan the garden layout, and get a jump on the season with row covers and mulches. We’ll harvest a variety of greens, lettuces, and herbs from the Hartstone Inn gardens before heading into the kitchen to cook and taste with Chef Michael for 30 minutes. Recipes will highlight the early Spring harvest and include Michael’s fruit salad dressings and various tossed salads.
Intensive Plantings in the Vegetable and Herb Garden
June 13-14, 2009 1-3 pm – cost: $50/person
The highly productive garden beds at the Hartstone Inn will serve as a hands-on classroom for tips and advice on how to intensively plant and maintain a vegetable and herb garden. We’ll discuss succession sowing, companion planting and choosing the right plants for a given site. Low maintenance raised beds are capable of producing copious amounts of vegetables and herbs if you know how to make the best use of your location and how to give your plants what they need for robust growth. We’ll be able to view the results of our spring sowings and the new growth on our early summer seedlings like tomato, basil, and pumpkin. We’ll harvest a variety of herbs, greens and young root vegetables and join Chef Michael in the kitchen for a 30 minute cooking class and tasting.
The Late Summer Harvest
September 19-20, 2009 1-3 pm – cost: $50/person
After a full season of growing, the gardens at the Hartstone Inn will offer up a great variety of herbs and vegetables and lessons learned from another season of growing. This is the perfect time to review what went right and what went wrong and begin planning for the next year. We’ll learn proper harvesting techniques to maximize the garden’s yield, look at the many heirloom vegetable varieties available for the best in taste and beauty, and discuss how to extend the season through the first frosts of autumn. After harvesting and gleaning the garden’s bounty, we’ll head to the kitchen at the Hartstone Inn to spend 30 minutes with Chef Michael as he uses the summer harvest in some of his favorite recipes.
Artisan Chocolate Making II
Monday, April 20th, 2009
I am happy to announce that Kate Shaffer of Black Dinah Chocolatiers will be teaching another cooking class here at the Hartstone Inn this coming weekend, April 25th & 26th. Class openings are still available on both Saturday and Sunday and the course runs from 1-3 p.m. Cost is $45 per person. Kate recently blogged about the class on her website’s blog and I have included an excerpt here:
“I plan to cover various hand-tempering techniques, “shell” and figurine moulding, and the making of chocolate decorations, including the use of colored cocoa butter and transfer sheets. This is a hands-on course, and though some of the techniques are quite advanced, all that’s required of participants is a willingness to have fun and get your hands a little chocolate-y. We’ll taste our creations at the end of class and you will be able to take a box of your handmade chocolates home with you.”
Call for reservations: 207.236.4259. Hope to see you in the class.
Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Show
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
If you’re coming to the Maine coast in August (hopefully you are coming to stay with us in Camden) the 7th annual Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors show is worth a visit and is happening in Rockland from August 7-9, 2009. Mary Jo and I went to the show last year (for a Hartstone Inn Cookbook signing) and it was a fun filled day of activities. Many food and beverage vendors to keep your belly full in addition to numerous marine and non-marine related vendors. Following is a description of the event from their website:
“If you love the coast of Maine, you won’t want to miss this show! Come see Maine’s finest artists, architects, boatbuilders, furniture makers, craftsmen, designers, marine gear vendors, and musicians. There’ll be a model yacht pond, live music, a children’s area, exhibits, fine food, the running of the 7th Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog® Trials, and more! As the only in-water boat show in the state, with more than 70 boats in the water and 150 exhibitors on land, there is something for every member of the family.”
Friday & Saturday: 10-6:00 p.m. Sunday: 10-4:00 p.m.
Price: $10, kids under 12 FREE. Two and three-day passes available.
For further information call: 800*565*4951 or visit the website: www.maineboats.com/boatshow
Merryspring Nature Center – Spring Calendar
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
Merryspring is a non-profit, privately-owned 66-acre park and education center in Camden and Rockport, Maine, with nature trails and gardens open to the public every day free of charge. http://www.merryspring.org
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES - Space is limited. Call 207-236-2239 to pre-register.
Drawing with Lynn Travis – Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m., April 23 & 30, May 7 & 14, $90 members/$100 non-members. Work in pencil and charcoal with guidance from an acclaimed local artist.
Watercolor with Lesia Sochor – Thursdays 9:00a.m.-noon, April 30 – May 21, $135 members/$150 non-members. Study watercolor with a noted watercolorist and illustrator.
Passamaquoddy Medicine Walk & Talk with Fredda Paul and Leslie Wood – Talk, Saturday, April 25, 2-4:00 p.m., $ 15 members/$ 20 non-members (arrive at 1:30 to view displays and ask questions) Walk, Sunday, April 26, 1:30-4:00 p.m. rain or shine, $ 20 members/$25 non-members. Explore native medicine traditions, focusing on spring-gathered medicinal plants, with a Passamaquoddy healer and historian of traditional medicine.
Preserving the Harvest with Kathy Savoie of the Maine Extension Service – Saturday, April 25, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Home Economics Room of CHRHS, $15 members/$18 non-members. Get ready for the summer’s bounty by learning how can and freeze your fruits and vegetables.
Dividing Daylilies and Iris w/ Susan Shaw – Saturday, May 2, 10:00 – 12:00 a.m. Rain Date: Saturday, May 9, $5 members/$10 non-members
Learn to make divisions from a renowned hybridizer and former president of the Maine Daylily Society. Take home a division from Merryspring’s own gardens.
Thai Specialties Dinner
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Mary Jo and I just returned from a three week trip to Thailand and we thought we would share some of the photographs, recipes and cuisine we experienced. Above are some photos I took on the trip. We will be featuring a menu from Thailand (see below) on Monday and Tuesday, April 20 and 21, 2009. On May 9th, I will be adding a Thai Cooking class to the regularly scheduled cooking classes at the Inn, featuring recipes from the below menu. It is sure to be a very good time and I look forward to sharing some of my experiences with our guests.
- Grilled Thai Beef Salad with Spicy Cucumbers
- Coconut Shrimp Soup with Curry
- Maine Blueberry Sorbet
- Red Curry of Roasted Duck with Pineapple and Mushrooms
- Coconut-Fried Bananas with Lychees and Papaya
Chef (Marla) for a Day in Camden!
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Our “Chef for a Day” program continues to be a very popular way for guests to experience the Hartstone Inn kitchen firsthand. Recently, a couple from Pennsylvania came to visit us and they joined me for two days in the kitchen, assisting in the preparation of dinner. It was a true pleasure working with Marla and Doug and their passion for cooking was very apparent. Following is a brief story that Marla wrote on her experience:
“From the time I was young, I wanted to be a chef. My career path ultimately led me in a totally different direction, but I never lost the desire to work in a professional kitchen. A last minute opportunity for some vacation time arose, and I found the Hartstone Inn’s website. Not only did they offer group cooking classes at the Inn, but private “chef for a day” programs with award winning chef Michael Salmon. I immediately signed up for 2 days.
From the moment I called, the staff at the Inn couldn’t have been more accommodating. Lots of things to do and see in the area, friendly advice, lovely rooms, and the FOOD!!!! Chef Michael’s gourmet breakfasts were a delight each morning, but don’t even think about eating anywhere else for dinner. A delectable five course meal each night that shouldn’t be missed. And working side-by-side with Chef Michael to prepare the meals! For the home cook who still wants to be a chef when (if) she grows up, it was a dream come true. Fun for foodies doesn’t begin to describe it. I’m still hoping Michael will call me if he needs a sous chef (sorry, Zeph!)
Can’t wait to go back. In the meantime, I’ll keep working on my knife skills, and preparing the recipes from Chef Michael’s cookbooks. And dreaming of the Hartstone Inn.”
Tags: Chef for a Day
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