We recently received a letter that was so touching, we thought we would share it along with the recipe they had written to say they enjoy.  It is meeting wonderful people like Diane and Ken that make us love what we do!

Dear Michael,
My husband and I stayed at your Inn eight years ago this coming June.  At that time I purchased your Signature Recipes cookbook.  I just want to say that I have been cooking from this book all of this time and have had the best meals from it.  The book is so tattered from its use, but that is okay, I just love it.  It really has been my bible of cooking all of this time.

The chocolate chip cookie recipe is made with shortening.  Most of these years I could not part with my butter in a cookie and made them with the butter.  I have just recently moved back to Virginia where I have many friends and wanted to make the cookies for them.  Because I did not have enough butter, I used the shortening, and to my delight, they were sensational.  The neighbors are begging for the recipe.  I just cannot believe the difference in the texture and taste.  I wish I had trusted your recipe years ago.

I just wanted to send this note of thanks for a lovely and memorable stay eight years ago and for making me the fabulous cook I seem to be today because of your book.

Hope to get up to Maine someday again and enjoy your food and accommodations.  Until that time, I will keep your recipes close to my heart (and stomach)…

Diane and Ken Long 

CHOCOLATE CHIP AND WALNUT COOKIES
Makes 40 cookies

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnut pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream together the shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. 

3. Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir into creamed mixture.  Mix in the chocolate chips and walnut pieces by hand.

4. Make balls with a #40 ice cream scoop and place about two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with nonstick  baking mat or on a lightly greased baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool.

Blueberry Gin

2 c. gin
2 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 c. sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 whole cloves
1/2 inch piece of a cinnamon stick

Place the frozen blueberries in a small saucepan. Crush them lightly.  Lightly cook them on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

After the blueberries are cool, place all ingredients in a quart jar (or larger).  Shake and allow to infuse for at least 4 weeks, stirring or shaking occasionally.  When it has reached your desired taste, strain and filter through a colander, cheesecloth, jelly bag or coffee filter.

As for the martini, simply shake it on ice and you’re done!  Garnish with a lemon twist or a few blueberries.  If this all sounds like to much work, join us at 5pm any night of the week for our cocktail hour and we’ll make one for you, complete with a tasty hors d’ oeuvre! 

Springtime in Maine is a pretty exciting.  The snow is gone and our gardens are beginning to produce some spring bounty.  Chef Michael will take advantage of this local produce with a menu he has created that reflects the season.

Hartstone Inn cooking classes are informative, entertaining, and of course, filled with delicious food.  Our Cooking Class Package starts at $377 and includes two nights lodging, breakfast each morning, afternoon cookies and tea, a gourmet candlelit dinner for two and enrollment for one in the cooking class.  Additional enrollment into the cooking class is $45 per person.

Menu:

• Seared Sea Scallops with Spring Pea Cream and Smoked Salmon
• Baby Spring Greens with a Strawberry-Chive Dressing and Radishes
• Grilled Salmon Niçoise with Fiddlehead Ferns and Spring Asparagus
• Spring Rhubarb Crème Brûlée with a Lemon Madeleine

From farnsworthmuseum.org;

“The exhibition, based on the holdings of the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, is composed of 30 paintings by N. C. Wyeth that span four decades of his work, from early western pictures through Robert Louis Stevenson classics to later illustrations in experimental styles. The paintings were reproduced as illustrations for book and magazine stories and are linked by the concept of narrative that lay behind their creation. The exhibition also includes a selection of books and magazines to enable visitors to see original publications, the size of the illustrations, and the quality of the reproduction processes. This exhibition is organized by Christine Podmaniczky, Associate Curator for the N.C. Wyeth collection at the Brandywine River Museum and author of the N.C. Wyeth catalogue raisonné.

The Farnsworth Art Museum celebrates Maine’s ongoing role in American art. It offers a nationally recognized collection of works from many of America’s greatest artists, with 20,000 square feet of gallery space and over 13,000 works in the collection. The Farnsworth has one of the largest public collections of works by sculptor Louise Nevelson, while its Wyeth Center features works of N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. The National Register-listed Farnsworth Homestead, the Olson House, a National Historic Landmark, and Julia’s Gallery for Young Artists complete the museum complex. Please visit http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org for more information on current exhibitions, programs and events.”

On Saturday & Sunday, May 25th & 26th, 2013

Old cars, trucks & planes kick off the new season.  Pre-1992 vehicles of any make or model are welcome to exhibit. Chevrolet is the featured marque.  Help them celebrate 100 years of this iconic brand.  Clubs welcome.  Vehicle demonstrations, Model T rides, biplane rides, family activities and more at the Owls Head Transportation Museum.  Adults $13, under 18 free.  For more information, click here.

James Beard nominated Chef Brian Hill, owner of both Francine Bistro in Camden and Shepherd’s Pie in Rockport has opened a third restaurant.  Seabright, Hill’s new pizzeria opened April 1st at 7 Public Landing in downtown Camden, the former location of Paolina’s Way .  The menu offers no more than five gourmet, wood-fired  pizzas and two salads at a time.  Pizza options range from a basic Margherita to a sausage, fennel and Ragged Island Romano topped pizza with a whipped lemon cream.  They make their own mozzarella and vinegar and use San Marzano DOP tomatoes.  Nothing costs more than $15 and they accept cash and check only – no plastic. 

We look forward to trying this restaurant ourselves and hearing feedback from our guests!

Photo credit Chris Wolf of Penbaypilot.com

BedandBreakfast.com is the world’s largest bed and breakfast directory offering the most complete list of unique properties from historic inns and guest houses to cabins and farm stays. 

Read the Hartstone Inn feature article below.  See the entire top ten list of inns here.  Also, view a partner article done by SmarterTravel.com here. 

Play Chef for a Day Hartstone Inn & Hideaway in Camden, ME

The innkeepers consider their Diamond Collection inn a culinary destination, and we agree. Sign up to be a “chef for a day” for a one-on-one cooking class with their expert chef. You can request a focus on certain types of cuisine, and your efforts will be used for that night’s dinner. Group cooking classes are also available to help you become versed in various regional, ethnic, and seasonal food. Your fresh breakfast incorporates local ingredients such as berries and lobster. Stay in for dinner and eat at the award-winning restaurant, which “infuses New England fare with an international flair” and features a massive wine list. The innkeepers also offer gourmet picnic basket adventures. Choose your picnic lunch, which ranges from Maine lobster to traditional fruit and potato salad. Select what adventure you want to take for your picnic, ranging from a lighthouse tour to a kayaking tour to a picnic overlooking Penobscot Bay. The innkeepers love to arrange tours for guests at the nearby Cellardoor Winery or send them to a nearby farm to take one-on-one cheese-making classes. For the ultimate foodie vacation, join the innkeepers/chefs for an annual culinary tour throughout Italy and France.

The Hartstone Inn hosted a fundraising dinner for the Rockport Garden Club last week, raising a total of $577.   The money will go to  the clubs effort  to aid in the outdoor beautification of the town of Rockport and in the clubs scholarship program.  These programs provide grants to college students majoring in horticulture studies.

A press release from the Rockport Garden Club stated, “It was such a lovely evening with delectable food that was enjoyed according to a release from Rockport Garden Club.by all. This was truly a very generous offering from a beautiful local Inn”.

Photo: Mary Jo Brink of the Hartstone Inn, presents Susan Freeman of the Rockport Garden Club with a check for $577.

Treat your mother to a special meal this Mother’s Day, with brunch at the Hartstone Inn.

Menu:

Fresh Berry Crepes with a Mascarpone Filling

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Croissant Benedict with Grilled Filet Mignon Medallions and Béarnaise Sauce

or

Maine Lobster and Asparagus Quiche with Swiss Cheese.  Arugula Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette.

or

Custard French Toast with Peaches and Cream and Cumin Spiced Bacon

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Dessert Plate including Lemon-Blueberry Tartlets, Handmade Chocolate Truffles
and Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies