COUNTRY BREAKFASTS

Country Breakfasts

            Summer seemed a long time coming this year in Maine.  Having finally arrived with its warmth, it seems we do at least some things more leisurely to savor each day with its blue sky and verdant countryside. It is also the season when friends and relatives from ‘away’ find themselves drawn to a visit ‘up North’.

            Summertime is when I appreciate the effort anyone running a Bed and Breakfast establishment faces every day. The leisurely pace of a vacation is definitely enhanced when sitting down to a nicely presented breakfast. And for each visit, it may be desirable to set the stage for a relaxing day with a special breakfast treat.

            At times like this the bowl of cold cereal just won’t do, even if it is sprinkled with blueberries or strawberries, unless it is followed with something less usual. Fruit and scrambled eggs are good for a crowd and muffins or scones are sure to please.

Grits are one of the most versatile and quick cooked breakfast staples.  It can be augmented in a variety of ways and has the added bonus of being gluten free. Grits come in two varieties, the old fashioned or Charleston grits, which require rinsing and cooking with stirring for thirty minutes and the more quick variety that only requires 5-7 minutes of cooking with stirring only toward the end. Needless to say, unless you are a real morning person and willing to start preparations very early, quick cooking grits can be your kitchen friend. The following recipes are for 4 servings.

             Sunny-side egg and ham grits

Sauté 1 cup of ham or Canadian bacon cut in thin strips in a non-stick pan briefly and set aside to keep warm. Bring to boil 4 cups of water with 2 Tblsp. butter and salt to taste. Stir in 1 cup quick cooking grits and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent settling. Stir in ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, cook for an additional minute and set aside to keep warm. In a non-stick pan coated lightly with oil fry 4-8 eggs over medium heat, sunny-side up until whites are set. OR, use bacon instead of ham.

Divide the cooked grits among 4 shallow bowls, place 1 or 2 fried eggs on top of each bowl and scatter ¼ of the ham around the edges. Sprinkle the egg yolks with a bit of pepper and serve.

            Breakfast sausage with spinach

Another quick breakfast utilizing grits prepared as above is a sausage-spinach combination. Seed and dice coarsely 1 red pepper. Cook 1 lb crumbled breakfast sausage over high heat with the pepper until meat is no longer pink. Drain off any fat. Return the mix to the pan and heat, stirring  in a couple of cups of baby spinach to wilt. Serve immediately with grits on the side.

            Lemon-ricotta pacakes

            Most everyone loves Maine blueberry pancakes.  Another quick and tempting version        of less usual pancakes uses the flavors of lemon and ricotta to good effect and you can always add blueberry jam on top.

In a large bowl stir together 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, 2 Tblsp. sugar. Separate 2 eggs, reserving the whites in a small bowl for additional beating.  In another bowl whisk together 1 ½ cups buttermilk with 1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel and the 2 egg yolks. Stir buttermilk mixture in flour until well moistened and then stir in 1/3 cup ricotta cheese. Now beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold in the batter.

            Pour ½ cup portions of the batter on a non-stick pan lightly coated with vegetable oil and fry over medium heat until lightly browned. Serve with maple syrup or jam.

            To create that festive vacation feeling does not necessarily mean getting up with the chickens to prepare a festive breakfast table. A bouquet of wild flowers, some fruit and just a little more than the everyday ‘grab breakfast’ can certainly provide that relaxing country feel. AND, it is not even necessary to have houseguests for that treat!

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

THAT 'AL FRESCO' LUNCH

That ‘al Fresco’ Lunch

            The appearance of outdoor and sidewalk tables and chairs at restaurants and cafés finally signals the definite arrival of summer. Never mind that on most days in the past week in Maine one needed a warm jacket to be comfortable sitting outdoors, but the appeal of outdoor dining is undeniable. Legendary city cafés in Europe and elsewhere have hosted patrons viewing the passing scene and absorbing the sun, as part of the “dolce vita” for centuries.

            Here in the Northeast we tend to think the time after Memorial Day as time for picnics and visits to lobster pounds. But, on a leisurely weekend at home with friends, an interesting variation may be setting an ‘al fresco’ lunch on the patio, the deck or even a picnic table. Start with a cheerful table cloth, a handful of wild or garden flowers, some colorful tableware and napkins, a pitcher of lemonade or white wine and you are set. This portion of the plan is even moveable to a park. Some lunches can be prepared ahead of time and packed in a basket, but for some the access to a stove is necessary.

            Shellfish dishes are particularly popular this time of the year and one of the easiest is mussels. My first encounter with making mussels occurred many years ago on a tent camping trip with the family to Nova Scotia. We camped near Peggy’s cove in days when it was still ‘undiscovered’ and hence un-crowded. My youngest son decided to gather mussels in a cove and came back looking blue from the cold water, but with a dishpan of mussels. So, improvisation on a camp stove yielded a recipe that survives to this day with minor modifications.

                                    Savory mussels in white wine

            Wash and pick over 4 lb. mussels and set aside. In a large pot sauté 1 very thinly sliced large onion with 3 chopped cloves of garlic and ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes in 2Tblsp. olive oil and 1 Tblsp. butter for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 large chopped tomato and 1 ½ cups of dry white wine and bring to boil. Add ¼ cup chopped parsley and the cleaned mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mussels are open. Remove from heat, adjust the broth seasonings with salt and pepper, discard any mussels that remain unopened and serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

                                    Crab salad in avocado

            In a bowl thoroughly combine: 6 oz. fresh crab meat: 1 large stalk celery, ½ seeded red pepper and 2 Tblsp. parsley, finely chopped; 3 scallions, finely sliced; 4 Tblsp. mayonnaise; 2 Tblsp. lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Halve 2 ripe avocados and carefully remove the pits and scoop each half of the avocado from the shell. Sprinkle the avocados all over with lemon juice and set each half on a plate over baby salad greens if desired. Set ¼ of the crab salad on each avocado half and garnish with chopped chives or a thin sliver of lime.

                                    Arugula salad with gorgonzola

            In a small bowl thoroughly combine: ¾ cup low fat yoghurt with 1 ½ Tblsp. lemon juice, ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola, ¼ tsp. garlic salt, ¼ tsp. dry mustard and pepper to taste. In a salad bowl toss 4 cups young arugula leaves, 1/3 seeded and chopped red pepper, 2 thinly sliced scallions with greens and sufficient amount of the dressing.

            Some watermelon and cookies would easily complement any ‘al fresco’ lunch at home and leave you relaxed in the sun or shade depending on your preference.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)