Delicious Summer Foods in Maine
I just love my summers at Skylands, my beloved home in Maine.
Every year, I try to spend a few weeks - give or take - at my beautiful refuge in Seal Harbor, Maine. I always have a spectacular time with family and all my dear friends who visit. We all eat very well, feasting at local restaurants, on private yachts, at my home with produce from the farmers’ markets, and of course, my own gardens.
Here are photos, enjoy. And be sure to go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 for more.
-
- It’s been a very busy summer. After a whirlwind trip to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, I went straight to Skylands, my home in Maine. Here I am sitting in the front seat of my 1958 Edsel Roundup station wagon. I use it every time I am in Maine. It was a gift from my daughter, Alexis.
-
- One of the first meals I hosted at Skylands this season was a luncheon for the Friends of Beatrix Farrand Society. This is my dining room, where we set the long table and then three other smaller tables for a total of 22 guests.
-
- Here is one of the smaller faux bois dining tables dressed with brass and ferns.
-
- The place settings include a gorgeous Spode plate, each with a local Bar Harbor scene. I collect them and have been lucky to find and amass stacks of these historical plates.
-
- Here’s Cheryl DuLong who helps me care for Skylands.
-
- Our lunch was so delicious – oysters two ways, Oysters Casino and Oysters Rockefeller. Do you know the difference? Oysters Rockefeller was first created in New Orleans in the early 1900s, named after John D. Rockefeller. Oysters Casino is from the East Coast and is known for its distinctive combination of bacon, peppers, and breadcrumbs. This is Oysters Casino.
-
- Oysters Rockefeller includes a mixture of spinach, breadcrumbs, butter, and a blend of flavorful herbs, baked until the topping forms a crispy crust.
-
- Here’s one plate – everyone loved both kinds.
-
- We also had salad niçoise prepared by Federico, Louis, and German.
-
- Everything was so delicous and fresh with vegetables from my gardens and of course eggs from my wonderful chickens at my Bedford farm.
-
- For dessert, we had fresh peach ice cream served between homemade lemon cookies. And yes, the peaches are from my orchard.
-
- My dear friend and longtime publicist Susan Magrino spent several days with me at Skylands. Here we are “emerging from the door.”
-
- For lunch on another day – tacos by our young chefs “du jour.”
-
- Here is the salsa verde – made fresh.
-
- At Skylands, most of the meals are served casually in my kitchen at this long metal topped table. In the back of this room, I have what I call my “Great Wall of China” where I keep a large collection of all white dishes used for everyday dining.
-
- I am always in awe at how much these plants grow during the warmer months. I dedicate Memorial Day Weekend every year to come up to Maine to usher in the summer season and plant all the decorative urns on my giant terrace.
-
- On this day, I went to Peter Trout’s Tavern & Inn in Southwest Harbor. Here, the various foods are labeled.
-
- We had the crispiest fried chicken served with homemade ranch dressing.
-
- And fried chicken served on brown butter waffles and maple butter.
-
- That night, our supper was lobster and street corn, cooked perfectly.
-
- Along with baked potato, sour cream, and caviar.
-
- During my several week stay at Skylands, nature is enjoyed inside and out. My gardener, Wendy Norling, arranged lovely gladiolas and Coral fountain amaranths, also known as Love Lies A’Bleeding, in my Living Hall. It’s quite the eye catcher.
-
- I always try to visit the local farmers markets whenever I am in Maine. At one vendor, I saw boxes and boxes of sweet, wild blueberries. I also grow wild blueberries at Skylands and they’re the best I’ve ever had.
-
- Recognize these handsome fellas? Phurba and Pasang, two members of my outdoor grounds crew from Bedford came up to Maine for a week to help with some tree maintenance. Here they are enjoying one of their many seafood dinners.
-
- During lunch on the yacht Rebecca, we all enjoyed this beet carpaccio made with beet purée. It was excellent.
-
- We also had fish with asparagus, tomatoes, and microgreens.
-
- Here’s one of the last lunches I made – tomato tart, crab cakes, and fresh beets from my garden served with tartar sauce. It was so, so good.
-
- Here’s a group photo of this year’s Skylands Team. On my last night, I’ve made it a tradition to take everyone out to dinner. We ate at Havana in Bar Harbor.
-
- Summers at Skylands are always among my favorite vacations spent with family and friends. I hope you had a good summer with all your nearest and dearest. I’ll share more from my days at Skylands in my next blog.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
