If you can’t get to Maine this year at least you can still enjoy some yummy cod fish cakes. Here is a recipe that is sure to become a family favorite!

Mom’s Cod Fish Cakes
(I grew up on these)

Ingredients
1 lb of cod fillets
2 medium-sized potatoes
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Oil for frying (Try one of the healthier choices)

Preparation
Boil and then mash the potatoes in large bowl (add just a tablespoon of real butter if you like. You can also add a little garlic powder if you don’t have fresh. But these are not part of the original recipe.)

Boil the codfish until it flakes nice and easy with a fork. Drain and flake it being very careful to remove all the bones.

Mix the fish, potatoes and remaining ingredients together well. Get your hands right in there. If the mixture is too crumbly, add another egg. If it’s a bit sticky, add some more bread crumbs. Form into cakes and fry over medium high heat in oil coated skillet.

Approximately 12 cakes

Here’s a recipe for a wonderful baked flounder that is sure to please your family. Big thanks to Nancy Conroy for sharing this with us.

Baked Flounder with Dill and Caper Cream

Fresh dill enhances this simple flounder recipe. Heat diminishes the potency of fresh dill, it’s best to add it to the dish near the end of the suggested cooking time.

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 2 tablespoons cream)

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) flounder fillets
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons capers, drained
4 lemon wedges
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Sprinkle pepper and salt evenly over fillets. Place fish on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; sprinkle evenly with dill. Bake an additional 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

3. While fish bakes, combine sour cream and capers in a small bowl. Place fish on a serving plate. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each serving. Serve with Caper Cream.

Delicious MAINE Crabcakes with Crispy Roasted Red Potatoes

1 pound crabmeat
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons butter

1.In a medium size bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the crab meat. Stir the beaten egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire and Old Bay Seasoning. Lightly mix these ingredients being careful not to overwork the crab meat. Form into 8 round, flat crab cakes.
2.Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the cakes on each side until crusty and golden brown. Serve warm.

Crispy Roasted Red Potatoes

Slice several red potatoes very thin (medium size)

In a mixing bowl, combine 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. dill, I tsp. onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Add thinly sliced potatoes and toss until well coated.

Place on a cookie sheet and cook at 375 until they start to crisp up.

Serve it all with a nice tossed salad. Your family, or fortunate guests will be asking for this meal often!!!

What could taste better than tortilla chips and salsa on a beautiful Maine evening? Wild Blueberry Salsa!  The tangy taste of salsa combined with anit-oxidant rich Maine blueberries is a winning combination!

Remove tomato skins by dipping in boiling water for 10 to15 seconds or until they split. Halve tomatos and remove seeds. Finely dice tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, blueberries, onion, garlic,  jalapeno pepper, and cilantro. Pour in the olive oil and gently stir.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to blend flavors.

PAN FRIED MAINE BROOK TROUT

4 brook trout, cleaned, with head & tails left on
2 tbsp. flour
Salt
7 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. minced chives

Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper
towels. Dust lightly with flour and sprinkle with salt. In a
large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter(reserve 4
tbsp for sauce) and the oil. When it is hot, put in the
trout and fry over medium-high heat.

When browned, turn and brown the other side; each side will
take about 3 minutes. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons
butter with lemon juice and chives in a small saucepan. When
the trout is done, transfer to a warm platter and pour on
the lemon-butter sauce.

ENJOY!

Sugarhouses all over the state of Maine open their doors to the public the 4th sunday of March, each year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take your family to see how maple syrup and sugar is produced. Maine has an abundance of sugarhouses anxious to have you stop by.

West Minot Sugarhouse
West Minot SugarhouseMaine 119 & Maine 124
West Minot, Maine 04288
Description Pancake breakfast 7-12 am. All you can eat $6.00, children under five $1.00. Maple syrup, candies, cookies, popcorn, fudge, etc. for sale. Horse drawn wagon rides 8 am-2 pm for a fee. Jigs and reels music 1 pm-3 pm. Free. This year we will be serving our breakfast at the West Minot Grange, much more room! Restrooms available, handicapped accessible, retail sales offered, wholesale sales offered. Hours: 8am-4pm
Email slatbake2001@yahoo.com
Phone 207-966-3643

A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm
WEB SITE
Black Mountain Rd
Sumner, Maine
Description Draft horse gathers sap and we demonstrate syrup making with a wood fired evaporator. We tap over 400 trees using metal buckets. Free tastes of our extra dark maple syrup. Maple tea & coffee 50 cents a cup; Bake sale with maple recipes. Farm store open. Restrooms available, handicapped accessible, retail sales offered Hours: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Email info@awinkleinthymefarm.com
Phone 207-388-2979 / 207-212-4058

Nash Valley Farm
Nash Valley Farm
Nash Road,
Portland, Maine ME
Description Come to the country for everything maple! Visit the sugarhouse, sample syrup on ice cream. Delicious and creative maple products available for sale. Hayrides and farm animals. Can accommodate bus tours, restrooms available, handicapped accessible, retail sales offered on Maine Maple Sunday and year round. Hours: 9:00 – 4:00; Maine Maple Sunday
Email nashvalleyfarm@myfairpoint.net
Phone 207-892-7019

For an extensive listing, check out the Maine Maple Sunday Map from the Maine Maple Producers. After you pick up some wonderful maple syrup from your favorite sugarhouse, try these great maple recipes.

Maple Glazed Chicken Wings

Preheat Oven (425)

2 lbs. fresh chicken wings
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup Maine Maple Syrup
________

Combine melted butter and maple syrup.

Place chicken wings on baking sheet.

Bake 5 minutes, then baste with syrup/butter mixture. Bake

10 minutes more, baste and turn with spatula.

Baste and bake 10 minutes more. Then baste again and bake 5

minutes longer, or until browned.

Yummy served with a nice Maine potato salad.
________

Maple Apple Crisp

Filling
4 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup Maine maple syrup

Topping
1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/3 cup flour
½ sliced almonds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix sliced apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and syrup in a large mixing bowl. Mix topping ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.

Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, and spread the apple mixture across the bottom of the pan.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the apples are tender.

Spread the topping evenly over the apples and return the pan to the oven. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees until topping is crisp.

Wild Blueberry Struesel Coffee Cake

2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
_____

1 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 cups Maine wild blueberries
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 Tablespoons sugar for top

Struesel Mix
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter
_____

Sift the dry ingredients and combine in a mixing bowl. Add wild Maine blueberries. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, sour cream and melted butter. Combine the milk mixture with the dry ingredients, and stir until well blended.

Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch square pan. Prepare streusel by cutting the cold butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Spread the remaining batter over the layer of streusel, and top with 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve after cooling.

Maine Lobsters

When you think Maine… Think LOBSTER! People come from all over the world, to enjoy Maine lobster. There was a time, however, when lobster was the food of the poor man and was not considered a delicacy or gourmet food. When the settlers arrive on the coast of Maine, and food was scarce, they discovered the abundant lobster washed up along the beaches. Easily harvestable it became the meal of the common man and was often on the dinner table of the poor pioneers. If they could see what has become of the lobster today, and it’s elite, gourmet status, they would certainly be surprised.

Maine Lobster Stew

1 cooked and shelled Maine Lobster (correctly pronounced LOB-STAH), boiled in PLAIN water.

1/2 to 2/3 of a stick of pure butter (Do Not use margerine or you cannot return to Maine, evah!)

1 quart of half and half cream (no substitutions)

Salt, in a shaker, may be placed on the table when served. People who use it should be given an evil glance.
_________________________________________

Cut up the meat from claws, tail and knuckle. Nice size pieces. NO DICING

Melt butter in a large saucepan and brown the lobster pieces. They may turn a little pinkish.

Then add half and half cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes and serve piping hot with a nice crusty bread.

Makes 4 servings (or 3 or maybe 2 or just 1 if you don’t want to share)

DO NOT serve any other food with this as you will lose the amazing flavor of this traditional Lobstah Stew.

If you are concerned about calories… don’t worry. It has LOTS of them!