It's your choice... well, within reason and season, of course. We suggest you have a little chat with Laura before your arrival to determine which trips and menu items will be at peak during your visit and what's your liking. The following is an example of what floats our boat:

 

Vegetable matters

> Take a stroll through Laura's garden. Touch, feel and smell. This is nature's bounty at its freshest. If you've never had the privilege to work with vegetables and herbs right out of the ground you'll be amazed about the difference that a day makes. This is at the heart of seasonal cooking - be sure to spend one of your mornings here.

> Or stop at Beth's farm stand before you move on to things protein. Much beloved here on the Midcoast, Beth's got their start in the seventies with twenty-five dozen ears of sweet corn tightly packed in a red refrigerator on a pallet out by the road. Let's just say, they've grown a bit since...

> Visit a blueberry barren! Maine summers aren't complete without those little blue things from heaven. Better yet, if you pick them yourself from a barren on beautiful Appleton Ridge. Do we need to mention dessert?

> Drive out to Westport Island where Judy at Micro Mainea grows tasty, tender micro greens. Think of arugula, beet, Asian greens, radish, sweet pea, fennel, mustard, red amaranth, sweet corn...and you get a feel for the possibilities. Versatile, beautiful and stunningly tasty, they are a great addition to any menu, but wait until Laura shows you why chefs love micro greens.

 

The meat, the fish... or nothing but the cheese?

> A trip to Friendship harbor, just 15 minutes up the road, is fab even if you don't have food on your mind. This is one of our favorite sources for lobster. Dock price, of course. The class (and lunch) that follows is self-evident: Lobster 101. It doesn't get much better than this!

> Watch an artisanal cheese maker make her award-winning magic! Starting with organic cow's milk scented with sweet grass and clover, she transforms the milk to curds and whey, and, finally, molds the curd into baskets with her hands.  The result is ricotta unlike any you have tasted. Then go next door and...

> Step inside Maine Street Meats for a trip back in time and your choice of beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, duck or rabbit, all pasture-raised in Maine. The only thing missing from this old-fashioned full-service butcher shop is the sawdust on the floors.

> Get a glimpse of a real fish monger at work. One of the best seafood sources on the Midcoast, Jess' Market is were the pros get their supplies. It's a family affair, in business for well over 25 years, and all employees still practice the lost art of cutting fish.

> Oysters!!! Glidden Point's oysters are known around the world for their uniform size and shape, deep shell cup, and superb freshness. The flavor is distinct and complex - briny yet sweet - and the meat is plump and firm, a benefit of slow cold water growth. Laura will show you how to shuck them, how to slurp them and how to cook with them... if you should have any left by that time!

 

Man does not live by bread alone...

> Swing by Sweetgrass Winery! And what a sweet spot this is: 70 acres of woods and fields with frontage along the Medomak River, a hiking trail with picnic tables in the middle of beautiful, a view that's to die for, and... oh, yes! Award-winning wines and a gin that Wine Enthusiast magazine rates as one of the best two gins in the world. We couldn't think of a better place to learn about wine production and pairing wine and food. Have a taste of Sweetgrass' wines, ports, or spirits and then return to Laura's kitchen to cook up a storm.

 

Tempted? Questions? If you need more information or if you would like to make a reservation for a particular time, please email us or call Le Vatout at (207) 832-5150