Lobster, Donuts, and Blueberries in Maine

In between activities, conversation, and fun that feeds your soul, your girlfriend group will need to eat. When gathering in Maine and its cities of Portland or Bar Harbor, there sure is a lot to feed both! 

Before we get to the recipe and restaurant suggestions, here are some fun food facts: 

• True, the Lobster Roll originated in Connecticut, but 90% of the country's lobster supply comes from Maine. So girlfriends, raise your hand (and wine glass) if you are up for lobster in Maine?

• If you love donut holes, you have Maine to thank. Fact is, America’s first donuts did not even have holes. The first donuts were a Dutch treat, where they fried dough in hot oil. Thing was, they often cooked unevenly and the center stayed raw. Here’s how Maine’s Captain Hansen Gregory made that work for him. 
  
  

One day in 1847, the Captain (who was 16 at the time and working as a crewman on a schooner) was eating a donut when the ship encountered a sudden storm. Needing to keep both hands free, he stuck the Dutch donut on one of the spokes of the steering wheel, driving a hole through the raw center. 

When the storm passed, the 16-year-old crewman resumed eating his donut, minus the raw center, which he found he liked much better. Voilà! America now had the traditional donut and the bite-sized holes. We think that could also mean that technically, donuts were invented in Maine, too, right? 

• Maine is the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States...which is a great segue to this week’s recipe.

Let’s Eat…in! 

Largest produce of blueberries obviously means blueberry pie is the official state dessert. So, who’s ready to eat pie?

Ingredients for 6-8 | Multiply by degree of hunger, divide by number of girlfriends!

Ingredients

•     1 sheet refrigerated pie crust

•     3/4 cup sugar

•     3 tablespoons cornstarch

•     1/8 teaspoon salt

•     1/4 cup cold water

•     5 cups fresh blueberries, divided

•     1 tablespoon butter

•     1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Step 1 

Preheat the oven to 425º F.

Step 2
On a floured surface, roll dough to fit a 9” pie plate. Trim and flute edge.

Step 3

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Line crust with a double thickness of foil and fill with pie weights.

Step 5

Bake on a lower oven rack until golden brown, 20-25 minutes, then remove foil and pie weights.  Continue baking until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Step 6

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water until smooth.  

Step 7

Add 3 cups blueberries and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly.

Step 8

Remove from the heat. Add butter, lemon juice, and remaining berries. Stir until butter is melted. Cool. 

Step 9

Pour cooled filling into crust. Refrigerate until serving.

Let’s Eat…out! 

Girls-weekending in Portland or Bar Harbor and looking for a great place for lunch or dinner? Here are a couple of great options:

• The Union Restaurant |  With more than 300 restaurants, Portland is second only to San Francisco for having the most dining places per capita in the U.S. You won’t need to go far to find one for your crew. Here’s one suggestion: The Union Restaurant. Located in the historic Press Hotel (aptly named as the building originally was the home of Maine’s largest newspaper, the Portland Press Herald). We love their concept of local, farm-to-table food. Then we saw the pan-seared scallops with roasted new potatoes, asparagus, local mushrooms, and herb cream and we were sold! Check it out. 

• Jordan’s Pond House |  Looking for a place to dine in Bar Harbor? Word is that the Blueberry Lemonade at Jordan’s Pond House is a must. Found within Acadia National Park, this restaurant offers your group a three-fer: 128 year history, killer views, and spectacular food. Hey, in the state that produces 90% of all lobsters, and is the single largest producer of blueberries in the country, that’s what will be on our table!  

Why not gather up your girls right now and make some memories in Maine?

Recipe source:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/contest-winning-fresh-blueberry-pie/

Donut - Unsplash