David's Folly Farm

This week at the inn, we're offering White Bean Escarole Soup with Four Season Farm tomatoes, Carding Brook Farm patty pan squash and rosemary crostini; Summer Salad, with Carding Brook Farm greens, toasted pecans, Great Blue Hill cheese, David’s Folly Farm roasted beets, and lemon vinaigrette; Peeky Toe Crab Cakes, with Carding Brook Farms greens and lemon parsley aioli; Butter-Poached Lobster Ravioli, house-made pasta, Stonington lobster, lemon gremolata, and citrus salad; Seared Frenchman’s Bay Halibut, with summer succotash, organic spinach, lemon beurre blanc drizzle, and David’s Folly Farm roasted potatoes; Long Island Duck Breast, organic strawberry and port compote, David’s Folly Farm carrots, and turnip puree; and a Grilled New York Center Cut Steak, with a garden chimichurri, Four Season Farm carrots, Carding Brook Farm snow peas, and garlic mashed potato.

Lobsterman Luke came to dinner last week, said he had to try the lobster ravioli. He is now raving about the ravioli, and said the mussels were the best he'd ever had!

This week, Chef Devin is offering potatoes and carrots from David's Folly Farm. I had dinner at the farm itself Saturday night! The photo above is one of the spectacular views. Megan and Greg, the farmers, create a farm supper each Saturday night for a small group of very lucky diners.
This area has an amazing array of farmers markets, farm stands, and farmers innovating as to what they can offer those of us hungry for farm fresh and local. The photo to the right is the farmer/cooks and their friend/cooks receiving accolades from the stuffed and happy diners. If this idea delights you, you must call them now to get a spot. These supper clubs are very popular--in the winter, El El Frijoles offers them during the quiet season and they sell out mighty quick.

Did you see Chef Devin's picture in the Ellsworth American last week? The local press, both Penobscot Bay Press and the Ellsworth American, have been great support of our new venture. Have you heard our ad on WBACH? Recorded by yours truly... We've had so many dinner guests who have never set foot in the Blue Hill Inn, although they've been in the area for decades, and we've been here since 1830!

Look what Rackliffe Pottery is making now! We have loved their mugs, and the sweet cream pitchers, but these serving trays are wonderful. This line is so new, it's not pictured on their website yet. We're using them all the time--I'll try to get a better picture to show you. What a perfect housewarming, wedding, or hostess gift. Rackliffe Pottery is open 6 days a week but you can also call them up and say you saw it at the Blue Hill Inn and Margaret or David will take care of you. (If it's the lobster spring roll you're admiring, you'll have to come see Chef Devin.)

From a review on TripAdvisor: "the inn was charming..." If you haven't let the world know how you feel about Blue Hill Inn, Chef Devin's cooking, and the Blue Hill area, maybe now's the time!

Here's to a sun filled August!

...one of the highlights of our trip...

What a heavenly summer we're having!

New on the dinner menu this week are lamb tacos in chive tortillas with a mint sauce from our garden. We have lobster cakes with Stonington lobster and a baked haddock with a crabmeat crown and the most delicious lemon beurre blanc. The chilled borscht with Four Season Farm beets has been a perfect option for these warm summer nights but I'm still hooked on the Bagaduce River oysters.

Josh Dunbar, our oysterer, took me out to show me the farm. I was amazed how much like farming it felt like--I do claim to be a farm girl from Wisconsin after all. As it turns out, our oysters come from the river at the foot of Sunset Acres Farm, where we get the delicious chevre we adore. The Working Waterfront, a newspaper about the water published each month by the Island Institute, explored their farming relationship in a 2009 article that makes great reading. (For more fun reading on the seafood in this area, try this NYT article which also talks about Bagaduce River oysters.)

Guests and neighbors alike have raved about dinners here. From a TripAdvisor review: We highly recommend dining at the inn if you can. The meal was one of the highlights of our trip over two weeks... Breakfast is terrific too. This [area] is a great alternative to the more commercial Bar Harbor area, yet close enough to access Acadia National Park and other attractions of the area.

Although the New York Times just spent "36 Hours in Bar Harbor", we find that most of our guests prefer to stay a bit further out and take day trips to Acadia National Park, into the fray of Bar Harbor, and out to explore the beauty of Stonington and Castine. Although this area has something for everyone, a guest summed it up perfectly for me when he said he loved it here because there were no people but great food.

If you head to dinner on Deer Isle, as we did the other night, to the Whale's Rib, you have to leave plenty of time for sightseeing on the way. Stopping at Caterpillar Hill is a must and a stroll along the main street of Deer Isle at sunset yielded this view. Tony, the owner of Pilgrim's Inn, recently installed a boules court. You'll have to try really hard to not fill up on the bread basket--delicious! Guests have enjoyed scallops at the Surry Inn, vegetarian sandwiches at 66, burritos from El El Frijoles, lobster at the Boat Yard Grill... No one is going hungry! And at breakfast this morning--cinnamon pecan scones, amaretto french toast, Four Season Farm eggs with dill from our garden... If you aren't eating this well, come see us!

Freedom!

That was the rebel yell during 4th of July festivities last night. Guests made it to the Deer Isle parade, thoroughly enjoying the small town charm and humor. One guest got a late start and said she missed the first pass of the parade but caught them as they went by the second time after they turned around! Others headed off to Harborside, even taking part in the pie eating contest (a third place winner!). Here in town the steel drum band's street dance had old and young alike boogying. You can catch them in the area every Monday night so don't think you've missed it all.

If you do suffer from FMS (fear of missing something), which I do, terribly, then you must come to dinner frequently because the menu changes often--these were the offerings last night.

Chilled Summer Gazpacho, with farm tomatoes, garden herbs, local cucumbers and bell peppers
Spring Salad of Carding Brook Farm greens, spiced pecans, Four Season Farm roasted beets, Great Blue Hill bleu cheese, with a lemon vinaigrette
Bagaduce River Oysters Two Ways, three on the half shell with Four Season Farm cucumber mignonette and three grilled with Smith’s Smokehouse peppered bacon, cayenne pepper, and Carding Brook Farm garlic scapes
Fresh Stonington Lobster Spring Rolls, with an herb salad and a spicy dipping sauce
Barbeque Pork Ribs with Braised Pork Belly, caramelized onions, bourbon barbeque sauce and potato puree
Seared Frenchman's Bay Halibut, salsa of tomato, leek, and Four Season Farm basil with Four Season Farm roasted new potatoes
Summer Ratatouille, Four Season Farm squash, Carding Brook Farm herbs, tomato, and corn over creamy parmesan risotto
Long Island Duck Breast, native strawberry and port compote, Old Ackley Farm beet greens, and mashed turnip

We are certainly celebrating strawberry season this week! Pillow chocolates, generally organic Lake Champlain chocolates, were fresh strawberries, dipped in dark Callebaut, and rolled in toasted almonds and sea salt. And for dessert, luscious strawberry crème brûlée, with native strawberries, mint from our garden, and a dark chocolate drizzle. Let's hear it for summer fruit! You can pick your own at Homewood Farm--and you might meet Maple, the springer spaniel!

Four Season Farm Lovefest, mmm, and presents of peonies

As a guest at the inn, you see "Four Season Farm" on the menu quite a bit. They are one of two farms which supply eggs for our breakfast dishes (this morning we offered them scrambled with a maple pork sausage, sauteed onions, and sharp cheddar cheese or in an omelette with cherry tomatoes, herbs from our garden, and feta). The yolks of a fresh farm egg are much yellower and the flavor much richer. I am certain it is because the chickens are living a good life here in Maine, running around the farm, eating good food. At Four Season, they move the coop around, giving the chicks fresh territory. We also get produce from the farm--lovely Tuscan kale, deep green cucumbers, zucchini, spinach. We mention their farm stand to guests heading out that way. This morning the recommendation earned me a present! Guests heading back to Connecticut gave the inn the bouquet they couldn't resist but couldn't travel with.

Selections from our menu this week include Four Season Farm carrot and ginger soup, with a parsley leaf and parmesan crisp; spring salad of Carding Brook Farm greens, spiced pecans, native strawberries, Sunset Acres Farm chèvre, with a lemon vinaigrette; Bagaduce River Oysters Two Ways: three on the half shell with Four Season Farm cucumber mignonette and three grilled with Smith’s Smokehouse peppered bacon, cayenne pepper, and Carding Brook Farm garlic scapes; Blue Hill Mussels steamed with Four Season Farm basil, shallots, white wine and a touch of cream; and a grilled New York center cut steak with a garden chimichurri, sautéed Four Season Farm kale, and garlic potato puree; seared swordfish with a salsa of tomato, leek, and Four Season Farm basil over garden chive quinoa.
And if I were you, I would hurry in to try Chef Devin's summer ratatouille. It's ambrosia of Four Season Farm squash, eggplant, Carding Brook Farm herbs, tomato, and corn over creamy parmesan polenta. My suggestion, if you are like me and not apt to order a vegetarian entree, is to bring two or three vegetarian friends--you can "try" all of their dishes and not have to share any of your lobster ravioli! Devious, I know, but when it comes to Chef Devin's cooking, it's every girl for herself! We love how popular the lobster ravioli are--it means Lobsterman Luke (Chef Devin's husband) has to visit more often!

And desserts! Chef Devin was making profiteroles... Too delicious! And this week, a crisp with Carding Brook Farm rhubarb and native strawberries, or maybe you'd prefer the flourless chocolate cake with toasted coconut?

From the guest book: "Thanks for spoiling us so wonderfully!!" "Tremendous hospitality in a superb setting." "The inn is a wonderful civilized place."

From the neighborhood, a couple came in to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. We said congratulations with one of Chef Devin's special desserts. The gent popped in in the morning to say how lovely dinner was and to thank us for the sweet, with a large bouquet of fragrant, gorgeous peonies from their garden. We have been basking in their pinkness ever since.

If your life isn't as magical as all this, come visit us. We'll share.

Long Island Duck! Flounder! and a Film Festival!

Guests and innkeeper alike continue to be dazzled by Chef Devin's offerings. For starters this week, we've been serving a Spring Salad, with Carding Brook Farm Greens, Spiced Pecans, Roasted Grapes, Crumbled Great Blue Hill Cheese with a Lemon Vinaigrette; Lobster Cakes, with Stonington Lobster, Parsley Lemon Gremolata, Local Greens and Lemon Sorrel Salad; and Charred Bagaduce Oysters, with Roasted Leeks, Smith’s Smokehouse Peppered Bacon, and Garden Chives, among other options. (Can you hear my voice reading these words out loud? The combinations Chef Devin puts together intensify the deliciousness.)

Entrees include Pan-Seared Long Island Duck Breast, with Mashed Turnip Puree, Duck Confit, Local Rhubarb Compote, and Four Season Farm Garlic Spinach; Crabmeat Crowned Broiled Flounder, with Shallot Lemon Beurre Blanc, Buttered Quinoa, and Sauté of Four Season Arugula; an 8 oz. Grilled Grass-Fed New York Strip, Au Poivre, with Reggiano Butter, Garlic Mashed Potato, and Sauté of Four Season Spinach; House Chive Gnocchi, with Roasted Butternut Squash, Garden Herbs, Toasted Walnuts, Asiago Cheese, and Braised Kale. The squash was the last to come from Chef Devin's own garden. Our small kitchen herb garden keeps us supplied in sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, chives, parsley, and mint.

We are delighted to be hosting a reception for the Image Gazer Film Festival Friday night. If the weather holds, we'll enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the garden; a spring shower will bring us into the parlor. We are co-hosting with the Maine Film and Video Association so you know the conversation will be lively.
Following the reception will be shorts and live music at the New Surry Theater at the Town Hall next door, student films in the Town Park, followed by the premiere of Flash Phenomenon, a documentary about the steel drum craze here in Blue Hill. How can you not be excited about this line up? The festival is traveling this year so you can catch films at the Opera House, the Alamo, and the Grand.

The 10th Annual Lupine Festival rolls into the area this weekend as well and the lupine are right on schedule. I worried all spring--so many blossoms have been a week or more late, but the lupine aren't letting us down. Check out their schedule and make a plan--lupine by sea or plane. Art, music, everything lupine!

If you aren't expecting to have this grand of a weekend, come see us! We have all this plus sweet breads at breakfast that have guests raving all day. This morning, the cook baked pineapple coconut scones with toasted almonds. From the guest book: "Thank you for the delicious pampering." "A splendiferous experience, laced with impeccable taste."

See you on the lupine loop!

Chef Devin's menu for the week of June 6

Have you been out to eat and the food was so delicious that when the waiter came back to ask, "How is everything?" all you could do was moan in appreciation? I've been getting a lot of that lately as I table hop in the dining room. I have loved my job but I love my even more delicious job even more!

On the menu for this week--though items do change daily, depending on what comes in and what looks good...

The amuse bouche tonight is a roasted tomato, with herbed marscapone, balsamic reduction, and basil from our kitchen garden.

For starters or small meals
Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Puree $7
with Toasted Walnuts and Fresh Lemon Sorrel

Spring Salad $8
Carding Brook Greens, Spiced Pecans, and Shaved Pecorino with a Rhubarb Vinaigrette


Lobster Ravioli (you can see a photo of Chef Devin putting on the finishing touches in the last blog entry) $14
Stonington Lobster, Parsley and Lemon Gremolata, and Pea Greens


Baked Bagaduce Oysters (Josh the oyster man or his helper brings them right from the Bagaduce River to our door) $13
Grilled Salsa of Tomatoes, Leeks, and Garden Chives


For entrées
Vermont Quail Stuffed with Old Ackley Farm Chicken $24
Creamy Asiago Risotto, Tarragon Gravy, and Sauté of Kale


Pan Roasted Frenchman’s Bay Halibut $26 Summer Succotash, Parsley Quinoa, and Lemon Beurre Blanc

Grilled New York Steak $28
Caper Salsa Verde, Sautéed Tuscan Kale, and Garlic Mashed Potato

House Agnolotti $23
Seal Cove Chèvre, Herbs, Hazelnuts, and Lemon Zest, and Warm Arugula Salad


Our bread is made fresh daily
and served with Dickson Family Butter from Brooks, Maine.


Desserts this week will include Caramelized Peach Kuchen with Morton Moo’s Vanilla Ice Cream; Decadent Chocolate Mousse with Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Caramel Drizzle; Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Carding Brook Rhubarb Compote.

We've been fine tuning our wine list, adding more choices including additional bubbles. A popular selection has been one of our reds available by the glass or the bottle, an organic pinot noir, Domaine du Chateau d'Eau, Moillard, France, 2010. We have some great organic wines on our list. We have to give a shout out to Maxx at Blue Hill Wine Shop who has generously shared his knowledge and passion for wine with us.

If your dinners don't have you moaning in appreciation, call us. We take reservations for Monday through Friday, 5-8 p.m.

Lobster ravioli!

So much deliciousness to tell you about!

We had our first week of offering dinner at the inn. The response has been so favorable. One of my favorite dishes is Chef Devin's lobster ravioli. You know I'm a romantic... It's Chef Devin's husband, Luke, who is catching the lobsters and I think that is part of what makes this dish so good. He fishes out of Stonington and sends her pictures of gorgeous sunrises, like this one. This is the two of them when he popped in to see her at work. The ravioli she makes with his lobster has chunks of meat, perfectly cooked, embraced by pasta she has made. She bathes them in a parsley lemon gremolata, which magically transports me to the seaside. And here I struggle with how to describe it to you. I just have to say, make a reservation and plan for your own magical dinner.

A guest told me a story about his visit to the L.L. Bean mother store. He, being a good midwesterner, had a Cabela's cap on, which he sheepishly removed and crumpled in his hand while paying homage to the Big Bean. At the check out, the matronly clerk demanded, "What's in your hand?" When Jim showed her, she said, "Give me that!" In exchange for the Cabela's cap she took away, he got a new L.L. Bean one. I wonder how often she does that?

From the guestbook: "Comfy, friendly, tasty!"

How on earth do I manage to have time to read, now that it's spring, you ask? A few minutes with a book and early morning coffee (sometimes really early morning coffee) helps adjust my attitude and is almost mandatory as life gets busy. A friend picked up This Life Is in Your Hands by Melissa Coleman for me at the farmer's market. Elliot Coleman, her father, is behind Four Season Farm and has written numerous books on organic farming and sustainable agriculture. I'm only on page 40 but I certainly recommend Melissa's book. We get eggs from Four Season--gorgeous orange yolks come from happy chickens. You can visit their farm stand down on Cape Rosier when you come to visit.

See you then!