For Native Americans in what would eventually become New England, maple sap collected in the spring provided the sole sugar supply for the entire year. Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes and waffles! Its distinctive flavor enhances both sweet and savory dishes. I use it with baked apples or squash, on chicken or pork, in...Read More

In spring, ferns of various species emerge from the forest floor as tightly coiled “fiddleheads” (so called because they resemble the scroll at the top of a violin). The fiddleheads of the ostrich fern are edible. They have a nutty, earthy flavor, and are considered a delicacy by many New Englanders. They may be enjoyed...Read More

I enjoy the bright sunny yellow of dandelions each spring, then harvest the blossoms to make a strong wine, really more of a liqueur. (I may be the only person in America who has imported dandelion seeds from a neighboring yard, in order to ensure a good crop the following year!) I take 3 cups...Read More

In the Moosehead Lake region, many folks have a favorite wild blueberry field where they head to pick their own fruit in late July or August. Farmers in Maine also cultivate the wild variety of blueberries (small but flavorful berries that grow on low bushes); tempting displays appear in season at roadside stands, farmers’ markets,...Read More

On a sunny day each September, I head out in my canoe across the waters of a local bog and park by a cranberry patch. I get out and walk carefully across the spongy mass of peat, bending down to pluck the firm, round berries from the bushes where they grow. When Mother was alive,...Read More