After visiting Orono Bog, we headed home. On the way, we stopped to pick up fresh lobster for dinner! A giant lobster sculpture near Hancock proudly touts the renowned harvest from Maine's productive waters.
In her 1958 book, The Peninsula, Louise Dickenson Rich rendered a charming account of life on nearby Gouldsboro Peninsula. We took turns reading it aloud in the weeks before our journey to Maine. The author provides a richly-detailed description of early settlement, including the lobster traps so much a part of this coastal way of life. The open-ended cage, formerly constructed of bent local woods, contains a funnel-shaped net with the funnel's small end extending into the center. A mesh bait bag is suspended in the middle of the trap, accessible to the lobsterman for removing the catch and replenishing the bait via a small hatch on one side. A lobster can crawl into the trap through the large opening, but finds it very difficult to escape through the small interior hole. A weight is placed inside the trap so it will descend into the lobster's domain. In the old days, the traps were constructed and maintained by the entire family and were a prized tool of the trade. Along with buoys and lobster boats, discussed later, they were valuable assets, and that remains true today. Here is a modern trap.
People make a living as they can in Maine, so came the answer to my puzzled question about the often-absent town centers. Instead, people decide how they can best apply their skills and hang out a "shingle" to advertise their business. This is different from the practice, familiar to me, of rented or leased building space in a town center, where business operators often commute some distance to open their stores for business. This family business sells lobsters, fresh from the cold, pristine waters of coastal Maine.
The lobsterman's wife helped us select them from one of the tanks located in their converted garage. These were soft-shelled lobsters. Their shells aren't really soft, but the chitin (pronounced KITE'n) in the shell is not yet fully developed. Since this makes them unsuitable for shipping, they are perfect for local consumption! The lobsters were placed in a sturdy paper bag and off we went to prepare them for dinner.
On the way, I had noticed that traditional buildings in Maine wear the rustic patina of cedar shake siding. Where in the west this material would shrivel with sunburn in short order, it is particularly suitable to Maine's cool, moist coastal conditions. This lovely family home is true to form. Jonathan's parents still live in the 150-year-old farmhouse where he grew up, in Sullivan.
The shop where jonathan's dad has spent so many hours
fixing and tinkering and making things is no exception.
The family garden is an important source of year-round food,
and by mid-October it is nearly ready for winter's cold.
The vegetable garden is Dad's pride and joy and
Mom joyfully brings in freshly-scrubbed produce for dinner.
Chloe is in one of her favorite lookouts. She can peek through the kitchen window to see what's cooking, or watch from her perch for garden invaders. Twice during our visit, she helped solve the garden marauder mystery - voles! Don't worry, there are plenty more - and, like my own cats, she is growing too old to present much of a threat to the birds.
Mom's gardening talents were expressed in
artistic arrangements that filled the south-facing sun porch.
Behind this lively arrangement of zinnias is a bowl filled with Dad's favorite, "rattlesnake beans" - the final harvest of the year. Simple, nutritious, organic foods are the norm here, and few things in life could be more elegant.
Even though we felt tired from our little hike in the sun
at Orono Bog and the hour's drive from Bangor,
jonathan came from a fun-loving family...
at Orono Bog and the hour's drive from Bangor,
jonathan came from a fun-loving family...
as pre-dinner antics with Mom quickly proved!
When the lobsterman's wife learned this was my first Fresh Maine Lobster meal, she generously sent us home with seawater to steam them in, instructing us carefully on the preparation: in the large steamer, bring the seawater to a full steam, add the lobsters; when it begins to steam again, set the timer for eleven minutes and - well, all that's left is the grin when you taste it!
Maine lobsters are greenish when they go into the pot, alive...
... and turn bright red as they cook.
The saltwater steaming makes a remarkable difference.
Accompanied by fresh vegetables from the garden,
it was the best lobster dinner ever!
it was the best lobster dinner ever!
Coincidentally, the headline says it all. = )
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