You’ve probably been to plenty of potlucks where you were told to “save room for pie.” What do you do at a “pie luck” – a potluck of pies? Save room for more pie?
Find out at the Biddeford Saco River Jam Festival on Sept. 14. The festival’s kick-off event, Fringe Fest, runs from 5 to 9 p.m., with a free slice of pie for everyone – even folks who are gluten free. Local bakers plan to donate pies, as well as local businesses such as Biscuits & Co., Maine Pie Co., Night Moves Bread and Stone Turtle Baking. If you’d like to bring your favorite pie, sign up on the River Jam Facebook page.
All of the pies will be served at a “massively long” picnic table set up in the middle of Main Street, according to organizers.
For more information, go to RiverJamFest.com or call 284-8520.
STARTING WITH ‘SOUP’
Last April, Derek Bissonnette, former executive chef at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, shared his thoughts with Press Herald readers about chefs photographing their food for Instagram. Now the cookbook he told us about at the time named, simply, “Soup” – is nearing completion.
“Soup” ($35) will be published by Kennebunkport-based Cider Mill Press in October and feature more than 300 recipes for soups, stews and chowders. In these 800 pages, Bissonette – now a food photographer – will explain the science of stocks and share chefs’ tricks for prep work and mise en place.
Renowned New York chef Daniel Boulud has provided a blurb: “This book on soups will bring pure joy, warmth, and flavor to the table and the beautiful photography will transport you to a dream workplace.”
In addition to the White Barn Inn, Bissonnette has worked at The Inn at Little Washington, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in Virginia.
IT’S REALLY HOPPING
When brewers Ben Low and Matt Johannes announced last week that they were opening a new brewery in Auburn called Side By Each, some of the tastier details got left out of the coverage.
Yes, it’s interesting that Low and Johannes will be funding their new brewery at 1110 Minot Ave. with a community-supported brewing program, and that they are selling “naming rights” for everything from their fermenter to a restroom stall. But the new brewery will also operate as a cafe, serving coffee and espresso drinks from Portland’s Coffee By Design. And there will be counter service from Pinky D’s Poutine Factory, a Lisbon-based food truck that will also have a brick-and-mortar location once the brewery opens.
“Poutine is what we’re known for, and several different types of it will be the core of the menu,” said owner Randy Smith, whose food truck poutine has developed a big following through appearances at fairs, beer festivals and private events. “But we’re also going to do some unique things with wings, and we’ll have a kids menu, salads, wraps and some other options, too.”
The food truck lists 40 different kinds of poutine on its menu, including flavors such as lobster, pulled pork, chicken bacon ranch, caprese, and trois cochons (sausage, bacon and pork belly).
Low and Johannes said in their press release that they hope to open the brewery by the end of the year.
SENIOR CSA
I’ve long believed that one of the best-kept food secrets in Maine is the Maine Senior FarmShare program. If you know of a senior who has trouble making ends meet, this program helps by providing $50 worth of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs during the growing season. Participants must be 60 or older and meet income eligibility guidelines. It’s like a CSA for the mature set.
The program already provides produce to 17,000 low-income seniors in Maine. So what’s new? The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry announced last week the program has openings for an additional 1,000 Maine seniors. The funding for the expansion is coming from the USDA’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.
If you’re interested, you must sign up with a farm by Sept. 21. This is a special sign-up period to accommodate as many of the 1,000 newcomers to the program as possible this year. The usual sign-up deadline is in March or April, and if you sign up this fall you’ll have to do so again next spring.
To qualify, a one-person household must have income no greater than $21,775 per year; for a two-person household, the limit is $29,471.
The produce is either delivered directly, or seniors can visit a farm, farmers market or other distribution spot to pick out what they want and draw down on their credit balance. From September to November, their choices are likely to include squash, corn, apples, beets, broccoli, eggplant, radishes, pumpkins and potatoes.
When signing up, seniors may find that some farms show they are full, but the agriculture department recommends contacting them anyway because the additional funds mean more spots are available.
For more information, contact donna.murray@maine.gov or visit the Senior Farm Share page on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry website. Seniors can also reach out to their local Area Agency on Aging for assistance by calling 1-877-353-3771.
Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:
mgoad@pressherald.com
Twitter: MeredithGoad
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