More tastes and beauty of coastal Maine

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Last week I introduced you to the beautiful state of Maine. Today we are moving “down east” to the area of Camden/Rockland.

For this stay I selected the Berry Manor Inn, a luxury 16-guestroom Victorian inn on a quiet street in Rockland.

Cheryl and Mike, the inkeepers of the huge burgundy and gold bed and breakfast, have owned and operated the inn for 18 years.

Imagine waking up at 5:30 each morning and making breakfast for up to 32 guests, not just cereal, toast, and coffee but a three-course meal, fruit, coffee cake/muffins, an entree, juice and coffee/tea. Then it is kitchen clean-up time followed by cleaning and preparing rooms for the incoming guests.

This is the life of an innkeeper. Cheryl and Mike, like a few other innkeepers, keep their inn open for 12 months of the year while others are only open from May until November, then they head south for the winter.

Cheryl and Mike are like many other couples who left their jobs in the corporate world to venture out into the life as an innkeeper. After looking at many B&B’s they settled on this property in Rockland because of its size and location in a busy tourist area.

Rockland is a small town (pop: 7,219) located on the rocky coast of mid-coast Maine and is convenient to the art galleries of Rockland and Camden. A trip down east to Bar Harbor is a two-hour drive and one that all vacationers must take, especially Cadillac Mountain, which provides a perfect location to see the Atlantic Ocean.

Their decision to convert this home into an inn was a great one. From its grand stairway to the beautiful dining room, it is very romantic. Our room at the inn was very large with a king bed and decorated in a Victorian design of burgundy and gold complete with the original black sink and soaking tub which had been updated with a shower.

For two days we felt like royalty.

Berry Manor has attracted a good deal of media attention on The Chew and on the Food Network with their “Pie Moms”. These three ladies are the moms of Cheryl and Mike along with a friend. They are known for the pies they make daily and are served in the pantry 24 hours a day.

Recently they gave up the baking and turned it over to Cheryl. Each evening we helped ourselves to a piece of pie (choosing between blueberry, raspberry or cherry) topped with ice cream from the freezer. The kitchens in Berry Manor Inn are shared with the guests throughout the evening making available evening sweets and drinks.

Here are a couple recipes that Cheryl and Mike shared with us for this column. Enjoy!

CRUSTLESS SAVORY BREAKFAST PIE

This crustless savory egg recipe is very versatile and can be modified to create an unlimited number of wonderful breakfast combinations.

BASIC CHEESE PIE

6 large fresh eggs

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

1 dash pepper

1 dash salt

2/3 cup cottage cheese

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9” glass/ceramic deep dish pie pan. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk, salt and pepper and whisk together. Add the cottage cheese and shredded Monterey Jack and mix well. Add any additional ingredients that you choose. Pour into prepared pan, cover with foil and place in center rack of oven and bake for 50 minutes or until center is firm and top is golden. Serve warm.

Suggested Variations

1 small onion…1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes…1/2 cup chopped fresh dill…1 cup diced Roma tomatoes…1 cup fresh chopped basil…1 cup fresh ham…1 cup broccoli chopped…or substitute Monterey Jack cheese with cheddar or Swiss

RASPBERRY-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

This was served to us while visiting the Berry Manor Inn and was delicious.

1 12-oz package frozen raspberries

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoon almond extract

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

12 medium sized croissants

powdered sugar and sliced almonds for garnish

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the raspberries, maple syrup, and raspberry preserves. Stir frequently until blended well. Cover and keep warm. In a small mixing bowl combine the ricotta, sugar and almond extract. Blend well and set aside for use as the filling. In a 9”square pan, whisk together the eggs and milk. Cut each of the croissants along one long edge 3/4 of the way through but still connected. Dip each croissant into the egg mixture and place flat on a greased hot griddle (inside down). Grill until golden. Remove 2 croissants to each plate. Spoon a generous amount of the filling into each croissant and close. Cover with raspberry sauce, sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced almonds and serve warm.

SERVES 6

Maine is one of the most beautiful wonders of nature in the U.S. Thank you Cheryl and Mike for letting us spend time in your beautiful inn.

If you chose to visit make sure you add Rockland/Camden to your list of places to visit. Find out more at [email protected] or at 207-596-7696.

Sheryl Sollars, a Clinton County native, is an accomplished cook and homemaker. She contributes her column Welcome to My Kitchen out of her love of homemaking and of sharing her thoughts with her readers. If you have cooking questions or a recipe you want to share, please contact Sheryl at [email protected].

The beautiful Berry Manor Inn is in Rockland, Maine.
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/09/web1_Sheryl-Sollars-2.jpgThe beautiful Berry Manor Inn is in Rockland, Maine.

http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2017/09/web1_home1_mini-1.jpg

Sheryl Sollars

Welcome To My Kitchen

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