Fresh, Delicious, Creative Meals on All Maine Tables

I garden because I love to eat. I know that the very best meals I will ever cook and eat start with a shovel and some seeds.

Recently, in an Atlantic Monthly review of Fore Street restaurant in Portland, food critic Corby Kummer called Maine "a veritable Bay Area of the East." Kummer is referring not only to all the terrific chefs in Maine who are creating fantastic dishes, such as Sam Hayward at Fore Street, but also to the ingredients. What makes the San Francisco Bay Area a frontier of flavor is its proximity to the glories of California agriculture. Great cooking requires great ingredients, and Kummer is complimenting Maine's farmers as much as he is our chefs.

Just as San Francisco is close to rich fisheries and a diverse set of climates (from misty mild to desert dry), Maine too has a diverse harvest from the ocean plus a diverse set of climates and crops. In addition, because of our challenging growing season, farmers have recently been pushing the boundaries of climate by growing fresh, organic crops year-round, bringing new flavors to the fall and winter. This obviously inspires and challenges Maine's chefs to explore new combinations of flavors and seasons.

Chefs prefer local, organic produce, informally proving that fresh organic produce has more flavor than the alternatives. By seeking quality ingredients, these chefs also inspire farmers to experiment.

This glorious symbiotic cycle of mutual inspiration and experimentation turned San Francisco into a "Foodie's" paradise, and Kummer believes the same is starting to happen in Maine. The best part is that you don't have to eat out every night to benefit from this food revolution; the same farmers who supply the high-end restaurants also sell the same crops in their communities. We all get to discover what these chefs are discovering, and if new crops and varieties become as popular as Brandywine tomatoes have recently, even more farmers will be inspired to try even more new crops. Everyone's table benefits from the creativity of Maine's chefs and farmers.

--Eric Rector