Peggy did a lot of the interior painting and refinished the furniture they’d bought in junk stores. Not only that, she created the most beautiful gardens. All in all, the results are spectacular, and I’m not the only person who thinks so. They’ve been written up in some fancy travel magazines, too.
The day Bob and Peggy hung up their sign for Thyme and Tide Bed & Breakfast, they held an open house for the community. Peggy served a Roasted Garlic White Pizza that was to die for. (I like that expression, although my granddaughter tells me it’s out of date.) Peggy shared that recipe and the one for Fresh Herb Crab Cakes—the best I’ve ever tasted.
I confess that when I first saw Peggy’s herb garden I was struck with envy; if the expression “green thumb” applies to anyone, it does to Peggy. As you’ve already guessed, she’s a wonder in the kitchen, too. And perhaps most important of all, Peggy has the gift of hospitality. Everyone who stops in is immediately welcomed and served a cup of tea and the most delectable baked treats.
Even though the B&B is a major success, the Beldons haven’t always had an easy time of it. A great deal of unpleasant speculation fell on them when one of their overnight guests died under suspicious circumstances. Some people actually had the nerve to suggest Bob was responsible! Fortunately the case was eventually solved by Sheriff Davis, with the assistance of Roy McAfee, our local P.I., and since then Thyme and Tide has done a steady business with plenty of repeat customers.
The breakfasts Peggy provides at Thyme and Tide are legendary. But here’s a little-known fact—her dinners are just as good. Possibly even better. Luckily Bob keeps fit working around the yard and maintaining the house, otherwise he’d be a serious candidate for a weight-loss program. Peggy’s Seared Scallops with Mushroom Ragout are so good that if nobody was looking, you’d lick your plate. And her Shrimp Enchila das—the only word that comes to mind is incomparable. I know she got her wonderful Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Teri Polgar. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
Do take time to browse through these recipes and if you ever have the opportunity to dine at 44 Cranberry Point, count yourself fortunate.
Lasagna Bolognese for a Crowd
This hearty lasagna is a great make-ahead dish—it tastes even better the next day. For even longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze in anticipation of a day when you don’t have time to cook.
Serves 10
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces lean ground beef
8 ounces spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
8 ounces sweet sausage, casings removed
Salt and pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with puree
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 bay leaf
15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 ¼ pounds)
1. Warm oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion and carrots; cook 6 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Add beef, both sausages, salt and pepper; cook 8 minutes, stirring and using a wooden spoon to break up meat. Add crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Cover; bring to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. In a large bowl, combine noodles and cold water to cover.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, Parmesan and eggs until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ½ cup of the meat sauce in bottom of a deep 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Remove noodles from water; lay 5 noodles on top of sauce, overlapping noodles. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over noodles; sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella over ricotta. Spread 2½ cups of meat sauce over mozzarella. Layer more 5 noodles, remaining ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, and 2½ cups meat sauce. Finish with 5 remaining noodles, remaining meat sauce, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover pan with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes, until bubbling. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
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TIP
For best flavor, grate fresh Parmesan and mozzarella, rather than using preshredded cheese.
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Seared Scallops with Mushroom Ragout
Since scallops cook so quickly, it’s important to preheat the pan before you add the fish; this allows the outside to get nice and brown before the inside gets overcooked and tough.
Serves 4
1 ½ pounds large sea scallops (about 20), tough ligament removed if attached
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, divided
1 pound white or cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 medium shallots, chopped
½ cup medium-dry sherry
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1. Pat scallops dry with paper towel; season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour.
2. Warm oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook scallops 4 minutes per side, until golden-brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a platter and loosely cover with foil.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 4 minutes, until golden, stirring occasionally. Add shallots; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add sherry and vinegar; simmer 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spoon sauce over scallops.
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TIP
Drying the scallops well with a paper towel before cooking also helps them brown better.
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Bowtie Pasta with White Beans, Roasted Peppers and Garlic Spinach
Don’t be alarmed by the amount of spinach you add to the simmering skillet—it cooks down tremendously. Just keep stirring, smashing the beans as you do so, and in minutes you’ll have a colorful, flavorful, healthful dish.
Serves 4
3 red, yellow or orange bell peppers
12 ounces bow-tie pasta or penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper
1 9-ounce bag baby spinach
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Halve bell peppers, then core and seed. Press peppers flat, skin-side up, onto prepared pan. Broil 10 minutes, until skins are blackened. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil (use the same foil that lined the pan). Let stand 20 minutes. Peel and discard charred skin from peppers. Thinly slice peppers.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain pasta.
3. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Add bell peppers, beans, salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Add pasta cooking water and about ¼ of the spinach; bring to a simmer. Let cook 10 minutes, slowly adding remaining spinach, stirring often and smashing beans against the side of the pan to create a sauce. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar.
4. In a large serving bowl, toss pasta with sauce and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
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TIP
You can roast the peppers up to three days ahead. Drizzle with a little olive oil and store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
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Casual Chicken Cordon Bleu
Forget the rolling and the breading usually
found in Cordon Bleu recipes. Enjoy the savory chicken, ham and cheese flavor combo in this super-simple weeknight dinner.
Serves 4
4 chicken cutlets or thin-sliced chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 baby spinach leaves (about ½ cup)
4 thin slices deli ham (about 2 ounces)
1 cup shredded Gruyère or Jarlsberg cheese
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
2. Add chicken to pan; increase heat to medium-high and cook 3 minutes, until golden. Flip chicken, top each cutlet with about 3 spinach leaves, 1 slice ham (folding it to fit), and ¼ cup cheese. Cover pan and cook about 3 minutes longer, until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted.
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TIP
Smaller, more delicate baby spinach leaves work best in this recipe. If unavailable, use the regular large-leaf variety, first stripping off and discarding the thick stems.
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Chicken Pot Pie
A 2-quart casserole is the perfect dish size here—the crust should hang over the edge, to keep the filling from bubbling over.
Serves 6
FILLING
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
½ medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
SAUCE AND CRUST
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup frozen peas
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 refrigerated or frozen pie crust, thawed
1. Warm oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 6 minutes on each side, until browned. (Chicken will not be cooked through.)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In the fat remaining in the skillet, cook carrots, celery, onion, thyme, salt and pepper over medium-low heat for 6 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Increase heat to medium-high. Nestle chicken on top of vegetables, meat-side down. Add broth and any juices from chicken platter and bring to simmer. Place in oven; roast 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Return chicken to plate. Let cool, then remove skin and bones and break meat into 1-inch chunks and shreds.
3. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Pour contents of skillet through a strainer set over a bowl. Transfer vegetables from strainer to a bowl. Reserve broth; you should have about 3½ cups (if not, make up the difference with more broth, water or milk).
4. For sauce: Melt butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 3½ cups reserved broth and milk and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until sauce is thickened and coats back of spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded chicken, cooked vegetables, peas, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour filling into 2-quart casserole dish. Lay pie crust on top of filling, crimping edges with your fingers. (You may need to roll it on a lightly floured surface to get it to fit your dish.) The crust should hang over the edges of the dish. Slash a few holes in the crust.
5. Bake 30 minutes, until crust is golden and filling bubbles. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
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TIP
For a shiny golden crust, brush the top with beaten egg before baking.
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Fresh Herb Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Lump crabmeat is now available in most supermarkets, making it easier than ever to make this special dish.
Serves 4
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
4 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Salt and pepper 1 large egg, lightly beaten
TARTAR SAUCE
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced cornichons
1 teaspoon cornichon juice
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced drained capers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. In a large bowl, combine crab, scallions, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, parsley, tarragon, chives, salt and pepper. Fold in beaten egg until moistened. Using about ½ cup for each, form mixture into eight 1-inch-thick patties. Place patties on a platter or baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
2. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
3. For sauce: In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Serve with warm crab cakes.
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TIP
Crab cakes hold together better if refrigerated at least 30 minutes before cooking.
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Beef Stew with Red Wine
Serve this family favorite over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Serves 6
3½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 14½-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 10-ounce package white button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1. Using paper towel, blot beef dry with paper towels. In large bowl, toss beef with salt, pepper and flour.
2. Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat in a single layer; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pot and transfer to a bowl. Add ½ cup of the wine to pot and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up loose bits on the bottom of the pot. Wine will thicken and combine with pot bits to make a thick sauce. Lift pot off heat and scrape this sauce onto the browned beef. Return pot to heat; add 2 tablespoons oil. Brown remaining beef as above and transfer to bowl. Add another ½ cup wine; deglaze pot as above and transfer to browned beef.
3. Warm remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add remaining ¼ cup wine, stirring until wine boils off. Return beef and juices in bowl to pot. Add broth, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding water to desired consistency.
4. Stir in carrots, mushrooms and 1 cup water; cover and cook 1 hour, until meat and vegetables are tender. Do not let stew boil; keep at a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
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TIP
The key to rich beef flavor is deglazing the pan using wine. This process scrapes up all the browned bits left from cooking the beef and incorporates them into the sauce. The alcohol is cooked off in this process.
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Thick Pork Chops with Apple-Walnut Stuffing and Cider Gravy
For the most succulent chops, select cuts that are at least 1-inch thick.
Serves 4
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small apple, peeled and diced
1 ¼ cups apple cider, divided
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
½ cup small bread cubes (from 2 slices)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 bone-in pork chops, 1 inch thick (about 10 ounces each)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Preheat oven to 425°F; set an oven rack in lower third position. Place a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet in oven to warm.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook 5 minutes, until softened, stirring. Stir in apple, ¼ cup of the cider, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; fold in bread cubes and parsley.
3. Using a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-wide pocket into the fatty side of each chop, cutting almost to the bone. Spoon a quarter of the stuffing into each pocket. Using your fingers, pinch the seal together. Season the chops with salt and pepper.
4. Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer chops to the preheated roasting pan; set aside the skillet with the cooking fat in it. Roast the chops 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the stuffing registers 140°F. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and set the roasting pan aside. Tent chops loosely with foil to keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, set reserved skillet over low heat. Sprinkle flour into fat in skillet, stirring until incorporated. Gradually pour in remaining 1 cup cider, stirring constantly and allowing liquid to incorporate before adding additional cider. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid reduces to about ¾ cup, whisking occasionally. Scrape any browned bits and juices from the roasting pan into the simmering gravy. Remove skillet from heat; whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper and spoon sauce over pork chops.