We started a tradition a few years ago in which we travel to an island, set up a quilting day, and enjoy either lobster and crabmeat rolls, or a boiled lobster feed. We have twice visited Cranberry Isles, Swans Island, and twice to Stonington. This year, with the price of the ferries really skyrocketing, we carpooled to Winter Harbor, a bit downeast of here. We set up our stitching room at the new Masonic Hall on School Street. It is a newly built, one floor building with many tables, a kitchen, and lots of space. To see the harbor, one only had to step out the door to the parking lot.
Unlike past years, the group was very intent on making their table runners. I had adapted a pattern from Australian Patchwork and Quiltingby simplifying the blocks and using Robert Kaufman's Shimmer of the Sea fabric. Many followed my design, but others created their own. Check out the photos in the album. We had lunch of sandwiches and pasta salad with Key Lime Cupcakes and brownies for dessert. (Since Lisa was not able to come this year, there was ample food to go around and some to take home for sandwiches the next day.)
We packed up our sewing projects at 5:00 and headed out to Frazer Point which is in Acadia National Park, just across the harbor from where we were sewing. When we arrived there, husband Gary had already selected a spot for cooking the lobsters and setting up the tables. The weather and the view were incredible.
We had one lobster each, but I think hubby picked some "selects" from his crate for the gals. Usually I get the one claws, etc., but he treated the ladies well. We had an offering of salads and breads and butters. The two recipes requested most were for my Almost Famous Herbed Butter and Alfreda's Blueberry Cake, so I am including them here. Nina thought that Alfreda's Blueberry Cake is the same as Marjorie Standish's in Cooking Downeast.Well, I found my copy of the cookbook and Marjorie's version and found that they are not the same; while they primarily have the same ingredients, the proportions are different. Marjorie uses less flour and more sugar per egg, thereby creating a lighter, cake. Alfreda's (my late mother-in-law) recipe likely came from relatives from downeast in the blueberry growing business. (Years ago we would go down to one of her cousins fields and pick berries before the rakers came in. Today my berries come from a somewhat measly patch behind Sewing by the Sea).
Herbed Butter: Mix together 1 stick of margarine, about 5 oz. cream cheese, 1 or 2 pressed cloves of garlic, and whatever herbs are in the cupboard or on the windowsill .. parsley, basil, etc. That's it!
Alfreda's Blueberry Cake: Cream together 1 stick of margarine and 2 cups of sugar; add 2 eggs and beat well; Add 3 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/2 teaspoon of soda alternately with 1 cup of milk. Lightly flour then stir in 2 cups of fresh or frozen Maine blueberries. Pour into a greased and floured 9" x 13" pan; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake at 3500 for about 50 minutes.