4th Of July Tomato On June 28th!

It was good :)

Boba, Lentils, And Hybrid Mojitos

Strange combination, no? Let me explain.

I had the boba - strawberry-flavored - at the frozen yogurt shop, Red Mango, tonight. They, along with gummy bears, topped my coconut yogurt and made me smile my whole walk home. I love the way they pop in your mouth like dessert caviar. If you aren't familiar with boba, they're small, soft yet chewy tapioca balls commonly found in bubble tea.

The lentils - green ones to be exact - appeared in a very fresh and light salad I made recently with asparagus, black beans, red peppers, and herbs. It was drizzled with a lemony vinaigrette. Definitely going to make more of this kind of salad this summer. It's hard to eat anything hot during the oppressive DC summer.

And as for the hybrid mojitos, which I'm having one of right now actually...they have lime, mint, and rum but no sugar and tonic water instead of soda. I like the bitterness, though they're not super bitter. The apple mint from the garden and rum help with that.

Time to enjoy my beverage and relax with some John Coltrane and the NYT.

Greenery = Yay!

Maine In Pictures

Lupines

Red's Eats, Wiscasset

Lobster rolls at Red's with fried zucchini

Lobster traps near Red's

Seafood for sale out of a parked truck, Camden or Rockland?

Razor clam shell, Lincolnville Beach

Francine, Camden

Clam chowder, Bayview Lobster, Camden

Cappy's, Camden

Shepherd's pie at Shepherd's Pie, Rockport

Rare beef salad at Shepherd's Pie

Plants for sale, Chase's Daily, Belfast

Taps, Great Lost Bear, Portland

Two tasters and menu, Great Lost Bear

Mounted bear head, Great Lost Bear

Thurston's Lobster Pound, Mount Desert Island

Harbor, Thurston's, MDI

Coastal Maine Vacation

I highly suggest heading to coastal Maine for a getaway. We've been there three times and have enjoyed every second of it. This time the highlight was hiking in Acadia National Park, though the eats were a very close second! Here's the list followed by my hubby's awesome pictures:

• J's Oyster, Portland - salty portside bar (yes, it's the one Anthony Bourdain visited)
• Red's Eats, Wiscasset - overstuffed lobster rolls and fried zucchini with ranch dressing
• Francine, Camden - still kickin'
• Waterfront, Camden
• Primo, Owl's Head/Rockland - yummmmmmmy; another Bourdain stop
• Bayview Lobster, Camden - best clam chowder ever
• Cappy's, Camden - Sebago blueberry beer
• Shepherd's Pie, Rockport - Owned by the same people as Francine and it shows in the more casual fare.
• Camden Cone - blueberry ice cream
• Zoot Coffee, Camden
• Chase's Daily, Belfast - veggie delight
• Finback Alehouse, Bar Harbor
• Cafe This Way, Bar Harbor - splendiferous scallops
• Thirsty Whale, Bar Harbor
• Lompoc Cafe, Bar Harbor - preserved-lemon deviled eggs on a shady terrace anyone?
• Thurston's Lobster Pound, Mount Desert Island
• Atlantic Brewing Co., MDI - lots of free samples after the tour
• Leary's, Bar Harbor - shoutout to Rob, the lovely bartender of this Irish pub
• Fathom, Bar Harbor - zucchini gnocchi topped with what seemed like a ridiculous amount of lobster and brown butter sauce
• Dog and Pony, Bar Harbor - Get your Philly soft pretzel fix in the gazebo.
• Mache Bistro, Bar Harbor - romantic French spot
• Sarah's, Wiscasset - competing lobster roll joint; Red's wins
• Great Lost Bear, Portland - huge beer selection
• Fore Street, Portland - best meal of the trip; I'm still salivating.

Lobster And Lupines

To come: a full report on our Maine vacation, including Portland, Camden, and Bar Harbor among other stops.