Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Eight (Beach Fare)

Well, I finally did it.  I took off a day and went to the beach and it was DIVINE.  Ferry Beach is Scarborough, Maine is such a magical place with its shallow pools and creepy crawly aquatic life.  And,  it is especially cool when the tides are high enough to jump off the sand banks into deep water.   Spencer and I had a blast jumping and diving off while letting the currents carry us.   It brought me back to childhood, though the water somersaults made me much dizzier than when I was a kid.   With the beach, comes summer fare, packed in a cooler ....In Scarborough, we call it Scarborough Fare (without the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)....I guess you need to know Simon and Garfunkel to appreciate that one.

We made some quick pizza triangles (fitayers) with Spelt Right dough, but also made some nice sweets with my favorite RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE fruit spread from Fieldstone Farms.

Ingredients:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Fieldstone's Raspberry and Champagne Fruit Spread.

Instructions: Cut dough into 4 equal balls.   On pizza peel, sprinkle finely ground corn meal generously (I like to use a an organic non GMO corn meal).  Roll doughto less than 1/4 inch thick on pizza peel.  Spread on fruit spread.   Roll and place on pan in 350 degree oven until brown on top.   Bring to beach!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Seven:The Perfect Maine Trio for a Very Hot Day (Spelt Right Sesame Bagel, Kate's Butter, and Fieldstone Farms Red Raspberry with Champaign Fruit Spread)

Today was HOT, is HOT, and promises to continue to be HOT.   HOT is not so great when you need to make 2,000 + bagels in a day in a non climate controlled bake house, but who is complaining?  Really, I'm not.  I'm just hot.  And tired, having worked a 9 hour day, packaging bagels, organizing the freezer, and cleaning the bakery.  But, the neat thing about today and this weekend is the YARMOUTH (MAINE) CLAM FESTIVAL.   I used to poo poo the Clam Festival, behaving a bit baahumbugish, but yesterday at the annual CLAM FESTIVAL parade, a change overcame me, a good one at that.

After another busy day at the bake house, I trudged up Bridge Street to Main to join my family for the PARADE.   I was preparing to poo poo the event, feeling really that I was above all this frivolity.  As I watched the bands, the kiddie paraders (keep on jumpin' Angus!), the endless mini cars and trucks from the Kora and Shriners, the pageant winners, the float winners, the emergency vehicles, the stilt walkers, the antique cars, the cheerleaders, and the various other ordinary folks entertaining the crowds, I could feel the PASSION.  And, I felt moved.  A little like the Grinch whose heart began to grow.  And, then looking around at all the vendors, artisans and craftsfolks (many of whom are friends and acquaintances) displaying all types of wares:  applesauce (Hey There Pastor Chuck), embroidered bird T's (nice work Whimsy!), Peace T's (way to go Meg + ALI), incredible fruit spreads by Fieldstone Farms (great to see you again David) it occurred to me that this annual festival is driven by passion.  And, passion is what makes the ordinary EXTRA-ORDINARY.   And, really, what is life without passion?

So, despite the hot and long days at work, I step back and realize I should stop kvetching about Spelt Right Baking because it is also driven by PASSION. 

And, today's dinner, a Maine trio, compliments of Fieldstone Farms, is a SPELT RIGHT sesame bagel (toasted), Kate's Butter, and Fieldstone Farm's Red Raspberry With Champagne, all natural fruit spread.  The perfect light meal for an extremely hot and busy day.

  I first tried Fieldstone Farms at the New England Products Trade Show.  I became a fan immediately. David Jones, who owns the company with his wife, Brenda, is a really nice guy AND this fruit spread is PHENOMENAL.  David and Brenda's niceness is somehow transferred into every jar of these amazing products.  If you haven't tried it, you should treat yourself (the Red Raspberry with Champagne is my favorite).   Here's their website.  Fieldstone Farms website.