Susan Loomis

On August 5th and 6th, Salt Water Farm welcomed Susan Loomis (from “On Rue Tatin” in Normany, France) for a three part cooking class, where she taught 10 students from across the country how to prepare elegant, seasonally inspired meals.  We began Friday morning with a golden beet cannelloni followed by a trio of tomatoes and a fresh pork loin with ginger, yogurt and cilantro sauce.  The students carefully prepared each dish and while they sat around the Salt Water Farm table to eat, they shared with one another observations about the recipes and the unique combination of flavors in the meal.  On Friday night, students regrouped for an evening feast of aromatically stuffed (pine nuts, parsley, currants and anchovies) leg of lamb, a crisp green beans salad and a delectable chocolate mousse.  Susan provided a wonderful selection of locally produced cheese, after writing an article for Culture Magazine about the tradition of cheese making in Maine.  On Saturday morning, the class gathered at the Camden Farmer’s Market, where Susan guided us through stands of squash blossoms, summer berries, cured meats and freshly baked breads and then we headed back to the farm to prepare lunch.  For our final meal, we shared poached eggs on summer Maine-grown corn and a Normany Seafood Stew made of haddock, mussels and a fennel and cream base.  It was such a pleasure to have Susan back at Salt Water Farm for two wonderful days of inspired food, incredible stories, and good friends.