Breakfast is an essential start to a wonderful day, so at our Inn, we take special care in preparing our breakfast recipes. Our guests gather at the dining room table anytime between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. for a freshly made gourmet breakfast. Piping hot coffee and black or herbal teas are served in mugs designed for the Inn. For the chocolate lovers out there, we feature a hot chocolate made from top-quality cocoa laced with a secret mixture of spices.

Our recipies feature traditional New England breakfast favorites and are carefully crafted using fresh, local ingredients. We strive to serve the freshest fruits available, so the offerings vary by season. In the fall, we highlight the abundant apples of the region in several dishes including baked apples and homemade applesauce. In the winter, our baked grapefruit and poached pears are welcome surprises for our guests. The spring and summer, of course, bring an abundance of seasonal options including ripe melon with berries, honey baked plums, and fresh peaches. In addition to seasonal items, we source our food locally when possible.  All our eggs are delivered weekly by Glen, whose egg service has been a family operation for generations.

In order to provide a variety of offerings to our guests who stay for several days, we alternate our main courses between sweet and savory dishes. Some of the favorites include a garden medley quiche of spinach and sweet peppers, puffy baked omelets with salsa and cheese, and Goldenrod eggs served over toasted English muffins, ham, and sliced tomato. When we fire up the griddle, the scent of hot oatmeal pancakes with apples and cinnamon or thin cornmeal pancakes (sometimes known as Jonnycakes) will waft through the dining room. Banana slices and toasted walnuts garnish the crispy banana nut waffles or maybe there will be ginger waffles with green mango fool. You just never know. But one thing is for certain, whether it's pancakes or waffles on the menu, the syrup is always 100% real Grade A maple syrup.

Many times we have requests for the recipes for certain dishes. Our most popular offerings are listed below. Some of these recipes were developed here at the Inn, some were graciously given by other innkeepers and still others came from the wonderful abundance of cookbooks available out there (usually with variations or adaptations). We always give credit where it is due and extend our thanks to those cooks and authors for contributing to our breakfast repertoire.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

Serves 6

• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 Eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 Tbs Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 Tsp salt over the ricotta mixture and stir with wooden spoon until just combined.

In another large bowl, beat egg whites on low until frothy. Add remaining 1/8 Tsp salt and continue beating eggs on high until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pre-heat a griddle over medium heat. Water sprinkled on the surface should sizzle, but not skitter/dance. Brush griddle with a light film of vegetable oil (not butter). Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the top, the edges look a little dry and pancakes are golden underneath. Flip pancakes and cook for 1 minute more.

Yields about 3 pancakes per serving.

A gift from my friends Lynn & Larry

 

Basic Pancakes:

Serves 4

 1       Cup     Flour
¼      Cup     Whole Wheat Flour
1       tbs       Sugar
4       tsp       Baking Powder
¾      tsp       Salt

2                   Eggs
5       tbs       Vegetable oil
1       cup      Milk

 In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In a medium bowl, combine milk and butter (or oil), add eggs.  Add wet ingredients to flour.  Stir until just combined, leave the lumps. 

 For fruit pancakes:  Add up to 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit.  Or 2 cups of dried fruit soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well.

 For granola or nut pancakes:  Add 1 cup of either. 

 

Sunshine Eggs

Serves 8

 5                   Hard-boiled Eggs
1       tbs       Butter
1½    tbs       Flour
1       cup      Milk
1       cup      shredded Cheese
½      cup      Sour Cream
1½    tbs       Dijon Mustard or more to taste
1       cup      sliced Mushrooms, sautéed
8       slices  of your favorite bread
8       slices    Ham, warmed
8       slices    Tomato

 Peel hard-boiled eggs, cut in half lengthwise.  Remove egg yolks and crumble in a small bowl.  Chop cooked egg whites and set aside. 

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook over medium heat about 1 minute.  Add milk slowly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Turn heat up to medium-high, cook stirring until sauce thickens to consistency of heavy cream.  Add shredded cheese gradually, whisking to fully melt.  Add sour cream, mustard, and sautéed mushrooms.  Stir in chopped egg whites.  The sauce can be made to this point and refrigerated.  Warm over low heat in the morning.

Toast the bread.  Layer a slice of tomato and a slice of ham over the toast.  Top with mushroom sauce.  Garnish with crumbled egg yolks.

 

Artichoke Spinach Quiche

Serves 4-6

 5     Eggs
1/4    cup     Flour
1/2     tsp       Baking Powder
1/8     cup      Vegetable Oil
1 1/2  cups      Cottage Cheese
5     oz        Frozen Spinach, thawed & drained
1     can     Artichoke Hearts, chopped
8     oz        Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded

Squeeze liquid from the artichoke hearts before chopping.   Combine eggs through oil, plus 1/2 cup cottage cheese with hand stick blender.  Add remaining ingredients, stir well (do not use blender).  Pour into a greased 10 inch pie or quiche pan.  Refrigerate overnight if desired.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook straight from the refrigerator for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, let set 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.