Ticking off an item off of my “bucket list,” I decided to make this the year that I would go to Pies on Parade in Rockland, Maine. In spite of comments from friends and family about going to Maine in the depth of winter, I discovered winter is a great time to be in Maine. The landscape looks like a Wyeth painting (because he painted there!) and I escaped the Polar Vortex in Indianapolis.
A friend and I and I stayed at the Rockland Talbot House/Berry Manor Inn, and you may have seen it in a painting by Edward Hopper (another summer local).
The Inn features a 24/7 “pie bar,” complete with a freezer stocked with ice-cream. We gilded the lily by eating slices of blueberry and cherry pies even after full days of pie tasting.
The Parade, now in its 15th year, is a fund raiser for the local food and fuel pantry. It is a three-day celebration of pies that starts with an auction at a brewery, includes a “pie scavenger hunt” in nearby Camden, and ends with the “Parade” on Main Street in Rockland with 30 merchants serving pies. There is a great community spirit as pie-parade participants scurry up and down the streets and dash in and out of the shops to eat pie.
People: Cheryl Michaelsen is the energetic prime mover of the event and, and along with Michael La Posta, is the Innkeeper of the Berry Manor Inn and Rockland Talbot House. Fifteen years ago she and other historic inn- keepers created this event to draw tourists to the area in the winter. The event is held close to January 23, National Pie Day. Since then, Pies on Parade has grown exponentially, and this year’s event included 600 “pie paraders” and raised nearly $30,000.
Places: Rockland, Maine. This town is a hidden gem! It is on the Maine coast and is known as the Lobster Capital of the United States. In the winter, guests ski and skate and stay at cozy inns. For art lovers, the Farnsworth Art Museum holds a private collection of the Wyeth family and a substantial exhibit of Robert Indiana’s lesser known works. (Indiana spent his last years on Vindyhaven Island, a ferry ride away.) In the summer, the town is buzzing with tourists who enjoy the fresh-caught lobster and all types of water sports.
Pies: It is hard to imagine eating 40 sweet and savory pies in 4 hours, but we did it! The secret to success is that the pies are bite-sized, and it takes nearly 10,000 steps to complete the full route! The shopkeepers served pies in the theme of their wares: a “Making Whoopie” pie at the bridal-gown shop; Cream “Puff”in Sweetie Pies at the Project Puffin Center; Lemon Lavender Pork Pie with a mead tasting at HoneyMaker Mead. Several pubs served Shepherd’s Pie or tasty versions of Pizza Pie. The Loyal Biscuit dog supply store had Peanut Butter Pup-pies and treats for the many dogs who also participated. The Rockland Talbot House served a savory Broccoli Cheddar Pie from the recipe collection of the Historic Inns of Rockland Maine, Inn-Dulgences.
- 7 eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup milk
- ⅓ cup flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 chopped shallot
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup broccoli, cooked and chopped
- Beat eggs and add milk and flour. Beat well and add salt, pepper, shallot and
- cottage cheese.
- Add cheddar cheese and chopped broccoli.
- Pour in greased ceramic deep-dish pie pan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until center is firm and top is golden.
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