Happy New Year to all our friends in food! Taste celebrated the season by serving up maple mustard glazed ham, potatoes au gratin, roasted butternut squash, and green beans with lemon butter (and a huge variety of pies) on Christmas morning to a crowd of more than 40 diners at the Salvation Army in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

I recently sampled a number of small plates and starters at the Dolphin Striker in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and was feeling hard pressed to decide which had been my favorite. Between the house-cured citrus salmon, the black kale and duck confit salad, the walnut soup with goat cheese and apple confit, the seared tuna topped with flying fish roe- well you get the picture. Chef Gary Caron has saved me the trouble by introducing a tasting menu on Tuesday nights with eight courses at the bargain price of $40 per person. Or add light pour flight of four wines selected to complement each course for $50. The menu will change to reflect the best local and seasonal ingredients.

On the Saturday before Christmas, I made it to the Seacoast Grower's Association farmers market held at the Atlantic Culinary Academy in Dover, New Hampshire. What a treat! I came home with maple syrup, a sirloin of elk, breads, jams, applesauce and more. Had I gotten up a bit earlier, there would have been even more variety- a number of vendors had sold out by the time I got there. The Appledore Cove line of products was one of the highlights for me. Their Sweet Country Ketchup along with fresh ground horseradish was the base for cocktail sauce for our pre-dinner oyster feed on Christmas night. Their Strawberry Honey Lavender Jam has an exquisite blend of flavors. Check out all their products at www.appledorecove.com.

It's not often I come across a cookbook with recipes like Roasted Cumin Rubbed Bear with Cabernet Glaze, or Beaver with Tamarind Barbeque sauce or Moose and Bar Harbor Stout Chili, but Kate Krukowski Gooding has tamed the Maine wilderness with her new book, Black Fly Stew: Wild Maine Recipes. But don't mistake this collection for some sort of back woods compendium that requires a charter membership to the NRA. Her recipes are sophisticated, fun and layered with flavors. From vegetables from her own garden to gorgeous seafood dishes, this isn't just a novelty, it's great stuff. See Kate's recipe for Meyer Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette in our Featured Recipes section.

It's peak season for Meyer lemons right now. This slightly sweet hybrid, thought to be a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, originated in China and was brought to this country in 1908 by Frank Meyer, a culinary adventurer who worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rind is smoother, thinner and a deeper gold color than regular lemons. Use these as you would regular lemons when a slightly smoother, less tart flavor would be appropriate.

Want to have your product, establishment or service considered for our Editor’s Picks? Send press info and product samples to Editor’s Picks, Taste, 155 Fleet Street, Suite 210, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801.

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