Maine Detox Finale

My last night in Maine was a beauty. At sunset, I took a walk around the tip of Ogunquit Beach. It was low tide, and I marveled at how the surface of the shallow water that skimmed the sandbar reflected the pastel colors of the sky in soothing tones of lilac, rose and pale blue.

After my walk, I took myself out to The Front Porch, an Ogunquit favorite, for a fabulous detox dinner: Field Greens with Sea Salted Radishes & Chevre, and Steamed PEI Mussels in a delightful broth flavored with Basil Pesto & Oven-Dried Tomatoes. (Of course I skipped the bread bowl, but did indulge in some wonderful red wine.) Walking home alone with the memory of dinner fresh on my tongue, adjectives such as succulent, savory, plump, sweet and tender played on mind as I thought to myself: I LOVE LIFE!

On Easter Sunday, I awoke to overcast skies that, although clear by noon, obscured sunrise over the horizon. The morning remained cheerful however, as it found the hotel lawn dotted with a hundred brightly colored plastic Easter eggs! A group of eager children, speaking excitedly in both English and French, gathered on the dining room porch, anticipating the nine-thirty hunt. Inside, synchronicity struck when I met Dixie, a friendly hotel staff member who confided in me that she was a raw foodist! (Synchronicities often occur when doing the Artist's Way program.) What serendipity to meet each other there, especially on my last day in Maine!

Back in my room prior to check-out, I made myself two juices for the day’s sustenance, a fresh quart of Ruby Burst Surprise using these ingredients: and two pints of a new Green Juice featuring red apples from the hotel’s continental breakfast and two cloves of raw garlic.

The taste of this second juice reminded me of the fall/winter season of 1979, when I was nineteen and ate an apple and a clove of fresh garlic every morning for breakfast. To this repast I attributed the fact that I never got sick that winter, despite living in less than hospitable conditions such as unheated attics and abandoned chicken shacks. Tasting the surprisingly satisfying combination of flavors once again, I reflected on how much my life has changed in the past thirty years. Surely, one could hardly find a more hospitable place to harbor one’s body and soul than The Beachmere Inn! Until I return to Maine, the sea-blessed memories I made on my Detox weekend there will serve to sustain. Looking back on it even just a few days later, it seems like a dream.

JUICE FOUR: Sweet Green Garlic

1 cucumber
1 head celery
3 collard green leaves
1 lime
½ lemon
2 red apples, peeled (b/c not organic)
one-inch chunk of ginger
2 cloves garlic

Feed all ingredients through the juicer, alternating the softer apples, cucumber and citrus with the more fibrous celery, ginger and leafy greens to facilitate transport. (This is only necessary if you are using a single or twin gear juicer like a Champion or Omega 8005. I don’t think it makes a difference with centrifugal juicers such as the Breville Juice Fountain or Omega Vert.)

farewell Ogunquit Beach! until we meet again...