Check back monthly for a recipe from Chef Jean and the team!
Keep scrolling down to see a collection of recipes.
Portokalopita – Greek Orange Cake
August 2026
“I absolutely fell in love with this cake on a recent trip to Greece. Although it may seem a bit intimidating, it is really quite simple and originally was a way to use up scraps of dough, similar to a bread pudding. If anyone desires to bake me a cake for any reason, this is the one. Just saying! ” – Chef Jean
Ingredients (Serves 4):
For the Syrup:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
For the Cake:
- 1 # Phyllo sheets
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- zest from two oranges
- 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt 2%
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Instructions:
- For the syrup, combine the water, sugar, orange juice, the cinnamon stick and the orange blossom water. Bring the ingredients to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- While the syrup is being prepared, dry out the phyllo. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Open the phyllo sheets, and one by one, scrunch them up, starting from the short side. After scrunching each sheet, place it on a baking pan and continue until you have scrunched the entire pack of phyllo. Be careful not to scrunch them too tightly. You will need 2 baking sheets to accommodate all of the phyllo.
- Bake at 200 degrees. After 10 minutes, flip each phyllo sheet over and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the phyllo in the oven with the door open. Once completely dry, use your hands to crumble the phyllo into small pieces, and set them aside.
- Next: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and the sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes, until it is a pale yellow color.
- Add the orange zest, Greek yoghurt, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined.
- Next, add the oil and the orange juice to the bowl. Mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, begin to incorporate your dried out and torn phyllo into the cake batter, a little bit at a time. If you put all the pieces in at once, they will clump together.
- After incorporating all the phyllo into the batter, pour the mixture into a greased 9”x13” baking pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes in the middle rack of the oven until the cake is a nice golden color.
- Remove from the oven and immediately pierce it in several places with a long clean skewer.
- Pour the cooled syrup onto the hot cake, one ladle at a time. Allow each ladle to be absorbed into the cake before adding the next one. Repeat until all the syrup has been used.
- Let cool before cutting to allow the syrup to be fully absorbed. Enjoy!
Seafood Pasta Salad
July 2026
“Great for lunch or dinner. We often feature a similar version in The Gazebo Grille during the summer months.” – Chef Jean
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- ½ pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound fresh Maine crabmeat, or lobster meat
- 6 ounces dried shell, farfalle, or rotini pasta
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Add shrimp to the boiling water and boil until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes for fresh and 2 ½ to 3 minutes if frozen. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a colander and rinse with cold water until fully cooled. Transfer the shrimp to a paper-towel-lined plate and refrigerate.
- Bring the water back to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces dried pasta and cook according to package directions until just tender, 10 to 13 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dressing.
- Whisk mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, fresh dill, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
- Drain crabmeat and pick through for any shell pieces. Add the crab, celery stalks, and shallot to the dressing.
- When the pasta is ready, drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well again. Add the pasta and reserved shrimp to the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
French Style Potato Salad
June 2026
“Any chilled vegetables or canned tuna can easily be added to this easy and versatile potato salad. Great for picnics or a summer meal side.” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 10-12 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon, chopped
- 3 TBL chives, chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
- Wash the potatoes and put them in a medium-sized pot. Cover the potatoes with water and boil them for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they’re fork-tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, chop the herbs.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, crushed garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes then cut to bite size pieces. Add them to a large bowl along with the parsley, dill, and scallions, and toss with the dressing.
- Chill the potato salad before serving.
Smokey Pickled Asparagus
May 2026
“Cheeseburger Bacon Soup is always a big hit with a crowd. It’s the ultimate, creamy comfort food, tasting like a loaded cheeseburger in a bowl.” – Chef Maryann, winner of the 2026 OceanView Soup Challenge.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bunch thin asparagus spears (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- 1 medium shallot, peeled, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Instructions:
- In small saucepot, whisk together vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar and smoked paprika until sugar and salt have dissolved. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil; let boil 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, trim bottom inch from asparagus spears. Place spears in a resealable container or baking dish. Top with sliced shallots.
- Pour hot vinegar mixture over asparagus, carefully adjusting asparagus to make sure they’re completely covered.
- Let sit uncovered at room temperature 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Store, covered, in pickling liquid in the refrigerator.
Cheeseburger Bacon Soup
Winner of the 2026 Soup Challenge
April 2026
“Cheeseburger Bacon Soup is always a big hit with a crowd. It’s the ultimate, creamy comfort food, tasting like a loaded cheeseburger in a bowl.” – Chef Maryann, winner of the 2026 OceanView Soup Challenge.
Ingredients (serves 8):
- 12 slices bacon chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 cups potatoes, cubed and peeled
- 3-4 cups beef or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Italian spices
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 cups cheddar cheese
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving ¼ of the drippings in the pot.
- Add the ground beef to the pot, cook until browned and no longer pink. Remove beef from pot, drain and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium low, add the butter and diced onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the veggies: carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook for 7-10 minutes until tender, then add the broth and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the beef back to the pot, stir, and if the soup is too thick, add one more cup of broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream and heavy cream. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts.
- Stir in ¾ of the bacon.
- Serve garnished with the remaining bacon and fresh parsley.
Mushroom Marsala Pasta
March 2026
“I enjoyed something similar recently in a local Sicilian restaurant with Porcini mushrooms and Marsala wine. I’m obsessed and wanted to try to recreate it here. I hope you like it!” – Chef Jean
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
- 8 ounces penne pasta (or similar shape)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 pounds fresh Cremini mushroom, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup marsala wine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces toasted salted pistachio nuts
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes before perfect doneness. Drain and set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, over high heat, sauté mushrooms in olive oil and cook until they’ve begun to brown and glisten, but have not yet released their liquid.
- Reduce heat to medium, add onions, salt, and pepper and sauté together until the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated.
- Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until it has almost fully evaporated.
- Add butter, stir until melted.
- Add flour, and stir until all has been absorbed.
- Add stock, a very small splash at a time, stirring the whole time with a spoon. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/flour/mushroom mixture, scraping from the bottom of the pan and all around, before adding the next splash. Repeat until all stock has been added.
- Let mixture simmer together for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently; the sauce will thicken slightly. Add in the cooked pasta and half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well together.
- Spoon portions into pasta bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, chopped pistachios and remaining shredded Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Greek Honey Cake
February 2026
“Nothing better on a cold Maine winter day. You may substitute salmon, shrimp, or other seafood as available. Serve with a crusty bread or salad for a complete feast!” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 1 cup honey
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar, divided
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions:
- Combine honey, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice; bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Combine flour, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- Beat remaining 3/4 cup sugar and softened butter together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, beating just until incorporated; stir in walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven and poke holes over the surface with a toothpick. Slowly ladle the cooled honey syrup over cake. For best results, set cake aside for 4 to 6 hours to cool and absorb the syrup before slicing and serving.
Seafood Chowder
January 2025
“Nothing better on a cold Maine winter day. You may substitute salmon, shrimp, or other seafood as available. Serve with a crusty bread or salad for a complete feast!” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, 1/2-inch dice
- 2 medium onions, 1/2-inch dice
- 2 stalks celery, 1/2-inch dice
- 2 carrots, 1/2-inch dice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-1/2 cups chicken stock, or seafood stock if available
- 1 cup bottled clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 baby potatoes, peeled & quartered
- 2 cans clams (minced or chopped)
- 1 lb white fish fillets, (haddock, cod, or hake)
- 1/2 lb sea scallops, halved
- 2 cups half & half or light cream
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions:
- Add into a Dutch oven a heavy bottomed stock pot soup, set over medium heat. Add bacon & fry until crisp. Use a slotted spoon, pull out bacon and set on paper towels to dry.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat in the pot and return to the heat. Saute onion with a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper mill. When onions are golden brown and glossy, add carrot, celery and garlic. Continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Pour in stock, clam juice & water. Add bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Remove and discard bay leaf. Add fish fillets and scallops into soup. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Add cream and clams. Taste for seasoning. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with parsley and reserved bacon to garnish.
Hungarian Goulash
December 2025
“A rich and satisfying meal for the winter months… We will be serving this in the Main lodge Dining Room in a bread bowl this winter. It’s a reminder of my trip to that region of the world last winter.” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or bacon grease if available)
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions chopped
- 1/4 cup quality Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded/membranes removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded/membranes removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 5 cups beef broth (traditionally just water is used but beef broth adds so much more flavor)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
Instructions:
- Melt the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium high heat and cook the onions until beginning to brown.
- Add the beef and cook until the beef is just starting to brown.
- Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt, pepper, and caraway.
- Add the beef broth and bay leaf, and return to the stove. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40-60 minutes.
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Add salt to taste.
- Remove the bay leaf. Serve and enjoy!
Mind Diet
Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
November 2025
“In honor of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we will be running a ‘Mind Diet’ special program in November at The Gazebo Grille and Main Lodge Dining Room. It’s a combination of The Mediterranean Diet and The DASH diet, focused on nurturing the brain. This is a simple recipe that brings together whole grains and fresh fruit, two important components of the diet.” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped toasted sliced almonds plus 2 TBL sliced, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup well-stirred coconut milk
- 4½ tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
Instructions:
- Stir oats, ½ cup almonds, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.
- Whisk coconut milk, honey, applesauce, egg white, lemon zest and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Add the milk mixture to the oat mixture; stir until well combined.
- Fold in 2/3 cup blueberries. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.
- Top with the remaining 1/3 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons almonds, pressing gently into the surface. Bake until set and edges are starting to turn golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using the parchment overhangs as handles, remove from the pan and cut into 9 bars using a sharp knife. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies
October 2025
“We can’t help but to be excited about “pumpkin” season. These delightful cookies will be featured on our dessert menu in the Main Lodge this season. ” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Coating:
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Melt 1 cup of butter over medium heat, continuing to stir until it reaches a rich amber color.
- Pour the butter into a measuring glass to ensure you have the right amount, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the brown bits as well. It should be a bit short of 1 cup. Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes. Don’t let it solidify.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled brown butter. It should look like clumpy wet sand.
- Whisk in the egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.
- Add in all of the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold into the dough.
- Off to the side, mix together the coating ingredients in a small dish.
- Use a large cookie scoop (2oz) or 1/4 measuring cup and scoop out the dough. Drop into the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat. The dough will be very soft but not sticky.
- Place onto the baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart from each other. Leave the rest of the dough out at room temperature.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are darkened and the center looks puffed and slightly underdone.
- Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Marry Me Chicken
September 2025
“The “Marry Me Chicken” story started in 2016. A recipe editor at the food website Delish created a one-skillet chicken meal. After tasting the dish, a videographer said, “I’d marry you for that chicken!” and the name was created. The recipe quickly became popular and was known on social media for being so delicious it could inspire a marriage proposal.
Marry me sausage soup was the winner at our annual soup contest earlier this year, so I thought folks might also love this recipe.” – Chef Jean
Ingredients:
- 4 (6- to 8-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 Tbsp. salted butter, divided
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2/3 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
- Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions:
- To make cutlets, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking gently to remove the excess and transfer to a plate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil, and let the butter melt. Once the foam has subsided, add the first 4 cutlets to the pan, and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat the process with 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil, and the remaining 4 cutlets. (Do not wipe out the pan between batches unless flour is burning). Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, and cook until it is translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste to the pan. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has turned darker in color. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Let the wine reduce by half.
- Stir in the chicken stock, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a simmer. Once the sauce is simmering, add the chicken and any accumulated juices back into the pan; cook for 5 minutes. (The sauce should be thickened slightly.) Stir in the cream and parmesan, and let simmer for 5 minutes more to make sure the chicken is tender and all the flavors have melded.
- Top with parsley and extra parmesan, and serve alongside mashed potatoes or any short cut pasta you like.
