“If you don’t have good ingredients, you can’t make good food.”
~Erin French
Erin French has inspired me so much as a home cook. I have always subscribed to the philosophy that, if you have really good ingredients, you need to let them speak for themselves when you cook. Erin French takes this to a whole other level, to an art form, and her work has inspired many meals and treats on our little homestead in Maine.
And, because I feel it’s so important right now to support our Maine farmers, I spent a few weeks over the winter watching every episode of The Lost Kitchen in order to have a list of the farms Erin uses to create her amazing dishes. Then, I realized I should share this list with readers.
If you are in Maine or visiting Maine, please check out this list. I have included links to every farm and shop mentioned in her episodes. In some cases, farms did not have a website but did have a social media page, so I have linked to that instead. I did my very best to make this list comprehensive.
If you are not in Maine or visiting Maine, I encourage you to find farms in your state and support them as much as you can. Buying direct from farmers at their stands, at farmer’s markets, or from their online stores makes a huge difference to farmers.
Season 1, Episode 1
Oysters
Johns River Oysters, South Bristol, Maine
Celery
Calyx Farms, Morrill, Maine
Season 1, Episode
Butter (I have used this better. It’s very good!)
Crooked Face Creamery, Skowhegan, Maine
Coffee (Their hot cocoa is also amazing!)
44 North Coffee, Deer Isle, Maine
Steaks
Caldwell Farms, Turner, Maine
Season 1, Episode 3
Lobster
Young’s Lobster Pound, Belfast, Maine
Peaches
Locust Grove Peach Orchard, Albion, Maine
Season 1, Episode 4
Herbs and Produce
Village Side Farm, Freedom, Maine
Wood-Fired Bread
Tinder Hearth Bread, Brooksville, Maine
Season 1, Episode 5
Pork Chops
David’s Folly Farm, Brooksville, Maine
*Event venue as well
Season 1, Episode 6
*apples in every dish episode
Apples
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine
Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine
Season 2, Episode 1
Rhubarb and Garlic
Wild Miller Farm. Palermo, Maine
Custom Pottery and Plates
Campfire Pottery, Portland, Maine
Season 2, Episode 2
Strawberries
*No location given, but Erin picks fresh strawberries. U-pick is a summer tradition in Maine. Check out Real Maine for a list of U-Pick locations for strawberries.
Season 2, Episode 3
Raspberries
Pottery Farm, Thordike, Maine
*Also focuses on wood-fired pottery
*For more information on where to pick fresh raspberries throughout Maine, see this list from pickyourown.org.
Organic Beef (grass-fed and finished on apples)
Apple Bottom Beef, Jackson, Maine
Season 2, Episode 4
Rope-Grown Mussels
Marshall Cove Mussels, Isleboro, Maine
Carrots and Baby Red Potatoes
Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine
Season 2, Episode 5
Squash Blossoms
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine
Microgreens
Graze Farm, Northport, Maine
Season 2, Episode 6
Blueberries
Erin picks blueberries on a small farm. Picking blueberries is a big Maine tradition. You can find a farm with high bush blueberries at Real Maine.
Shallots
South Paw Farm, Freedom, Maine
Season 2, Episode 7
Maine-Grown Scallops
Vertical Bay, Belfast, Maine
Quilts
Smith’s General, Yarmouth, Maine
Season 2, Episode 8
Fennel
New Beat Farm, Knox, Maine
*Their site has a search for recipes by ingredients tool, which is just priceless!
Season 3, Episode 1
Chocolate
Bixby Chocolates, Rockland, Maine
Beer
Oxbow Brewing Company, Newcastle, Maine
Season 3, Episode 2
Maple Syrup
Sweet Freedom Maple Syrup, Palermo, Maine
Tulips
Seek No Further Farmstead, Monroe, Maine (growing tulips in the middle of winter)
Candles
Danica Candles, West Rockport, Maine
Season 3, Episode 3
Artisanal Goat Cheese
Frederickson Farm, China, Maine
Season 3, Episode 4
Meat, Dairy, and Eggs
Misty Brook Farm, Albion, Maine
Season 3, Episode 5
Ricotta Cheese
Crooked Face Creamery, Skowhegan, Maine
Organic Vegetables
South Paw Farm, Freedom, Maine
Season 3, Episode 6
Peaches
Locust Grove Peach Orchard, Albion, Maine
The Shop at the Mill
*Erin introduces her shop in Freedom, Maine.
Season 3, Episode 7
Potatoes
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine
Season 3, Episode 8
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
The Good Table, Belfast, Maine
Season 3, Episode 9
Melons
Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine
Boxes for Tables
Heide Martin Design Studio, Rockland, Maine
Season 3, Episode 10
Fall Crops
Wild Miller Farm. Palermo, Maine
Season 3, Episode 11
Apples
*No location given, but Erin picks apples at an apple orchard. Real Maine offers a searchable site for apple orchards in Maine.
Coffee
44 North Coffee, Deer Isle, Maine
Season 3, Episode 12
Fall Crops
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine