Sweet Times! Maple Weekend in New York State

Maple Weekend in New York State is March 17-18 and March 24-25. Sugar shacks sprinkled throughout the state open their doors for tours, pancake breakfasts and tastings... kind of like "open studio" for the art and craft of all things maple.

And a craft it really is. Next time you open a bottle of syrup to put on your waffles- think twice- most commercial grades a la Aunt Jemima are made from the lowest grade syrup added to copious amounts of corn syrup while the stuff that comes in the cute bottles and is super pricey--- that's the good stuff- the cream of the crop so to speak.

Many syrup businesses are small cottage ventures and many a seasonal offset for dairy farmers to bring in a few extra bucks during the Spring season. The syrup business is not for the frail - it is hard labor and a labor of love. The sweet stuff does not flow easily and taking it from tree to table is a monumental effort.

Contrary to what many think- maple season is early Spring, not Fall. Warm days of early Spring and cool nights make sap run- and it is the sap that we have come to know as maple syrup. First you need the trees, and lots of them! Sugar Maple and Black Maple are the most popular variety and to yield a great crop you need more than a bucket.

We had the sweet fortune of visiting Fairbanks Maple in Forestville, NY on Saturday and were amazed at just how elaborate the "tiny" operation is. With over 3,300 trees each tapped just once a season, there are what seems like miles of endless blue lines that run the sap from tree to tank.

Once collected, the sap is converted to syrup. When sap is first collected it is mostly water and the sap to syrup conversion happens when most of the water is boiled away. It takes over 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Packaging alone is a craft in and of itself. Similar to canning- issues of hygiene and proper sealing of the container must be precise to avoid contamination- if any introduction of air is released into the seal, the syrup is destroyed.

Next time you sit down to a hearty breakfast- think twice- and enjoy the sugary sweetness as you pour maple syrup- a truly sweet labor of love!

MAKING THE GRADE

Here's a run down of maple syrup by quality and grade:

Grade A maple syrup is classified according to color. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple taste.

Grade A Light Amber — the lightest of the three classifications with a mild and delicate flavor. It’s best for maple cream and molded maple sugar (candy).

Medium Amber — a bit darker with a fuller flavor. This is the most popular grade for table syrup.

Dark Amber — the darkest of the three grades has a stronger maple flavor. This all-purpose syrup is good for cooking, baking and table use.

Extra Dark — used for cooking, strongest maple flavor. Best for cooking.

Grade B — sold in bulk for reprocessing and the manufacture of commercial table syrups. Best for baking.

Source: Mapleweekend.com

Learn more here:
NY State Maple Producers Association
Cornell University Sugar Maple Research Program

Photos taken at Fairbanks Maple: Forestville, NY - (716) 965-4208
Photo #1: via getentrepreneurial.com

Cinderella Pumpkin Time

With much work to get done on this beautiful Sunday, a day in the country turned in to a few mere minutes in the country- alas- the life of an entrepreneur! So a quick trip to one of Ohio's largest farms- Lynd Fruit Farm yielded a few Fall faves...

Don't you just love the natural textures and color shading on these!?


A Cinderella Pumpkin- really- that's what it's called ;)


And what would Autumn be without the proverbial adorable mini pumpkins!

Oh, and did I mention pumpkin doughnuts, apple cider doughnuts and apple fritters??? So much for the healthy eating, but hey, it's Autumn!

Anyone do anything Fall fabulous this weekend???

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato - Heirloom Tomato Basics

Now I'm no tomato aficionado, but I do know a savory marinara sauce when I smell one, or a summer fresh capresse salad when I taste one!

But what I don't know much about are the oh so popular heirloom tomatoes. So I did a bit of reading and thought I'd share the basics I learned...

An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of it's valued characteristics. Since 'heirloom' varieties have become popular in the past few years there have been liberties taken with the use of this term for commercial purposes.


*Tomato experts, Craig LeHoullier and Carolyn Male, have classified heirlooms into four categories:

Commercial Heirlooms: Open-pollinated varieties introduced before 1940, or tomato varieties more than 50 years in circulation.

Family Heirlooms: Seeds that have been passed down for several generations through a family.

Created Heirlooms: Crossing two known parents (either two heirlooms or an heirloom and a hybrid) and dehybridizing the resulting seeds for how ever many years/generations it takes to eliminate the undesirable characteristics and stabilize the desired characteristics, perhaps as many as 8 years or more.

Mystery Heirlooms: Varieties that are a product of natural cross-pollination of other heirloom varieties.


**Heirloom tomatoes are also divided into fruit size categories:

Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes – small bite-sized or salad sized tomatoes.
Heirloom Paste Tomatoes – meaty flesh with fewer seeds.
Heirloom Slicing Tomatoes – large, round tomatoes also called “beefsteak” tomatoes.
Heirloom Shaped Tomatoes – odd-shaped tomatoes that don’t fit into typical categories.


**And, heirloom tomato color categories:

Red Heirloom Tomatoes – The well-known and popular color for tomatoes.
Orange and Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes – Lower in acid than typical red tomatoes, these heirlooms would be a great choice for anyone suffering from ulcers.
Pink or Purple Heirloom Tomatoes – Second lowest acid content they are similar in flavor to the red tomatoes.
Green Heirloom Tomatoes – Unusual tomatoes that remain green tinted even when fully ripe.
White Heirloom Tomatoes – Often sweeter than others, these are white or near white tomatoes.
Striped Heirloom Tomatoes – Some of the most unusual tomatoes of all these can be red and yellow; green and orange or anything in between.

So that's the basics- now it's on to growing... a whole other subject! For growing basics can be found here. Lots of work to be sure but with names like Turkey Chomp, Wayahead, Bloody Butcher and Kellogg's Breakfast they've gotta be great!

Sources: *Tomatofest.com, avalon-acres.com, ***teenaspride.com, heirloomseeds.com, **plantsbulbs.suite101.com

Blackberry Call

Have been wild for blackberries lately. No, not the PDA variety... the luscious, finger staining, yummy, summery, pick a pint kind. Such a great summer treat! From local markets to super markets they are a plenty and at prices as low as $1 a container, no brainer!

Anyone have a great Blackberry recipe??? This one sounds berryliscious!

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

8 cups of fresh blackberries
2 1/4 cups of sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Pastry, home made or store bought
1/4 cup of butter [optional]
1/8 cup of sugar [optional]

Procedure:
Stir together the first 4 ingredients: let the mixture stand 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Roll out half the pastry into a square 1/4 inch thick; cut into 1 ½ inch strips and place on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake the strips for 10 minutes at 425 degrees until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool. Break strips into pieces.

Spoon half of the blackberry mixture into lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish; top with pastry pieces. Spoon remaining blackberry mixture over pastry. Dot with butter or margarine (optional).

Roll remaining pastry into a square and cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick. Optional, paint very lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar [just enough so sugar sticks] and arrange in lattice design over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream and /or blackberry syrup.

Recipe: Thehappyberry.com
Photo: virginmedia.com

Get to Know Your Farmer

It's (finally) the time of year when great local fresh produce is becoming readily available again. For a lot of us, this means coming out of hibernation and back into the community in the way of our farmers markets. A trip to the farmer's market (or even the regular grocery store) can be a challenge for some. There are so many types of lettuce, peppers, apples and so on, that the choices can seem overwhelming. One great option for those short on time and new to buying local, is a CSA.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

a typical CSA share (peak summer month)

To locate a CSA program in your area, we love the Local Harvest CSA finder. You can enter your zip code and a veritable bounty of options (depending on your location) are at your fingertips.

Apple of our Eye

Hello Bramley, Cox Pippin, Cortland, Stayman Winesap, Jonagold, Rome, Cameo and Jonathon. We welcome the return of our faithful Fall friends! Let's spend the day together... strolling in the orchard, prepping in the kitchen, lovin' each other a bushel and a peck!

Yep- it's apple season, perfect as pie and for pie! And for eating... Nothin' like the crispy crunch of a Honeycrisp or McIntosh - fresh picked right from the tree. Y-U-M!

And does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Seems so- Quercetin boosts memory and apples have been shown to prevent a cluster of illnesses. All research aside, we all know there's no such thing as an old wives tale so no need to prove what we all already know- we heart the big apple, the small apple, the lady apple, all yous apples! So happy it's the season!!

For classic apple recipes from Victoria Magazine click here, and here for pick your own farms locations throughout the U.S.

Photos#1 and #3 via: Highland Ghillie / Flickr and see more beautiful work at http://highlandghillie.etsy.com

Guide to Ethical Eating

In this weeks New York Magazine, there is a great article (and a chart....we love charts!) about making your everday eating choices a little greener. See the full article here - and update your shopping list!

Images via New York Magazine

NYC Fave: Cookshop

Our Monday Morning Mimosa event is only 1 week away, and we have the Big Apple on the brain! While in NYC we always make a point of going to our favorite eatery - Cookshop. Located on Tenth Avenue at 20th St. this spot is a do not miss. Cookshop serves rustic American fare with a nod to Mediterranean (perfect for summer), and specializes in sustainable ingredients, humanely raised animals and supporting local farmers and artisans. We just can't say enough about how incredibly good, flavorful, fresh and made with care the food is - especially after working a long gift show day. The wine list is thoughtful (many organic) and the drinks are all made with small batch liquors and herbal extractions like hibiscus. Yum.

While we're in NYC for our event, we are determined to visit at least one of their two sister restaurants where we've never been- Five Points and Hundred Acres.

A little side note: for a bit more high-falooting sustainable fare, do NOT miss Blue Hill. Simply amazing food all grown by Blue Hill Farm at the Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York (whose shop carries our "Market Fresh" Greenotes). You can be sure there is a blog post to come on that!

Images via Cookshop, Flickr, New York Magazine

Summer is Sweet

It is really, truly, finally summer! This year we decided to take the eating local challenge to the next level. We decided to plant an all edible garden. As with all good things - you must wait, and in this case - we have waited, waited, and then waited some more - in the Chicago cold no less. But finally, just these past few weeks we have been graced with potatoes, lettuce and a plethora of herbs. The waiting game is still on for the squash, carrots, cucumber, raspberries and beans - but we are patient and now we can wait in the warm summer air!

Planting the garden earlier this year inspired us so much - we decided to pay homage to the bounty of summer with our Market Fresh 100% pcw greenote collection! You can view the entire summer collection, including Market Fresh, by clicking here!

Being that it's the first year of our edible garden - we are still learning! To fill in, it's such a pleasure to visit the various (outstanding!) local farmer's markets around Chicago. We make it a point to meet the farmers and learn about the organic and sustainable practices they employ. It's such an incredible feeling to go home and prepare all the goodies knowing where they came from and who has grown (or raised) them - all for the same, or less cost of the products found at mass supermarkets.

To locate the farmers markets in your neighborhood, be sure to visit Local Harvest - a great site dedicated to community supported agriculture.

Our Red Tote at the Market

Yesterday was our local Lincoln Square farmers market day - and we hit it this week - filling our lovely red tote with asparagus, strawberries, greens and even some fresh baked pie! Find our Market Tote 100% pcw Greenote on our website, and find your local Farmers Market at Local Harvest!

Hello Beautiful!

100% pcw Re-Wrap gift wrap by Green Paper Company

(top to bottom) Bud, Vines, Bloom.

Maybe it's the hot-cold-hot weather we've been having, or the fact that one day you have to wear a heavy coat and the next day flip-flops, but we are sure yearning for true summer. One thing is for certain - the color is here; greens, yellows, sky blues, and the bright oranges found in apricots and poppies (kinda like our 100% pcw goldenseal!) that hint summer is just about here.

Images via Once Wed, Rebecca Cole Design, Rosie's Vintage Wallpaper.