Sugaring 2010

So the sap has begun to flow from our maple trees in northern Vermont. The weather can differ a few degrees warmer on the Lake Champlain Islands where we live. Surrounded by the lake seem to protect us from severe weather that other parts of Vermont are known for. So lately we have been very fortunate to have the right temperatures, warm days and cold nights, therefore the sap is running well.
Now we are to the point that we need a few days of the sap not to run, just to keep up with the sap that has already been collected and is waiting to be processed.
The children go by tractor from one tree to the next as they help us empty the sap buckets from the trees and empty them into holding containers. From these containers the sap in transferred by tractor to a large holding tank in the sugar shack. The sap is then transferred to the evaporator. Where we try and process as soon as possible to make the best maple syrup.
As the children wander in and out of the sugar shack playing their games, they always manage to get as close to the evaporator as they can. They would argue that the best spring time smell is to inhale the steam right before the sap is turned into maple syrup.

MAPLE SUGARING 2010 HAS BEGUN

This year seemed as though so many little life happenings led us away from watching the weather and getting jobs completed before we begin the maple sugaring season. Repairs to equipment, cleaning buckets and the evaporator along with splitting lots and lots of wood all need to be done around the time you begin to tap trees.
The warm weather we have received this last week was a sure indicator that we could wait no longer to begin this special time in Vermont.
The children dressed in warm and water proof clothes all helped as we tapped our trees one by one and hung the buckets. It almost becomes a little assembly line with everyone having their specific job to do; drill the hole in the tree, tap the spout into place, hang the bucket and secure the lid.
After all the maple trees are tapped, we need plenty of patience. Every year after we have tapped the trees, we wait and wait because it seems as though it takes a few days before the sap begins to pour. We all question ourselves -did we tap to early or late? Has the frost in the ground melted enough so that the trees can release the sap? Eventually, with the weather perfect the sap begins to drip into the buckets. It is the most simple but joyful sound we hear- the sap as it slides out of the spout one drop at a time and taps the bottom of the metal buckets.
As we tapped the trees this year,the temperature was around 38 degrees and a few drops of the sweet sap dripped into the buckets. With a cold night with a temperature in the 20's and a warm day in the mid 30's to low 40's we may have the sap running. Then we will collect the sap and boil it for many hours. Then it is the most important job-tasting the sweet warm syrup.
Cross your fingers for a successful year.

Cinnamon Turkey Sandwich

After a busy morning, sometimes we need to have make a quick lunch. Depending upon ingredients in the refrigerator on of the children's favorite sandwich in our cinnamon turkey sandwich.
We use our home baked cinnamon bread for this delicious sandwich.
Ingredients:
2 slices of cinnamon bread per sandwich
3 slice of your favorite turkey luncheon meat
1 slice of Vermont cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon of apple butter
Layer turkey on cinnamon bread. Add cheese and then spread a tablespoon of apple butter on the cheese. Top sandwich with the other slice and enjoy such a simple but definitely delicious sandwich.

Chickens and Children

Last May our family decided to get chickens. We were buying our eggs from a nearby farm and since I bake so much in the summer at a local farmers' market in Vermont, we thought it would be a good idea to have our own chickens, therefore our own fresh eggs daily. After using what I needed for baking, the extra eggs the children could sell at the market or to neighbors.
Summer went by quickly with the excitement of doing chicken chores. As you can guess Vermont can get very cold on winter mornings. Most mornings the children wake up, have breakfast and then are supposed to check on the chickens. We first go through many excuses why they can't get to the chickens; "I need to go to the bathroom."(which can take up to 15-20 minutes) or "It is too cold out, so they probably aren't hungry and of course they can't lay eggs in this temperature." or "Why should I go feed the chickens, we fed them yesterday?" or "I feel really sick, but can I have pancakes and sausage for breakfast."
Once the children finally get outside, chicken chores almost become a game. Any transportation device assists in making being outside pleasurable, like a sled to slide down the pathway, a child's tractor which they push themselves around the yard and then eventually to the chicken coop or the tractor can carry a bucket of water to the coop, and of course bicycles in the summer. Mind you it is only about 100 yards from the house to the chicken coop. Then there is a race to collect the eggs. The eggs don't fair too well on those days. On occasion only a few eggs make it back to the house because of mishaps- "Well I didn't see the step and I fell and cracked seven eggs." "There was too many eggs and I needed to put some in my pockets and when I got back on my bike, I forgot that the eggs were in my pocket."
Anyway, we have the day to day trials and tribulations of having chickens. The best part of it is that we have fresh eggs any time we want.

GREAT EGG SALAD
6 eggs boiled and chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped celery
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of relish
Salt and pepper to taste

Thinking About Spring

January at times can be a challenging month with cold temperatures and freezing wind. This warm weather we have been experiencing allows me to see a glimmer of hope that spring will indeed come. I know spring is still way off, but our thoughts of spring are not. Just last week, we were able to find a few more maple trees to tap this year. We also have our seed catalogs out so we can place our seed orders in early February. After the school work is done, the children don't complain as they run outside on a beautiful day to build snow creatures. Lastly, we were able to check on our bees and feed them. Hopefully most will survive the winter and if you are wondering if bees can still sting in the wintertime- they can.
Yes, winter is still here and I do enjoy watching snow flutter to the ground, but we are reaching that point were I can just begin to imagine that just maybe I will be able to survive another winter in Vermont.

From the Garden to the Table Even Throughout the Winter

From the bit of research we have done, we know that our house was built before the 1860's. Therefore, the basement was built over 150 years ago. Our basement was built having a dirt floor and even now the temperature year round stays around 50 degrees. In fact this works to our advantage- in that we have something like an old fashioned root cellar. Placing root vegetables down in the dark and cool place allows there shelf life to continue throughout the winter.
The other day while down in the basement we found our butternut squash that we placed there in this fall. Even though it is winter using the vegetables we grew in the garden from the summer before is great. This allows you to think of all those recipes you want to try and didn't have time or some old recipes that make you think of fall again.
Try this ravioli recipe, it isn't very hard and if you don't have squash from the garden, try it with frozen of evened canned squash.
Butternut Squash Ravioli
Basic Dough
2 cups of bread flour
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup of warm water
Place flour into the bowl of your mixer, make a well into the flour, add egg yolks, salt and olive oil to bowl. Begin to mix the ingredients, add water a tablespoon at a time until dough forms a ball. Do not add enough water to let the dough to get sticky. Mix or knead for 10 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 45 minutes. While dough rests make butternut squash filling.
Butternut Squash Filling
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
2 cups pureed butternut squash (If using fresh squash poke the whole squash with a fork in several places and then place it into a 9 x 13 pan with 1/2 inch of water on the bottom. Put pan in 350 degree oven and roast until squash in tender. Once cooled, remove skin and seeds from squash and place the flesh in food processor to puree.)
1 -2 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion until tender in butter over medium heat. Add squash to the onion mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Once the mixture in warm, take off stove and let cool.
While squash mixture cools. Begin rolling out dough. Slice dough into 2 pieces. Using a rolling pin roll 1 piece of the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is very thin. The dough should be about the thickness of a dime or so you can see your hand through the dough when you lift it up. As you roll the dough, turn over 2 or three times so that it doesn't stick to the counter. Once rolled out to chosen thickness, place a teaspoon of squash mixture over dough in lines with about an 1/2 to 3/4 of inch space on all sides. Using a pastry brush, dip in water and brush the dough around the squash mixture so that when you put the top dough over to form the ravioli the dough will stick together better. Press down where the dough meets to seal in the squash mixture. Cut ravioli using a pizza slicer. Let ravioli air dry as you continue rolling out the second piece of dough and continue making the ravioli.
Place the ravoili in boiling water for 2-4 minutes and serve with any sauce you would like.

Weekends and Pizza

It seems as though every weekend, our family desperately needs to have pizza for dinner. Even on busy weekends we are still able to make our own pizza dough. The children love kneading and working the dough. Sometimes the dough may end up as calzones, but mostly it's pizza.
Testing different pizza dough recipes was something we did often. We needed one that was basic, flavorful and easy to work. Finally, we found the recipe that works best for us. If you have only an hour or two, reduce the rise time. No matter how many hands play in this dough it seems as though this is a no fail recipe.
Pizza Dough Recipe
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
1 tablespoon of yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place warm water into the mixing bowl of your standing mixer. Add yeast and let proof for 5 - 10 minutes. After the yeast looks bubbly, add 2 cups of flour and mix either with machine or your hands. Add the olive oil and the remaining flour gradually. Mix until dough forms a ball. Take dough out of bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until dough bounces back when you gently poke it. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel, and let this rise in a warm area until doubled. Once doubled turn out the dough onto lightly floured surface, pat into a rectangle and cut in half.
Place dough onto a greased pan and work the dough into the needed shape. Place your desirable toppings on the dough and place into a preheated 450 degree oven until the cheese has melted and slightly golden.
Makes 2 pizza doughs
Enjoy!