Valley Bounty, February 8th, 2014: Honey

Need a sweet winter pick-me-up? Try local honey. Find local farmers’ recipes for Lamb with Honey, Almonds and Raisins, and a Moroccan Carrot Salad with honey-sweetened dressing, in Recipes & Cooking Tips. Finish your meal with a moist honey cake. Or, more simply, treat yourself to a cup of honey-sweetened chai on a snowy afternoon. If you’re tempted to raise your own bees, we offer links to upcoming classes by local beekeepers.

Beekeeping Classes
Local Beekeeper Clifford Hatch is offering beekeeping classes through Greenfield Community College. Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary in Deerfield offers classes that allow you to see the full year of life in a beeyard, as well as a 3-day intensive in May at Rowe Camp and Conference Center. Find all the information on their website. CISA’s Events Page is a good place to find opportunities like these to learn from local experts and pratictioners.

Sources: CISA’s list of honey producers is here. Look for honey at winter farmers’ markets and ask your grocer if they have local honey.

Recipes:

Lamb with Honey, Almonds and Raisins from Leyden Glen Farm

Moroccan Carrot Salad from the Kitchen Garden

Majestic and Moist Honey Cake —how can you resist that title?—from Smitten Kitchen

Honey Chai from the National Honey Board