Festive Red Cabbage Salad

If you're starting to think about a resolution for healthy eating in 2016, then this salad might be a delicious way to begin the new year.  The recipe, from the BBC Good Food website, combines  red cabbage, beets, apples and oranges with a honey-sweetened dressing, and toasted walnuts for crunch and flavor.  It can be made ahead, though the cabbage will wilt a bit if it sits in the fridge for a few days.  We took this to our Christmas Eve celebration with family and our nephew asked us to leave the leftovers for him.  Can't think of a better endorsement!

Festive Red Cabbage Salad
1/2 small red cabbage, finely shredded
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 tart apples, cored and diced
4-5 small cooked beets, diced
1 large orange 
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons red currant jelly (or other tart jelly)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the cabbage, onion, apples and beets in a large bowl.  Finely grate the zest of the orange over the veggies in the bowl.  Cut the rest of the pith off the orange.  Holding the orange over a smaller bowl to catch the juice (to use in the dressing) cut the orange segments from their membranes, chop them into two or three pieces, and add them to the bowl with the veggies. Squeeze the remaining orange membranes over the smaller bowl to get every bit of juice that you can. Add the vinegar, jelly and honey to the  bowl with the orange juice and whisk until well blended.  Continuing to whisk, dribble the olive oil into the dressing until well emulsified. Pour over the salad, add salt and pepper and toss well.  Check seasoning.   If you're serving right away, then sprinkle the walnuts on top.  If not, then hold off on adding the walnuts until you're ready to serve.  Happy New Year!

Rosemary Shortbread and (BONUS recipe!) Honey-Lime Salmon with Noodles

Rosemary-flecked shortbread cookies

These delicately sweetened rosemary shortbread cookies come from Melissa Clark at the New York Times. I halved the recipe and made them much thinner, using a spring form pan with a center hole. The hint of rosemary marries well with the sugar, honey and salt to make a not-too-sweet cookie that would make an elegant addition to a holiday cookie plate.  Very nice for an afternoon tea.  Check out Melissa Clark's recipe if you want a thicker, more substantial cookie.

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold butter (don't substitute!)
1 teaspoon dark honey (though any will do)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the flour, sugar, rosemary and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Cut the butter into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes, add to the food processor and pulse several times until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs begin to come together--but don't over pulse.  The mixture will be very (very!) crumbly.  Place this crumbly mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan with a center hole or a loaf pan.  (If you use a loaf pan, it might be worth using parchment paper to line the short sides and bottom so that you can lift it out easily when finished.) Press the crumb down firmly and evenly all around.  Bake for about 30 minutes until the edges are nicely browned.  Cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cut into cookie-sized pieces.  Be sure to cut the shortbread before it cools completely. These keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.  Makes about 18 cookies.

Honey-Lime Salmon with Noodles

Honey-Lime Salmon with Noodles

This recipe comes from Hattie Ellis's wonderful cookbook, Honey, which I reviewed in a previous post (here's the link!).  This was a hit with Robert's sister, Felicity, who was visiting for dinner (Robert liked it, too!).  The honey-lime glaze for the salmon has an Asian flair to it.  The original recipe calls for sugar snap peas or snow peas.  I didn't have them on hand, so just used some regular, frozen peas.  This is an easy and delicious mid-week meal, which is also fancy enough for company.

4 salmon steaks (we used fillets)
1 package of flat rice noodles (you could also use fettucini or spaghetti if that's what you have)
2 carrots
2 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas (I used about 1/2 cup frozen peas)
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
squeeze of lime juice
4 wedges of lime to serve

Honey-Lime Glaze
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
juice of one lime
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons honey (the lighter summer honey works well with this)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch of chili flakes (optional, but nice!)

Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all of the glaze ingredients and stir well until the honey completely dissolves.  Line a baking sheet large enough to fit the salmon with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Place the salmon on the sheet and pour the glaze over it.  Place in the oven for 5 minutes, then spoon the glaze over the salmon and return to the oven for 5 more minutes, spooning the thickening glaze over the salmon one more time about a minute before the end of cooking time.

Follow the package directions for cooking the noodles.  Peel the carrots and cut into thin matchsticks.  Steam the carrots for about 3 minutes.  Add the peas and steam for another few minutes until both the carrots and peas are barely cooked--you want the carrots to still have a little crunch.

Toss the cooked noodles with the carrots, peas, cilantro, sesame oil and a squeeze of lime.  Divide the noodles among four bowls and top with the salmon, spooning extra glaze over all.  Serve with lime wedges.  Some might like a little extra soy sauce and chili flakes on the table, too.

Honey-Roasted Cauliflower

Looking for a different side dish for Thanksgiving?  This honey-roasted cauliflower may be your answer! 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Slice a whole cauliflower head into 1/4 inch slices.  There will be some bits of cauliflower that don't stay in tact--that's fine.   Tossed the slices (and extra bits)  with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil so that the slices are evenly coated and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly-cracked pepper.  Drizzle the whole shebang with about 3-4 tablespoons of honey.  Roast for about 20 minutes, then pull out, turn the slices over.  Return to the oven for about 20 minutes more.

You can embellish with some red pepper flakes if you like your roasted cauliflower on the spicy side--or add some chopped garlic half way through the roasting to ramp up the flavor.  This is great hot out of the oven, but is also nice at room temperature, too.   I had these with some macaroni and cheese for a mid-week dinner and couldn't have been happier!

Honey Cake You'll Really Like!

Robert made this delicious honey cake last week.  It 's a bit late for Rosh Hashanah, but this cake is wonderful and worth making even if there isn't a new year to celebrate. If we had it, we'd have added a little whipped cream to the plate to take this dessert over the top!   This recipe, for Red Wine Honey Cake with Plums, comes from Melissa Clark's "A Good Appetite" column in the New York Times. We skipped the plums in favor of raspberries that are burgeoning in the garden right now.  My all time go-to recipe for honey cake has been the one published in Gourmet Magazine in September 2003 (and luckily still available on-line!).  I think this one might just replace it, though!

Melissa Clark's Red Wine Honey Cake (made by Robert!)
NOTE:  In her story about making this cake, she notes that the wine tints the batter "an unappealing grey, making it look more like concrete than cake." That color disappears with the baking--and the flavor is lovely.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1  1/4 cups olive oil
1 cup good, local honey
3/4 cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the middle of the oven.  Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices together in a large bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs then add the sugar, oil, 1 cup honey, wine and ginger and whisk until well combined.  Add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and whisk until smooth.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean--about 45-50 minutes. (You might need to tent the cake mid-way through if the top starts to brown too much.)  Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes then unmold and cool completely.

Recipes for July 4th! Honeyed Three Bean Salad & Honey Cheese Cake Squares

Honeyed Three Bean Salad

I'm trying to make up for my two-month hiatus as a blogger by posting a few recipes at a time. The first is a take on the classic three bean salad, with a few twists--including using edamame (soy beans) as one of the three beans.  Like its classic cousin, this salad a bit on the sweet side--but it's delicious and refreshing and sure to please at a July 4th cook out.  The poppy seeds make it special.  You could skip the edamame for classic green beans instead.  If you do, don't make the salad too far in advance as the vinegar in the dressing will turn the green beans a dull grey.  The inspiration for this salad came from a recipe in a May/June 2007  issue  of Vegetarian Times.

The second recipe, for Honey Cheese Cake Squares, is one that I pulled from an April 2003 issue of the now defunct Gourmet Magazine.  Recipes from Gourmet are all now available on Epicurious. The honey cheese cake squares were a hit for dessert this weekend when my cousin, his new wife and son were visiting from North Carolina (they're adorable newly weds!). The honey in this recipe really shines through--and a lighter honey I think works best.

Need more recipe ideas for your July 4th cookout or family get together?  Check out a past post for Memorial Day Picnic Recipes (including honey baked beans and grilled skirt steak).

Three Bean Salad

1 10-oz package frozen shelled edamame beans (2 cups) 

1 15-oz can dark kidney beans, drained

1 15-oz can navy beans, drained

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced (about 1/4 inch)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Cook edamame according to package direction and then immediately put in ice water to cool and stop cooking.  Drain and put in a large bowl along with drained kidney and navy beans.  Add red onion and celery to bowl and toss. In a jar (or food processor), combine the vinegar, honey, mustard, oil and poppy seeds and shake (or process) until well combined.  Pour over beans and toss to evenly distribute.  Taste and season with salt & pepper.  Let the flavors meld for a few hours and up to one day.  Serve cold.  Makes about 8 servings

HONEY CHEESE CAKE SQUARES

Makes about 24 1 1/2 inch squares

For the crust:
6 whole graham crackers, crumbled
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup light (spring or summer) honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Pulse the graham crackers, sugar and butter in a food processor.  Press mixture evenly over the bottom of a 8x8 square baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool for about five minutes.

For the filling, blend the cream cheese, egg, milk, zest, lemon juice and honey in the cleaned food processor.  Pour filling over crust and bake in the middle of the oven until the filling is set (and a bit puffed)--about 30 minutes.  Cool and then chill for at least three hours.  When fully chilled, cut into squares--they'll still be a bit rough around the edges, though--just like most of us! :)

Honey Cheese Cake Squares

Marbled Brownies for July 4th (or a graduation celebration)!

On July 4th, we're celebrating our brilliant and handsome nephew's graduation from college. (Yay Michael! Anyone looking to hire a clever, skilled writer and incredibly competent new grad? Email us!)   Where was I? Oh! Right!  Brownies:  I'm assigned to bring brownies to the festivities.  I was surprised to find this recipe, which uses honey as the sweetener for the brownie batter, in my loose-leaf copy Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1976).  I think I picked this cookbook up in a thrift store in the 1990s.  I don't turn to it when I'm looking for recipes for fruits or vegetables, but I usually check it out when I need a basic recipe like brownies (or mac-n-cheese).

These brownies are a cross between the fudgy vs. cakey  options, though leaning a bit more on the fudgy side.  The recipe appears in narrative form in the book, so why mess with tradition?

Marbled Brownies 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.  Grease a 9x9 square baking pan and line with parchment paper and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper.  Melt 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and 6 tablespoons butter. [I did this in a microwave, heating for 15 second intervals and stirring in between; it took a total of 30 seconds, with about 30 seconds of waiting for the last bits to melt after the second time.]  In a separate bowl, gradually add 1/3 cup honey [I used spring honey] to 2 beaten eggs.  Blend chocolate mixture into egg/honey mixture and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Whisk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and pinch of salt.  Add to chocolate mixture and fold in until just combined.  Batter will be a bit lumpy. [At this point, the recipe calls for pouring 1/2 of the brownie batter in the pan and baking for 10 minutes. I tried this, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference; there wasn't a solid layer of brownie at the bottom, in other words. Next time, I'll skip this step.]  Spoon cheese mixture [recipe follows] over brownie batter and then top with rest of brownie batter.  Lightly swirl cheese and brownie together.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  

Cheese Filling:  Cream together 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar.  Beat in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).  

Makes about 32 1-inch brownies

Annual Gift Ideas for Bee Loving and Beekeeping Dads!

If you're like me (and if your dad is like my dad), finding the right gift for Father's Day can be a real challenge. My dad isn't really into "stuff," which is one of the many things I love about him.   If your dad's a  beekeeper (or a bee lover), though, I have a few ideas for some cool stuff that will really impress him!  

For the bee loving dad:

Your dad doesn't have to be a beekeeper to be able to enjoy his very own pollinator garden. Here's a link to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column by Sandy Feather, who works for the Allegheny County Cooperative Extension.  Her column offers a nice list of plants in our region that are great for bees.  Sandy's column also offers excellent suggestions for how to be a bee-friendly gardener.  

If your dad is a bee lover, then make (or buy) him a mason bee home. Mason bees are solitary bees and don't require the tending that honeybees do.  They're lovely pollinators, though!  Here's a link to information about how to make a mason bee hotel from a gardener in the UK. You can find bee houses for sale at Amazon and many other places on-line, most are less than $20.  Search for "mason bee house" or "bee house."

For the beekeeping dad:

If your beekeeping dad lives in the Pittsburgh area, then you'll really impress him if you give him a local queen raised by one of our area's Master Beekeepers, Steve Repasky! You don't have to actually obtain the queen--Steve can give you a gift certificate to give to your dad--but I guarantee this gift will blow your dad's veil off!  Email Steve at meadowsweetbees@gmail.com (and tell him you got the idea from Jennie and Robert!).

If your beekeeping dad has beeswax he needs to filter, another idea is to make him a solar wax melter.  If you search the internet for "solar wax melter" you'll find a number of plans, some elaborate and some quite simple. Here's a link to Linda's Bee Blog for how to make and use a simple solar wax melter.

Getting a gift certificate for a honeybee queen or making a solar melter a bit too out there for you?  Here are a few more traditional ideas:

One handy item that we use regularly is a cleaning caddy, which I've picked up at thrift stores around the area.  They're big enough to hold hive tools, a lighter, some tape, extra gloves and other items that are nice to have in one place when working on a colony. They're not expensive at all (especially if you get them at a thrift store!).   Add a nice j-hook hive tool to the cart and a fancy bow and you're good go!  

If you're looking for something a bit more splashy, consider a garden cart with sides that can pull down (available in many "big box" stores like Home Depot, K-Mart and Loews).  Carts like these make it easy to haul bee boxes to and from the apiary as well as all of the sundry items beekeepers need while tending their hives.  They range in price from about $75 to $150.  

Still need more ideas?   Take a look at these previous posts:  

2011 Father's Day Gift Suggestions

Honey Cookbook Reviews 

  

Honey Pot Roast for Christmas (Eve) Dinner

This is pull-apart-with-a-fork tender pot roast, lightly sweetened with honey.  We'll be serving it for Christmas Eve dinner this year.  We got the chuck roast from McElhaney Family Farm in Hookstown--a wonderful source for locally raised beef!

I adapted this from the National Honey Board's recipe for Irish Honey Pot Roast.  We just fiddled a bit with it! :)  I made it a day ahead and will let the meat cool in its juices, so to speak.  I'll reheat it in a slow cooker on low for a few hours before serving.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 to 5 lb chuck roast
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup honey (I used summer amber honey)
1 cup apple cider (you could substitute ale)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut in in 2 x 1/2 inch pieces (approx.)
2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut like the carrots
2 cups leeks, well-cleaned and cut like the carrots
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut in 2 inch chunks
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Salt and pepper the meat, coating thoroughly.  Dredge the meat in the flour.  Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high flame.  Sear the meat on all sides--letting brown very well on the two largest sides (about 5 minutes each side).  Gently heat the broth, cider and honey and stir well to thoroughly combine.  Add this to the Dutch oven along with the garlic and thyme.  Seal with aluminum foil and place the lid on top.  Roast for 1 1/2 hours.  Add the vegetables (they'll pile high on top--but not to worry, they'll cook down).  Seal again with foil, add the top and roast for another hour or so until the vegetables are soft and the meat is tender.  At this point, you can remove the vegetables to a serving dish and place the meat on top, spooning the broth over all.  If you'd like a thicker gravy, you can place the Dutch oven on the stove and bring it to a boil.  Combine about 1/4 cup flour, a bit of salt and pepper and 1/2 cup cold water in a jar with a lid and shake well.  Add the flour mixture to the boiling broth and stir until the gravy thickens.  Taste for seasoning and either pour the gravy over the meat and vegetables or serve on the side.

Make ahead:  Once the meat and vegetables have cooked, remove them from the Dutch oven, placing the meat in a slow cooker with the broth and the vegetables in another dish.  Cool and then refrigerate overnight.  About three hours before serving, remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.  Place the meat in the slow cooker and heat on low about two hours.  Add the vegetables about hour before serving (or cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until heated through).  This recipe serves between 8 and 10 people.

The National Board's recipe notes the whole thing can be made in a slow cooker:  Place the vegetables in the cooker, brown the roast and place it on top of the vegetables.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Honey Cashew Butter Cookies

Looking for a cookie to put out for Santa?  You could do worse than these honey cashew butter cookies, adapted from a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens 2011 Christmas Cookie book.

1/2 cup roasted cashew butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup summer (amber) honey
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4ths cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cashews (optional)

In a large bowl, beat cashew butter and butter until thoroughly blended and fluffy.  Add the sugar and honey and combine thoroughly.  Add the egg and mix well.  Stir in the vanilla extract and combine.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt.  Add this to the cashew butter mixture, and mix to combine well.  Add the chopped cashews if using.  Cover and chill dough for about 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  (If you decide not to use parchment, no need to grease the cookie sheets.)  This is a very soft dough, so if after 30 minutes of chilling, it's still difficult to form into balls, add another 1/8th to 1/4th cup of flour.  Flatten the balls by making criss crosses with the tines of a fork dipped in flour.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and taking care not to over-bake.  Let cool for about a minute on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.  Store at room temperature and tightly covered for up to five days, or wrap well and freeze for up to three months. Makes about 50 cookies

Best-Ever Honey Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

The honey in this recipe keeps the cookies nice and chewy, yet they also have enough structure to hold up to any decoration you pile on them.  We'll post photos we get another chance to bake them!

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup honey (summer honey works well here, but fall honey is also good)

1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk first seven ingredients together (flour, soda, salt and spices).  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well.  Add honey & molasses and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Refrigerate for about 1 hour. This makes a soft dough, which will need additional flour for rolling.  Roll out on floured surface to about 1/4" and cut into desired shapes. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.  To make sure the cookies retain their fancy shapes, you can freeze them for 15 minutes before baking. (nb: Cookie testers Jeff & Laurie note this doesn't seem to make much difference.)  Bake 10-15 minutes, rotating pan half way through. The cookies should be nicely (but lightly) browned on the edges.   Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring to cooling rack.  Cool completely before decorating.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on how big your cookie cutters are.

Honey Orange Cranberry Relish

Most cranberry bags include a recipe for an easy, fresh orange cranberry relish, which has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for many years. When we started keeping bees, we substituted the sugar for honey and haven't looked back.  This is best made at least one day ahead and can be made up to three days in advance.

1 large navel orange, well scrubbed (organic, if you can find it, since you'll use the whole orange)
1 12-oz bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 to 3/4 cup honey (I tend to use the summer amber honey for this, but any will do)
Optional spices:
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
a shake or two (about 1/2 teaspoon) cinnamon

Quarter the orange and remove any seeds.  Place the orange and the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Stir in the honey, blending well.  Taste and the spices if you'd like.

Honey Dinner Rolls--Great for Thanksgiving!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I thought a few honey-based yeast roll recipes would be welcome.  Both of these recipes make light, fluffy soft-crusted pull-apart rolls.  For both, I use rapid-rise yeast.  If you are using regular yeast, the rise times may be a bit longer. You'll also want to "proof" the yeast before adding it.  Place it in 1/4 cup warm water just above body temp (about 100 degrees) and decrease the water in the recipe by 1/4 cup.   If you're having a lot of company, make both!

HONEY DINNER ROLLS

These rolls have just a hint of sweetness that should please the kids at your Thanksgiving meal.
3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon for tops
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 oz (1 package) rapid (or quick) rise yeast

Heat the water in a pan until it just starts to steam--you want it hot to the touch, not burning.  Add the butter and honey and stir until dissolved. I

In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir the flour, salt and yeast to combine then slowly pour in the water, butter honey mixture and mix on medium-low speed until just combined.  Increase speed to medium and beat dough until it begins to flap against the side of the bowl--about 5 minutes.  You may need to add a bit more flour, though this will be a sticky dough.

Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit until doubled in bulk.











Deflate dough and turn out on to a board.  Cut the dough into four pieces and then cut each piece into four

Roll each piece into a ball and place in a greased 9 inch baking dish

Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until double in size--about 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, brush tops of dough and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

BUTTERMILK HONEY CLUSTER

This recipe results in a lovely round of golden brown rolls that look great in bread basket.  The crumb is a bit  more sturdy than the honey dinner rolls and the flavor has a bit of a tang.

1/4 oz (1 package) rapid (or quick) rising yeast

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup very hot water

2 tablespoons honey (amber summer honey is great for this, though fall honey will also work)

1 3/4ths cups buttermilk, briefly warmed, just to take the chill off (don't scald!)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Combine the yeast, flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or large food processor).  Dissolve the honey in the very hot tap water. Add the buttermilk to the water and stir to combine.  Turn on the mixer and slowly add the liquid to the flour mixture.  Mix on medium-low speed until dough forms and begins flapping on the side of the bowl--about 5 minutes.  Cover bowl.  Let sit in a warm spot for about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9 inch round springform pan with some butter.  Deflate roll dough and divide into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball.  Place balls in pan--about 9 on the outside and 3 in the center.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another hour until doubled.  Whisk egg white with a bit of water and brush tops of rolls.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake until golden-brown--about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Honey-n-Halloween Popcorn Treats!

Here's a bevy of honey popcorn snacks--some sweeter than others!

HONEYED POPCORN (with variations!)
Of the three recipes in this post, this one is the least sweet, has the fewest calories, and is easiest to make.  It's a little like kettle corn--just a kiss of sweet saltiness, which makes it a great snack.  The finished product can be a bit sticky, so it's wise to serve this with lots of napkins (or even individual bowls for each nosher).  If this is the only snack you're serving, this recipe makes enough for about two people.  If you're serving other snacks, this amount should satisfy four eaters. The recipe is easily doubled.

8 cups air-popped pop corn, freshly popped (about 1/2 cup unpopped)
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons honey (amber summer honey works well here)
kosher salt for sprinkling on top

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the honey, mixing well.  As soon as the popcorn finishes popping, pour on the butter/honey mixture and toss well.  Sprinkle on kosher salt to taste.  Serve immediately!

Variations:

• To emphasize the sweetness, add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract when you melt the butter.
• For a more savory dish, sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon cumin or paprika when you add the salt.
• Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese when you add the salt.
• Try toasting 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds and sprinkling them on when you add the salt.

POPCORN BALLS

This recipe requires a candy thermometer; you want the honey/molasses mixture to reach the "hard crack" stage so that will harden and keep the popcorn ball together.

8 cups freshly popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped)

1/2 cup amber summer honey

1/2 cup molasses)

1 1/2 cups butter (three sticks)

Salt to taste

Place the honey and molasses in a pan and cook until it reaches 270 degrees.  Stir in the butter and stir until it melts entirely.  Add a pinch of salt.  Slowly pour the syrup over the popcorn, stirring with a wooden spoon and being sure that all of the popcorn is coated.  Grease your hands and lightly shape the popcorn into balls and set on wax paper to harden.  Should make about 16 popcorn balls, depending on how large you make them.  

HONEY-GLAZED POPCORN

I picked this recipe up at the Western Pennsylvania Herb Society's recent bees and blooms event, held at the Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley.  It's very sweet (and very good!)--much like caramel corn.

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup honey (fall honey is particularly good with this)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 quarts popped popcorn

1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt the butter and stir in the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Put popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl or pan.  Pour syrup over all and toss to mix well. Turn out on to two greased 15 x 10 baking pans (line them with aluminum foil for easier clean up).  Bake about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cool completely and then break into bite-sized pieces.

A Honey of a Father's Day Meal

It's all honey all the time for this Father's Day meal! Maybe your dad is already sweet and so one (or two) of these dishes might do the trick. The honey in the steak and the potatoes is not that overpowering, though--so the entire meal is one that even an already sweet dad would enjoy. These dishes all serve about four people.

SEARED BLACK PEPPER HONEY STEAK

We adapted this recipe from Lynne Rosetto Kasper and Sally Swift's How to Eat Supper cookbook. You can check out the original recipe on Rosetto Kasper's Splendid Table website.

3 tablespoons dry red wine

3 tablespoons honey--the fall honey is fantastic with this, but summer honey also works well

3 large garlic cloves, smashed

freshly ground black pepper (about 1 teaspoon)

olive oil

1-1/2 to 2 pounds steak (about 1-1/4 or 1-1/2 inches thick--get it from McElhaney's!)

kosher salt

more freshly ground pepper

Combine the wine, honey and garlic cloves and pepper and pour over steak. Let it marinate while you make the rest of the meal. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and add to the pan. Let it sear on one side for about 3 minutes, while you sprinkle the top with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn and cook 3 minutes more, sprinkling with more salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium low and cook, turning for about 2 or 3 more minutes until internal temperature is between 125 and 130 for medium rare. (This splatters a lot, so be prepared for the mess.) Let steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. You can thinly slice and use this for sandwiches if you'd like. Two pounds serves four people.

HONEY ROASTED NEW POTATOES

1 pound small new potatoes

2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil or peanut oil--or 1/2 butter and 1/2 oil)

3 tablespoons honey (spring or summer)

1 tablespoon dry mustard (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper flakes)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scrub new potatoes and place in a pot of salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for no more than 5 minutes. Drain, return to pot and shake over the flame to dry potatoes and get them ready to roast.

Combine the butter (or oil), honey and mustard (or cayenne pepper). Pour over potatoes in the pot and toss to coat well.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil (this will save clean up time!). Pour coated potatoes onto cookie sheet, and spread out, giving them lots of room. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, being sure each potato gets a nice dose of salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 35 to 50 minutes, shaking pan after about 15 minutes and then at least once again. Begin testing to see if they're done at 35 minutes and keep roasting until a paring knife easily slides in (and out).

Dr. J's FAMOUS SPINACH, APPLE, CHEDDAR SALAD WITH HONEY POPPY SEED SALAD DRESSING

1 pound fresh spinach, washed and dried

1 crisp green apple (like a Granny Smith), chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Toss together. When ready to serve, toss with Honey Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (recipe follows)

HONEY POPPY SEED SALAD DRESSING

2/3 cup honey (summer honey works best here)

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine everything but the olive oil in a food processor. While the processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil until all is emulsified. Just before serving, pour about 1/4 on the salad and toss. Add more dressing as needed. Serve extra dressing on the side.

HONEY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE BISCUITS

for the strawberries:

2 cups strawberries, cleaned and hulled (and sliced or halved, if large)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup honey (summer honey is best)

Combine and set aside while you make the shortcakes.

for the biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup spring (or summer) honey

2-3 tablespoons whole milk, plus more for tops of biscuits.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut butter into flour mixture until it's about the size of peas. Combine 2 tablespoons of milk with the honey. Pour over flour and gingerly combine (I use my hands for this). Add another tablespoon of milk if you need to--you want the dough to just barely come together. On a floured surface, pat dough out into a rough square (about 6 by 9 inches). Cut into six squares. If you'd like, you can cut the squares into triangles. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, being sure sides don't touch. Brush tops with some additional milk. Bake for about 10 minutes until tops brown.

To serve, split warm biscuits, top with strawberries. Serve with sweetened whipped cream (beat 1/4 cup of whipping cream with 1/8th cup of honey) or vanilla ice cream (or some plain yogurt sweetened with a little--you knew this was coming, right?  honey!).

Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Honey and/or Honeybee Lover

Looking for some unique gift ideas for your hard-to-buy-for dad? Look no further! (And don't worry, Dad: We're getting you a tie this year!)

For the bee-curious dad (who may or may not be a beekeeper):
He's likely to enjoy Thomas D. Seeley's 2010 book Honeybee Democracy (Princeton University Press) and recently featured on NPR. Seeley is a professor of biology at Cornell and a passionate lover of and advocate for honeybees. In this latest book, he describes how honeybees make collective decisions about where to locate a new colony when they swarm. From this, Seeley draws some delightful conclusions about how humans can make better collective decisions. The writing is lively and fascinating. The book is available on-line for about $20.

For the dad who loves honey and wants to know more about it:
Check out Kim Flottum's The Backyard Beekeeper's Honey Handbook. I reviewed this book in Review of Honey Cookbooks, Part I. It's written for beekeepers, but provides a very nice discussion of honey varieties, talks about how to treat honey well and includes some great recipes, too. You might also look for Gene Opton's Honey: A Connoisseur's Guide, (reviewed in Review of Honey Cookbooks, Part II), though it's out of print, and may take some searching to find.

For the beekeeping dad who like gadgets:
One of the handiest gadgets we've added to the many beekeeping gadgets we've purchased over the years is a simple and compact cigar lighter that makes lighting a smoker a dream. If your dad's a beek and doesn't have one, he'll thank you for it! You might also look for a "frame holder" or "frame perch" which is a handy when you're beekeeping on your own. They're available at all major beekeeping supply places. (Joe Z. at Country Barn Farm is a local distributor for Brushy Mountain. Blue Sky Bee Supply in Hiram, Ohio is another small and fairly close source.)

Memorial Day Picnic Recipes

SPICY VEGETARIAN HONEY-BAKED BEANS!

Dark fall honey makes a great substitute for molasses in baked beans. These beans are quite spicy, so if you want to tone that down a bit, add a little less (or omit altogether) the chipotle pepper.

2 cups dried navy beans (we've actually used black-eyed peas for this recipe with great results)

2 teaspoons

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried ground chipotle pepper

1/2 cup dark fall honey

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste

Rinse and pick through beans to be sure there aren't any stones. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water three inches above beans. Place in fridge and soak over night. (If you're short on time, you can place beans in a pot, add water to cover three inches. Bring just to a boil--just until the small bubbles appear around the edges of the pot. Turn off heat and cover for 1 hour. You'll be ready to continue with the recipe.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-proof pan (like a Dutch oven) and saute onion and garlic until soften. Drain beans, rinse well, and add to pan. Stir in 4 cups water, chipoltle pepper, tomato paste, honey and salt and stir well. Cover pot and place in oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours, checking about once an hour to stir and see if the beans need more water. Add more water as needed. Serve hot or at room temp. Beans should be very soft and the sauce quite thick.

Another vegetarian addition: Add a few pats of butter when you remove from the oven to make the beans even more...mmmm!

Omnivorian addition: You can fry 4 or 5 strips of bacon (cut in 1/2 inch pieces) until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and reserve. Saute the onion and garlic in the bacon fat. Add the fried bacon when you add the beans. Makes about 8 to 10 servings

HONEYED COLESLAW
Very simple--but deliciously tangy. You can also use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt (that is if your calorie budget can bear it.)

4 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons celery seeds

Combine well and chill. You can add some shredded carrots for color.

Makes 8 servings

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK WITH HONEY MARINADE

We sent this recipe out last year to the folks who subscribe to our email newsletter list recommending this marinade for the delicious skirt steaks the McElhaney Family Farm sells at the St. James Farmers' Market (and elsewhere). One reader wrote that McElhaney steaks are so good, nothing should be added to them! So, if you want to "gild the lily," try this recipe.

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup summer (or fall) honey

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup canola oil

2 pounds skirt steak

Combine everything except the steak in a jar with a good-fitting lid and shake to mix well. Add the steaks to a zip-lock bag along with the marinade and refrigerate over-night (but not longer). Prepare grill for cooking on medium-high heat. Remove steaks from the bag and discard marinade. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side (slightly less for very thin steaks). Let rest 5 minutes (crucial step!). Slice thinly against the grain and serve slices with freshly grated horseradish or horseradish sauce. This recipe serves 4, but if used for sandwiches it will serve 8.

Looking for dessert? Check out our honey rhubarb pie recipe previously posted!