Maple Farm or Funny Farm?

The summer is now officially over, and the outdoors farmers markets have ended. It was an incredible summer and thank you to all.

We at Sugarmomma's Maple Farm feel that it is an appropriate time for you to meet the rest of our family. You will be the judge, maple farm or funny farm?


Picture here is Jethro and Tony our Scottish Highlander cows. As most people are unaware of Highlanders are a rare heritage breed cow. I like to joke and call them hippy cows because of their long hair and big horns. They are beautiful animals which I am proud to own. I was very surprised to find so many people who have never seen cows like Jethro and Tony. Pictured here with the boy's is Jim McGeough of White Gate Farm in Epping. Jim is the breeder of these magnificent animals. Thank you Jim and Susan for doing such a beautiful job.

Momma's little girls! It sure is wonderful to have something else in pink but me. Here are my girls Hanna and Tammy Swynette. They sure are lovable, just rub their belly's and they melt. Just like any other baby's when their belly's are full nothing is better then a long nap in the sunshine.

These girls here are Nick's Chick's. Nicholas has taken a large interest in agriculture this past year, and has purchased 10 heritage breed laying hens from our friends over at Yellow House Farm in Barrington. We are patiently awaiting our first egg. Let's hope that it comes soon or its Coq Au Vin for these girls (just kidding). Nicholas will have some of his heritage eggs available for sale at the winter farmers markets.

Meet Tom he is a happy white broad breasted turkey. Tom and his brothers and sisters (I call them all Tom) live here on the farm in their plush condo. This turkey house is a replica of the camp that I used to go to as a child with the Nun's. How on earth did Ron know that he would be rekindling childhood memories? Thanks to the farmers of the Seacoast Growers Assoc. my turkeys were the best fed turkeys on the seacoast. Be sure to visit soon if you would like to meet Tom he is sure to fly the coop!

So, as you well can see things are pretty busy here on the farm. Have you decided yet? Maple farm or Funny farm! If I have to choose I would say Happy Farm.
Stop bye and visit we are home enjoying the sights and sounds of farm life. The Sugar house will be open throughout the Holiday season to meet all of your personal and Christmas needs, just give us a call and let us know that your coming so we can be here. We will also be at the winter farmers markets sponsored by Seacoast eat local. Visit their web site for times and places. www.seacoasteatlocal.org

Chunky Candy

Here is a mixture of some of my favorite food groups! Can you just taste it now. Chocolate, maple, currents, raisins and nuts.

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup Sugarmomma's pure maple syrup

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup currents

1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds

1 tsp. dark rum or vanilla

In microwave or double boiler melt chocolate. Add maple syrup, raisins, currents, nuts and vanilla or rum, and combine well. Drop balls onto wax paper using two spoons or small cookie scoop. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and store in an airtight container, in a cool place. Enjoy!

Another Happy Day at Portsmouth Farmers Market

See You There!

Shared Recipes

The Manchester Farmers Market has had a smooth and delightful opening, with lots of tasty treats. Today at the market Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord, NH shared a wonderful recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pudding. I feel that it is only appropriate that I share it with you. I will be making this with the beautiful, sweet strawberries that I picked up today from Apple Hill Farm at the Manchester market.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pudding

Sauce:
In a quart saucepan on low heat stew the following till tender about 7 minutes.
3 cups rhubarb (fresh or frozen) cut up into small pieces
2 cups sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 cup maple syrup (Sugarmomma's of course)
1/4 cup water

Cake Batter:
In a small bowl cream together
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
Then add and stir till blended:
1 cup whole milk

Sift together in another bowl:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
And blend this together with the creamed mixture of sugar, butter and milk.

Strudel topping:
Cream together with a fork or your fingers:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 stick of butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Take the strawberry-rhubarb sauce and pour into a ungreased casserole dish leaving 3/4 to 1 inch head space around the top. ( you might have a little sauce leftover to sample, depending on how juicy it cooked up). Pour the cake batter over the top and sprinkle last with the strudel topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.


Apple Hill Farm
Chuck & Diane Souther
580 Mountain Road (NH Route 132)
Concord, NH 03301
603-224-8862
diane@applehillfarmnh.com
http://www.applehillfarmnh.com/

Manchester Farmers Market is Open

Caleb and I visited the Manchester Farmers Market. We had Maple Syrup. candy, popcorn, sugar, cotton candy and maple ice cream available. What a great and friendly market.
You will have to make this market a must on your things to do list.
The market is every Thursday and the operating hours are 3pm to 6:30pm.
See you at the market!

Maple Syrup Bread

1/3 cup Sugarmomma's pure New Hampshire maple syrup (I use B grade)
2/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons dry milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups of whole wheat flour

Crust topping
1-2 tablespoons maple sugar
water

Place maple syrup and warm water in a medium mixing bowl. Add dry milk,
butter, yeast, and salt. Stir until dissolved. Mix in flours, a half cup at a time.

Turn dough out onto floured board and knead for about 5 minutes. If the
dough is too sticky, add more white flour one tablespoon at a time.

Grease medium bowl. Put dough in bowl and turn so that the dough is greased
on the top. Cover and let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes or until
double in size.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured board and knead for 3 minutes.
Shape dough into loaf.

Grease loaf pan. Put loaf in pan, cover with clean cloth and allow to rise for
about 30 minutes or until double in size.

Brush the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle granulated maple sugar on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove loaf from pan and let cool to warm on rack.

Yield: One loaf

Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust

For this tart a few tablespoons of maple syrup sweeten the blueberry topping and round out the flavor of the cream filling.

Makes 12 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours (including cooling & chilling time)

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Crust
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted (see Tip)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Note)
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
Pinch of salt

Filling
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, preferably grade B, divided
2 cups fresh blueberries

1. To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add graham cracker crumbs and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
3. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; toss to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and slightly darker around the edges, about 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling: Beat cream cheese, sour cream and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. When the crust is cool, spread the filling evenly into it, being careful not to break up the delicate crust. Arrange blueberries on the filling, pressing lightly so they set in. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup over the berries. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 177 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 138 mg sodium; 103 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other), 2 fat

TIP: Tip: To toast walnuts, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

Note: To avoid trans fats, look for graham crackers without partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. To make crumbs, pulse graham crackers in a food processor or place in a large sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. (You’ll need about 14 whole-wheat graham cracker squares to make 1 cup of crumbs.)

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 1 day. | Equipment: 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan

The Markets Are Open

The Seacoast Grower Farmers are open. You can visit us in Durham on Mondays, Hampton on Tuesdays, Dover on Wednesdays, Exeter on Thursday and Portsmouth on Saturdays. We will make an occasional visit to Kingston on Tuesdays. If you haven't visited one of the seacoast growers farmers markets it is well worth the trip. Portsmouth is my favorite, you can get breakfast or lunch, a maple soft serve or just go for the entertainment. But either way stop over and say hello! You can visit the Seacoast grower web site at www.seacoastgrowers.org

Exeter Farmers Market Opening Day

The Exeter Farmers Market opened on Thursday May 21st. With 90 degree weather the Maple Ice Cream was a good thing.

Road Trips

The weather is right for road trips. I enjoy them most in the spring and fall, when its not too hot or cold. For those of you who find that Northwood is just a little bit to far out of the way, the farmers markets are opening. The Portsmouth farmers market opened May 2nd, the rest are soon to follow. Exeter farmers market will open Thursday May 21st, Hampton, Dover and Durham will open the first week in June. You can check times and get directions at http://www.seacoastgrowers.org/ we will be present at many Seacoast growers markets. This year Ron and I will be adding two new markets to our road trip, we will now be participating in the Manchester farmers market and at Wentworth Greenhouses farmers markets. The Manchester market will open on June 18th at 2:30 and Wentworth greenhouses at the end of June. We hope that you will stop by and visit us at one or more of the markets. We will have ice cream available in Portsmouth, Exeter, Manchester and Rollingsford at Wentworth greenhouses. We will still be available here at the sugarhouse upon request so just give us a call and we will be happy to accommodate you. See you at the market and enjoy the road trip.

2009 Open House Details

Our 2009 Open House is near. We are busy making all of our final arrangements for our visiters. To list a few, Lasting Legacy Farm announced today that they will be bringing there newest family member Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell is a two month old black angus & herford mix. They will also have Easter hams that they raised on their farm available on Sunday the 29th. Robin Comeau of Nana's Acres Farm will be here both days and bringing two young oxen bulls. She will also have available her famous Rubies jerky. Yellow house farm will also be joining us with their farm fresh eggs just in time for Easter. They will also be bringing some of their heritage birds along for all to view. If you haven't gotton your 2009 Seacoast Eat Local calendar they will be available. I am partial to Miss March.

We will be serving breakfast from 9:00 to 3:00. Other products available will be Maple Syrup, Maple Nuts, Maple Cotton Candy, Maple Candy, Maple Popcorn, Maple Sugar, Maple Soft Serve, and of course our own Maple Hot Sauce.

We look forward to seeing you here at the farm.

NH Union Leader

Reporter Kathy Bailey visited the sugarhouse today. Watch the union leader for her articles. We have had two wonderful interviews. There will also be a section with some of my favorite recipes. All of you maple popcorn lovers just might want to read it!

It's The Perfect Weather

The nights are cold and the days are warm. Perfect weather for maple sugaring. Most evenings you can find us in the sugarhouse with the fire crackling boiling away. We have fresh syrup on the shelf, still at 2008 prices.

2009 Annual Open House

Come visit Sugarmomma's Maple Farm during our 2009 Annual Open House, March 28 and 29 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. We'll be boiling maple sap and turning it into sweet, delicious, New Hampshire maple syrup. Get a free tour of the sugarhouse, learn how maple syrup is made, and sample freshly made maple syrup products. We're at 213 Ridge Road in Northwood. A map is provided below;


View Larger Map

Photos!

Here are a few photos that show us making maple syrup or "sugaring".