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!

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/

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