•Amherst Winter Market:  Amherst High School, Sat. 10-2, through March

•Northampton Winter Market:  Smith Vocational High School, Sat. 9-2, through April 18

•Springfield Winter Market:  Old Monkey House, Forest Park, 2nd and 4thSat, 10-2

•Wilbraham Winter Market:  2301 Boston Rd., 2nd and 4th Sat., 10-2, to April

•Worcester/Canal District Winter Market:  200 Harding St., Sat. 9-12, all year 

March is Maple Month

This winter has been a difficult one for sugar makers.  The cold temperatures and deep snow pack have made for a much later season than normal.  Some years, we have had our first boil during the first weekend of March.  This year we weren’t able to boil until March 16^th and now with the temps dropping again, we are on hold until the sun warms the trees enough to start producing again.  That being said, this past weekend, March 21-22 was Maple Weekend in Massachusetts.  Sugarhouses were open to visitors, and restaurants around Massachusetts featured menu items made with 100% pure Massachusetts maple syrup.  Maple season will continue throughout the month of March so if you weren’t able to get out this past weekend, try to visit a sugarhouse or 2 next weekend.  It’s a fun and educational late winter/early spring activity!

If you decide to visit a sugarhouse, check out Warren Sugarhouse in North Brookfield.  They have a great operation up there and have a quaint store where you can buy all their great products!  OSV is also having Maple Days at the Village throughout the month of March so check them out to.  At the Village you can see how syrup was made over 100 years ago…a little more labor intensive than now but the final product is just as sweet!

www.massmaple.org

Asparagus Flower and Heritage Festival

The Asparagus Flower and Heritage Festival Committee has been busy planning the upcoming event which will take place on May 16^th from 10-4.  There will be lots of great food, farmers and family fun!  Music will be performed by Dick Chase and Friends and there will be over 100 vendors selling their wares.  Save the Date…it is a great festival that shouldn’t be missed!

Espalier: A Unique and Beautiful Way to Grow Orchard Fruit in Small Spaces

Several years ago while visiting my brother, I noticed that he had quite a few apple trees lining his driveway like a fence.  They were short, well trimmed and loaded with fruit.  It was then that I saw and learned about the horticultural technique known as Espalier and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since. 

Espalier is an ancient agriculturalpractice used to control woody plant growth for the production of fruit, by pruning and tying branches to a frame, flat against a structure such as a wall, fence, or trellis.  This training of fruit trees into two dimensional forms is an excellent technique for anyone who has limited gardening space but would still love to grow their own orchard fruit. 

Dwarf fruit trees such as pear and apple lend themselves to espalier better than stone fruits (peaches, nectarines etc..).  The process of trimming and training the tree to follow a specific form or trellis does limit fruit production but for a home gardener, it will provide enough of a crop to feed the family and it looks really nice.

This technique uses a support structure of sturdy posts and a wire trellis. The one year old “whip” is planted in between the 2 support posts just in front of the trellis.  Frequent pinching and pruning is required throughout the growing season and only those branches growing in the right direction are kept.  The trellis shape can vary from a single “U” shape to a starburst design or one with multiple horizontal planes. 

Although this is not the simplest or most traditional way to grow orchard fruit, it certainly is unique and different.  Espalier does not have to be limited to fruit bearing trees either.  Other trees and plants, including Japanese maple, forsythia or cotoneaster can also be trained to follow a two-dimensional form.  So if you are looking to create a truly unique garden feature, espalier might be for you.  You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood! 

Info taken from:The Apple Grower, Michael Phillips and www.Wikipedia.org

Roasted Winter Vegetable Baklava (from Gourmet Magazine, Dec. 2008)

For some cooks, using phyllo dough can be a daunting task.  But it really isn’t.  Just keep a moist towel over it and if it tears a little bit, no worries.  Just piece it together in pan.  This is a great use of winter veggies at farmers market right now.

Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Pulse walnuts with bread crumbs in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped (not ground).  Peel potatoes and slice 1/4 inch thick. Divide all vegetables between 2 large 4-sided sheet pans and toss each pan of vegetables with 3 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Roast vegetables, stirring and switching position of pans halfway through, until softened and golden brown in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Leave oven on with 1 rack in middle.  Add 1/3 cup water to each pan of vegetables and stir and scrape up brown bits from bottom. Chop 1/4 cup fennel fronds. Combine all vegetables in 1 pan and toss with fennel fronds and dill.  Brush baking dish with some of remaining olive oil. Cover stack of phyllo sheets with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Keeping remaining phyllo covered and working quickly, place 1 sheet on a work surface, then gently brush with some oil and sprinkle with 2 rounded tablespoon walnut mixture. Place another phyllo sheet on top and repeat brushing and sprinkling. Top with a third sheet and brush with oil.  Drape phyllo stack into one half of baking dish, gently pressing it into bottom and up side and leaving an overhang. Make another stack with 3 more phyllo sheets, more oil, and remaining walnut mixture. Drape into other half of dish (phyllo will overlap in center of dish).  Spoon vegetables into phyllo shell. Fold overhang toward center over filling (it will not cover vegetables) and brush edge with oil. Brush remaining 2 sheets of phyllo with remaining oil, tear in half, crumple, and arrange on top of filling.  Bake in middle of oven until phyllo is deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Arugula, Bacon and Gruyere Bread Pudding(from: www.epicurious.com)

I love savory bread puddings….they make a perfect main course or side dish.  I just made one the other night and baked it in individual ramekins using leftovers I had in my fridge.  So good!  This recipe is nice because right now, delicious freshly picked greens are available at winter markets and even at Tip Top Country Store in Brookfield.  Spicy arugula gives this dish a little zip, but spinach would be delicious too.  Ham or prosciutto could be substituted for the bacon or you could just make it all veggie.  Yum!

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-qt shallow baking dish.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain, then coarsely crumble.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and cook shallot and garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add arugula and cook, stirring, until it wilts.  Stir arugula mixture, bacon, bread, and cheese into custard. Transfer to baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden in spots, about 10 minutes more.  Serves 4-6

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