Spring has Arrived!

Sap was boiling at Trailside Sugar House in Andover over the weekend.

 

We have been waiting for months and now it is finally Spring. The clocks have been turned forward, and with it, a wonderful extra hour of daylight to enjoy. With warmer temperatures we have been able to open the windows, letting in some welcome fresh air as well as the first sound of the spring peepers this week.

In New England, perhaps the most recognizable sign of spring is the flowing of sap. March is Maple Sugar Month and last weekend sugar houses across New Hampshire opened their doors to welcome visitors for the annual Maple weekend. This event was all the more welcome this year as sugar houses were closed to the public in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some sugar houses remained closed  this year, but most were open with masks and social distancing requirements.  

An assortment of maple products were on display at Walkers Sugar Shack in Bristol

I am so glad that we were able to get out and visit a few sugar shacks this past weekend as the weather may not cooperate much longer for the sap to continue to run.  Maple sugaring is one more industry which is being adversely impacted by climate change. Warmer and dryer summers, affect the growth of the trees and their storage of sugars, and mild winters impact the flow of the sap in the spring. Maple sap flows best when temperatures dip below freezing at night and then climb into the forties during the day.  Some days in late February and March were ideal, but now our maple trees have started to bud as temperatures climbed into the sixties this week. I am hoping that northern New Hampshire may see at least a couple more weeks of sap collecting and boiling. Last year, New Hampshire sugar houses produced 154,000 gallons of maple syrup, a small, considering Vermont farms produced over 15 times that amount (David Brooks, Concord Monitor), but still not insignificant amount. Sugar houses draw tourists who bring dollars to support the local economy. So, if you are able, stock your pantry this year with a natural sweetener from a nearby sugar house.

Black Bean Burgers

 

Sometimes, you just want a burger and this Black Bean burger is sure to please both vegetarians and omnivores. 

 Ingredients

1 large red onion chopped

6 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms

2 cups rye bread cubed

1 15-oz can black beans mashed

1 teaspoon ground coriander

salt, pepper, olive oil

4 buns

 Toppings:

Grated cheddar cheese

Cherry tomatoes chopped

1 lime

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 avocado roughly mashed

1/4 cup plan yogurt

Add 3/4 of chopped onions and mushrooms to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and wipe out food processor. Add bread to food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer to mushroom bowl. Add black beans and spices.

Form into 4 patties and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F until dark and crisp, about 35 - 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. 

Put remaining onion in small bowl. Add tomatoes and zest from lime. Squeeze lime and add juice. Stir in hot sauce.

Toast buns, spread on yogurt. Add salsa mixture to one side and avocado to the other. Place bean patty on the bottom roll. Top with remaining bun and enjoy.