A Very Odd Spring for Honeybees

We've been using and selling Monastery Creamed Honey from the monks of Holy Cross Abbey, Berryville, Virginia since we went online in 2005. Sadly, over the past 15 years, colonies of bees have been disappearing, and the reason remains unknown. Referred to as ‘colony collapse disorder’, billions of Honey Bees across the world are leaving their hives, never to return. In some regions, up to 90% of bees have disappeared!

Monastery Creamed Honey

This spring there has seen an uptick in the number of swarms - big groups of bees leaving a hive to look for a new home base. This happens when bees feel overcrowded in their hive. It means the colony is robust and healthy. Beekeepers must manage the issue or they can lose bees and the honey in the bees.

It is possible the explanation lies in the weather patterns this spring. Warm temperatures in the first three months of 2020 meant some things bloomed early. Then the weather cooled and later blooms slowed down. The bees were very busy reproducing and gathering pollen and nectar and hive may have gotten crowded. Bee keepers try to capture the swarming bees by gently brushing the bees into a box. A swam is pretty docile and full of honey. The key is to capture the queen in the box and the bees will follow.

The bees are much safer with a beekeeper than in the wild. The murder hornets have the ability to wipe out hives. A more serious problem is the Varroa mite, a parasite that fees on adult bees and larvae, making them vulnerable to certain viral diseases. Then there are pesticides that can be carried back to the hive. People and honeybees need each other. They pollinate our food crops, and beekeepers safeguard their colonies.

Shelter In-Place Cooking

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic sheltering in-place, we’ve found more time to cook some of our old seafood favorites using Blue Crab Bay Sting Ray® Bloody Mary Mixer. Sting Ray® is a thick and rich blend of clam and tomato juices spiced with Blue Crab Bay's Chesapeake Bay Style Seafood Seasoning and freshly grated horseradish. It not only makes an awesome mixer, but is a unique, flavorful coo

Blue Crab Bay Sting Ray® Bloody Mary Mixder

king sauce.

When it first appeared, Sting Ray® was featured on Food Network TV's Food Finds. In the New York Times, in a blind taste test of eight Bloody Mary Mixers, Sting Ray® won top honors! It was also the winner of Outstanding Beverage, 1998 at the International Fancy Food Show!

Here are two of our favorite recipes using Sting Ray®:

SCALLOPS ITALIAN
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can tomatoes (16 oz), chopped and drained
3-4 tbs. Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer
1 lb. scallops
1 TB. butter
¼ cup dry white wine
1 TB. lemon juice
Italian breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté onion, green pepper and garlic
in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer.
Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, sauté scallops
for 2-3 minutes in butter. Add wine and lemon juice and simmer 5 minutes.
Combine all ingredients in lightly greased baking dish.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.
For variation: sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese or grated Parmesan.

BLOODY MARY SHRIMP AND PASTA
1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. fettuccine or other pasta
1-1/2 cups Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer
2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and keep warm. Sauté shrimp with garlic in olive oil until the flesh is opaque, usually 3-5 minutes. Add to pasta and toss with Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan. Serve with a fresh garden salad and bread. Have a little extra Sting Ray Mixer in a small creamer available for guests who enjoy extra zing!

May 20 is National Pick Strawberries Day

May is National Strawberry Month and May 20 is National Pick Strawberries Day.

The day invites you to go outside in the garden or on the field to pick fresh strawberries. There is something special about the taste of a sun-warmed strawberry picked straight off of the vine. Every year we take it for granted that in the spring we will have a chance to pick fresh strawberries. This year it will be an especially welcome outing! Strawberry picking places are open but taking the COVID-19 situation seriously and have implemented special policies for strawberry picking for the 2020 season. These policies are for the safety of their customers, their employees, and the community. Check with your picking place website or facebook page for their policies before going.

Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves

The strawberry fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is also healthy. This fruit is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, folate and potassium, and a very good source of dietary fiber, and manganese. Just one serving of about eight strawberries provides more vitamin C than an orange. Strawberries help can help fight bad cholesterol and may reduce inflammation. The strawberry is among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity.

When we can’t get fresh strawberries, we can enjoy Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves. Here's another idea, send Mom some Strawberry Preserves for Mother's Day!

Carrot Zucchini Bread with Virginia Maple Syrup

In 2020, the spring equinox occurred on Thursday, March 19, which is earlier than it's been in over a century! Flowing maple syrup sap is one of the first signs that spring is on the way. For the first time, the 62^nd Annual Highland County Maple Festival which was to take place on March 14-15 and March 21-22, was postponed until further notice due to safety considerations regarding the coronavirus. The decision was understandable but does not dampen the disappointment we and thousands of others felt about not getting our Virginia maple syrup supply and missing their famous maple doughnuts this year. We’re hoping to visit Puffenbarger’s Sugar Orchard as soon as it is possible to restock their Virginia maple syrup for our gift baskets.

Needing a substitute maple syrup treat fix right now, we decided on making our own Carrot Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting with warm spices and pure Virginia maple syrup. Give this recipe a try. It makes a moist, delicious rustic loaf. It’s a wonderful way to welcome spring.

 Carrot Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional

Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional

Instructions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 9" x 5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.    In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

3.    Add eggs and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix again until well blended. Add about half of the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Add remaining flour mixture and continue to mix until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir carrot and zucchini into the batter.

4.    Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from pan. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

5.    Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.

6.    Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese together with butter in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and mix again until incorporated. Add milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy.Frost the cooled loaf of bread and immediately sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Highland County Chamber of Commerce introducing Maple Syrup Trail

March is Maple Month. Take a step back in time to Highland County, “Virginia’s Sweet Spot.” Travel scenic back roads and majestic mountain byways to the annual Highland County Maple Festival. In 2020, there will be a new sugar camp open, bringing the total to 9 open sugar camps with unique techniques and stories for you to explore. In addition to pancake dinners, doughnuts and entertainment, over 100 high-quality juried vendors take part in the festival each year. This year the 62^nd Annual Highland Festival takes place on March 14-15 and March 21-22.

Normally the Maple Festival is the only time visitors get to come by the sugar camps to see how the syrup is made. This year, though, the HIghland County Chamber of Comomerce is starting the Maple Syrup Trail, with ten sugar camps open all year for visitors to see how the trees do throughout the year and enjoy the scenery of Highland in other seasons. “Each one is unique. We go from modern to really traditional," said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chris Swecker. "There’s again farmers that have been doing this for generations to some first-generation producers. And there’ll actually be two sugar camps that aren’t normally open during the festival that you’ll be able to visit as well.” The trail comes with a passport, where visitors can get stamps from each camp and go into the chamber for prizes.

Bloody Mary Brunch

At any time during the year if you’re looking for a tasty Virginia food gift, visit TheVirginiaMarketplace.com to see our gift baskets and gift boxes that feature one of  Monterey, Virginia's sugar maple camps, Puffenbarger’s Sugar Orchard.

Pretzel-and-Peanut Cheese Ball

Super Bowl parties make some us think as much about food as football. A Southern Living recipe for a Pretzel-and-Peanut Cheese Ball piqued my interest. I strongly recommend using The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg's super large blistered Virginia Peanuts. 12 (serving size: ¼ cup)

Ingredients:                                                               
1 cup miniature pretzel twists
1 cup salted roasted peanuts
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Crackers, for serving
Directions:
1. Place pretzels and peanuts in a ziplock plastic bag. Seal bag, leaving a 1-inch opening at one corner. Lay bag flat on a work surface, and lightly crush pretzels and peanuts with a skillet, meat mallet, or the flat side of a measuring cup. Set aside.
2. Combine cream cheese, mozzarella, dill, mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir or beat on low speed until combined. Shape mixture into a ball, and chill 15 minutes.
3. Place pretzel mixture in a shallow dish. Roll cheese ball in pretzel mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Serve with crackers.

National Pie Day - January 23

National Pie Day was born in 1975 in Boulder, Colorado, thanks to a school teacher named Charlie Papazian. On January 23, his birthday, he declared that this day would be forever remembered as National Pie Day. Why did he do that, you ask? Well, for one good reason: Charlie really loved pie. In fact, he loved it so much he would have a “birthday pie” instead of a birthday cake. Since then, his idea for a National Pie Day has spread all over the United States.

Enjoy a slice of your favorite pie or try this staple of any Southern gathering: Crunchy Peanut Pie

Virginia Handcooked Peanuts

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped Virginia Handcooked peanuts
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Instructions:
First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Now add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and vanilla. Continue to beat until thoroughly blended. Now stir in the peanuts. Place the pie shell on a cookie sheet, pour in the filling, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool in the refrigerator and serve!

Pie can trace its roots all the way back to the Greeks. The Greeks created what is believed to be the first pastry shell by mixing together water and flour. They would then fill these pastries with a variety of different things – everything from honey to fruits to meats. The Romans adopted these pies and began to improvise with them by filling them with a variety of fruits and nuts, meats, fish, and even mussels.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Ancient Greek and Roman dishes evolved into a more modern version of a pie. These dishes were called pyes and they were usually filled with meats. These meats could be filled with either beef or lamb, wild duck or even pigeons and vegetables. The whole dish was then spiced liberally and was baked in an oven. Encasing the meat and vegetables in a pie kept them from drying out during the cooking process. It also made it easier to transport and preserve the dish as well.

Of course, while the pies of the Middle Ages were closer to modern pies than what the Greeks and Romans offered, they would still probably be unrecognizable to most Americans or Europeans today. That’s because these early pies were covered in a ton of dough. This kept the food inside from drying out and preserved the food once it was done, but it made the pie crust just about inedible. No one would eat the dough of the pie, it was pretty hard so they just ate the fillings. Another interesting thing about these early pies is that sometimes the crust would be reused for another dish. Yes, that’s right, Medieval crusts were that tough.

During the 17th century, the pilgrims made quite a few pies – namely pumpkin and pecan. Like their Medieval fore bearers, they did so to preserve their food. As the colonists began to spread across the American continent, they took the idea of pie with them. This led to many new pies being created as the colonists used the natural resources around them. From about the 18th to the 21st centuries, there would be an explosion in the number of pies made in the United States and around the world.