Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

Adapted from Biography Magazine and Cook’s Illustrated

Glazed carrots are one of those recipes that has 101 different variations, but few of these maintain a proper texture of crisp but not tough, and flavors that are rich, yet not overly sweet. This recipe adds parsnips to the traditional favorite.

• 4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 4 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, combine the carrots, parsnips, sugar, and salt. Add the broth and bring to a boil, covered, over medium heat. Boil until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is reduced to just a tablespoon or two. Add butter and continue to cook until a glaze forms. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and serve.

Notes:
I like to use my Grade B Maple syrup with this recipe instead of the sugar. Some might find the maple flavor too strong, but if you love the flavor, then use the syrup.

You can use plain water to steam the vegetables, but the chicken broth fills out the flavor of the dish.

Freshwise Catering Original Banana Bread Recipe

This recipe originates from Freshwise Catering, an enterprise of the Foodlink Foundation, which supports anti-hunger programs in a 10-county area of western New York State.

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup toasted walnuts or any seed or nut
• 1 cup blueberries or any kind of berry

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Mix the first three ingredients then the applesauce, blend well.  Add remainder of the ingredients and mix to just blended (overmixing will make for a tough loaf).

Pour batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan and bake for 1-1/2 hours.

This is cholesterol free and the only fat comes from the nuts.  Also, the flavor of this banana bread rests on the quality of ingredients you use.  For instance, pure maple syrup and homemade applesauce will make for a much better banana bread.

When Is Getting a Grade of B Better than A? When it’s Maple Syrup In The Kitchen!

by Fred Hoyle

Published on A Food Experience.net on February 22nd 2002.

Maple sugaring season is upon us here in the Northeast, a signal that spring is around the corner. Starting as early as late February and running through March and in some cases into April for our friends in northern Vermont and Quebec, maple sugar makers begin tapping trees when the right combination of cool nights and warmer days kick off the natural production of tree sap.

To bottle one gallon of maple syrup, the sugar maker must boil down 40 gallons of sap. Syrup made from the early season sap produces the delicately flavored, ever popular Grade AA Light Amber followed by Grade A Medium Amber. As the season continues, the sap flavor evolves due to the days gradually getting warmer, and thus the reason for the different grades we see on syrup containers. At the very end of the season, the maple trees squeeze out their darkest, most intensely flavored sap for production of Grade B syrup.

I like to call Grade B the red headed step-child of the syrup family. The general consumer doesn’t buy it and thus most retail stores don’t stock it. Sugar makers typically sell the syrup off in bulk for commercial use. I’ve got to believe that the general public’s snub of Grade B is two part. First, the letter grade B gives the impression of lesser quality, which is far from the truth. Second, the darker, richer color conflicts with consumer’s expectations of light, golden hued syrup.

Now I want you all to pay very close attention. Here me now and remember me later when I tell you that Grade B maple syrup simply and undeniably KICKS ASS!! I’m sorry, but there is no other way to describe the intense maple flavor and pure sweetness of this syrup. You should all seek it out and buy it for a most pleasurable food experience. It’s tough to find, but I implore you not to give up searching if you have trouble finding it. Many people familiar with Grade B first and foremost use it as a substitute for sugar when baking or cooking. The maple flavor perfectly complements apples, so go ahead and add it to your pie filling. Another of my favorites is to add a small amount to the pan as I sauté matchstick or young carrots. You can always keep two grades of syrup stocked in the pantry, B for cooking and a lighter grade for the table, but if become a zealot like me Grade B will be your only syrup. Besides your pancakes and waffles, try Grade B on fruit-filled crepes, over French vanilla ice cream, or as a sweetener for your coffee.

When choosing maple syrup, I stick to the locally produced product here in Western New York State. Its quality is fantastic, and from my experience, priced at about half of what you’ll pay for syrup made in Vermont (could we be paying extra for the Vermont name?). If any of you New Englanders can convince me why one should pay a premium for Vermont syrup, by all means, give it your best shot in our forum. Besides New York and Vermont, excellent syrup is made in Maine, New Hampshire, and from our Canadian friends in Ontario and Quebec (remember, the Maple leaf is their national symbol).

Maple syrup facts

There are four different kinds of maple trees native to the Northeastern United States, all of which produce spring sap flows, and can be tapped to produce maple syrup. The four trees are: Sugar Maple (or Hard Maple), Silver Maple (or Soft Maple), Red Maple (or Swamp Maple), and Ash Leafed Maple (or Box Elder). The Sugar Maple is the main sap producing tree with higher sugar content (3%) than the others. (http://www.vtonly.com/sugrfact.htm).

The Algonquin native Americans were the first to tap maples for their sap. “Sinzibukwod” was the word they used for maple syrup. Literally, it translates to “drawn from the wood.” After tapping the trees and collecting sap in birch bark pails, they would either toss hot stones into the sap to boil off the excess water or simply remove the layer of ice that formed overnight.

Maple syrup grades

In general, the lighter the color, the more delicate the flavor. The United States has some basic grading standards based on color and flavor.

US Grade AA Light Amber (Fancy). A light amber colored syrup with a mild flavor, usually made from the first brief flows of the season. Considered the highest grade.

US Grade A Medium Amber. Amber color and pronounced maple flavor. A good general usage syrup delicate enough to be used with subtle flavors but is generally used as a table syrup.

US Grade A Dark Amber. Deep color with a flavor likened to caramel. Some find it a bit too strong in flavor for general usage but it can be used like US Grade A Medium Amber.

Grade B. Very dark amber, less sweet with a robust, molasses-like flavor recommended primarily for baking.