Soule Spile

Our first season of sugaring has begun.  My husband purchased a variety of spiles from our local hardware store and we spent a few hours over the weekend selecting, drilling and tapping our maples trees.

We are enjoying these books:

Maple Syrup Season by Ann Purmell

Sugartime: The Hidden Pleasures of Making Maple Syrup with a Primer for the Novice Sugarer by Susan Carol Hauser

And enjoying these online resources:

edible Grande Traverse  ~ this resource discusses the health benefits of maple syrup and has beautiful pictures.

www.eataweed.blogspot.com  ~ they have a lovely post on the Sap Moon.

My mother recently gave me her beautifully kept 7th edition of The Good Housekeeping Cookbook (circa 1942) and I was delighted to see many recipes that use maple sugar.

I like how Will Weaver describes maple sugaring in his forward to Sugartime:
"It is more than the work of one night or one week; its rhythms are measured in sunlight and shadow, in the tilt of the earth's axis and in the ancient memories of trees."

I think of his statement as my family adds a new venture to our path of living mindfully and enjoying these moments on our land.

Have you tried sugaring?  Do you have a favorite maple recipe to share?  I would love to read about it!

Morels

My husband and son found these amazing white morels on our land this week.   I decided to oven dry them using these instructions. 

I have plans for morel risotto this fall and will use the dried mushrooms for that recipe.  I like the idea of preserving this bold umami taste for a heavier meal.  My family does its best to eat seasonally and I also think that notion applies to the texture and weight of a dish.  I want more stick to my ribs sort of meals in the colder months and lighter fare in the warmer months.

How does your palate fluctuate with the change of the seasons?  What are you cooking this spring?