Oh honey! That amazing sweet and flavorful product our wonderful bees give us!
I love bees, but I use to be afraid of them until I had a couple of hives in my urban garden and there were a LOT of bees! Honey bees go about their business and are busy, busy zooming around the everywhere. They are on a mission so make sure to not get in their flight path.
Did you know a bee will only produce about one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime? Wow!
The United States alone has 300+ varieties of honey. The variety depends on the type of blossom the bees are collecting nectar from. In the northwest, we have one of my all-time faves – blackberry honey!
My Liquid Kitchen 5130 Honey harvested from my Ballard urban garden!
If you are like me and love to whip up creative beverages and cocktails – then swap out your simple syrup for honey syrup – take 2 parts honey and 1 part hot water and mix together until they are combined. It will store for over a week in the refrigerator.
Try adding it to a summery drink like a tall Lemony Collins or a Watermelon Honey Limeade, or in a delicious salad dressing like below!
There are some great recipes on The National Honey Boards site as well as.
Cheers to a sweet summer! –Kathy
Local Greens with Blackberry Honey Vinaigrette, Toasted Hazelnuts & Chevre
Makes 4 servings
8 cups local, mixed baby greens
Blackberry Honey Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1/2 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries
1/4 cup (1 ounce) chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 ounces chevre-style goat cheese, crumbled
Blackberry Honey Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh blackberries
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey such as wildflower or blackberry
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. canola oil or light olive oil
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
To serve salad: Toss greens with dressing and divide among 4 plates. Scatter with berries, hazelnuts and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios® – www.KathyCasey.com
