Photography - Stephen Hamilton; Writers - Kathryn O'Malley, Judith Mara; Food Stylists - Mollie Hayward and Vanessa Dubiel; Prop Stylist ~ Tom Hamilton; Design - Judith Mara
Those tiny, busy, buzzing creatures are crucial to our lives far beyond making honey. Sometimes we spend so much time avoiding bees, we forget that they are a major force in our environment. So remember to respect bees and they will keep rewarding you with their precious gifts.
• Nectar To Honey
A forager honeybee stores nectar in a special region of its gut called a crop. When fully loaded, the bee returns to the hive and transfers the nectar to the aptly named receiver bees that are waiting on the front porch for delivery. The receiver bees take the nectar, now mixed with enzymes from the forager’s special stomach, to the honeycomb, where they complete the process of transforming nectar to honey.
• A Seasonal Treat
It’s easy to forget that honey is a seasonal food since it lasts indefinitely. But honey is entirely dependent on local climate and the nectar of blossoming flowers, which influence the color, flavor and aroma of honey much like the sea shapes an oyster or a barrel impacts wine. As a general rule of thumb, light honeys are faintly sweet (clover), amber honeys are richly mellow (blueberry), and dark honeys are bold and robust (buckwheat).
• Humble Workers
Bees work hard. Really hard. To make just one pound of honey, bees must visit some 2 million flowers. We depend on them for one of our favorite sweeteners, but they are also responsible for over $16 billion worth of agricultural product through pollination.
Nature’s Wonder
Honey should have been deemed the 8th Wonder of the Ancient of the World. Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been consuming honey. This miraculous nectar can be eaten almost any way you can imagine, from raw to steeped with hot chili peppers. Honey naturally pairs with both sweet and savory dishes and this is season to experiment with fresh ideas ...
... seasonal peaches, pears and plums simply drizzled with clover honey ...
... roasted butternut squash with honey and sage leaves ...
... baked feta cheese with honey and lavender ...
... whole roasted carrots with citrus and hot honey ...
... Buratta cheese, honeycomb, grapefruit and watercress ...
and grilled Atlantic salmon, garlic, amber honey and sesame seeds––just a few simple ideas to start.
