Maine Maple Events (fit in, agricultural, eat)

[Boomerang]

For those of you who aren't familiar with this yearly tradition, here's a great way to find delicious maple syrup straight from the farm, a wonderful time, and help to preserve our agricultural traditions, all at the same time. I've a soft spot for sugaring season, having spent some wonderful childhood hours trailing through the soft snow of early spring woods, after a wagon loaded with tin pails full of the pale, sweet sap, stopping to swap buckets off the trees, and waiting impatiently for the sap to boil down into delicious syrup.

The 4th Sunday of March is usually the big day, but this year it falls on Easter Weekend so some producers are choosing the weekend before or after, and others are always open on other days. Check for details here:

Maine Maple Sunday Producers by Town (http://www.getrealmaine.com/visit/maine_maple_sunday_bytown.shtml - broken link)


And for all of you who don't get "The Notes", my favorite local free newspaper, here's a recipe from the section titled "Nana's Cookstove" by Stephanie Cormier and Friends. I hope they don't mind me reproducing this recipe here. It's too interesting not to share. I never tried putting syrup right into the egg mixture.

Maple French Toast
(from Dishing Up Maine, by Brook Dojny, Storey Publishing 2006)

3/4 cup whole milk
3 eggs
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
Pinch of ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 slices (cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) good quality bread, halved if easier to fit in pan

Whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a glass pie dish or other shallow dish.
Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
Dip 2 slices of bread into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and place in the plan.
Cook until the undersides are a crusty golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
Turn and cook until the bottom sides are firm and flecked with brown, about 2 minutes.
Repeat with the remaining butter, bread, and egg mixture.
Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

[msina]

Great link, Thank you.

[Submariner]

Cool

[Bewitched]

Thanks for sharing the link, Boomerang!
I'm almost out of syrup and I really want to find a local producer as opposed to having my dad send me some from upstate NY, or getting it online.

The recipe looks yummy....I've never thought to add syrup directly to the egg mixture before.
My mom used to actually dip her bread in maple syrup after she dipped it in the egg mixture...then fried it. The maple syrup made the bread carmelize (but doesn't leave the bread soggy inside), and she served it with maple butter ......it is absolutely fantastic, and after introducing my fiance to it, it's now the only way he'll eat it.

Hmmm.....maybe we'll have breakfast for supper tonight!

[Elcarim]

Wow! I can't wait to try the fresh tapped stuff!!! Thanks Boom!