Spring is Sprung!

Inside at least.

Outside however we have been buried in snow again today. At least 40 cm has fallen so far and it's still coming down. I had to wear snowpants just to walk to the store for catfood. If I could find that damn groundhog right now I'd make him shovel my sidewalk!





Back in the house we are all pretending that it really is spring and there is no such thing as snow. The tomato plants that have been living in the sunporch all winter are perking up as the daylight increases- they know it's almost time to go outside even if the weather doesn't.




Some new seedlings are up as well- I planted peppers and more tomatoes last week and many of them are eager to get going too!



I restarted the shiitake kit and it is fruiting again- not as abundantly as the first round but they sure grow fast!

This was yesterday


And this was today


We should have delicious fresh mushrooms ready to pick by the weekend!

In the meantime I'm just going to curl up with a new bunch of library books and some homemade French Onion Soup. It's a great way to use up some of the onions that are beginning to sprout.



Ingredients

* 4 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced. (I used a mix of both)
* Olive oil or butter or both
* 1/4 teaspoon of sugar (optional)
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 4 cups of beef stock – you could use veggie stock if you browned the veggies first and add 1 tsp of soy sauce
* 1/4 cup red wine
* 1 bay leaf
* Salt and pepper
* 4 slices of stale bread, toasted
* 1 cup of grated cheese (Swiss, Gruyere and Parmesan are traditional but any hard cheese works. I used Fruilano, Morbier, and cheddar)

Directions

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil or butter on low heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). (Add the sugar if using, about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.)



Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute- don't let garlic burn. Add the stock, wine, and bay leaf. Simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese.



Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Take that Mother Nature!

Sugar Snow

I had to be up early this morning and I woke to world blanketed with snow. It's been a long, cold, snowy winter this year and another round of the white stuff wasn't exactly something to cheer about. Until I walked outside in the early morning hush and realized it was sugar snow!

Sugar snow may appear to be just like regular snow to the untrained eye but any one who's ever spent any time in sugar bush will tell you that sugar snow is special. It occurs in late winter when the temperatures hover around freezing which is the ideal sap collection weather as well. Sap needs temperatures below freezing at night but slightly above in the day in order to run. Sugar snow requires similar conditions- too cold and it's just regular snow; too warm and it's sloppy and slushy and heavy with moisture. Sugar snow is large fluffy flakes that drift down like feathers and land ever so gently on anything solid. Clumps of snow clinging to branches tipped with buds makes my heart sing; the slightest movement or breeze will send it cascading down, resembling cherry blossoms in spring.
Living in a big city I sometimes miss the cues and natural rhythms of the seasons. With all the heated indoor spaces and easy transportation right at my door, winter can be one long blur of running from one shelter to another, and snow is something I see through a window. Sugar snow reminds me that spring is at long last on it's way, and things are changing even when I can't see them yet. Forget the robins and the crocuses; sugar snow is my first sign of spring! And even in the city you'll know it's sugar snow when you see the little old ladies out sweeping their sidewalks- no need to shovel this stuff!

Because it's so light and airy, sugar snow acts as insulation where ever it lands and a good sugar snow late in the season can extend the sap run. It also makes an excellent surface to pour molten maple sugar on to make maple taffy.

Best of all it's a good indicator that the sap is running hard and fast right now. Not Far From started tapping last week and with near perfect temps this week, we should have plenty of sap for our Sugaring Off party in Dufferin Grove Park on March 13! So grab your spiels and buckets- it's time to make syrup!