Gateway to Healthy Meals...

 



 

I found this young fellow taking a break from
helping his parents at their family market stand
 at Bellville, Ohio Farmer's Market.

Farmers Market Season has begun! And what a blessing and joy they are.

 

Our area is a cluster of three small towns. Once Upon a Time, not so very long ago, we did not have farmers markets here. Farmers markets were more of a "city thing".

 

 

Well, all of that began to change about 10 years ago. A few markets have sprung up and failed, for various reasons. Now things have seemed to have leveled out, and all three towns have successful markets. It meant some shuffling around a bit to achieve this. For instance, Galion's NorthSide Farmers Market (which I helped to get started) has moved to Thursdays to not be in conflict with Crestline Famers Market, which is on Tuesdays. Bucyurs' Farmers Market will continue on Saturday mornings.

 

 

 



I feel that these markets contribute to the quality of life here in our rural part of the state. People who do not garden now have access to fresh, local food sources. It was here all along, but without the markets not available to the general public.



Local honey and maple syrup are natural sweeteners available at
farmers markets.

Jim and I are not vendors until July, when our fruit harvest begins with Lodi apples. But you can bet your sweet bippy** that I'll be perusing the markets for items that we do not grow or produce. :)

 

       **Yep. I am old enough to quote Laugh In.....!

 

Holistic Acres! What a fantastic name for a small
family farm. :)

What to look for now: rhubarb, asparagus, greens such as spinach and kale, fresh herbs, herb plants, bedding plants, veggie plants, fresh eggs, honey, pure Ohio maple syrup, local meat (beef, pork, chicken), baked goods, and handmade items such as soap.

 

Happy Fresh Food Shopping, everyone!

Marcheta * fresh!

 





Sue Nelson, Part 3

Today is the last installment of Nelsonstrail.  They've finished boiling down the maple sap, but they are still busy cleaning up and storing equipment for next year.

Part 3, Completing the Process

 

 

After all of the work of gathering maple sap and boiling it down, which by now has taken around sixteen hours, the syrup is made but the process continues. 

Bob lifts the heavy bubbling brew and pours it into one last tank, which Sue has lined with filters.  Bob informs that some producers skip this messy step, but he insists on it because it makes the syrup velvety smooth.

 

 

While the syrup runs through the filters, Sue readies the bottles. Much care is given while filling the bottles with a slow, steady stream because air bubbles can get trapped inside.  When Sue sees air bubbles, she shuts off the spigot and slowly moves the bottle from side to side to release the trapped air. When the bottle is full, it is capped and laid on its side to sterilize the cap and to seal the bottle.

I was the fortunate one when the Nelsons gave me the first taste of the first run. Sweet! I had to agree with Bob, the still-hot syrup was like liquid velvet. I’ve tasted samples at maple syrup festivals, such as the one held at Malabar Farm. One taste of the Nelson’s convinced me that the extra care that they take is worth it because the taste samples at festivals were much thinner. Sue also makes maple butter, which is another labor intensive process of further reducing the syrup while constantly stirring the batch.   

Naturally, the Nelson’s use their maple syrup whenever possible when cooking, substituting it for white or brown sugar. One of Sue’s favorite dishes is Maple Fried Apples, which is quick and easy to prepare. Simply core, peel, and slice four medium sized apples and gently fry in two tablespoons of butter. When the apples are as done as you like, add one half teaspoon of cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt. Finish off with one fourth cup of maple syrup and enjoy on waffles, pancakes, or as an accompaniment to pork dishes.  Maple syrup is also a tasty substitute for brown sugar in baked beans or in winter squash dishes.

 

Along with their maple business, the Nelson’s are also honey producers. For on-site customers, the Nelsons can be contacted by phone at (740) 360-6967. They are regular vendors at NorthSide Farmers market in Galion and at The Farmers Wife store, located at 710 Iberia Rd., Galion.

 

 

 

I hope that you enjoyed your armchair visit with Sue and Bob. Look forward to more stories like theirs here on Ohio Country Journal as the year moves through the seasons.

 

Marcheta *story harvester

Ohio Country Breakfast, Local and International

 

 

It's a good feeling to know where our food comes from. Today's main course Sunday breakfast was pumpkin waffle sticks with pure Ohio maple syrup and real butter from a Mennonite area not far from Galion.

 

 

Of course, the only Ohio fruit available this time of year is canned or frozen (or apples  from cold storage), so the oranges, blueberries, kiwi, and bananas come from other locations.

 

 

I could have made this an all-Ohio breakfast by serving applesauce, which I froze last summer. But the potassium, antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit seemed more important. Thank goodness that we have modern grocery stores that brings us a wide selection of foods!

 

This recipe from All Recipes is a good one to try:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Pumpkin-Waffles/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_NextRecipe

 

Marcheta *locally global :)



Full-Time Country Woman Workin' the Sugar Shack

****Note****
This was scheduled to post yesterday. Looks like I need to learn more about
how to schedule posting times.

Freed Eichler in the mid 60's

Jim's aunt Freeda was a full time country woman, back in the day when it was more common to find women who did not work a job other than her farm work.

Freeda was raised on a farm in Morrow County, Ohio. When she married Jim's uncle Lester, her parents gave them a farm to work. Pretty sweet!

Really.

A large part of their operation was making maple syrup and sugar. This picture is from a box of slides that we found when we were cleaning out Jim's mother's house after she passed. Freeda is boiling down sap in their sugar house.

Notice the evaporator, and that she is and stirring the syrup. The sugar shack is made of corrugated metal. Not too fancy, but it got the job done!

When our kids were small, we used some of the Eichler's equipment to tap trees and teach the kids where syrup comes from and how it is made. None of us do it now, though...it is a tremendous amount of work and a huge commitment to keep the fires burning under the evaporator and to keep the syrup from burning.

And, with two maple producers near-by, we still get our Pure Maple Fix.

SWEET!

Marcheta *did that, done that

Sweet Season

 

 

Another calendar page turned today. February is best known for Valentine's Day, a day for roses and fancy heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolates. Another sweet tradition is also underway this month; it is time to tap maple trees for maple syrup and sugar.

Jim's uncle and aunt, Lester and Freeda Eichler, ran a sugar camp during their farming days. Both are now deceased, but their work will not easily be forgotten in our family history because of the oil painting pictured above. Hazel Iiams, also deceased, painted Lester and Freeda at their sugar camp in the middle 1960's. Dina, their little black dog, is also in the pictures. I'll be writing more about the family sugar operation at a later date. I am mentioning it today because this afternoon Jim and I are visiting another local sugar camp for a story that I am working on for the Galion Inquirer.

Steve Erlsten and his brothers run a large maple business, and sell their products at the local farmers markets. Today is tapping day and I want to be there to take pictures. This means bundling up in my warmest clothes and probably popping back into my car to warm up fingers.

The great thing that I like about my life is that most days are spontaneous. I *had* planned a nice, cozy warm day inside sewing. A simple phone call, "we are tapping the trees near the sugar house", changed all that.

So, off I go, out into the frozen blue yonder, camera loaded and ready for action!

Here's a question for you...have you ever tasted real, pure maple syrup? If not, I highly recommend it. It is healthier than maple-flavored corn syrup and because it's flavor is so rich, less is needed. It's the real deal.


Marcheta *gettin' real