She also shares several recipes using the maple syrup that is made this time of year. . . .
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She says, "We learned from the Indians how to gather sap and boil it down to make syrup, and though the equipment has been improved over the year, the methods are still about the same as they were when we first landed on these shores."
For Tasha, tapping maple trees and gathering the sap was a family and friends affair and ended in a sugaring-off party. . . .
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| A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor |
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| Around the Year by Tasha Tudor |
March is also the month that brings the hope of the Spring to come. Crocus and snowdrops will be the first bulbs to bloom in my garden. Daffodils are already pushing their way up through the earth and by the end of the month will have bloomed. Tasha planted more than 1000 daffodils in her garden. After her long Vermont winters I'm sure they were a joy to see. . . .
Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat—-
You must have walked—-
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
—Emily Dickinson
(Note: "A Time to Keep" celebrates Easter in April, so even though Easter is early this year (March 27th) I will celebrate it next month here.)
.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!
What a joy Spring is indeed. I love maple syrup and will now have to try this recipe when next I make my Egg Custard Tarts {similar to this but baked in a pastry shell} Good quality maple syrup is so hard to find in the UK so when I do find it, it is reserved for special things.
ReplyDeleteYes, signs of Spring are everywhere again ~~~Deb
Deb, March arrived like a lamb for us yesterday, but this morning the wind is roaring away out there. I do hope you have some good weather soon. I've heard that Britain has more storms than usual this winter. Let us know how the custard turns out when you make it. There is such a difference between real maple syrup and the pretend maple syrup.
DeleteDon't you just love "A Time to Keep" Cathy? A couple of times a year when I do a thorough cleaning of my bookshelves, I always read the whole book again, sighing. It's just that lovely. I have a LOT of children's books left over from my teaching days and all that weren't passed on to my niece and nephew are shelved in my living room or bedroom bookcases, right along with all my "grown-up" books. I get so lost in my books on dusting days that now I just write off an entire day, and on a couple of occasions - an entire weekend - for this chore. I make a pot of coffee and some banana bread in the morning, grab my microfiber cloths and a clean paintbrush and settle down. No kidding but I'm sometimes parked in one spot for 4-5 hours, especially now that we have phones that fit in our pockets [LOL]. And certain books always get taken down and perused - every time. "A Time to Keep" is definitely one, but other perennials for me are my National Geographic World Atlas, Gone with the Wind, Rebecca, Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom, The Color Purple, any of my cookbooks or home design books [tons of these] or biographies, my favorite kind of non-fiction. Sometimes I sit and read for such a long time, I don't even realize HOW long until it dawns on me that I can't see the page very well any longer - and it's getting dark outside. Clueless! I would have made an enthusiastic - but ultimately useless - librarian, that's for sure. And now I'm craving me some maple syrup. Might have to make French toast for supper tonight - I have plenty of eggs and some nice thick 9-grain bread that's past its prime. Perfect candidate for French toast. Plus I love breakfast-for-supper! Now I need to see a robin and Spring will be just around the corner...
ReplyDeleteDust is one of my banes. I have too many knick knacks! And my books only get dusted when I take them out to read. I read a hint that you should bring your books to the front edge of the shelf so you don't have to dust. But that doesn't take care of the top of the book if they don't go all the way to the top of the space. I like breakfast for supper, too. We usually have bacon and eggs, toast and grits.
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