NEW Trio Packs for gift giving

Want to surprise someone who enjoys cooking, this is your ticket. Just in time for the holidays are these beautiful gift sets. They are packed in a customized Honey Ridge Farms wooden crate with a cedar grilling plank as the crate lid. Choose from the Honey Vinegar Gift Trio,  Artisan Honey Gift Trio,  Honey Grilling Sauce Gift Trio, or the original Honey Creme Trio Gift Crate.

Above is our trio of unique honey vinegars – our award-winning Balsamic Honey Vinegar with two of our newest honey vinegar additions – Lemongrass Coriander and Fire Roasted Chili. Personalized gift notes may be included – just make a note in the comments section of your order.

For the “love to grill” person or someone who likes making a great entree with ease, consider our trio of all natural, gluten free Grilling Sauces (Mild, Medium and Hot). Grilling plank included in set.

Prices are 15% off through Christmas. Order now for a unique gift.

Ginger Lime Honey Glaze — NEW!

Honey Ridge Farms brings you another fun new glaze. This one is Ginger Lime Honey Glaze. The ingredients are an interesting mix to add some zest to your next meal. Of course the first ingredient is honey! This playful sauce also contains pineapple juice, ginger, lemongrass stock, red bell pepper, Key Lime juice concentrate and soy sauce (to name a few). Think of all the possibilities here.

We would love to hear how you have used this new glaze in your home cooking. Please e-mail us your success stories! 

All new glazes are ready to ship now.

Cranberry Chutney Glaze

Just in time for the holidays. This new glaze, “Cranberry Chutney”, is perfect for your next dinner. Try using as a marinade over your favorite meat. Drumsticks were perfect with the Cranberry Chutney and also delicious over mashed potatoes. Try this glaze  for that extra special taste in your next meal.

Available on-line at our web site.

3 New Vinegars Added

Introducing 3 new vinegars!

The Balsamic Honey Vinegar was featured in Fine Cooking this month. Although the  Balsamic Honey Vinegar leads overall in sales of all products that may be because our new vinegars are just now out.

• Lemongrass Coriander
• Sundried Tomato & Tarragon
• Fire Roasted Chili

And which one does President, Leeanne Goetz prefer, “My favorite of the new vinegars is the fire roasted Chile – on the spicy side!  It’s been great as a salad dressing by itself and very low calorie (10).”

A very nice trio gift pack should be available within two weeks.

All vinegars are shipping. Be the first to try our newest tasty additions. Available on our web site www.honeyridgefarms.com

Family Circle recognizes our Balsamic Honey Vinegar!

The award winning Balsamic Honey Vinegar was shown in the October Family Circle on page 17. The food director, Regina Ragone, wrote a very nice mention of Honey Ridge Farms including a recipe for “this utterly delicious sweet-tart Balsamic Honey Vinegar”.

Family Size Salad

1/4 cup of honey vinegar
tsp mustard
whisk with 3/4 cup olive oil
then finish with a little salt & pepper

Author of “The Ultimate Peanut Butter Book” blogs about Blackberry Honey Creme with a mouth-watering recipe to follow!

For those peanut butter lovers out there, here is a recipe you cannot miss.  Peanut Butter Sandwiches with Blackberry Honey Creme places our honey creme inside delicious peanut butter cookies.  YUM!  Found on the blog, Real Food Has Curves, by Mark Scarbough, the honey creme is used as a filling.  Try it out for yourself.  It is sure to be a hit!

 

Gourmet Honeys Add Wow Factor to Summer Recipes

We’ve had fun experimenting with our gourmet honeys this month. Try some of the delicious offerings below, ranging from tasty breakfast fare to appetizers that will make guests clamor for more. Honey offers natural health benefits while providing a subtle sweetness to a variety of foods. Experiment with our unique varieties of honey available (Wild  Blackberry, Star Thistle, Pumpkin Blossom, Orange  Blossom and Black Button Sage) to add that “wow” factor to your favorite recipes.

 Honey Vanilla Yogurt with Fresh Fruit
Our gourmet honeys add delicious flavor to yogurt.

2 cups plain yogurt
3 tablespoons Honey Ridge Farms gourmet honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
4 cups assorted fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, orange sections, sliced peaches, plums, nectarines, grapes, or bananas, etc.)
¼ cup toasted chopped almonds or walnuts

Mix together yogurt, honey, citrus zest and vanilla extract. Toss the fruit together in a bowl to combine. Spoon fruit into small bowls or parfait cups, top with the yogurt and sprinkle with toasted nuts.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Goat Cheese, Honey and Nut Coated Grapes
Guests can’t stop eating these bite-sized appetizers.

 8 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons Honey Ridge Farms gourmet honey
30 seedless red grapes, washed, dried and stemmed
1 1/4 cups finely chopped toasted pecans

Cream together goat cheese, cream cheese and honey. Working one at a time, spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture around each grape, rolling between hands to evenly coat. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate until slightly set, about 20 minutes. Place nuts in a shallow dish. Roll the cheese-coated grapes in the nuts to cover completely.  Chill about 30 minutes to one hour to set.  Serve.

 Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cheese and Honey Platter

Cheese platters have been all the rage these past few years. My daughter was visiting recently, and we picked up several local cheeses to sample with our gourmet honeys. Add red and white wines to sip and savor, and you’ve got an outstanding appetizer or after-dinner treat. I like to offer either three or five cheeses, featuring a combination of soft ripened/fresh, blue and semi-hard/hard cheese. Serve a variety of flavors ranging from mild to strong. Arrange cheese wedges on a platter, wooden board or marble slab.

Serve with apple or pear slices, grape clusters or strawberries. Accompany with small bowls toasted walnuts or almonds and baguette slices or crackers.  Include small bowls (with spoons) of Honey Ridge Farms gourmet honey to drizzle on top of the cheeses.  Pumpkin Blossom, Black Button Sage and Star Thistle were our favorites, adding rich flavor, contrast and that “wow” factor to the cheese selections. Encourage guests to cut a slice of cheese, place on a baguette or cracker and drizzle with the honey of their choice. Following are cheese and wine selections to help you get started. Experiment with locally produced cheeses and interesting offerings at your supermarket. But above all, have fun with your pairings.

 Soft/Fresh: Brie, Camembert, Triple Crèmes, Chevre

Blue: Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton

Semi-Hard/Hard: Cheddar, Edam, Gouda, Manchego, Dry Jack, Parmesan, Swiss

Wine Pairings: Pair light cheese with Pinot Gris, Pinot Noirs, Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc; blues go well with Viogniers, Rieslings and Muscat wines; creamy selections go well with sparkling wines and champagne; full-flavored cheese goes well with Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrahs.

WineImbiber

Our friends at wineimbiber.com wrote a wonderful review and created a salmon recipe featuring our Balsamic Honey Vinegar.  Click here to visit their site.

From the Farm to You!

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I recently had the opportunity to sample a few of the products from our offerings and was quite impressed with my choices. One of them was from FromTheFarm.com (an online farmers market that will ship farm–fresh produce and other agricultural products directly from their farms to your home). I was amazed at the wide variety of items they offer. It really is just like what you’d expect to see at a farmers market, only better (Hello, I said they deliver!). In fact, some of their products are unique—you can’t find them anywhere else. And since we’re wine and food enthusiasts, I really appreciated the selection of wine–friendly foods and condiments they have available. It reminds me of the experience we had in Italy last summer when we stayed at Tenuta di Spannocchia (a working farm in Tuscany) and witnessed first–hand all of the fabulous things that can be raised, grown and produced in one place.

I surprised myself by choosing a Balsamic Honey Vinegar (from Honey Ridge Farms) to try. I’m not a big fan of either balsamic vinegar or honey, but the description mentioned that it was “especially delicious drizzled over sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese slices.” Once again, I found my mind wandering back to our Italy trip, where we found ourselves constantly being offered slices of parmesan cheese drizzled with fresh honey to munch on while tasting wine. That became the turning point for my lifelong indifference to honey as I now actually find myself craving it with certain things (like dry cheeses).

This gourmet vinegar is unusual in that it is made from 100% natural honey, which means it is sulfite–free. So, the flavor is similar to (but not quite as tart as) regular balsamic vinegar. The honey lends a subtle sweetness that will add a rich flavor to salad dressings, marinades and reductions. I tried it in a couple of recipes, one of which was provided by FromTheFarm.com. Our family enjoyed the recipe as provided (I made a few adaptations because I didn’t have a whole salmon), but really loved the balsamic glaze recipe all by itself. I found myself taking my finger and scraping out the remainder from the cooking pan, wishing I had some vanilla ice cream to drizzle it over! It was tastier than any fruit–type topping I’ve ever had, and dare I say, it would make a nice accompaniment to a cheese platter served as a dessert course.

I also tried the vinegar as they mentioned, drizzled straight from the bottle over tomato slices and fresh mozzarella. I also added some fresh basil and a quick pour of good Italian olive oil over the top. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of it, but trust me when I say that it was molto deliziosi! I’m looking forward to trying it on burrata cheese (another addiction I developed in Tuscany). I’m sure it, too, will make my taste buds sing and conjure fond memories of our gastronomic adventures in Italy.

WI wine recommendation: I used Palumbo Family Vineyards 2006 Syrah for this recipe and to enjoy with the final dish. A Syrah or Shiraz has a sweet aspect that works very well in the reduction sauce and is a delicious pairing with the salmon.
 

 
Roast Salmon with Balsamic Honey Wine Reduction
(adapted from FromTheFarm.com)
 
2 lbs. salmon fillet (preferably wild salmon)
1–2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Honey Ridge Farms Balsamic Honey Vinegar
1/2 cup red wine (see WI wine recommendation)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
 
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut salmon fillet(s) into individual serving sizes. Do not grease the pan with butter or olive oil—this way, the skin of the salmon will stick to the pan and you won’t have to remove it yourself. Place the salmon pieces in a baking dish, skin side down.

Mix together the red onion, lemon rind, garlic and thyme.

Brush the olive oil over the salmon. Rub the herb mixture over the salmon.

Roast up to 20 minutes or until white juices appear on top.

Meanwhile, combine balsamic vinegar, wine and sugar in a skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce until syrupy. Turn heat to low, whisk in butter and keep warm.

Remove salmon from baking dish to plate. Note: I served the salmon on top of Mashed Potatoes with Lemon and Chives (from Epicurious). I also quickly sautéed some snow peas in a little olive oil and served that alongside the salmon and potatoes.

Spoon the warm glaze over the top of the salmon and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

 

Evite promotes tea-time favorites

Host your own tea party and use some of evite.com’s suggestions for serving a honey of a tea. It features our flavored Honey Cremes for hot tea mix-ins and as a delicious spread for scones. Click here to read more.

The Leftover Queen dishes on Honey Ridge Farms!

We were thrilled to see Honey Ridge Farms posted on the Leftover Queen’s website. Here is an excerpt from her blog on the honey creme’s and the balsamic honey vinegar.

Honey Ridge Farms is a really fantastic company. When I read the materials they sent me with the package I was really happy to read this statement: “We are a long time bee keeping family (5 generations) who believe that honey is nature’s best sweetener”. I would have to agree. I am a huge fan of honey, and maple syrup – if I could figure out how to bake with them, that is all I would ever use…sounds like another good project for me…Anyway their artisan honey is minimally processed, gently warmed and strained, but not filtered. This retains all the complex flavors this honey has to offer. The Pumpkin Blossom honey we got has a sweet and spicy robust flavor – and the color is beautiful.

I also received 3 Honey Cremes, and decided to use the Blackberry Creme in this recipe as it would compliment the berry notes in the Shiraz-Grenache wine I was using. Their honey cremes are blended with the finest fruits and spices and are never cooked – again retaining the natural goodness of the honey. It is delicious stuff and there is so much you could do with them – topping for ice cream, yogurt, on hot cereal, even spread on toast.

Anyway, I also decided to make a vanilla – maple cream to go with the pears – you can see the recipe after the cut.

We got another interesting product from Honey Ridge Farms – Balsamic Honey Vinegar. I know, I wondered what it was too when I saw the bottle. So I got to reading labels and literature to figure out what it was. It is a balsamic type vinegar made entirely from 100% honey! This makes it sulfite free and really does have the flavor of balsamic vinegar. You can use it in place of grape balsamic in salads, marinades and sauces. Plus, Honey Ridge Farms donates a percentage of their profits on this product to fund research for maintaining bee colony health – which is very important.

Strawberries are in season here in Florida right now. I am not a huge fan of them, but I do enjoy them when they are soaked in balsamic vinegar. If you have never tried this, it may sound weird, but I promise you that the flavors work together like magic! The vinegar brings out the sweetness of the berries. So I chopped up some strawberries and added 1/3 cup of Honey Balsamic over the top. I also mixed in about a TBS of the Clover Honey Creme (also from Honey Ridge). I let that all sit in the fridge for about an hour or two – you could do it over night, if you can wait that long! It was really delicious over vanilla ice cream! I am also looking forward to having some over yogurt. For additional recipes on her site for using our products go to http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2009/02/19/from-the-farm-poached-pears-and-honey-balsamic-strawberries

Have a great week!

-Leeanne