Upcoming Maple Syrup Events

Ambler Farm Maple Syrup Open House

Saturday, February 27 + Saturday, March 6
12:30pm-1:30 pm

Join the folks at Ambler Farm to watch how they make their very own maple syrup. Bundle up for a great discussion on the Native American origin of maple syrup, the amazing flow of sap and learn how to boil the sap down to make syrup. They'll wrap up the program with some tasting of their very own maple syrup over vanilla ice cream. It's great activity for the whole family. Dads love this kinda stuff!

Free for all ages! Email amblerfarm@gmail.com to pre-register

Address: Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt Street, Wilton CT 06897

First County Bank Maple Sugar Sunday

First County Bank Maple Sugar Sunday takes place March 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m at The Stamford Museum & Nature Center. The maple sugar season peaks on March 7 as the museum celebrates the 10th Annual Maple Sugar Sunday. At this fun-filled family festival, visitors can learn how Native Americans created sugar from sap using the hot rock method; see how colonialists used large iron cauldrons to boil the sap over an open fire, and then stop by the maple sugar house to see modern evaporation technique in action. 

There will also be a cook-off between Frank Daniele of Frank & Julio Complete Event Planning and Marcia Selden of Marcia Selden Catering and Event Planning. On feb 20th, three chefs competed to create a recipe using maple syrup as a primary ingredient. The recipes were judged by the public, eliminating one of the contenders. The final two chef show down will take place at the March 7th event.  

Of course, there will be lots of sweet treats and the ever-popular pancake breakfast. Other activities include maple-themed crafts, games, storytelling, music and much more.

A Guide to Fairfield County 2010 CSAs

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a means for consumers to buy a share in a farm's seasonal production directly from the farmer. Consumers benefit from buying local, farm fresh, high quality produce at an attractive price and farmers benefit from pre-selling the harvest. It’s a clear win-win. CSA members typically pick up their weekly shares at the farm or a location in their community, but a new CSA option is delivered to your door! Community pick up locations generally involve a small volunteer commitment, perhaps two hours per season, during which the site is readied and broken down for weekly share distribution. CSA membership is not for everyone because in such a partnership arrangement, the consumer shares both the bounty of the farm's harvest and some of the risks inherent in farming.

We have lost so much farmland in Connecticut that less than one percent of our residents earn a living by farming. Eat well, support your local farmer and do your bit to preserve farmland by buying a CSA share in one of our precious organic or IPM (Integrated Pest Management) farms.

Back in January I announced that it was CSA registration month and shared that two organic farms were expanding and had opened their lists to new CSA families: Sport Hill Farm in Easton and The Hickories in Ridgefield. The CSAs from these two farms quickly sold out. The good news is that there are still a few CSAs open for new subscribers, but you should act quickly if you want to secure a share.

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Superior Snacking: BlueBelle Premium Granola Bars

For some time now I have been making special trips to a Doc's, a Westport coffee house, just to purchase their hand made BlueBelle Granola Bars. I would look for any excuse to drive down their street in the hopes of finding my favorite flavor. Always on the hunt for talented small local producers, I recently tracked down the owner of BlueBelle Premium Granola Bars, Westport's Jerri Graham, to learn more about her take on this popular snack. 

Jerri's mission is to create healthy bars that are delicious, satisfying and enhance over all well being. She takes simple, nutritionally dense ingredients and combines them such that each one is identifiable and discernible. She is a creative soul with great business integrity, who understands the importance of a product to both enhance one's health and thrill the palate. 

There are currently 4 variations on the bar, all using the same base of organic oats and oat flour.  The choices are Lemon Ginger, Fruit and Nut, Cherry Cranberry Almond and Chocolate Coconut,

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Roasted Beet & Watercress Salad w/ Toasted Walnuts

People are often daunted by the prospect of proper beet handling and cooking. Personally speaking, I always order them when dining out because I lack the will to cook them at home. Recently, I sat in on one of Chef Nicole's cooking classes, where Balsamic Glazed Roasted Beets with Toasted Walnuts & Grapefruit Over Watercress was on the menu. Watching the simple preparation of this delicious dish helped me turn the corner.

Beets can be found year round at your local grocer although the small tender beets are generally in season only from June through October. High in nutrients and low in calories, these sweet earthy root vegetables are great solo or in salads like the one below. The acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the grapefruit work well to counterbalance the sugary beets, while the toasted walnuts provide great texture and crunch. Make this dish for your next dinner party or as a light healthy lunch.

Balsamic Glazed Roasted Beets with Toasted Walnuts and Grapefruit Segments Over Watercress

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CTbites Votes: Best Sushi in Fairfield County

The people have spoken yet again, and this time we're talking raw fish. Here are the results of our Best of Sushi poll with top ranking Kazu strongly in the lead with 38%. If you are in the Norwalk area with a hankering for sushi, go check it out.

If you have suggestions for future CTbites Votes polls, please contact us and share your thoughts. 

Photo: Courtesy of Kazu Kazu (Norwalk) 38%

Tengda (Multiple locations) 16%

Matsu Sushi (Westport) 14%

Wasabi Chi (Norwalk) 12%

Fin (Fairfield) 8%

Duo (Stamford) 6%

Shiki Hana (Fairfield) 3%

Matsuri (Darien) 2%

Kotobuki (Stamford) 1% 

Pizzeria Lauretano: The Art of Pizza

There is pizza, and then there is pizza.

Over the last century pizza has emerged as one of Americas' favorite foods if its ubiquity (thousands of pizza parlor chains operate in the U.S.) and increasing reverence (the growth of the artisanal pizza parlor) are any indication. As inexpensive luxuries find their elevated place in our uncertain economic climate, pizza is poised (and deserves) its place as a culinary rock star. This moment is especially sweet for foodies who eschew chain restaurants and irreverent meals in favor of seeking out more authentic and artisanal experiences. The latter can be characterized by a deference to the hand-made, a regard for craft, and an appreciation of traditional methods and tools.

So what is the difference between pizza and pizza? Pizza is a fast-food with forgettable crust, flavorless cheese and an emphasis on speed. Pizza on the other hand, is the type of food that can transport you to Naples in a bite, and by the time you've finished your slice you might swear you're on another continent surrounded by your extended Italian family and hundreds of years of tradition. Dedication to craft, tradition and an awareness that something that is being practiced and not merely produced, is pizza.

One restaurant that successfully achieves this artisanal approach is Pizza Lauretano in Bethel, CT.

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Road Trip: Old Lyme & Chester for Great Food and Fun

In these cold cabin-fever days of winter, a road trip to a country inn casts an alluring spell.  Dreaming of a cozy dinner in front of a flickering fireplace, we hit the road to check out The Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme. (100 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT)

The Bee & Thistle has been an inn since 1930, but Linnea and David Rufo have breathed new life into the historic building since buying it 4 years ago. Linnea is a multi-talented, energetic and attractive woman with 20 years of experience in the hospitality business as a chef (she worked at Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen), innkeeper (The Inn at Stockbridge in Massachusetts) and award-winning events planner (too numerous to list).

She’s the Bee & Thistle’s executive chef and hostess, and has created a cozy ambience filled with good food, art and music.

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Ask Chef Nicole: Asian Turkey Vegetable Potstickers

Chef Nicole has mastered the art of the kid-friendly recipe that works just as well the adults in the crowd. These Asian Turkey Vegetable Potstickers are a perfect hands-on activity for all ages. Personally, all that folding took me right back to those origami craft projects from my younger days. These little GBD packages are deceptively simple to make and very tasty. We also have a vegetarian version below. Try 'em in your house and let us know what you think. 

Asian Turkey Vegetable Potstickers

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Westport-Weston Restaurant Week Feb. 28-March 6

Twice a year, I schlep into New York for “Restaurant Week” to experience some of the city’s finest eateries for a fraction of regular prices, like my unforgettable, three-course feast at Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, voted a “Top 5 Newcomer by Zagat” at January’s NYC Restaurant Week. 

When I learned that Restaurant Week is finally making its way up to Westport, home to over 35 eateries, I began lining up my dining partners—and you should, too.  

The First Annual Westport-Weston Restaurant Week will take place from February 28-March 6, and we at CTbites plan to make the most of it. As of this printing, some 20 Westport restaurants, with a range of cuisines and price points, have signed on. The list represents a cross-section of local venues, both casual and high-end, from the down-and-dirty Black Duck and the down-home Bobby Q’s to the organic dynamo, The Dressing Room, to the perennially popular Tarantino’s and DaPietro’s, to newcomers including Manolo and Rizzuto’s.  

“Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to try out a restaurant that may be out of your budget

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Raising The Bar On Eating Locally...Don't Miss FRESH

Analiese Paik is the Founder and Editor of The Fairfield Green Food Guide. She is devoted to raising awareness for eating locally and incorporating sustainable food into your family's daily routine. Analiese organized a sold out screening of the documentary FRESH last August. If you missed it, on February 27th, you have a second chance to see this film. Details are below: 

You are invited to a very special screening of the documentary food film FRESH on Saturday, February 27 from 2:00-4:30 pm at Audubon Greenwich. Immediately following the film, a panel of prominent members of the local/sustainable food movement will discuss the critical role we each play in supporting local farms and creating a local market for sustainable products and offer practical ideas about small but important steps we can take to join and strengthen this grass roots movement. Please join us afterwards for complimentary organic wine and local cheese in the exhibition area. A special educational program for children ages 5 and up is being offered free of charge so the whole family can enjoy an afternoon at the beautiful venue.

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