The Meeting of Maple Addicts

Once you begin to sugar like any other interest whether its golf, fishing, running, you never put it down. While sugaring this spring and attending maple conventions in the winter I created a group of friends that all are as addicted as myself.

Sometimes I suffer from major withdrawal symptoms if my hands and head are not in maple. Now is one of those times! To alleviate the night sweats and morning shakes I decided to call together a few of my maple addict friends and their wives. This does not spread throughout the family. I decided to throw a BBQ/dinner party in the near future.

 While sugaring and with today's technology I am on the phone or texting my friends in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and even Vermont as to how things are going or not going. Offering support and words of wisdom to each other especially this year as to why the heck is the sap not running? “Are you getting anything?” What is the next thing I can buy to set me back a few more thousand dollars?

So in a fit of maple withdrawal I sent out invitations to three fellow producers and their wives for a relaxing afternoon in May of maple speak. Not all the wives may be thrilled about the maple talk ----but the guys will be Lady gaga!

  But they all love the food!!

I thought I would share with you the food that will fuel the conversation that afternoon.

The menu:

1. A 12 pound cap on beef brisket I home smoke with pecan and hickory, red oak and corncobs at 200 for around 5-6 hours.  Then I glaze it with a maple glaze, wrapped it in foil and bake 7 hours till it melts in your mouth.
2. au gratin potatoes
3. homemade coleslaw with maple syrup as a sweetener (for on the brisket sandwiches)
4. My homemade rolls that I have won 1^st place in the county fair with the old farm recipe for bread which over the years I have perfected.
5. Grilled asparagus seasoned with olive oil and my own seasoned salt.
6. Dessert—homemade pecan maple ice cream (yes made in an electric churn ice cream machine. Custard base of course.

1. Oh I forgot    -----

Maple martini’s

Ingredients: 

• 125 ml ice (1/2 cup)
• 60 ml vodka (1/4 cup)
• 10 ml with vermouth (2 teaspoons)
• 10 ml maple syrup (2 teaspoons)

Method: 

1. In a shaker, combine all the ingredients. Shake vigorously. 
2. Pour into a martini glass through a strainer and garnish with a frozen green grape on a toothpick.  Serve immediately.

or  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/mapletini-recipe/index.html

Recipe for maple BBQ glaze can be found at

http://www.mnmaple.org/recipes/sauces.htm#boyd

I use this as a base and you can modify anyway you like.

Boyd's Bar-B-Q Sauce - Boyd Ferrell - print recipe

1 cup catsup

1 tsp dry mustard

3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Mix together. Place sauce on ribs or chicken. Bake at 350° F until done.