Still Buzzing: Honey Fest

Photo: Courtesy of Do Something.org.

Now that Paraphrase has opened, I'm back to buzzing about Pollinator Week. Yesterday afternoon, I made my way to the Union Square Greenmarket for Honey Fest.

During market hours, the square tends to be a mix of calm and chaos--as people file out of the station into the open air or duck around produce stands to catch trains below, others seem to walk aimlessly, examining fruits, veggies, and other foods along their way. The team of honey folk, including a man on stilts in honeybee regalia, added that New York dash of quirk and excitement to the setting.

Of course, my first objective was to taste honey. At the table for the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, I encountered a glass case full of live bees and a wealth of information about honey, such as reasons to buy the local liquid: "Buying local honey supports local farmers, supports a healthy bee population and better pollination, and can even help fight seasonal allergies. Plus it just tastes better." Their sample was surprisingly sweet; the consistency and texture of sugar body scrub lent a nice delicate crunch. Located about 30 miles north of New York City, Stone Barns is a multi-crop farm with its own resident beekeeper. Consider this organization's hands-on courses if you're planning to start a beehive at home.

Whole Wheat Honey Blueberry Pancake by T.I. Williams.

I soon spotted a fellow Community Chef and art world acquaintance, T.I. Williams, whipping up a dish for passersby. Based on her Facebook page, which is filled with mouthwatering notes about her own baked goods, I knew she wouldn't disappoint. Her whole wheat and blueberry pancake batter--infused with wildflower Zippy Bee Honey by Park Slope resident Kay Sera--was quickly cooked in butter and topped with a mixture of sour cream, yogurt, and more honey. This blend of cool creamy sweetness atop a hot spongy disc drew crowds much to my dismay; I lingered for a while hoping for seconds.

Next, I stopped at the Häagen-Dazs table where I received a complimentary packet of seeds to grow bee friendly flowers. Unfortunately, I have no where to plant them. (Note to self: Look into community gardens again this summer.) Recognizing their own reliance on honeybees for ingredients in their products, Häagen-Dazs is running a campaign to broaden awareness about colony collapse. In addition to donating money to help fund honeybee research, you can find this major ice cream producer participating in small local events like Honey Fest. As they say on their website, "Saving a bee is as simple as planting a seed."

I traveled the rest of the market inspired to make something with honey at home. I boarded the train with, among other things, a bunch of fresh carrots with the tops still attached. (I just learned from Chowhound that you can use carrot tops like parsley or boil them for tea.) After some recipe searching on the web, I've decided to make Honey Butter and a batch of Dropped Carrot Biscuits. I'll let you know how it all turns out.