Butternut Maple Loaf (from Barrington Middle School)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup chopped butternuts

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and syrup, beat until very light. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with water to the batter, beating well after each addition. Fold in nuts and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 65 minutes. May or may not be frosted.

Maple Rice Pudding (from Morning Star Maple in Dublin)

• 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly. Place in a buttered 2-quart baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes or until custard is firm.

Maple Spiced Milk

• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan. Serve warm on hot or ready to eat cereal.

The Maple Syrup Book by Janet Eagleson & Rosemary Hasner

Backyard Sugarin’: A Complete How-To Guide by Rink Mann

Making Maple Syrup The Old-Fashioned Way by Noel Perrin (a Storey Country publication)

Maple Syrup Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner by Ken Haedrich

Maple Syrup Season by Ann Purmell

Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky

This recipe combines three favorite ingredients: maple syrup, walnuts, and green beans. Delicious!

Crisp Green Beans with Roasted Shallots and Walnuts from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen

Ingredients:
Coarse sea salt
1 pound fresh green beans, snapped at each end
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp agave nectar or pure maple syrup
2 large cloves garlic, mashed
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper (I used black, since that is what I had on hand)
4 large shallots
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted, skins removed and coarsely chopped

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of salt.  Add the green beans and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still al dente. Drain the beans into a colander and chock in a bowl filled with ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and place in a large serving bowl.

In a blender, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, garlic, thyme, and 3/4 tsp salt.  Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil with the blender going (I had to stop mine when adding ingredients).  Add white pepper to taste.

Toss the green beans with the vinaigrette to coat well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.

In a small bowl, toss the shallots with 1 tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the shallots are charred on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut off and discard the blossom ends of the shallots, squeeze the shallots from their skins, and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add the shallots and the walnuts to the green beans.  Toss well, and immediately remove all the ingredients with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.  Season with white pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings