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The Perfect Pairing – Wine and Food

Posted on May 20, 2013 by annierie

Wine in the Garden. At the Howard County Conservancy. Coming this Thursday night. I just saw the menu and the paired wines that will be poured. What I love most about this evening is how the caterers and the wine vendors select those perfect matches to serve. And, of course, the gardens.

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Listen to some of these pairings.

New Orleans BBQ shrimp with cheddar cheese grits, would go very well with the Loire Valley Vouvray.

Cucumber cups filled with salmon mousse served with a lightly oaked Central Valley CA Chardonnay.

Or, what would you like with Mussels Provencale? Red or white. Chardonnay or Pinot Noir from Sonoma. They are serving both.

Crab dip. You will have to get me away from that caterer. I love crab dip. Depending on the spice, the Vouvray or the Chardonnay will work, as will some of the exotic wines from Far Eastern Shore Winery of MD.

Jerk chicken kebabs. Definitely a slightly sweeter choice. Maybe a Linganore wine, or the blush styled wine from Far Eastern Shore.

Shrimp salad. Chicken salad. Pasta salads. The list goes on and on. This isn’t a measly set of choices here. I saw at least 15 items including a bruschetta bar, and one I am intrigued with. Spicy shrimp cilantro cups.

Lots of dessert choices in there too. Red wine and chocolate meet your fancy. There is a blended red being poured. A blend of zinfandel, syrah and cabernet. A caterer is bringing cake bites. Something small, sweet and you can experiment with all sorts of different wine pairings.

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If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time. Or, come pay at the door. The party is from 5-8 on Thursday the 23rd. The silent auction has some cool wine and food items too. I saw that they have a private tour and tasting for eight people at Black Ankle Winery. Now that’s a great night out.

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See you there?

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Two Tickets to Paradise …

Posted on May 16, 2013 by annierie

… at Wine in the Garden. So, what do Eddie Money and Howard County Conservancy have in common. Those two tickets.

Wine in the Garden is the annual fundraiser held in the Honors Garden at the Conservancy.

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Always the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend. Details for tickets are here.

This year Southwest donated two unrestricted tickets to anywhere they fly in the US, worth up to $800. The Conservancy is holding a raffle of these tickets instead of putting them in the silent auction. $10 a raffle ticket. You can buy the raffle tickets in advance or at the event on the 23rd of May. Drawing the night of the event.

We love attending Wine in the Garden. I don’t volunteer to pour wine, although I do it at enough events there. This is our fun event. We buy our tickets in advance to take advantage of the discount, and spend the evening strolling around, listening to the music, tasting wine, and checking out all the small plate goodies from the caterers.

This year, too, some of the silent auction items look really intriguing. We have won a couple of items in the past. My favorite is still the reclining fold up chair that was donated by REI. Particularly love this necklace that the Conservancy highlighted on their facebook page recently.

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This year fourteen caterers are signed up. Three different suppliers of wines. Cindy’s Spirits from Elkridge is providing a selection of wines, and two Maryland wineries will be pouring their wines. Far Eastern Shore and Linganore Winecellars.

Nice to have this mix of wines. Many of the caterers bring spicy items that pair well with some of Far Eastern Shore, and Linganore has a selection of dry and sweet. You can match a wine with a food and really enjoy the variety. Like we did when we were looking for a slightly sweeter wine that would go well with shrimp.

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This event is also very popular. Hundreds of people mingle and visit. Lots of old friends of ours show up here. We run into people we haven’t seen in ages.

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Joining us there?

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Gardens and Parties

Posted on May 11, 2013 by annierie

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Sometimes it seems to be another Hallmark holiday, but sometimes it really is special. Are you doing something for or with your mom that she really wants to do?

Even if it’s just a walk, or a meal, or a homemade card, those little things that bring joy are what most of our moms appreciate the most. The long leisurely phone calls where you listen instead of talking. Those little gifts taken to her, like in my case, getting her the heavier items she needs and can’t carry well anymore.

Driving her to someplace she really wants to go. My mom isn’t a flower or garden person, who doesn’t walk on uneven surfaces very well, but she loves to be driven out in the country just so we can talk.

Or, in my case, taking her to where she wants to go for a luncheon, even if it isn’t a place I normally like to go.

Today at the Conservancy lots of moms and grandmoms came with their families, even in the misty morning, to wander the grounds, have tea and scones in the farmhouse, visit the animals and talk to the gardeners.

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The children got to hear a Mother’s Day story. While proud parents took pictures.

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Mom may have even gotten a gift of some flowers to be planted when they stopped at the Conservancy community garden plant sale.

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All in all, we had a great morning. Tomorrow, if your mom loves flowers, the azaleas are in bloom at Brighton Dam, but if she isn’t into the crowds, maybe waiting a few days and having a visit after school, or early in the morning, when they open at nine.

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Here’s to all our moms.

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A Mother’s Day Garden Party

Posted on May 9, 2013 by annierie

At the Conservancy.

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May 11th Saturday morning at 10am. A Mothers’ Day Special-

Enjoy a beautiful Springtime morning out with your mother or a friend! Sip tea and sample home baked scones at the historic Brown sisters’ farmhouse.

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Stroll to the Conservancy’s 8 gardens and talk with the garden clubs, Master Gardeners, and staff who design and maintain these gardens year round.

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$5 per person, $10/family. In case of inclement weather, check website. This is something new the volunteers have been working. A Mother’s Day event. Last year we had children make cards and bouquets for their moms and grandmoms. This year, eight of the gardens will be open with many of them having the local garden clubs there to talk about what they do, at the Conservancy and in their clubs.

Additionally, the Master Gardeners will be at the historic garden plots. The community garden managers will be there to talk about their gardens, and the volunteers who will be busy grooming the Honors Gardens for Wine in the Garden will be hard at work, taking care of the three acre native plant site.

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Crossing our fingers that the weather is lovely. At least the gardens are flourishing from these spring showers.

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It’s Twenty Minute Clean Up Day

Posted on April 18, 2013 by annierie

Now that the sun has come out there is no excuse to miss the opportunity to pick up a little trash. Today is Twenty Minute Clean Up Day in Howard County.

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I collected close to fifteen pounds of trash in the roadway along our property line on both sides of the street. Mostly cans, plastic bottles, at least 50-60 cigarette butts, but also quite a bit of cardboard, coffee cups, aluminum foil, and lots of blown recycling material. Plus, waterlogged newspapers (you know, those “free” annoying ones). And, the remains of our neighbor’s mailbox.

Mailboxes here have a half life of about a year. We are on our third in eight years. Our neighbor, at least five or six. His is first in the line and gets whacked the most, with debris strewn all over the hillside.

No one takes care of the roads in Adopt a Road out here, as it is dangerous to work with no shoulders, and in two or three days after any clean up it is back to being a mess.

This year again I used my handy pick up tool, that my husband bought me last year after my surgery. Works really well to grab even small pieces of trash.

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After I finished on the property line, I did a perimeter sweep of our mulched beds and picked up whatever blew into them from the road. We get lots of debris on recycling days.

If you get a chance this afternoon, grab a bag and pick up some trash. Email Green Central Station and let them know what you did. Last year over 2300 people participated. If you can’t do anything today, how about coming out for Earth Day at one of the sites and help clean up or plant trees.

I will be at the Conservancy Saturday. There are other events at County Parks too.

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Connections @hcconservancy

Posted on April 17, 2013 by annierie

Connections. All sorts. This time I am talking about art. At the Conservancy tomorrow night the 18th of April.

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Starting at 6 pm, there will be a reception, silent auction and words about the juried art show, by artists and the judges. The art is amazing, and has been on display in the large hall on the Conservancy grounds. Tickets are $12 at the door. I find this a wonderful place to get art from local artists, already matted and framed.

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If you love art with a nature theme, and want to support local artists and the Conservancy, please join us there. I will be volunteering at the event, and having a lovely evening “connecting” with friends, both new ones and long time friends.

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Rediscovering #mdwine

Posted on April 14, 2013 by annierie

After that amazing twitter taste off from the Drink Local Wine conference yesterday, where comments and pictures kept popping up on twitterific, I thought I need to pay more attention to what is happening in our own backyard here in Maryland. We had pretty much abandoned Maryland until Black Ankle came along and reignited our interest.

Today we went off on the first of many day trips to see what has popped up around the area. I love Chambourcin done right, and all comments told us to try Port of Leonardtown.

To make this a multi-leveled event, this week for my eat local challenge we had a theme “WAY OUT THERE”. So, why not a drink local post instead of eating locally. We paired local cheese from Brandywine MD with local chambourcin to have lunch outside the winery.

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We now need another road trip to check out the farmstead where this cheese originated. It was excellent as were the dry chambourcin rose and the chambourcin. We brought home some of these lovely wines to enjoy this spring and summer.

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And, yes, there will be a taste off between this late harvest vidal and one of our bottles from Linden VA. MD vs VA. Let the rivalry keep all our winemakers on their game to continue to produce beautiful wines.

Glad that the Drink Local Wine conference in Maryland showed us that MD is up and coming as a wine region. Being a locapour and a locavore is not a bad thing. Besides, Wine in the Woods and Wine in the Garden should keep us busy next month.

Been to any good local wineries lately? If not, you should!

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Signs of Spring in Woodstock

Posted on April 9, 2013 by annierie

Actually, that would be “THE” sign of spring.

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The OPEN flag at the Woodstock snowball stand. Trumpeting to one and all that warm weather is officially here. Peaches and cream, heavy on the syrup, marshmallow in the middle. How do you like your snowballs?

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After a morning of training, hiking at the Conservancy, I had to stop to bring home a snowball for my husband who was cleaning out the debris from the property edge. OK, I confess. I ate the top inch or so of the snowball. Didn’t want it to spill in the car.

We had a lovely morning, planning for an eighth grade pilot trip to discuss history and the farm circa the Civil War era. The barn was on the tour.

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The Montjoy barn, moved and reassembled on site. I believe we were told the old site of the barn is now the Chick-fil-a on Executive Park Drive off Route 100. I know the Montjoy farm was over there, as the Elms at Montjoy apartments now occupy part of the farm land. Since the barn was probably built in the 1800s, it fits in well with the lessons we will be teaching the eighth graders. We have hands on projects for them to do, in the barn, the smokehouse, the blacksmith shop and the farmhouse.

Eighteen of us were out training today and enjoying the blossoming of the shrubs and flowers on the Conservancy grounds.

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Any more speculation about the holes in the fascia of the smokehouse. The most plausible is pigeon roosting cubbyholes, so the family could capture the eggs and use them in cooking. Maybe, maybe not. Still a subject of discussion.

In my farm series, it wouldn’t be complete without these references to Brown’s farm, or Mt. Pleasant, the site of the Howard County Conservancy, where I volunteer.

As for the last spring image, I give you the “pot people” decked out in spring gear and Orioles hat.

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On one of these lovely days, you need to come out and walk the grounds, feed the goats some twigs or leaves, ogle the chickens and guess the flowering shrub none of us knew.

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The answer is quince. Thanks to the staff for looking it up and posting it on facebook.

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Busy, Busy!

Posted on April 2, 2013 by annierie

April is the first of three consecutive months where activities crowd the calendar. Can’t believe all the options for things to do, weekends, and weekdays.

This weekend the Baltimore Farmer’s Market opens for the season. Under the overpasses, down by the Jones Falls Expressway. A few of our favorite vendors are regulars there. South Mountain Creamery, Zahradka Farm, Knopps Farm, all farms that we buy from.

Sometime this month we will wander down to have our brunch, enjoy the festivities and wish we had something this awesome in Howard County. We have a month to wait before our markets open.

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We have lots of opportunities to enjoy farm fresh goodies. Clark’s advertises that they have meat and eggs available now that they are open for the season. The farm is open Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Greenfest is the 13th this year, the same day as the housing fair. The 20th is Earth Day, with a bird walk and activities at the Howard County Conservancy.

Sharp’s Farm opens for those of us looking for heirloom seedlings, on the 19th. My tomatoes come from Denise, at the farm. And a few from the Howard County master gardeners who sell at Earth Day. Last year I found my favorite red fig heirloom tomatoes there.

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The 18th is twenty minute clean up day. Last year I spent time cleaning up down by our road.

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That same night is the art auction at the Conservancy. Some really nice items this year. I checked them out while doing training for my volunteer activities. This year’s theme is Connections.

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There is also a wonder walk, an event featuring box turtles, on the 13th, at the Conservancy. And, a training session on the 9th to teach the volunteer naturalists about History during the Civil War, on the farm where the Conservancy now stands. We are going to pilot this program with the Howard County schools later this month.

There is so much going on, I need to pick and choose what to do. Don’t you just love spring?

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Venison Chili with Virginia Wine

Posted on March 24, 2013 by annierie

Wine with chili. Only a real win if the chili is subtle, smoky, with cinnamon undertones. Not the “In Your Face” heat. Sunday is the day the Eat Local All Winter group posts what we made using locally sourced items. After a wonderful day hiking and discovering new things at the Conservancy with Tom Wessels, it was nice to come home to a warming meal, chili.

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Did you know we have young American chestnut trees surviving the blight, although they are fighting it, on the property in Woodstock? We found many interesting items today, and have the opportunity to learn more from the books about reading the forested landscape.

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I will save more details about what we learned for a future post, and get back to the other topic, What was dinner? The vast majority of the chili came from our freezer. It included a large container of heirloom tomatoes from my garden, onions and peppers from the CSA, and a beef stew stock made last fall. All dumped in the crock pot with a pound of the ground venison. Additional tomato paste, black beans and tomato/lime/cilantro mix (courtesy of Rotel) came from the pantry and weren’t local. Also, a couple of onions from last week’s CSA delivery, chopped up. The spices were cinnamon, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. A splash of Pennsylvania maple syrup, and a chopped up jalapeno out of the freezer, another CSA contribution. Slow cooked for ten hours in the crock pot. It looked like this when done.

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Served on the side were Trickling Springs butter and that old fashioned white bread from Great Harvest.

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Since it didn’t overwhelm with heat, and had lovely flavor, I decided to open a VA wine. An old one. Predominantly petit verdot. A grape used sparingly in France in Bordeaux, but one which does well in the long growing season in VA.

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Yes, the year is 2001, a very good year for VA wines. This blend is vastly different than the other three blends Linden produced in 2001. With all of them in the cellar, we get to sample the differences. This wine has softened over the years, but is still lovely. Supposed to be past its prime, but we don’t think so. Cherry and tobacco in the taste. Very easy to drink. Not brown around the edges either. We do need to drink the rest of these though, as they won’t hold many more years.

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Later tonight, a bit of maple flavored yogurt from Pequea Valley Farm in PA, mixed with some blueberries from Butler Orchards, out of the freezer. Lots of berries left, and the yogurt is one I have talked about many times, available at Breezy Willow or at England Acres.

I have to admit again, eating locally in the winter is not difficult around here.

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