Mary Woltz of Bee’s Needs in Sag Harbor NY |
The East End of Long Island of Long Island is full of people doing wonderful things with food. Among them is one my favorite people, Mary Woltz. The North Carolina native has single-handedly invented “Bee’s Needs”, a source of wonderful honeys. That’s right plural. Because Mary’s ‘girls’, as she likes to call them, create quite different honeys depending on what’s in bloom in our little patch of paradise.
Mary’s table at the Sag Harbor Farmer’s Market |
There are three distinct tastes created in Mary’s Early, Mid and Late Season honeys. She manages 100 colonies all on her own—with a little help from her Painter husband, Rob, at least at the Farmer’s Market. She’s set up what may be the first Community Supported Apiculture program in the country. In this program, members buy a “share” for $100.00 and for that we receive 12 jars of Mary’s honey, a tour of the hives and a wonderful newsletter. What this means is that we have a wonderful supply of local honey that lasts a year. I am always on the lookout for great recipes using honey—because we have so much and it is so good.
If you want to know more about Mary, here’s a video where she talks about her girls and her bee-keeping. Did you know that bees have a part in one in three bites of food? Follow this link and you will learn more from Mary…https://thepeoplewhofeedus.com/?p=152
Now today’s post is a great honey recipe from Fine Cooking. It’s from their series of quick dinners and it fits the bill. You actually cook both salmon and beans on the same sheet pan. I added roast new potatoes to the plate. They’re so simple to make, this my go-to recipe for potatoes that are as buttery and delicious as any I’ve ever eaten. So here’s a great dinner that you can have on the table in no time. And I get to use some of my “Bee’s Needs” honey to create a perfect dish.
Recipe for Honey Glazed Salmon with Sesame Green Beans
1/4 cup honey
4 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. five-spice powder
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Four 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets (preferably wild), pin bones and scales removed
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb. slender green beans, trimmed
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. five-spice powder
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Four 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets (preferably wild), pin bones and scales removed
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb. slender green beans, trimmed
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. lemon juice
In a small bowl, whisk the honey, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and garlic. Put the salmon skin side down on a large plate and pour the honey mixture over it. Flip the fillets so they are skin side up. Let the fish marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the canola and sesame oils. Arrange the beans on one half of the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salmon skin side down on the other half of the baking sheet. Brush the salmon with any remaining marinade from the plate.
Broil the salmon and green beans for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, toss the green beans with tongs, and reposition the salmon pieces as needed so that they cook evenly. Continue to broil until the salmon is just cooked through and the beans are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the green beans with the sesame seeds and lemon juice and serve. Serves 4.
Recipe for Roasted New Potatoes
1 lb new potatoes, preferably a mix of baby Yukon Golds and baby reds
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put the potatoes into a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid.
3. Toss in the butter. Generously salt and pepper the potatoes.
Put them into the oven with the lid on. Roast 25 minutes. Serve. Serves 4.
This dish looks absolutely delicious. I like how organic honey was used! There are so many good dishes that can be made by simply using quality top of the line ingredients. I often like to make my own sauces and can or preserve them for future use. For more information on more homemade foods visit my site.