Honey, Temps, Bowling,

I like local honey - the stuff they sell you in the stores is a mix of honey from all over the place and not nearly as good either for you or to taste. Anyway I have a jar I have been using for a while and for some reason had never read what was written on it. I think these are incredible statistics. To make you 1 lb of  local honey, one hive of 80,000 bees flies a distance equal to twice around the world, visiting some 2 million flowers around Perth and Waterloo counties. A single bee will contribute about 1/10th of a teaspoon of honey over its lifespan of about 45 days. Amazing isn't it? And after all that hard work we pinch it. Of course whilst they are visiting those 80,000 flowers they are pollinating which is their major function as far as we are concerned. This is why the loss of bees is so worrying. A lot of people in this part of the world say 'bees' when they mean 'wasps' or 'yellow jackets'. This too is worrying that they don't know the difference. The asparagus farm now has their own hives. I have forgotten to ask about their progress. I bought some honey their the other day but not sure where it came from.

All week they were predicting snow for Sunday. Guess what, not a single flake. In fact it was a lovely day, not very warm, about 6°C and the forecast for the week puts our highs at about 14°C for the latter part of the week. Not very much yet. Come on spring - we need you.

Although the Winter League has finished, Matt and I are going to bowl today and Thursday this week. Next week the Summer League starts on Wednesday 17th so I expect we will bowl on Wednesday and Thursday. Later in the summer the alley doesn't open on Monday and Tuesday anyway.

Here's a good one from Bon Appétit. Wish I had enough lemon and orange for some zest. Of course, as usual, if you have farm fresh asparagus, you don't need to trim. You know, since I learned that, I have often wondered about the asparagus I grew in my back yard in the UK. I don't remember that I didn't trim it and I probably didn't need to.

Charred Asparagus with Citrus Bagna Cauda

The one-two punch of citrus zest and juice balances all that anchovy richness in our new favorite

dressing recipe for spring veg.

2 Tbs skin-on almonds
2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 sprig oregano
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 Tbs fresh orange juice
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 ½ lbs asparagus, trimmed

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 350°. Scatter almonds across a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until darkened a little and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

2. Cook anchovies, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, orange zest, butter, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over low heat, swirling occasionally, until garlic is golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in orange and lemon juices and season with salt and pepper. Let bagna cauda sit while you prepare the asparagus.

3. Heat broiler. Toss asparagus with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat; season with salt and pepper. Broil until deeply browned in spots and crisp-tender, 5–8 minutes.

4. Toss asparagus and bagna cauda together on a platter; top with almonds.

Servings: 4

Author: Alon Shaya
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day