The Culinary Tourist--Maple Sugaring is Sweet Sign of Spring

Westfield, NY--The yellow-bellied sapsuckers returning here in April will miss the first run at Maple-Grape Farms, better known as the Sugar Shack. We, unlike our fine feathered friends, got lucky, arriving just in time to savor the sweet syrup a few short hours after it was made.

The plume of steam rising from our favorite Sunday breakfast destination tells us there’s more than pancakes and sausage on the griddle. Warm days and cold nights made the sap rise early this year, and that means there’s maple syrup bubbling out back. Fourth-generation sugarman Robert Black is busy tapping a few more maples, adding to a network that includes 400 trees. Forty miles of blue plastic tubing winds through neighboring villages and farms. Gravity and a few simple pumps send the sap all the way to the sugarhouse for processing.

If we wait a few minutes, Robert will put down his drill and lead us into the sugarhouse, where a fresh batch of syrup is releasing the sweetest aroma you can imagine.

Galvanized buckets, homemade evaporators and wood fires are a thing of the past in this modern-day operation made of polished stainless steel and digital temperature gauges. The new equipment, though it represents a sizeable investment, assures a more consistent, high-quality product. More distilled water than the farm will ever use is a happy byproduct. We watch Robert test the steaming liquid, and in a few seconds, when the temperature reaches 219.7 degrees, the syrup automatically flows out of a spigot into waiting containers. As it cools, the amber-colored liquid is filtered through a tiny press and bottled. When you realize it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, you begin to understand why the sugar farmers treat it like gold. Maple-Grape Farms expects to ship 500 gallons this year.

Inside the pancake restaurant, families are already enjoying enjoying the fruits of Robert's labor. Some are regulars, and other are visitors traveling the Seaway Trail, a National Scenic Byway that parallels the Great Lakes.  From the looks of a map covered in red and blue stars, they come from as far away as Russia, China, Japan, Romania, and all over North America, from Mexico to Minneapolis. Who can blame them? A stack of buckwheat or buttermilk pancakes, one egg any way you like it, your choice of sausage or bacon, unlimited refills on coffee and a fruit cup comes to only $7.99 for what's called a "mini," and $8.99 for a "small." How many pancakes do you think you could eat? Jerry Yeaney of Houston, Texas, is the reigning champ after devouring 3 1/2 big ones in July, 2005. Some people come and sing for their pancakes, or an occasional Belgian waffle.  Today, we bump into folk musicians Dick and Carmen Gilman and their friend Chris Warner on our way into the Sugar Shack. We order our breakfast and enjoy a wonderful medley of Appalachian and Celtic tunes on fiddle, guitar and hammered dulcimer.

Sugar Shack proprietor Gail Black stops by our table to warn we'd better save room for dessert. Like most every Sunday, she's offering free tastings of ice cream topped with syrups, butters and spreads made from 27 different fruits and berries grown right here on her farm. Here's a woman who welcomed visitors before anyone ever thought to coin the term "agritourism," or more recently, "culinary tourism." Gail leads nature walks in spring, birdwatching tours in summer, and grapepicking demonstrations in fall. And--hold onto your coffee--she'll even take you for a ride through the vineyards on her four-wheeler if you're up to it.  After our big breakfast, we think we'd better take a raincheck. This is one, sweet Sunday morning and we still have a few stops to make. The Barcelona Lighthouse is only a mile away and the view of Lake Erie is incredible this time of year.

How to Make a Maple Volcano

Like a piping hot popover, this is no ordinary muffin. Fill it with 100% pure maple syrup and watch your guests erupt in applause.

Popovers:
1 cup milk, scant cup flour, 1 Tbs. oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 425. Beat first four ingredients with electric mixer at high speed, one minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating mixture after each. Fill greased custard cups 2/3 full. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Syrup:
1 cup maple syrup, 1 Tbs. real butter
While popovers are baking, bring syrup and butter to a boil, boiling five minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until popovers are done, about 20 minutes. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, pierce the hot popovers with a toothpick or knife, remove them to a serving bowl, and pour syrup over each. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe, courtesy of Gail Black, Vinewood Acres, Maple-Grape Farms
Photos by Rich Gensheimer

Planning Your Trip

When to go: Watch tree-tapping demos and tour the sugarhouse during Maple Weekends, March 21-22 and 28-29 2009. Come for breakfast any Sunday year-round, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturdays, too, from June through August. Reservations are advised. Call toll free, 888-563-4324.

How to get there: Take the Seaway Trail, Route 5, along Lake Erie, one mile east of Barcelona Harbor, to 7904 Route 5, Westfield, NY, near the New York-Pennsylvania border.

Best book to bring along for the ride: Miracles on Maple Hill, 1957 Newbery Award Winner by Virginia Sorensen

Lisa Gensheimer, Travel Correspondent:

The Culinary Tourist appears every other Thursday and by chance in Gather Essentials: Travel. Explore all 50 states with award-winning documentary producer Lisa Gensheimer as she discovers the fun, food and people she meets along the way. Whether you're visiting the home of a faraway friend, stopping for directions at a roadside market, or on holiday in an exotic location, richly layered experiences await.

A published author, Lisa has several new projects in the works, including a cultural cookbook and companion travel DVD. Read more about her work at MainStreetMedia.tv and at Forest Press.