Hi there,
This past Holiday Season, we were sent a fabulous gift box from our dear friends, Amy and Bill Green. The gift box contained products made from honey that they produce on their farm and vineyard, Saddlehill.
“We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.”
Marcus Aurelius
Bill and Amy have been our friends for over 30 years. We were so delighted when they bought Stafford Farm. Stafford Farm is an old farm that is historically important and is protected from development.
Bill and Amy love horses and wine and all kinds of people. They bought the farm and are in the process of turning it into a vineyard. They grow flowers, and keep bees and all manner of horses. The broken-down farm is now a thing of beauty to drive past and visit.
After tasting the delicious Saddlehill honey, I decided to get out the pots, pans, and cocktail shaker and create something delicious.
A cocktail named the Gold Rush perfectly featured the sweetness of Saddlehill’s unfiltered honey.
I decided to make my favorite Rosemary Tomato Jam to serve on garlic toasts as an appetizer to be served with the Gold Rush.
The combination of the sweet cocktail and the savory tomato jam transformed the chill day into one of sunshine and warmth.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic paste
1/2 jalapeno pepper finely diced
2 pints of red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup of white wine, I used pinot grigio
2 Tablespoons of Saddlehill unfiltered honey
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
a pinch of salt and pepper
Preparation
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil, garlic and jalepeno until fragrant, approximately 1 minute
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook until jammy. Approximately 25 minutes
- Remove the rosemary spring and transfer jam to a glass jar and use or refrigerate.
Thank you Amy and Bill for sharing your wonderful honey with us and for giving our community a beautiful vineyard and farm. I know everyone is anxiously waiting to taste the fruit of your vines.
43 responses to “A HONEY OF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT”
I love a good honey. Could the cocktail be modified for a mock cocktail. My daughters wedding is fast approaching and we are going to b taste test a variety of mockcocktail recipes and decide on 2 for the wedding.
Antionette, I would use 4 ounces of lemonade, 2 ounces of unfiltered honey and a splash of The Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.
That sounds absolutely perfect!
Hi Antoinette, fellow mocktail lover here. I love Bernadette’s suggestion to dash some lemon bitters into your creation. It helps take down the cloying sweetness that so many zero proof drinks seem to have. You might also look for bitter lemon tonic to float on top of the drinks. Just enough to give it some edge and fizzy. It’s amazing how much a bitter tonic makes a ZP drink feel like the real deal. Fever Tree and Schweppes both make one. Cheers, and happy wedding!
Thanks Terrie for jumping in with your great suggestions. I am a complete novice in the mixed drink department.
Oh, I for sure don’t think that’s true! Dry January last year taught me a few lessons about mocktails. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned.
Wow! Kudos to them! A farm with flowers, bees and horses sounds magical 😉 Same as this cocktail and appetizer! Absolutely gorgeous!
It is a magical place and feast for the eyes. Thanks for stopping by Ribana and have a magical week.
What a perfect gift! I love a good honey and honey products. I discovered a honey farm near Calgary, Alberta which sounds similar. (Yes, I left with a shopping bag full of yummy items) I like your tomato jam recipe too. One I will try.
Thanks Darlene, hugs, B
What delicious recipes. Indeed to buy honey!
The recipes did turn out pretty good thanks to the delicious honey. Thanks for stopping by Viv, hugs, B
What a perfect holiday gift! The tomato jam sounds absolutely wonderful.
Hi Angie, yes it was the perfect present. Thanks for stopping y, hugs B
Such a lovely gift Bernie! Honey is such a magical ingredient, and whenever I use it I remind myself that the bees feed us all, and beekeeping is such an important part of the system.
Love your little spread, the drink and the jam both look amazing.
P.S. I have the same tablecloth for my picnic table…
Thank you so much Dot. Somehow I am not surprised about the tablecloth. We seem to have much in common. Hugs, B
[…] A HONEY OF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT […]
Sending you a great big hug Yernasia.
Two lovely recipe. Honey is such an amazing ingredient! 🙂
Ronit, I am really just starting to realize the potential use of honey. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs,B
Some gifts are just more special than others, and this was definitely one of them. 🐝
You are so right about that Judy. They are very special people. Hugs, B
Sounds delicious! I love honey and it is good for me too!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment.
What a beautiful farm and what great friends you have! This makes me want to high-tail it back up to New Jersey for sure. Your cocktail sounds just spiffy, Bernadette. And snacks too? I’m on my way!!! 😁
Oh, how much I wish that were true! Always a place at my table for you and Les. Hugs, B
We have a family wedding in north Jersey this summer and we’d love to connect with you guys. I’ll be in touch when we start making our plans!
How lucky are you to be friends and get the perfect gift!!! It sounds like they have an amazing place and that drink sounds delicious too Bernadette.
Hi Diane, they are wonderful people and it has been so much fun to have them in my life. Hugs, B
how lovely to have ‘real’ honey. And such good friends. Your tablecloth looks so similar to one we have. Is it French? Ours came from Provence. Your cocktail sounds delightful.
Ah another kindred spirit. Yes, the tablecloth does come from Provence but unfortunately by mail not hand carried home. Hugs, B
Hi Bernadette, two lovely recipes using honey. Your friends farm looks wonderful.
Great honey recipes and what a blessing to have friends on such a lovely farm!
Yes, their friendship is a blessing and the farm is a bonus blessing.
Oh that’s so exciting. Have you watched The Lost Kitchen? The owner visits her friends on their farms and it’s so fascinating! Great show. Love the cocktail and your crostini.
No, what station is it streaming?
The drink sounds splendid, Bernadette. I like bourbon and mixed with honey… yum. And thanks for the rosemary tomato jam recipe too. It sounds like you have some wonderful friends. The photos of the farm are beautiful.
Diana, I treasure my friends and I have been blesses with wonderful people in my life. I count you among those friends.
<3
the cocktail and jam sound amazing Bernadette, what a lovely gift from very special friends!
The jam in particular is really good and a verstail ingredient. I just added it to tuna salad the other day. Yum!
Bill and Amy sound like a very inspiring couple with incredible vision!
They are great friends and do have wonderful vision.