Local Honey

Blooming and Buzzing!

Our gardens are blooming and the bees are buzzing! It's finally June at Red Bee® and is it just me, or is everyone crazy for honey? Now more than ever, people are paying attention to where their food comes from and now...even their honey. Did you know that honeybees are responsible for pollinating 100 different fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices? My personal favorites that I could not live without are coffee, chocolate and the cotton for my blue jeans. Beekeepers nurture natures greatest pollinators while providing local honey at their source. They are the rising rock stars of today's green movement. We find ourselves here at Red Bee Apiary are busier than ever, educating the public on honey and beekeeping. People are reading labels too! They understand that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in it. With that said, our Rossape sustainable skin care products are getting attention too. Could bees and honey possibly be getting a little bit of respect?



So if your interested in learning more about the health benefits and the culinary delights of honey, join us at one of our workshops here at Red Bee Apiary. There are a few coveted seats left for our next Seven Flight Honey Tasting Workshop on Sunday, June 20th at 1:00 pm till 3:00 pm. Reserve your seat on our web site.


Learn how honeybees make this liquid gold we call honey, how location and nectar source determines a honeys color and flavor and how is harvested and extracted from the comb. Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier, Marina Marchese will show us how to taste and evaluate honey using the Honey Sommelier tasting guide in her new book HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper.

Read: What Fairfield Green Food Guide says about our Honey Tasting Events!


If you can't make our formal events, our Honey Tasting and Bottling Kitchen is opened 12:00 noon till 4:00 pm seven days a week by appointment only. Honey lovers are invited to join us for a Tasting Flight of any seven honeys of your choice with accompaniments locally produced bread and goat or brie cheeses for $5.00 per person. Groups of six or more could reserve our veranda overlooking the apiary and gardens.

Red Bee® JUNE EVENTS

SATURDAYS •••••••
Farmers Markets have officially begun and Red Bee Honey can be found at the New Canaan and Fairfield Brick Walk markets.

JUNE 3
Ocean County Library Stafford Branch • 129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin, NJ 08050
Honeybee Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper Book Talk

JUNE 5
Sculpture Barn Art Center • Preservation Celebration • 3 Millltown Road RT39, New Fairfield, CT
Honey, Cheese and Wine Tasting

June 12
Centennial Bee Day Party • Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Honey Tasting and Honeybee book signing

JUNE 20
Seven Flight Honey Tasting
at Red Bee Apiary

JUNE 25
Artisanal Cheese Center • Honey, Cheese and Wine
Beekeeper and Honey Sommelier Marina Marchese and Affineur Erin Hedley

Here is one of our favorite recipes It is so easy and elegant...
Honey Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans Recipe

Goat cheese or Chèvre cheese is cheese made from goat's milk (chèvre is French for goat). In regions where domesticated goats are kept, many kinds of goat's milk cheeses are produced.
Caprino is a Italian goat's milk cheese and Castelo Branco is a Portuguese goat's milk cheese. So don’t be afraid to experiment.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1cup pecans, finely chopped
3/4 cup of wildflower honey
6 oz log of goat cheese
12 fresh figs Calimyrna or black missions, halved
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper


Methods:
Place the finely chopped pecans in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the goat cheese log in the pecans to evenly coat. Refrigerate log until firm. To serve, cut evenly into rounds. Divide figs evenly between 6 dessert plates. Top figs with a round of pecan crusted goat cheese. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of honey over each serving. Serve immediately.

Honey, not just for your Tea

Honey and tea has been a staple for as long as we could remember. Grandmother's swore that it would ease symptoms related to colds and flues. The latest buzz is that local honey helps seasonal allergies and our customer swear by this. They stop by daily, specifically to purchase our local honey.

Here at Red Bee Apiary, we use honey on just about everything and there is no food that has escaped the drizzle of our liquid gold, from home baked breads to a sweetener for our morning coffee. YES, I said coffee. Who ever thought honey could be the perfect "green" sweetener for your morning Joe? It's full of minerals and vitamins that you won't find in processed sweeteners.

To help you explore the possibilities of coffee and honey, we are hosting a Coffee Roasting Workshop here in our gardens at Red Bee Apiary and posting three of our favorite honey recipes below. Coffee and Honey are the perfect accompaniments for home baked breads. We will be serving up all three of these tasty honey spreads with locally made Wave Hill breads and the freshly roasted coffee at the workshop.

Please join us for a Coffee Roasting Workshop with Peter and Junalyn Duveen of the Siberian Pipeline Coffee Company in NY. Learn how to roast your own coffee beans for a much fresher, robust flavor. Find out about pan-roasted coffee, and automatic roasting machines, and taste the result--freshly brewed coffee with delicious locally made Wave Hill Bread and Red Bee Honeys! Each guest will receive one sample sized bag of coffee beans.

Sign Up for our Coffee Roasting Workshop

Here's a sneak preview of what's on the menu at
Red Bee's Coffee Roasting Workshop
RECIPES:

Coffee Creamed Honey

Makes 1 cup

• 9 oz. creamed honey
• 1 Tablespoon instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon hot water

In small bowl, bring creamed honey to room temperature. Combine instant coffee and hot water. Add to creamed honey. Stir in quickly but do not blend completely, leaving some swirls of coffee. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 8 2-Tablespoon servings.

Chocolate Honey Hazelnut Spread (Nutella)

Makes 1-1/4 cups

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup ground skinned roasted hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon raw cocoa powder
  

Cream honey and butter; add hazelnuts and stir until smooth. Serve spread at room temperature; store in refrigerator, tightly covered. Cream honey and butter; add hazelnuts and stir until smooth. Serve spread at room temperature; store in refrigerator, tightly covered. * Roast hazelnuts on flat pan at 325°F for 15 minutes or until skins blister and nuts are lightly browned. Cool slightly; rub between palms of hands or with clean towel to remove skins. Grind in blender or food processor until fine but not pasty.

Whipped Honey Cinnamon Butter

Makes 1 cup

• 1/2 cup (6 oz.) whipped or creamed honey
  
• 1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  

In a medium bowl, mix together honey and butter. Spoon into jars with tight-fitting lids. Store in refrigerator.

Spring has arrived, Let the festivities begin!

Spring is a season for new beginnings and we are awfully excited about this upcoming bee season. Our garlic is popping up, arugula sprouts are peeking at the sun and our baby chickies are arriving soon to meet their new flock. It is going to be filled with many new fun and educational events. This year we were asked to host our first honey tasting and pairing workshop here in our apiary garden by Analiese Palik founder of Fairfield Green Food Guide and your invited! Join us for a Tasting Flight of Seven Artisanal honeys on May 18th. We have invited local producers of breads and cheeses to join us. Look for the listing on the CT Bites web site then follow the link to our web site to RSVP and pre-pay for your spot. This will be a wonderful gathering of community to celebrate artisanal producers and local agriculture.


How Sweet it is: Honey & Cheese

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 6:30 am - 8:00 pm
Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker St.(between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY 10014 RSVP:212.243.3289
I will be teaming up with Louise Geller mail order manager at Murray's
to pair Red Bee single varietal American
honeys with the finest farmhouse cheeses.
HONEYBEE book signing to follow

A Taste of Westport

Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 6:00-9:00 pm
Come experience our signature honey tasting table
at The Westport Inn, benefiting CLASP Homes, Inc.
To order tickets please call 203.226.7895 ext. 144

This week I am off to sign copies of my book HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper for the Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association in Orlando, Florida. I look forward to meeting all the people who make sure our nations honeybees are pollinating our oranges, avocados and litchi nuts.

One last announcement, Nyack, NY will be putting on their 40th Earth Day celebration. Kicking off this week of festivities is a brunch honoring five local woman of leadership and vision. I was invited to be the keynote speaker for this celebration. Needless to say, I was flattered even to be considered a speaker for an event of this caliber. Other activities include music, crafts, beekeeping education, (I will also present a beekeeping workshop) and even a beekeepers ball. This all begins on April 17th. More info can be found on the events pages of our web site. www.redbee.com

Hoping your April is filled with good food and community to share it with.

Natural Remedies using Raw, Local Honey

The healing properties of honey have earned it a reputation as one the purest and most natural remedies. Honey has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical problems, including wounds, burns, and scrapes. When honey is used for wounds, inflammation, swelling, and pain are quickly reduced, and healing occurs rapidly with minimal scarring tissue. Honey local to your area contains minute particles of pollen from the local flora. By ingesting pure, crude honey that is produced by honeybees in your geographic locale, your body begins the process of desensitizing itself, and you build up a natural immunity to dust, mold, and pollen in the air.

Raw honey is a living food with unadulterated health benefits. The pH of honey is commonly between 3.4 and 6.1; the average is 3.9. This relatively acidic pH level and honey’s moisture-absorbing qualities prevent the growth of many bacteria responsible for infection. They also keep honey from spoiling. Honey is a predigested sweetener that is easily assimilated by the body, and it is an excellent energizer that can be used to enhance athletic performance and relieve low blood sugar. Honey supplies two stages of energy. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost. The fructose is absorbed more slowly, providing sustained energy. Raw honey still in the comb contains the most bee pollen and is high in vitamin C; it is excellent for your immune system. Raw honey has been proven to kill E. coli, staph, P. aeruinosa, and H. pylori, which causes many stomach ulcers. The enzyme glucose oxidase in honey makes honey a natural preservative and can create hydrogen peroxide to form an antimicrobial barrier. Honey has antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, and it contains antioxidants.

The Essential Elixir:

Honey is an all-round healing elixir, which can promote health and general well-being. I take at least a spoonful of honey on a daily basis, whether as a sweetener in drinks, spread on toast or sinfully by the spoonful. Cinnamon with honey is a natural match and these together help blood pressure.

Honey Cleanser:
Give yourself a daily boost with this cleansing tonic: mix a spoonful or two of honey and the juice of half a lemon into a cup of hot water and drink each morning before breakfast.
The Energy Provider: Next time you exercise take a spoonful of honey beforehand. Easily absorbed by the body, honey is a source of natural unrefined sugars and carbohydrates, which are, providing an instant energy boost with long-lasting effects. For this reason, many athletes take honey during training sessions.

Coughs and Colds:
Honey is a natural remedy for the relief of the symptoms of colds, coughs, sore throats and flu. For a sore throat, take it on its own or gargle with a mixture of two tablespoons of set honey, four tablespoons of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. It coats your throat instantly making it feel better. This is the reason many singers use honey to protect their voices. A traditional drink made from hot water, lemon juice and honey will help to soothe cold and flu symptoms. Adding a little eucalyptus oil or root ginger will help to ease congestion and, to help enhance sleep, try a drop of whiskey in the mixture.

Cuts and Burns:
Honey used as an ointment can help to keep external wounds, such as cuts and minor burns, clean and free from infection and minimize scaring. By absorbing the moisture around the wound, honey, a mild antiseptic can help to prevent the growth of bacteria. Dry, flaky, skin? Honey wills sooth your skin by adding moisture. Honey has been used as a healing aid centuries and it continues to be used today in products for skin and hair care. Because of the hydroscopic qualities of honey, it absorbs water and causes the skin to hold moisture.

A Digestive Healer:
It was the Romans who first discovered the beneficial effects of honey on digestive disorders when they would prescribe honey as a mild laxative. Honey has also been used as a treatment for upset stomachs, gas, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach ulcers and constipation. The principle behind these theories is that honey is believed to help destroy certain bacteria in the gut by acting as a preserving agent. Honeys properties

Chronic sinus:
Honeycomb or crude liquid honey ingested can alleviate sinus infections. Mixed with a fine grained salt in warm water and poured through the sinuses using a neti pot is an ancient Ayurvedic technique. Neti, which literally means nasal cleansing with water in Sanskrit, where the practitioner uses a neti pot to perform the irrigation is a common practice in India and South Asia.

"Excerpted with permission from
Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
by C. Marina Marchese,
published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2009."

I Love you, Honey!

We are celebrating LOVE at Red Bee® this Valentine's Day! Romance and passion for all things sustainable and sweet...we're talking Honey, nature's oldest sweetener. Luscious honey that should be drizzled on your sweethearts breakfast waffles or in their evening bath. Honey is good for you inside and out...really! Sexy and sticky, honey is a romantic treat to be enjoyed by all true lovers.

Here are a few gifts suggestions from Red Bee® for yourself or your special Valentine। We have put together our favorite romantic products from our Rossape™ skin care collection to create a true spa experience. Light our pure beeswax candles and begin with a warm bath sprinkled with our European bath salts, chamomile flowers, buttermilk and honey, gently scented with lavender essential oils. Or would you prefer a massage with our sweet almond body oil or a lemon and peppermint foot rub worthy of any Queen bee?

To keep your skin perfectly smooth and hydrated spread our honeybee butter balm on elbows, knees, heels and even your face. You'll shine like silk and smell like divine rose oil. Our secret recipe includes coconut butter and grape seed oil for a deep hydration. A bottle of our artisanal honey is included...so use your imagination. Relax, unwind and rejuvenate body and soul. If you are a purest Rossape™ will be your passion.



Honey for your Honey, give the gift that keeps on giving...all year long! Our Honey of the Month Club is a spectacular way to say I Love You! Each month we will send one of our Red Bee® artisanal honeys to that special someone along with tasting notes and pairings। Blueberry, Clover, Goldenrod or Tulip honey, what could be more decadent? Choose 4, 6 or 12 months.

Join me at my next event

VALENTINE’S DAY HONEY AND WINE PAIRING EVENT AT CELLAR 58

February 14, 2010 at 7pm-9pm

Owner Maria Pezzella and Chef Andrea Tiberi of Cellar 58 is delighted to present a cooking demonstration with Red Bee artisanal honey. Joining Chef Andrea will be Marina Marchese, owner and founder of Red Bee Honey. Guests will be treated to a 3-course cooking demonstrating with Red Bee artisanal honeys with Chef Andrea. Marina Marchese will discuss details of her new book HONEYBEE and present a honey tasting and cheese pairing.

Space limited. Please register by Thursday, February 11, 2010

by calling 212-420-1300. Tickets: $35/per person. Special for 2: $60.

Includes three-course meal, honey and cheese pairings,

plus one glass of wine per person.

Red Bee’s signature honeys will also be available,

as well as Cellar 58’s extensive wine list.

So Bee good to yourself or your Valentine...everyday with a Red Bee® gift.

For more info visit www.redbee.com

THEECOLUXELIFE and Red Bee

We are pleased to announce that Red Bee will be partnering with The Eco Luxe Life an on-line Ecouture retailer who will be distributing a selection of our Rossape collection of sustainable skin care products. The Eco Luxe Life is a green company that is run by three woman, Alex, Lauren and Synde who offer everything for a healthy lifestyle from beauty to bags for pets and even people. Their tag line is "IF you need it-we can green it." I already spied a Garden-in-a-pail kit that is a must have. Can you tell I am ready for spring? I am loving the Bioplanet spoons made from 100% corn. These will make earth friendly honey tasting spoons at our events we have coming up. See calendar below....

So take a peek at The Eco Luxe Life's one stop shopping and your Red Bee products can be shipped along with your other favorite items. The benefit is in the time saved and the combined shipping cost is a saving in your pocket cost. Take a peek here at http://theecoluxelife.com.

There are many new exciting events and media features planned for 2010. We will keep you posted here on our blog or friend me on facebook if you have not already "Red Bee Marina" or become a fan of my book "HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper."
Come by and say hello at one of my upcoming Red Bee events:

JANUARY 26
Back Yard Beekeepers Association
+ Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 7:30p + FREE
Honeybee book discussion and honey tasting
Norfield Congregational Church, Weston, CT

FEBRUARY 26
Great Chefs 2010
+ Friday, February 26, 2010 at 6:30p
Red Bee signature Honey Tasting Table
Hyatt Regency Old Greenwich to benefit the wellness
programs offered by Community Health at Greenwich Hospital.
For tickets contact Jackie Hvolbeck at 203.863.3863.

This is a spectacular fundraiser for the Greenwich Hospital We are excited to be donating our time and artisanal honey for the fifth year. We are in good company, over 50 of the finest restaurants, catering companies and wine distributors from Fairfield and Westchester counties will gather to promote their venues, wines and signature dishes. The special guest chef and honoree for this event will be Rafael Palomino (Proprietor and Chef of Greenwich Tavern, Greenwich, CT; Sonora, Port Chester, NY; Blackrock Tavern, Fairfield, CT; and Pacífico, New Haven, CT and Center Valley, PA). Dancing and a silent auction will round out the event. Tickets for Great Chefs are sold in advance only and space is limited to 500 guests. RSVP is necessary.

Red Bee Marina and Chef Peter Gorman are serving decadent honey with farm cheeses to guest at our signature honey tasting table.

Queen Bee Foot Rub

I know winter has officially arrived when my skin is dry and my feet begin to crack and peel. Nothing makes me feel better than my own home made Queen Bee Foot Rub. This easy to make product requires a few simple ingredients and can be whipped at home in less than 30 minutes. If you notice that store bought moisturizing products simply sit on your skin then wash off later as a waxy mess. This is PARAFFIN wax...or simply industrial waste! It never penetrates your skin and actually prevents the beneficial oils from moisturizing. My wax of choice is pure beeswax. It's is pure, natural and emollient. Beeswax completely dissolves allowing the moisturizing oils to penetrate your skin and promote relief and healing. You will feel the difference!

Try this recipe:

Ingredients:
6 ounces olive oil
1 ounce beeswax
1/4 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1/4 teaspoon peppermint essential oil

Tools:
Wire whisk
Heat proof glass bowl
Cooking pan with water or double boiler
Stainless teaspoon

Method:
1) Measure the oil and beeswax to a heat proof measuring glass bowl and place the bowl into a bath of boiling water.

2) Mix well with a wire whisk until the wax is nearly completely melted. Remove the bowl from the water and stir the ingredients to thoroughly combine. Add the essential oils with teaspoon and stir well.

3) While still warm and liquid pour into small plastic or glass jars being careful not to spill. Mix will harden slowly as it cools. Place caps on jars when mixture becomes room temperature.

This recipe can be easily adapted to your own preferences in scents by adding in your favorite essential oils. I use peppermint to aid in circulation and lemon as a natural antiseptic. Enjoy!

Honeybee Apiaries at UCONN

Yesterday afternoon, just before my book talk and honey tasting I had the great pleasure to visit the two apiaries at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. I was greeted by Suzy the event planner at their coop store who took great care of all of the details of my visit. Beekeepers and resident chefs, Amy and Steve were my tour guides. I had read about the honeybees at UCONN and saw pictures of the hives that were lovingly hand painted by the students so I was thrilled to have a private tour with their own beekeepers.

Here are photos of both bee yards where you can see the hives are wrapped for the winter. This helps keep the hive warm throughout the long cold New England winters. We spied a few girls gathered at the entrance. Unfortunately, the artwork was covered up but when we visited their bee barn where the equipment was stored I got a glimpse of the art first hand. This is truly where art meets beekeeping and science!

Here you see two honey filled frames ready to be extracted. Lucky to have a honey harvest kitchen all to themselves, Amy and Steve gifted me with a jar of UCONN's own spectacular honey. This is just the sort of thing us beekeepers rhapsodize over. Afterwards we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the bookstore where a group of beekeepers, honey lovers and enthusiast and listened to my stories and experiences as a beekeeper then enjoyed my own honey offerings. Promising to keep in touch, I hope to visit the apiary again this time in spring when the bees are flying!

Holiday Open House

Red Bee is opening it's doors for our friends! Come visit, enjoy a cup of tea and our own honey while sitting near a warm fire. We are offering a spectacular selection of our own products handmade here at our charming red cottages.

Your favorite olive and honey soaps, honey facial scrub mask, body oil, bath salts, lip balms our signature honeybee butter balm, rescue salve and lip balms. Pure beeswax candles dinner tapers and lovely pine cones and asparagus shapes.


We will treat you to a honey tasting of our our own estate and
limited harvested wildflower and clover honey and honeycomb.

Delicious blueberry, goldenrod, clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, tupelo and
orange blossom served with cheese and crackers.
This will be a special treat and a weekend not to be missed.

Come pick up a signed copy of my new book
HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper!

RSVP...Let us know your coming!
redbee@optonline.net