Sugarhouse preservation project

Work on the sugarhouse is well underway! At Ohana we use our sugarhouse as our woodshop. (and in turn, get our maple from our neighbors, but that is a different story). The sugarhouse was in need of some care and repair. And really, what could be more appropriate for Vermont than a sugarhouse being used as a woodshop?

Here is what we are working on- The back shed was removed from the outside and a new roof was installed. As Austin is showing above, drainage is also being worked on at the back of the building to help keep things in good order. The floor has been pulled up and leveled and new hickory boards are ready to go down. The inside is also getting a makeover with new benches and shelves and even a little straightening of the walls. You will hardly recognize the place!

 

Our head carpenter on the project is Bill Shepard. He has been working with Austin and Andy to get the job done. For the last few years Bill has been part of the Ohana staff teaching woodworking with hand tools, and leading lots of projects- the most popular of which is spoon carving!

Bill is also our resident birder so it makes sense that a mama phoebe has taken residence in the rafters of the sugarhouse. Her nest has been built and her eggs have been laid. We have been calling her Mrs. Phoebe. She is not too happy about the work being done and has kept a watchful eye on us.

Thank you for all the ingenuity to get the work done. I am looking forward to seeing the finished job… and getting started carving my first spoon while listening to the birds nestled all around us. What a great place to be!

Foraging at Ohana: Ramps are rampant

I stumbled onto a foragers delight at Ohana the other day! When the green of spring arrives so do the ramps and they seem to be prolific this year. Whether it is because of the mild winter or fall rains or something else entirely, I do not know. What I do know is that both my pizza and salad dressing were wildly better with the addition of ramps. Though I must confess my favorite way to prepare them is simply gently grilled.

Ramps are also known as wild leeks. They tend to grow in dense woods and often in clusters so it is easy to harvest. (Being a responsible forager I never collect more than 1/3 of what I see- I want to be sure I can keep collecting in year to come.) Other delights on the list right now are wild asparagus and fiddleheads. I haven’t found any yet at Ohana… but I will keep looking.

A wild leek/ramp recipe suggestion from Euell Gibbons (one of my favorite foraging authors) from his book, Stalking the Wild Asparagus,

 
“We consider wild leek bulbs the sweetest and best of the wild onions. They have a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic, which I find delicious. This is the ingredient par excellence for a forager’s French Onion Soup. Clean the bulbs by removing the outer fibrous skin, then slice them thinly crosswise. Sauté 1 cup of these sliced leeks in 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 2 cups of broth or consommé and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat and you’ll have a good onion soup without doing any more. But if you want to make it a real occasion, add 2 tablespoons of sherry to the soup and pour it into individual ramekins. Cut a round of toast for each bowl and float it carefully on top of the soup. Sprinkle the toast with grated Parmesan cheese and set the bowls in a hot oven for ten minutes to let the cheese melt slightly. This is the way one who is not satisfied to be known as merely a good cook can acquire a reputation as a culinary artist.”