Nostalgic and nutritious, honey is a welcome addition to recipes of all kinds
The Honey for Sale boxes that pepper the city like Little Free Libraries take me back to my childhood when my mother loaded us up in her land yacht in search of farmstands that supplied her larder. I recall mangoes the size of footballs, emerald avocadoes, fragrant citrus and apple-green starfruit, depending on the season. Honey was a staple that she bought by the gallon, plunking some cash into the honor till and using up every drop of liquid gold before buying another. Granola, her homemade wheat bread, salad dressing, the undisputed best barbecue sauce, peanut butter sandwiches and sore throat elixirs all got the honey treatment. It poured slowly in ribbons from the jug. The memory continues to mesmerize.
Mom assured us that honey was health food. Now that I work as a nurse, ever enchanted with nutrition, I decided to fact-check her. I went straight to the expert on pediatric allergy and immunology, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health’s Dr. Theron McCormick, who confirmed Mom’s claims.
“Honey has antioxidant effects that can be beneficial for everyone,” he explains. “It is well known to ease inflammation and irritation of sore throats and can lessen coughing spells.”
I apologize for ever doubting her and appreciate Dr. McCormick for backing up her wisdom. He also noted credible data that honey, when applied to superficial wounds, can help with the speed of wound closures. Talk about sweet!
My little pantry hosts about a half dozen small jars and bottles of honey, gifts from beekeepers around the world, and some I purchased close to home. The colors range from citron yellow to crystal clear caramel, and one is a luscious shade of dark copper roux. The flavors vary as wildly as winter in Louisiana, and a spoonful of each takes me to the place where it originated, whether I have visited or not. Note to self: take a trip to Sweden to see the hives and fields of flowers where the palest yellow honey sprang forth.
Just a crystallized spoonful remains of my most treasured honey that my daughter and her boyfriend’s family harvested from their hives south of London. Though I have never tasted one, I imagine it mirroring the flavor of the bluebells that carpet the countryside in spring, with the bees dancing from the bluebell forest to the nearby hive. I long to refill the jar or possibly have a hand in harvesting the golden nectar.
Until my next trip back to my Florida hometown or off to London to visit my queen, I will delight in making the shared recipes and cure-alls with my honey on hand. Each flavor connects me to the people who cultivated it. And if it runs out, I know I can stop at the beckoning Honey for Sale box that I pass by almost daily while commuting to my nursing job that keeps me happily grounded here in Louisiana.
Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Honey and Pecans
This texture and flavor combination was shared by my daughter Sara in London. When I make it, I am transported to the English countryside.
Sliced ciabatta or baguette, toasted as you like
Soft goat cheese or whipped feta
Honey
Chopped roasted pecans (Sara uses pine nuts when her Louisiana pecan supply runs out)
Smear a layer of goat cheese onto each toast. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pecans. To make it a little fancy, I pull out my grandmother’s English china. It can also be served on a cocktail napkin at a tailgate.
Two-Ingredient Honey Mustard Dressing
If you add salt and pepper, it is a few more than two ingredients, but this recipe towers above any commercial honey mustard I have tasted.
¼ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Combine honey and mustard in a medium bowl and whisk with a fork to blend. Make a little for now, or keep it on hand in the fridge in a mason jar for dressing at the ready. I love this on mixed greens with apple slices.
Herb Infusion with Honey
If you add salt and pepper, it is a few more than two ingredients, but this recipe towers above any commercial honey mustard I have tasted.
1 lemon (zest only—wrap and reserve the fruit for another use)
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs (lemon thyme is excellent if available)
Almost boiling water
1 Tbsp. honey
Using a vegetable peeler, remove lemon zest in large strips and place one or two into each awaiting heat-proof cup. Add a few thyme sprigs and pour in boiling water. Allow to infuse for a few minutes until drink is the palest shade of gold. Swirl in honey and enjoy any time of day.
