Easy Recipes for Honey Month
September is National Honey Month and we are celebrating with some of our favorite recipes featuring this marvelous, magical food!Started in 1989 by the National Honey Board and observed every September, National Honey Month has been a way to support American beekeeping, bring attention to the importance of our apian friends, and, of course, celebrate all things honey.
Honey truly is a wonder product—a single-ingredient food whose story is older than history itself, it has been used in cooking, medicine, and more for at least 8,000 years. On average, a hive will produce about 65 pounds of surplus honey each year. Beekeepers extract it, strain it, and bottle it. That’s it. If the label says “pure honey”…that is what you are getting; nothing has been added from bee to bottle.
The color, flavor, and aroma of honey differs depending on the nectar of flowers visited by the bees that made it. There are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States alone, each originating from a different floral source. Buckwheat, clover, wildflower, even avocado…want to see what kinds are produced or sold near you? Check out the National Honey Board’s Honey Locator!
If all this talk of the supremely sweet treat has put a “rumbly in your tummy,” as our old friend (and DEFINITE honey connoisseur) Winnie the Pooh would say, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Read on for a few fun and easy recipes to put honey through some of its myriad paces.
Grilled Nectarines with Honey and Burrata
If delicious summer fruit and magical caprese salad had a baby, it would be this creamy and delicious concoction that combines sweet and savory. For the best flavor, make sure you use fresh nectarines at the peak of ripeness. No nectarines? You can also use peaches, or any other stone fruit.
1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly spritz cut sides of nectarines with cooking spray. Place cut sides down on pan.
2. Grill until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
3. While fruit is grilling, drain cheese and cut into 6 slices.
4. Remove fruit from heat and arrange cut side up, on a serving platter. Top with burrata, honey, and mint; sprinkle with salt.
Adapted from Taste of Home
Champagne-Honey Fondue
Keeping it in the sweet-savory category, this champagne-honey fondue is a great appetizer for just about any occasion. It's great for fancy dinner parties or New Year's fetes, but is equally at home on football Sundays or tailgate parties.
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups brut (dry) champagne or sparkling wine
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1. Toss cheese with cornstarch and dry mustard to coat; reserve.
2. In a heavy pan or fondue pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Saute shallot and garlic until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add champagne and bring to a boil. Slowly add reserved cheese mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.
3. Stir in honey and lemon juice; stir until smooth and continue to simmer 2-3 minutes more.
4. Season with nutmeg and pepper. Serve immediately; keep warm.
Adapted from the National Honey BoardColeslaw with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Not as tart as German slaw, nor as heavy as a mayo-based one, this is a great changeup when you have to bring a salad to your neighborhood event or potluck. Its bright colors and zippy sweet taste are sure to put a little pep in any party.
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tablespoons oil (canola preferred, but you may substitute)
• 1 red cabbage head (about 3/4 pound), shredded
• 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1. Whisk lime zest and juice, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes together until the mixture is smooth. Gradually mix in oil.
2. Combine cabbage, onions, and carrots. Toss with dressing mixture, ensuring the salad is lightly coated. Cover and refrigerate for two hours to let flavors meld.
3. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Adapted from Taste of Home
Honey-Glazed Carrots
Roasted carrots are already sweet...add in this savory sweet honey glaze, and even the pickiest eaters will channel their inner Wascally Wabbit and have seconds. Young, slender carrots with tops are ideal, but you can use any variety of carrot, including baby carrots or multi-colored carrots, as long as your pieces are all of a similar thickness.
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir together first 7 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside 2 Tablespoons of mixture.
2. Pour the rest of the butter mixture over carrots and combine, making sure the carrots are thoroughly coated.
3. Spread in a single layer on 2 baking sheets, spacing evenly. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Be sure to check about half-way through. Cooking time can vary, depending on size of the carrots.
2. After they are roasted, remove carrots from the oven. Toss roasted carrots with the reserved Tablespoons butter mixture; transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with garnish (chives or other herbs).
Adapted from Southern Living
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
The flavor is complex...but the recipe itself is amazingly easy. This a great warm-me-up meal for chilly fall nights, and is packed with healthy veggies. Feel free to add cooked chicken or tofu to add more protein, if desired.
1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a soup pot. Add onion and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add stock, potatoes and salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Puree mixture in batches, put soup back over low heat and add honey, bell pepper, curry powder, peppe,r and ginger. Bring to a simmer, taste, and adjust seasonings.
3. Serve soup with croutons or crostini and sprinkled with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Adapted from the National Honey BoardHoney BBQ Meatloaf
This is not your lunch lady's meatloaf. Made with lean ground beef, but still bursting with flavor, you'll forget every other recipe you've tried. Sweet. Smoky. Deeee-licious. (Or, since it's Honey Month...maybe we should say Beeeee-licious?)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground beef, panko, 1 Tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce, the mustard, 3 Tablespoons of the barbecue sauce, the salt, and pepper. Do not overwork the meat.
Shape the mixture into a long, thick log and place in an oiled baking dish. Do not over-handle. Be careful not to pack the meat too tightly or you'll end up with a very dense, tough loaf.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce, the remaining 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, and the honey. Spread evenly over the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes. Slice and serve!
Adapted from Andie Mitchell
Rosemary & Honey Shortbread Cookies
This recipe originates from Chef Myk Banas and his restaurant, Harvest, in Chicago. According to Midwest Living, Banas was inspired by the beehives on the roof of the hotel. We can attest, they are delightful, delectable, and probably above our paygrade in sophistication...so you can't blame us for eating them all.
1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut or rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a fork, stir in honey. Knead in bowl until dough begins to cling together.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for four to six strokes or just until dough holds together. If dough seems soft, chill it, covered, for 30 minutes before rolling.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with 2-inch cutters. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Reroll scraps as needed.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are firm and tops are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Adapted from Midwest Living
Bee's Knees Honey Cocktail
What can we say...? It's the bee's knees!
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake until chilled and strain into a coupe glass.
