A summer of a honey

I've always liked honey, but for some reason, this winter it is really hitting the spot. On Christmas, my mom, sister and I sampled some my mom had received from a friend. The honey came from Julius Kolarik's farm in Northport, and its taste immediately brought to mind a field of wildflowers for all of us. I'd never experienced such an obvious connection to "place" from a food. And in the middle of winter, a connection to that field of flowers felt good! Then last month I tried Sleeping Bear Farms' Lemon Honey Creme. They're not kidding when they label it "sunshine in a jar!"

The folks at Sleeping Bear Farms in Beulah have been making honey creme since 1999 with honey gathered from the nectar of star thistle, or knapweed. Take a drive through the northern Michigan countryside in July or August, and you'll most likely see that purple flower blooming in the fields. It can be downright invasive. Sleeping Bear Farms makes several varieties of the honey creme, including cherry and raspberry, with most of the fruits coming from local farmers. You can order it online from their website. I picked up some at Oryana, and enjoyed it slathered on blueberry scones. Now who says you can't enjoy sunshine in the midst of a northern Michigan February?

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