In this opinion piece, Jon Porter, the director of the University of Vermont Health and Wellness Center, argues that legalizing cannabis directly undermines the mission of higher education to engage students deeply in their learning. Read this piece.
Source: UVM News
In this opinion piece, Jon Porter, the director of the University of Vermont Health and Wellness Center, argues that legalizing cannabis directly undermines the mission of higher education to engage students deeply in their learning. Read this piece.
Source: UVM News
Make this a truly local Thanksgiving and try one of these seasonal recipes from your favorite VFN chef or farmer.
Need help finding ingredients? Try a DigInVT Farm Market, Co-op or Local Food Market! There are also many holiday farmers’ markets open this weekend – find one near you here.
Creator: Edson Hill Executive Sous Chef Michael Boomhower
Ingredients:
Guanciale Mixture:
Prepare: To make the Guanciale, place chopped jowel in pan, render on low heat. Add vinegar and leave all of the rendered fat. Cook till the guanciale is crispy.
To make brussel sprouts. Wash and cut all in half. Place on sheet tray, season with salt and pepper and place in oven at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.Take the sprouts out of the oven and place in skillet with butter and chili flake. Saute the brussels sprout till browned. Add ¼ cup of guanciale and vinegar mixture. Add the juice of one lemon. To finish, place in bowl and top with the zest of ½ the lemon rind. Top with grated firm cheese or soft cheese of your choice.
Ingredients:
Prepare: Slice cabbage thinly, removing outer leaves and core. Peel and dice apples. Cook cabbage, apple, vinegar, juice, sugar, and salt in a large pot over low heat. Simmer covered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. When done, stir in butter till melted and serve hot.
Ingredients:
Prepare: Toss together sweet potatoes, cauliflower, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees F, tossing once, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool. Whisk together remaining olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add lettuces, pomegranate seeds, and roasted vegetables; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Ingredients:
Equipment: 2 mini-muffin trays or 1 regular muffin tray
Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Bake bread cubes in a single layer in a large shallow baking pan until crispy without browning them, about 10 minutes.
Tear or cut mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Cook shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add herbs and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together heavy cream, eggs, 1/2 cup of cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and bread cubes until coated well and let stand 10 minutes for bread to absorb some of egg mixture.
Meanwhile, spray muffin trays with cooking oil. Spoon mixture into muffin trays and finish by adding the leftover cheese on top. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown, 20 to 35 minutes.
Unmold puddings and serve.
Ingredients:
Prepare: Boil 2 cups of maple syrup to 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour over 6 cups of toasted almonds. Stir. Each nut will be covered with a fine, maple sugar coating.
Ingredients:
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a deep dish 9 inch pie pan with your pie crust.
Whisk together the potato and melted butter. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the marshmallows. Pour it into the pie crust and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set but the middle has a little jiggle still to it. Take the pie out and dot it with the marshmallows. Turn on your broiler and put the pie back in, watching very closely. Broil until the marshmallows turn brown on top, about five minutes. When you take the pie out, the marshmallows will be standing up and look weird, but as the pie cools they will fall and make a nice toasted marshmallow layer. Let cool on the counter for a half hour and then completely in the refrigerator overnight.
Source: Dig in VT Trails
The Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, VT, is the newest addition to Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail. A beautiful 148-acre property, this farm is not only an agricultural site, but has also served informally for decades as a center for multicultural education. The Clemmons family has supported exploration of farming, health sciences, and the arts. Now, they are creating a non-profit organization that will formalize the family’s multi-generational work, reports the Burlington Free Press. According to the Free Press:
The family’s vision for the farm includes hosting music and cultural performances, cooking classes, art exhibits and workshops in the historic barn restored by Jackson Clemmons. The space also houses an apartment for visiting artists, farmers and scholars. . . [Daughter Lydia Clemmons] is spearheading the effort to create a center in Charlotte where people from the local community and around the world will come to share experiences and cultures. “I’m formalizing the work and interests that my parents have been pursuing for the past 60 years,” Lydia said.
The Clemmons Family Farm will join 21 sites that traverse the state on the African American Heritage trail, which opened in 2013. The Vermont Department of Tourism describes the trail this way:
Sometimes overlooked as part of Vermont’s history are the African Americans who made Vermont their home. Over the centuries, they have tilled the soil, owned businesses, held public office, fought alongside fellow citizens in major wars, and worked to make Vermont and the nation a better place. Now visitors and Vermonters alike can learn about this history. The Vermont African American Heritage Trail explores their stories and those of some of their fellow Vermonters. The guide takes visitors to Vermont museums and cultural sites where exhibits, films, tours and personal explorations illuminate the lives of African Americans for whom the Green Mountain State was part of their identity. Visitors meet teachers, storytellers, activists, ministers and legislators who bring this important history to life.
The Clemmons Family Farm expands the number of historic farms found on this diverse list. The African American Heritage Trail in fact begins at a famous farm, the Rokeby Museum, in Ferrisburgh. This National Historic Landmark preserves over 200 years of domestic and agricultural artifacts, and was a key stop on Vermont’s Underground Railroad. Other sites on the trail that combine Vermont’s agricultural and African American history are the Billings Museum, Justin Morrill Homestead, and Hildene.
The African American Heritage Trail is just one of many ways to explore aspects of Vermont’s culture, including how agriculture touches different facets of our history. Check out the range of suggested itineraries from the Vermont Department of Tourism and also the food-specific explorations found on DigInVT.
Related Links:
African-American-Owned Farm Added to Heritage Trail – Burlington Free Press
African American Heritage Trail – VT Department of Tourism & Marketing
Source: Dig in VT Trails
One Laplatte River patty, house recipe bacon, arugula, Cabot cheddar, pickled red onions on a locally made challah bun. No, this definitely isn’t a McDonald’s burger, but in Burlington, Vermont this burger is as (if not more) iconic. Farmhouse Tap & Grill puts out thousands of local burgers each month, sitting in the same location where the aforementioned chain went out of business.
“A lot of young chefs write-off the burger,” Chef Phillip Clayton, Executive Chef-Partner at Farmhouse Group shares, “but the burger paved the way for the rest of what we do at the Farmhouse Group. If you can make a burger plate as satisfying as your haute cuisine – you’re doing something right.” Designing the perfect burger isn’t as easy as the experts make it seem. It took the Farmhouse Group a couple of years to come up with their classic – and don’t worry Farmhouse fans, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Cooking a burger perfectly is an art in itself, and everyone has an opinion. Chef Phillip learned through years of research and development that about half of what makes a perfectly cooked burger happens in the kitchen. The rest of the magic is in the beef, and not all beef is created equal. When Farmhouse was originally making burgers, their demand for local beef was colossal and Chef Phillip would spend countless hours sourcing quality ground beef from around Vermont. Different breeds, on-farm practices, cuts used in the grind and varying processing methods meant an inconsistent product and one that was incredibly hard to consistently cook to temperature. The turning point for the Farmhouse burger was after they decided to single-source Laplatte River Angus ground beef. “You have to start with the right breed,” Chef Phillip shared, praising the Angus breed, “and a farmer with the right expertise to raise the animal to its best potential in a responsible way.” Processing also plays a part – beef needs time to age and lose moisture, and an excellent ground beef utilizes the right cuts of meat with the right meat to fat ratio.
There are no binders, special spices or secret ingredients needed for these burgers. In the kitchen, Farmhouse cooks portion and knead each burger by hand; the kneading helps the burger hold together on the grill. Even handed seasoning – just salt and pepper – add the finishing touch. The perfectly cooked burger sits atop a challah bun – a house recipe they have specially made by Bristol Bakery with a topping of local arugula, pickled onions, Cabot cheddar and house-recipe bacon cured with juniper and black pepper.
While the Laplatte beef burger is the best seller at Farmhouse, they specialize in burgers of all proteins including a Misty Knoll turkey burger, Vermont Heritage Grazers Pork Burger and two veggie burgers loved by vegetarians and carnivores alike – a very popular order is the veggie burger add bacon (genius!). “I love the fact that we’re able to take something that’s essentially a surplus and make a product that’s loved by guests and the community,” Chef Phillip shared. And love is not an exaggeration – Farmhouse has been the crowd favorite burger in Vermont since 2010!
These burgers also give back. Each month, Farmhouse generously donates one dollar from each special burger sold to a rotating non-profit.
Source: Dig in VT Trails
Find all your farm fresh ingredients at a holiday farmers’ market and treat your friends and family to a localicious meal this Thanksgiving!
You can make your entire meal – turkey, potatoes, stuffing, greens, squash, bread, brussels sprouts – even cranberries – from Vermont-grown ingredients and don’t forget to pick up a Vermont cider, mead, wine, beer or spirit to pair.
Find a market near you…
→ Nov 12th & 19th
Burlington—UVMMC Farmers Market
→ Nov 3rd, 10th, & 17th
→ Nov 5th & 19th
Essex JCT – 5 Corners Farmers Market
→ Nov 12th
→ Nov 5th & 19th
→ Nov 5th, 12th, & 19th
Montpelier—Capital City Farmers Market
→ Nov 19th *at City Hall*
→ Nov 6th & 20th
→ Nov 5th & 19th
Rutland — Vermont Farmers Market
→ Nov 2nd, 5th, 9th, 12th, 16th, 19th, 23rd
→ Nov 5th & 18th
→ Nov 18th
→ Nov 5th, 12th & 19th
→ Nov 6th, 13th, & 20th
→ Nov 19th
Source: Dig in VT Trails
A UVM-led study on elephant poaching attracted strong media interest in the US and around the world. The research–published in Nature Communications, and co-led by UVM economist Brendan Fisher and others from UVM’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, in collaboration with a team from the World Wildlife Fund, Cambridge University and other institutions–shows that the elephant poaching crisis is costing African nations about $25 million each year in lost tourist revenue and makes the case for the positive economic return from elephant conservation in many regions of the continent. The research was covered by Voice of America, Vice, Tourism+Leisure, UPI, Pacific Standard, The Guardian, Cosmos and many other outlets.
Source: UVM News
This is a re-posting of an article that appeared at Halloween time in 2013; Happy Halloween!
Vermont is awash with candy possibilities for Halloween. It doesn’t take much planning to find some local treats, from pumpkin cupcakes to maple candies to fine chocolates. But, to focus on the candy is to forget an important part of food on Halloween – the journey to find it. Now, the traditional approach would be to walk through the neighboorhood knocking on doors. At DigInVT, we offer tools for planning grander travels, entire trails of food exploration. . .what should our Halloween trail look like?
Boston-based author Steve Almond set the standard for traveling in search of candy in his 2004 book, Candyfreak, which tracks his tour of regional candybar producers. Vermont’s own Lake Champlain Chocolates gets a chapter, in which Steve describes their 5 Star Bars in ecstatic terms not suitable for a family oriented blog. He wasn’t overstating the pleasure of a 5 Star Bar by much, though.
How about a tour of Vermont candymakers who bring in global tastes? It’s like a tour of the world. There is the goat’s milk caramel at Fat Toad Farm in Brookfield that follows the Mexican cajeta tradition. Then there’s My Brigadeiro in Norwich with Brazilian sweets. Or the exotic spice blends of a chocolatier like Black Flower Chocolate in Charlotte, which uses ingredients such as cardamom, curry, Turkish mulberry, green tea, rosehips and Mayan spice.
And of course Vermont’s classic maple sugar candies, available from sugar makers around the state. Want to make your own? Here Vermonter Dan Harlow shows Martha Stewart how it’s done.
You can also create your own pairing trail. The Vermont Grape & Wine Council has a spring Wine & Chocolate weekend, but why wait? Search for Wineries & Distilleries on our Places page to see open hours, and then check out the confectioners and bakers nearby.
We’re just scratching the surface here. If you put together a Halloween Trail, where would you go? Collect your places on our site, and build your own trail. When you’ve selecting a list of places, you’ll see the site gives you an option to submit it for consideration as an official DigInVT Trail!
Chocolates from Daily Chocolate in Vergennes
Source: Dig in VT Trails
Over 150 media around the world covered the innovative teaching approach being implemented by UVM’s Larner College of Medicine, made possible by a $66 million gift, the largest in the univerisity’s history. The New York Times, ABC News, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post and Inside Higher Ed were among the media covering the gift and the new curriculum, which will eliminate all lectures, replacing them with active learning classrooms that research shows improve learning. The gift came from UVM dual-degree alum and Vermont native Robert Larner ’39, M.D.’42, and his wife, Helen. Read the story in the Washington Post.
Source: UVM News
A new study by Lance Smith, associate professor in counseling, shows that patients seeking mental health services may be at risk of racial bias. Smith analyzed the callback rates and responses of counselors and psychologists to voicemail messages left by an actor using the name “Allison” or the name “Lakisha,” which, data shows, are names with high correlation in the U.S. to white and black individuals, respectively. Allison received responses promoting mental health services at a 12 percent higher rate than Lakisha.
The study was highlighted in a trend story in Prevention Magazine and was picked up a by the United Kingdom’s second biggest-selling daily newspaper, the Daily Mail, as well as a number of science news sites, including ScienceDaily, MedicalExpress and PsychCentral.
Source: UVM News
