Pollinator Week 2009 Contest Winners!

Congratulations to the 2009 Pollinator Week Recipe and Photo Contest Winners!

Winners were chosen by independent third party judges and not Pollinator Partnership employees.  We thank Dr. Mark Moffett for judging the photograph contest and Chef Didier Montarou, Executive Chef of the InterContinental Boston Miel “Brasserie Provençal”, for judging the recipe contest!

Photograph Contest Winner: Athena Anderson
Congratulations to Athena Anderson who has won an Apple 8G iTouch!

White-lined Sphinx Moth, Franklin Mountains State Park, TX

Runner-Up: Lisa Britz, Pollen Plunge

Recipe Contest Winner: Dr. May Berenbaum
Recipe: Apiscotti (bee-enabled biscotti)
Congratulations to Dr. May Berenbaum who has won one night free stay at the luxurious Häagen-Dazs "Sweet Suite" located at the Hotel Triton in fabulous San Francisco! Dr. Berenbaum will also receive a year supply of free Häagen-Dazs ice cream!

1/2 C butter
½  C sugar
¼ C honey
3 eggs
1/2 t salt
1 t almond extract
1/ 4 t nutmeg
2 t baking powder
21/2 to 3 C flour
1/2 C dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 C dried cherries, chopped
1/2 C blanched sliced almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream sugar and butter together; mix in honey until smooth.  Beat eggs until frothy and then add salt, almond extract, nutmeg and baking powder.  Combine sugar/butter mixture with egg mixture. Add flour until dough is a consistency that can be handled.
Refrigerate dough for one hour or more.
Divide chilled dough into three parts and flatten each third into a rectangle (use additional flour to make handling easier if necessary).
Place in a line in the center of each flattened section of dough and fill with chopped cherries, cranberries, and nuts.  Fold the sides of each rectangle over to form a loaf with filling in center and seal.  Place loaves on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour or until golden brown.  Slice on a slant while hot into 1/2 inch slices.
For crispier slices, return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown (the color of a honey bee).

Of the 12 ingredients in this recipe, 7 depend on the pollination services of Apis mellifera (butter, honey, almond extract, nutmeg, cranberries, cherries, almonds)—hence the name “Apiscotti.”  Without Apis mellifera, breakfast (and every other meal) would be infinitely less interesting and colorful.

Enjoy!

Runner-Up: Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding by Christine Keating