The Beer Baron - Twin Pines Cider

This post is from Matt, the Beer Baron

Over the years, I’ve dragged the Clockwatching Tart to countless craft beer festivals and bars across two continents – despite the fact that she legitimately doesn’t like beer. Beyond proving I’m a jerk and testing her patience, there are a few good reasons why even non-beer geeks might want to visit such places: 1) where there is craft beer, there is typically good, local food, 2) beer geeks are good people and more likely to argue over how much hops is too much hops than they are actually start a real fight, and 3) you might also discover some awesome cider!

That was the case about five years ago when we first discovered Twin Pines Orchard & Cider House at a little booth at the London Wine & Food Show. Since that happy first meeting, we’ve seen Twin Pines every year at the Wine & Food show, at this year’s Forest City Beer Fest and up at their cider house in Thedford, Ontario.

Recently, Twin Pines has been on our minds because it has started showing up on tap at Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium (which is one of those “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” type of great moments) and Twin Pines recently won an award for their Hammer Bent Red. Specifically, they picked up a “Best in Show" award at the 2014 Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, which is a pretty wonderful accomplishment and more than enough reason for us to enjoy a beautiful fall drive back to visit the cider house again.

Lobster Pot Pie and Lobster Mac & Cheese

I love seafood.  Lobster is one of my favourites, as you can see by recipes here, here, here and here.  So I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to try some Hancock Gourmet Lobster products recently.  

Above you can see the lobster pot pie.

The pies arrived frozen and I followed the instructions to thaw them in the fridge overnight before baking.  I love the little ceramic ramekins they came in!  I also love the adorable cut-out lobster on top.

Tart of the Month - Beet Cheddar and Apple

I'm getting addicted to these easy puff pastry tarts.  Most of the time you just top the puff pastry with a few ingredients, bake 20 minutes and you're done.

This recipe from Martha Stewart uses thin slices of raw beet.  It seems like an odd combination with cheddar and apples but the taste and texture is great!

Here's what you need:

Vietnamese Pork Noodle Salad

I love Vietnamese food. Of course, there's phở, the amazingly rich beef and noodle soup that makes a perfect meal in cool weather. But I also love bún, a pork and noodle salad that combines cool, crisp vegetables, warm protein, chewy noodles and tangy vinegar and lime.  

This recipe is a refreshing take on the traditional Vietnamese dish.  It is very simple and tasty.  It makes a fantastic, fresh dinner and leftovers keep well for lunch the next day!

Here's what you need:

Angel Hair with Garlic & Chilis

This recipe is so easy it's barely a recipe at all!  It makes a delicious, quick lunch or dinner.

I love angel hair pasta. The super thin strands are great with this simple sauce.  Here's what you need.  

Pork with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

In the spring we planted four tomatillo plants in our garden.  Tomatillos are in the nightshade family, related to tomatoes.  I haven't had much luck with tomatoes in my garden, so I wasn't expecting much.  

But our tomatillo harvest has far exceeded expectations!  In August we harvested twelve pounds of tomatillos, and we have plenty more still growing.