BETHLEHEM, N.H.—In celebration of the maple sugaring season, The Rocks Estate will host a Maple Dinner April 13 featuring local microbrews and the flavors of the season along with live musical entertainment. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. at The Rocks and will showcase maple in each course.
The Annual Maple Dinner is a fundraiser for The Rocks, which serves as the North Country Conservation and Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Cost is $40 per person, with $10 from each dinner donated to The Rocks Projects Fund, which helps finance educational programs offered year-round at The Rocks.
The maple dinner comes at the conclusion of another sugaring season at The Rocks, home of the New Hampshire Maple Experience tours and museum.
“New Englanders have celebrated the maple sugaring season for many generations,” said Nigel Manley, longtime manager of The Rocks. “This dinner is a great way to enjoy the season and our local resources, while at the same time raising funds for the many programs we offer to the public at The Rocks throughout the year.”
The Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery will provide two of its micro-brew beers during the dinner. Walmart will provide the wine for the event. Both beer and wine are included in the dinner price.
Chef Joe Peterson of Franconia will be catering the event and will incorporate maple syrup throughout the menu. The main course will include wood-roasted Black Angus inside round with maple bourbon molasses sauce, roasted root vegetables and linguini with sherry garlic maple cream, and roasted red bliss and sweet potato infused with tarragon maple butter. Chocolate maple pecan pie and lemon cake with maple butter cream will be offered for dessert.
Local artists Barbara Desroches, Greg Odell, and Matt Hecklinger will provide live music during the dinner.
This event is limited to 80 diners. Manley recommends making reservations early, as the dinner has been very well-attended in its first two years. To make reservations, please e-mail info@therocks.org or call 603-444-6228. For more information about The Rocks Estate and its maple tours, please visit www.therocks.org.
The Rocks is the North Country Conservation and Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org). The Forest Society is non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources.