Let the wild maple rumpus begin

I accept your challenge.

You have touched a very near and dear place to my heart with the golden words 'maple syrup.' You are also edging close to the truly wacky side of me that would love to try homesteading. More on that later...

The first thing that comes to mind is pork. Yes, that magical animal from which both bacon and pork chops come. On a cold Fall day in New England (January for us here in Houston), cut up some apples into slices along with some onion. I am partial to sweet vidalias but a plain yellow onion will do the trick. Dump all the slices into a roasting pan or pyrex dish to fit a pork loin (center cut or tenderloin). Pour in a little low sodium chicken broth to keep everything from burning and sticking, lay the roast on top of the slices and roast at 350 until the meat reads about 145 on an instant read thermometer. This should be anywhere from 35 - 90 minutes depending on the size of the roast. About halfway through cooking, glaze the roast with a mixture of maple syrup and melted butter. I use about 1 tbsp of butter for a 1/4 cup of syrup. Feel free to change those proportions to your taste preferences. Serve this with any great starch to soak up the delicious juices in the pan.

Other wonderful maple-y options are:

Mashed sweet potatoes with some bourbon, butter and maple syrup
any winter squash roasted and coated with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper
Roasted brussels sprouts with maple syrup and hazelnuts
Bourbon or whisky and maple glaze for a grilled steak
Duck or vension with cranberries and maple syrup

And don't get me started on dessert...