On the Market.

Information courtesy of Hotel Roanoke; submitted by Thomas Becher.

2008 ROANOKE ARTS FESTIVAL SET

Second annual event to feature legendary Crystal Gayle;
Rock ’n’ roll, Bluegrass and classical music planned;
Theater, culinary arts, film, and puppets among offerings

Planning already under way for 2009 Festival

ROANOKE, Va., (July 10, 2008) – The second annual Roanoke Arts Festival, re-timed this year to help celebrate the opening of the new Taubman Museum of Art, will be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 8-9 with free and ticketed events and activities to appeal to a wide range of audiences.

The 2008 Roanoke Arts Festival will complement the museum’s grand opening weekend and once again pay tribute to arts of the region and beyond with a host of rich offerings capped by a performance by Country-music legend Crystal Gayle. The Festival will include a free downtown rock ‘n’ roll concert, great Bluegrass music, a musical puppet show, an exposition of the culinary arts, theatrical performances, classical music and more.

The Festival will also serve as the grand finale to “40 Days and 40 Nights,” a celebration of arts and culture with daily activities and exhibits coordinated by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.

“This year’s Festival – timed for the museum’s opening and this historic moment for the arts and culture for our region – is a great way to celebrate all facets of the arts,” says Susan Jennings, Roanoke’s public art coordinator. “The 2008 Roanoke Arts Festival will extend this excitement onto the streets of downtown Roanoke and into venues in Roanoke Valley.”

“With the Taubman Museum opening its doors as one of the most impressive museums of its kind, we felt the Arts Festival should tie into that spirit and welcome visitors to explore not just the visual arts, but music, drama, film – even the culinary arts,” adds Festival manager Rick Salzberg.

As the final touches are being made to this year’s schedule, planning already is under way for the third annual Roanoke Arts Festival, scheduled to be held next fall.

“With strong interest and broad audience appeal from our inaugural Festival last year, we’ve heard from fans of the arts from throughout Virginia urging us to offer even more choices in years ahead,” Salzberg says. “That’s why we’re already looking ahead to next year, when we will resume a four-day Festival.”

The 2007 Arts Festival was recognized as one of the year’s best festivals by the readers of City Magazine, and even nationally renowned performers lauded the Festival.
“I want to thank the committee for inviting me to the first Roanoke Arts Festival – and I know there will be many, many, many more,” Judy Collins said when she took the stage last October at the Roanoke Performing Arts Center.

Ramsey Lewis of the Ramsey Lewis Trio, had this to say: “When the Trio performs our intent is not only to communicate and have fun with each other on stage, but to extend those wonderful moments to the audience, and hopefully they will become a part of our musical conversation. When this happens, performer and audience become one and energize each other. This was the occasion on October 4, 2007, at the first Roanoke Arts Festival. The audience was musically sophisticated and a joy to play for. We eagerly look forward to our return.”

A video of highlights from last year’s Festival is available on the Festival’s web site at: http://www.roanokeartsfest.com/raf_movie/index.html

2008 ROANOKE ARTS FESTIVAL EVENTS AND SCHEDULE

The Roanoke Arts Festival schedule, released today at a reception for sponsors and supporters at the home of noted art collector Jim Hyams, will feature free performances, events and exhibitions at multiple venues across the city. Many of the activities, including the rock concert, will be free.
Ticketing details will be released closer to the Festival. A schedule of events is available on the Festival’s web site, www.RoanokeArtsFest.org, and will include:

Saturday, Nov. 8

• “FiddleFest Lite,” a day of Bluegrass with teaching workshops and jam sessions followed by a concert by acclaimed Bluegrass performers.
• “Day of Music.” A free rock concert with the “Magic Twig Community” and a number of other popular regional bands.
• “Doubt.” The Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play presented by the theatre departments of Hollins University and Virginia Tech.
• The James Piano Quartet.
• A concert at Blue 5 with great guest artists.
• Downtown art gallery tours.

Sunday, Nov. 9

• “An Exposition of the Culinary Arts” at the new Culinary Institute of Western Virginia.
• Staged readings from the works of venerated authors Nelson Bond and Jack Kestner presented with the Roanoke City Library.
• World premiere of “Bull – A Puppet Musical” by The Thistledown Puppets.
• A special film presentation by the Grandin Theatre.
• A second performance of “Doubt.”
• Crystal Gayle concert at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre, with the exciting new Nashville duo of Sam & Ruby as her opening act.

Also throughout the Festival, there will be ongoing exhibitions at area museums and public art, including:
• White Liquor, Blue Ridge Style at the History Museum of Western Virginia.
• Transportation Art: Photorealism From the Collection of James W. Hyams at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
• A photography exhibition at the O. Winston Link Museum.
• Public art on view at different locations in the City with the Roanoke Arts Commission.
• The James W. Hyams Collection on view in Old Southwest. (Portions of this collection have been on loan to more than eight museums, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.)

“We are thrilled with the lineup we have so far, and especially delighted to be welcoming Crystal Gayle to Roanoke,” Salzberg says. “With three dozen hit records and 19 number one singles, her classic songs and continued success – Crystal was named ‘Best Female Entertainer’ by American Magazine for 2007 – assures a memorable performance which will delight fans, and serve as a strong cap to a weekend packed with something for everyone.”

Article courtesy of FamilyCorner.com.

With summer comes berries, fresh berries on the vine that is. So what to do with the bushels full of ripe blackberries and raspberries you’ve harvested? Below you’ll find a few delicious recipes, the method for canning these plump, delectable fruits, and how to freeze for later use.

Canning

This method applies to all berries, with the exception of strawberries. Yield: 3/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, processing time approximately 10 minutes.

For firm berries, add about 1/2 cup sugar to one quart fruit in a pan; bring to a boil, shaking the pan to prevent sticking; pack hot; cover with hot syrup.

For soft berries, fill jar with raw fruit; shake down; cover with hot syrup or berry juice.

Syrup for canning:
Light — 2 cups sugar, 4 cups water — yields 5 cups
Medium — 3 cups sugar, 4 cups water — yields 5 1/2 cups
Heavy — 4 3/4 cups sugar, 4 cups water — yields 6 1/2 cups

Freezing

Happily, berries can be frozen successfully. You can pack your fruit without a sweetener if you wish to eat the fruit raw when partially thawed or if you plan to use it in pies or other cooked dishes. But you’ll find that most fruits will taste better and retain their shapes best if some sugar or syrup is added. You can add sugar directly to the fruit before freezing by gently mixing the two together with a spatula until fruit juices flow and sugar dissolves (usually about 1 part sugar to 4 to 5 parts fruit by weight). You can also pack the berries in syrup before freezing by using the syrup recipes above. Place berries into container or storage bag and pour cold syrup over the top of the fruit. Leave 1/2 - 3/4 head space in containers, squeeze all excess air out of storage bags, then freeze. Use within 3 months.

Making Fruit Leather

This age-old process couldn’t be simpler. The lightly sweetened purees of fruits and berries, spread in thin layers and left in the sun, dry into translucent sheets of fruit that are chewy and good. Here’s how you can make your own fruit leathers.

Setting Up:
You need only a smooth level surface, such as a table; a place to put it in full sun; and a roll of clear plastic wrap. Tear off strips of the wrap, stretch it across the drying surface, and fasten with cellophane tape. To keep the fruit clean while drying, stretch a sheet of cheesecloth over it; you can secure it to two 2 by 4-inch boards on either side, taking care to keep it from touching the puree.

Preparing Fruit: Wash fruit and prepare each as directed below; it should be fully ripe. Cut away any blemishes; then measure (up to 5 pints for any one batch). Add sugar and heat as directed. Remove from heat and whirl (part at a time, if necessary) in a blender or put through a food mill or wire strainer; cool to lukewarm. Pour puree onto prepared surface and spread to 1/2 inch thick (a full 5-pint batch covers a 30-inch-long strip of 12-inch-wide plastic film).

Remove stems and measure whole berries; use 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar for each cup raspberries (1 cup for 5 pints), or 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar for each cup blackberries (1 1/2 cups sugar for 5 pints). Boil berries, stirring, until liquid appears syrupy; then put through a food mill or wire strainer to remove some of the seeds; spread the berries about 3/16 inch thick.

The Drying:
It may take 20 to 24 hours to dry, depending on the fruit and the sun’s heat. By the end of the first day it should be dry enough that you can loosen tape, slip a baking sheet underneath, and carry it inside; return to sun the next morning. When firm to touch, try peeling the fruit sheet off the plastic. It is sufficiently dry when the whole sheet can be pulled off the plastic without puree adhering. (Don’t leave in sun longer than needed.) In humid climates, you may need to finish the drying indoors. Set the sheets of fruit on pans in a 140-150 degree (F) oven and leave oven door slightly open.

Storing:
Roll up sheets of fruit leather, while on plastic film, then cover that with more plastic and seal tightly. Color and flavor keep well about one month at room temperature, four months in refrigerator, or one year if frozen.

Many of the recipes included here call for raspberry or blackberry jam. To make your own jam is quite simple. Here’s how:

Easy Raspberry Jam

Ingredients:
3 cups raspberries
3 cups sugar

Instructions:
Mash berries in a saucepan and stir in sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and beat with a wire whip or mixer for 6 minutes. Pour into jars and allow to cool. If not canning, keep stored in refrigerator.

Some recipes to enjoy with your over abundance of jam!

Blackberry Jam Cake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup blackberry jam
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, and allspice. Dissolve soda in buttermilk, stirring well. Cream butter or margarine and sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, beating mixture well. Mix flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blackberry jam. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely. Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, butter or margarine, and vanilla. Beat until mixture is smooth. Spoon over cooled cake.

Old Fashioned Blackberry Spice Cake

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each, ground: cloves, nutmeg, ginger 1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups blackberry jam
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating well after each addition, beginning and ending with flour. Beat in jam. Stir in nuts by hand.

Pour batter evenly into three greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans; turn out onto wire racks. Cool completely. Use a 7 minute frosting or a cream cheese icing with this cake. Caramel frosting is good too.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 egg yolk

NOTE: This makes a LOT of cookies! You can cut this dough in half, use one half, and freeze the other for another time.

Instructions:
Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Press thumb into centers of cookies, making deep indentations. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Remove from oven, and with 1/3 cup red raspberry preserves* fill indentations. Bake 5 minutes; immediately remove and cool cookies on racks.

*You can vary this recipe by using different strawberry, mixed berry and boysenberry all with excellent results.

Raspberry Meringue Bars

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter — cut in pieces
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups red raspberry jam
1 cup chopped nuts
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup flaked coconut

Instructions:
In large bowl of mixer, beat together the first 6 ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat mixture on the bottom and 1-inch up sides of a buttered 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 350 F. for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Spoon red raspberry jam mixed with 1 cup chopped nuts evenly on crust. Beat the egg whites until foamy; slowly add the 1 cup sugar and continue beating till meringue is thick. Fold in the coconut until blended well. Spread meringue evenly over all and bake at 350 F. for about 30 minutes or until meringue is dry and lightly browned. Cover pan with foil and allow to cool. To serve, cut in 1-1/2″ squares.

About the Author: Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of familycorner.com magazine.