High Country: Red Belly Honey ramps up for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

Following a one-time September edition last year, superfans of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen have a far shorter wait for the celebrated culinary festival’s return.

High Country’s quarterly content collaborator Joline Rivera will make a comeback, too, bringing her beloved Red Belly Honey — a superfood naturally infused with hemp by bees on a California farm.

”Red Belly Honey is thrilled to be invited back to Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. It further reinforces the value and importance of our nature-infused CBD honey and the growing interest that food is medicine — it’s not only healthy, but tastes incredible,” shared Rivera, also the founder of the cannabis culinary magazine Kitchen Toke. “Chef Derek Simcik, director of culinary operations for Sage Hospitality Group, joins us again along with chef Ryan Rau, executive chef of Urban Farmer in Portland — so good they just opened a new location in Denver.”

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Since its showcase at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in 2021, Red Belly Honey has made its way onto shelves across Erewhon Market’s seven natural grocery store locations in Los Angeles, plus launched Rbel Bee Honey Gummies — microdosed with 5.1 milligrams of CBD per pack of 17 pieces blended with passion fruit, citrus and cayenne. Rivera will also embark on a retail partnership with Lululemon’s experiential store concept in Chicago, where she’s based, on June 1.

During the already sold-out Food & Wine Classic in Aspen later in the month (June 17- 19), Rivera and her team plan to serve up two infused dishes as an official exhibitor in the Grand Tasting Pavilion: a baked Red Belly Honey sesame bun stuffed with sweet mushrooms and ‘nduja; and a Red Belly Honey and ginger-marinated charred watermelon with coconut gel, cucumber granita, tangerine pearls and candied hazelnuts.

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Both Red Belly Honey and Rbel Bee Gummies will also be on hand in an independent, VIP-only “Chill Lounge” at Here House where special guests are invited to take time out and unwind during the whirlwind of a weekend. Until then, start summer off on a sweet note with two Red Belly Honey-based recipes to try at home. And remember, honey is always better than sugar!

STRAWBERRY HONEY ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

• 1 pint ripe strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved • 1⁄2 cup sugar, divided use

• 2 tablespoons dry milk powder

• 1⁄4 teaspoon xanthan gum

• 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 1⁄2 cup Red Belly Honey

• Rbel Bee Honey Gummies for topping, optional

Instructions:

• Toss strawberries with half of the sugar and spread onto a sheet tray.

• Roast in a preheated 375 F oven for about 15 minutes. Cool.

• Combine remaining sugar, dry milk, xanthan gum and salt in a small bowl and stir well; set aside.

• Combine in a medium pot milk, cream and glucose. Heat liquid, add cream cheese and dry mixture.

• Simmer for a few minutes. Cool slightly and stir in honey, add strawberries and their juices and chill for several hours or overnight.

• Add strawberries and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or overnight.

• Process in an ice cream mixture according to machine directions. Top with Rbel Bee Honey Gummies.

Yield: Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

BEETS, WATERCRESS, GOAT CHEESE AND RASPBERRY HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds medium-sized orange and red beets

• 2 tablespoons Red Belly Honey

• 1 small shallot, finely minced

• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar

• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1⁄2 bunch chives, chopped

Instructions:

• Rub beets with olive oil and roast on a parchment lined sheet tray for an hour or until easily pierced with a fork.

• Cool, peel, quarter and transfer to a mixing bowl with watercress.

• In a blender, puree raspberries, honey, shallot and champagne vinegar along with salt and pepper. Slowly add oil to emulsify.

• Toss vegetables with desired amount of vinaigrette.

• Correct seasonings, dollop with pieces of goat cheese and sprinkle with pecans and chives.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Katie Shapiro can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @bykatieshapiro.