Annual Maple Dinner at The Rocks

In celebration of the maple sugaring season, The Rocks Estate will host a Maple Dinner April 2 featuring local microbrews and the flavors of the season. The dinner will begin at 6:30 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 $50 per person, with at least $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. Wine will also be served at 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. Hors d’oeuvres include Maple Humus and Butternut Squash Maple Bisque. The main course will include Grilled Chicken Breast with Maple Mango Butter Sauce, Certified Black Angus Inside Round with Maple Bourbon Sauce, Fresh Baked Haddock with Maple Butter Crumb Topping and Basil Butter sauce and Maple Wood Roasted Spicy BBQ Chicken. Dessert is a Brownie Sundae Bar with maple Walnut Ice Cream and Fun Topping.

Entertainment for the Maple Dinner is provided by DC 3, the Dennis Cote trio who will play a mixture of oldies for everyone to enjoy.

This event is limited to 90 diners. Manley recommends making reservations early, as the dinner has been very well-attended in its first four years.

To make reservations, please e-mail [email protected]rg 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 a non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources.