Onondaga Community College Professor of Culinary Management Chef James Taylor loves incorporating locally grown ingredients into what his students make.
So when fellow faculty member and Mathematics Professor Olin Stratton came to him with fresh maple syrup from his farm, Chef Taylor cooked up a winning recipe. "We took our vanilla-based gelato and added a maple syrup swirl to it," said Chef Taylor. "We sold it for a dollar a scoop at Bechamel's (the student-run store) and everyone loved it! This is a high-quality maple syrup. There are no additives."
The syrup comes from Stratton's Fish Gulf Farm near Otisco Lake in the southern part of Onondaga County, where he and his wife also raise chickens, cut firewood, and grow mushrooms.
During maple syrup season, they had 5 taps, which produced 40 gallons of sap. Once the sap was boiled down, they were left with 2 gallons of high-quality maple syrup. "I think it came out pretty good," said Professor Stratton who is also Faculty Senate President and, in his spare time, is a guitarist in a local band.
You can try the maple syrup gelato at Bechamel's. It's located on the bottom floor of the Gordon Student Center across from Stonewalls Restaurant.
