Steve and Joyce Thorson of Montana Honey Bee Company are serious about their honey. And their honey is seriously delicious. . .
What began as two boxes of bees and a new hobby has developed into a family owned and operated gourmet honey company in downtown Bozeman. MHBC is known for raw, all-natural, unheated, unfiltered honey even the bees can be proud of.
It was as natural as, well, honey, that a collaboration of fellow creatives devoted to high craft led to both inspiration and new menu items for Urban Kitchen... think charred crusty toast topped with fresh apple, sweet onions, housemade burrata, and topped with crispy prosciutto and Montana Honey Bee Company’s all-natural Creamed Honey. Yes, please. While Steve and Joyce are experts in honey and bees, Urban Kitchen’s Joe and Meg know how to make a salad even your kids will love.
Here are some fan-favorite honey facts, but trust us: It is far better to hear it from Steve directly. Especially because anytime you pop into the shop on Tracy Avenue you can’t help but be wowed by the variety of amazing flavors (Habañero Honey?!) or learn a new fact about cultivating honey and bees.
Creamy Honey: Raw honey that has been crystallized to a smooth, spreadable consistency without any heating or adding anything artificial.
Infused Honey: All natural herbs and/or spices with raw unprocessed honey, gently warmed and mixed for two months.
Shelf Life of Honey: Honey never spoils. Pots of still edible honey have been uncovered after thousands of years in Egyptian tombs.
Antibacterial: Honey is antibiotic. Sugars can kill bacteria and there are natural peroxides that form when honey is put on skin that also help kill bacteria.
One bite of this Wildflower Honey Caesar Salad Dressing and you can taste the exquisite chemistry that Montana Honey Bee Company and Urban Kitchen have cooked up elevating the humble honey bee to “culinary magician.”
Wildflower Honey Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ tsp garlic, raw minced
- 2 ea yolks
- 2 oz Wildflower Honey from Montana Honey Bee Company
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 ½ c olive oil
- ¼ c lemon juice (Meyer lemon if possible)
Method
Place garlic, yolks, honey, dijon, Parmesan in a blender. Pulse to blend. Gradually add oil in a thin stream to emulsify. Add lemon juice.
Salad Ingredients
- romaine lettuce
- arugula
- Belgian endive sliced
- Bosc pear slices
- blackberries
- Parmesan cheese shaved and grated
- croutons
When ready to serve, toss greens with dressing and top with remaining ingredients.
Wonder what you can do to help save the bees? We can all plant a diverse variety of native flowers. If you’re especially inspired, take Steve’s class and begin keeping your own hives - Joe and Meg are!
