A busy month at the Howell Living History Farm

April is a busy month at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township, with the birth of lambs, the planting of potatoes, visits to the henhouse and spring beekeeping duties.

There is no guarantee that a lamb will be born on Lambing Day, April 5; only the ewes know when their time comes. But visitors will find new lambs to meet, expectant ewes and lots to learn about the farm’s flock of Romney-Suffolk sheep.

Lambing Day is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as are all Saturday events at the farm.

April 12 brings potato planting, and everyone can help plant seeds in the furrows created by workhorses Bill and Jesse. It will be work with a purpose, as the potatoes will be donated to local soup kitchens when they are harvested.

Henhouse visits will take place on April 19, the day before Easter. On its website, Howell Farm says visitors can step into the henhouse to take an egg from a nest, then candle—look inside—their egg. They also can visit new baby chicks in the farm’s brooder coop.

The month ends with spring beekeeping on April 26. A 45-minute presentation about “Life in a Honeybee Colony” will begin at 11 a.m. At 1 p.m., weather permitting, farm beekeeper Johanna Swartzentruber will open the hives and check the health of the colony.

For more on Howell Farm, see the website howellfarm.org.

Reserve Now for Afternoon Tea at Morven

It’s not too early to reserve a place for Afternoon Tea at Morven with the Secret Tea Room, set for May 29 and 30. Tickets are $50, and participants will enjoy fine teas, freshly baked scones, tea sandwiches, dessert and a sparkling drink. Tea will be served on fine chinaware chosen to complement the Georgian architectural style of Morven.

The historic Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton St. in Princeton. For tickets, visit morvenmuseumgarden.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/afternoon-tea-at-morven-with-the-secret-tea-room-may-2025.

A tour of the museum is included in the ticket price. The special teas often sell out early, so those interested are encouraged to purchase tickets soon.

Passover

Passover begins April 12 and ends April 20, which is also Easter Sunday this year.

Passover celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. As a major Jewish holiday, it includes a variety of traditional foods and a seder plate.

Wheat products are not eaten during Passover, which means many desserts are gluten-free—including this chocolate cake with raspberry coulis from ToriAvey.com:

Chocolate Almond Flour Cake

Cake ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter (you may substitute unsalted non-dairy butter/margarine for parve/dairy-free)

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (use parve chocolate for dairy-free)

¼ cup milk (or use unsweetened almond milk for dairy-free)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar, divided

1 ½ cups almond flour (aka blanched almond meal)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Avocado oil (or melted butter – for greasing the baking pan)

Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)

Coulis ingredients

2 ½ cups fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of your cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and inner walls of the pan with avocado oil or melted butter. If using a springform pan (recommended), you may also want to cover the exterior lower half of the pan with a layer of foil to prevent any leakage.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cut the chocolate into large chunks and add it to the pan. Stir until melted.

3. Add milk or almond milk, vanilla and salt. Stir until everything is melted together and smooth. Remove from heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl.

4. Separate the eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites along with ½ cup of the sugar until soft peaks form.

5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the other ¼ cup of the sugar until the mixture turns creamy and light yellow.

6. Break up any chunks in the blanched almond meal with a fork or your fingers, then fold the almond meal into the melted chocolate mixture.

7. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the batter.

8. Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter, then fold the remaining egg whites until just combined. The mixture should be light and airy from the egg whites. Do not over-mix.

9. Fill the prepared baking pan with the chocolate cake batter. Smooth the surface of the cake with a spatula or spoon.

10. Place in the oven and bake the cake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. You can check for doneness with a temperature probe; the internal temperature should reach 200 degrees F. Once it is done baking, remove the cake from the oven and let it return to room temperature.

11. The cake will deflate slightly and the top of the cake will “crackle” as it cools. Release the cake from the pan when it is fully cooled. If you prefer a cold dessert, chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight.

Raspberry Coulis

1. Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a food processor and puree ingredients together.

2. Strain the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solid ingredients and agitating the mixture to extract as much syrupy juice as possible.

3. Dispose of the solids. The syrup is your coulis. Store coulis in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

To serve:

1. Before serving, garnish your cake with powdered sugar, fresh raspberries, and mint leaves.

2. Use a long sharp knife to cut the cake. Place each slice on a dessert plate drizzled with raspberry coulis. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

Notes: This cake can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Store coulis in a separate sealed container. Be sure to dust the cake with powdered sugar and decorate just before serving for the best presentation.

If making parve/dairy-free, you may substitute dairy-free butter (margarine), dairy-free bittersweet chocolate, and unsweetened almond milk for the dairy ingredients. If making for Passover, make sure all ingredients are approved Kosher for Passover. If you can’t find Passover powdered sugar (aka confectioner’s sugar), you can make your own by combining 2/3 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon potato starch in a blender – then blend on high speed until powdery.