Cooking with Herbs
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URBANherbal

Parsley and Mushroom Soup at Sparta's Palace twenty beauteous mayds The pride of Greece, fresh garlands crowned their heads With hyacinths and twining parsley drest Graced joyful Menelaus feast.                   ~Theocritus, 3rd century BC poet

Rinse the parsley and chop off the leaves from the stems. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and stir in the leeks, onions, parsnip and thyme along with a hint of salt. Cook until the onions and leeks become translucent.

In a large pan add the chicken broth and 2-1/2 cups water, along with the leeks and onion mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 35 minutes. Slice the mushrooms. Meanwhile melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the sliced mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Then add the mushrooms and shallots to the soup mixture and add the fresh parsley and let cool for about 10 more minutes. Then let cool slightly and coarsely blend in a blender, and reheat and serve with a fried sprig of parsley adorned on top.

Fried Parsley Garnish

Rinse and dry the parsley. Coat in flour. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Put a few flour coated parsley sprigs at a time in the oil for about 3 minutes. When sprigs are crisp and brittle drain on a paper towel.

Rosewater Pound Cake

Optional garnishes: Powdered sugar, bittersweet chocolate, red roses, rose geranium leaves.

Preheat oven to 300F. Oil and dust with flour a 10” tube pan. Cream butter with sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, then rosewater and extracts. Sift flour, salt and soda 3 times. Add alternately with the sour cream to the butter mix. Add the lemon zest last. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 1-1/2 hour, or until golden and firm. Loosen cake edges with a knife and let stand for about 15 minutes in the pan, then invert on a wire rack to cool. Glaze or dust with powdered sugar. Drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate. Garnish with roses and rose geranium leaves.

This is a wonderful cake to serve for guests, or just for a romantic evening for two

MORE RECIPES!!!!!

Our concern for health is inseparable from our pursuit of beauty. What is it that makes us want to squeeze or slather or pat on our outsides the things that cause us to feel good on our insides? This impulse isn't all that illogical. The oldest cosmetic formulas offer advice on the virtues of fruits, vegetables and herbs in enhancing and preserving our appearance.