Blog and Recipes

Red Chili Pork Tamales

Red Chili Pork Tamales

  1. Season a 4 to 5 pound Pork Shoulder with bone in with salt, pepper and a little paprika, and 5 to 6 cloves of garlic. Brown all sides in a large cast iron skillet with a little olive oil. Remove and fill a large pot with water and boil for 1 ½ to 2 hours along with a few  dried red chili peppers until the pork has reached a temperature on the inside with a thermometer of 160 to 175 degrees. Set the pot aside and let cool. Keep the stock. Shred the pork once cooled.
  2. Put a few handfuls of corn husks in a sink of water and let sit.
  3. Put 1 pound of dried red chilies in a large pot with water and let boil. Remove and pull the stems out and puree in a blender with some of the water. Set the puree aside.
  4. Make a sauce in a large cast iron skillet with a little olive oil, 2 cups of the red chili puree, half a cup of the stock and ½ cup of flour. Add a little salt and pepper. Add the shredded pork.  Set aside.
  5. Make the Masa
  6. 4 cups of Instant Corn Masa Mix
  7. 4 cups of the stock from the pork
  8. 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  9. ½ teaspoon salt
  10. 1 1/3 cup lard
  11. ½ cup of the red chili puree

Mix the masa mix with the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the pork stock and mix well. Add the lard and chili puree and mix well until slightly sticky.

Take a corn husk form the water and lay on a work surface, put a small amount of masa on the husk, add a few shreds of the pork, tightly roll the husk from both sides and both ends. Wrap in a small square of foil.

Stack the wrapped tamales in a large pot with water in the bottom making sure that the water does not touch the tamales and steam for 45 minutes, being sure to add water to the pot as needed, and also making sure that the water does not run out.

You can add other seasoning and herbs as desired for your own taste and variation to this basic recipe.

Blog and Recipes

Two End-of-Summer Drinks to Refresh and Revive You

This blog was written by my friend, Jacquelyn Walker Choate, who grew up here in Fredericksburg, the same time as my son, Roy. Over the past few years I’ve seen her love of herbs grow, so recently when she was here at URBANherbal, I ask her if she would like to contribute to our blog. I was thrilled that she accepted. A native of the Texas Hill Country, Jacquelyn Walker Choate has always had a passion for local herbs and plants. In addition to caring for her growing family, she is currently completing an M.S. in Nutrition and Integrative Health with a concentration in Herbal Medicine. Her interests include the culinary, historical, and medicinal uses of plants throughout the world. Jacquelyn can be reached at yourherbalsage@gmail.com.

Two End-of-Summer Drinks to Refresh and Revive You

As we approach the close of summer, the heat has no plans of relaxing its grip on the Hill Country. It will follow us well into the Fall. Here are two refreshing drink recipes that will keep you cool and brighten your spirits for the end of summer.

The first is Turk’s Cap Lemonade. Throughout Central Texas, this native mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus) is blooming everywhere and readily accessible. If you don’t have it in your garden already, you can easily find it growing wild in many places. Turk’s Cap is an edible native plant of Texas; its leaves, flowers, and fruits are all safe to consume. I first learned about its versatility from Dr. Mark “Merriweather” Vorderbruggen, the man behind the “Foraging Texas” website. He gives monthly plant walks in Wimberley at Spoke Hollow Ranch, where I first learned of Turk’s Cap Lemonade.

The important thing is to harvest the flowers in the morning, when the nectar content is greatest, to obtain the most flavor for your drink. The pollinators and hummingbirds zooming around your Turk’s Cap might clue you into when exactly this is, and do remember to leave some of the flowers for them! How much you collect is completely up to you. Think of them as a lovely garnish and flavor enhancer for your favorite lemonade recipe. They will even impart a bit of their lovely red or pink color to your drink. Children especially love collecting the dainty flowers from the tops of this plant, so include them in your harvesting. This recipe would be a huge success at any neighborhood lemonade stand!

If you have an abundance of this beautiful plant, you could also make a syrup with the Turk’s Cap flowers to concentrate the flavor of the nectar, a delicate taste similar to honeysuckle. Decorate salads, baked goods, or even include them in your pancake batter (another idea from Dr. Mark!). In the Fall, the flowers will give way to little red fruits that can be made into jam or jelly. In the Spring, the young, tender leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.

For now in our late summer season, when the flowers are abundant, here is the recipe to include them in your garden soiree beverage:

Turk’s Cap Lemonade:

1 cup lemon juice (8-10 lemons)
¾ cup sugar
6 cups water
Turk’s Cap flowers (up to you depending on how many you have!)
*You can play with this ratio to find your own desired level of sweetness.*

Juice the lemons.
Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice by whisking until combined. This allows you to skip making a simple syrup to dissolve the sugar.
Combine with water.
In another bowl, rinse your flowers a few times to remove dirt and bugs. Then macerate the flowers with a pestle or spatula end to release the color and flavor.
At this point, you can add the mashed flowers to each serving glass, or combine with the lemonade mixture.
Pour over ice and serve.

The second is Lemon Verbena Gin Fizzy.

I was first introduced to the idea of this drink while at Jekka’s Herb Fest near Bristol, England. The presenter Mark Diacono, author of Herb: A Cook’s Companion, passed around “gin fizzies” as the English call them, with his homemade lemon verbena syrup. For him, this herb captures the essence of summer with its bright flavor and zingy taste, unmatched by lemon balm or any of the mints.

If you do have access to this herb (Lippia citriodora) in your garden, you can easily make the syrup at home, or you could try to source the herb from your local grocery store.

For a non-alcoholic version, just combine the lemon verbena syrup with sparkling water over ice.

With any extra lemon verbena on hand, you might try to make a lemon verbena cheesecake, but you will have to tease the recipe out of Urban Herbal’s Bill Varney first!

Lemon Verbena Syrup for summer cocktails:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup loosely packed lemon verbena leaves

Dissolve one cup sugar into one cup water in gently simmering water.
Add a half cup of lemon verbena leaves and continue simmering gently for fifteen minutes.
Cool slightly, then strain through a sieve into a bottle for storage in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to six months.
Add to your favorite gin and tonic recipe or other summer cocktail.

Resources:
“Foraging Texas” information on Turk’s Cap:
https://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/turks-cap.html

Lemonade recipe inspired by The Kitchn:
https://www.thekitchn.com/lemonade-from-scratch-258369

Although the Lemon Verbena Syrup recipe was described at the Herb Fest, here is an article describing it as well: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/9985512/Six-unusual-herbs-to-sow-in-your-garden.html

     

Herb Society of America Blog, herbs

One Man’s Road to Herbal Success: An Interview by Chrissy Moore Blogmaster for the Herb Society of America with Bill Varney

Bill Varney

Enjoy this in-depth interview about Bill’s herbal journey by Chrissy Moore, Blog Master for The Herb Society of America’s Blog and curator of the National Herb Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, 

Blog and Recipes, Lemon Herbs, Paula's Lemon Liquor, URBANherbal Madagascar Vanilla Extract

Lemony Herb Cake

Lemony Herb Cakes

Lemony Herb Cake

An lemon lovers dream dessert with Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme and Lemon Verbena. An antique type moist recipe from days gone by with a modern twist.

Ingredients for the Cake:

1 tablespoon finely minced lemon verbena

1tablespoon finely minced lemon thyme

1tablespoon finely minced lemon balm 

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of the lemon

2 cups sugar

1 cup of whole milk

2 sticks of butter, ½ pound

4 eggs, separated

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon URBANHerbal Madagascard Bourbon Vanilla Extract (or your choice)

2 tablespoons Paula’s Lemon Liquor ( or your choice of Lemon Liquor)

Ingredients for the frosting:

¼ cup whole milk

1 tablespoon lemon verbena, minced

1 tablespoon lemon thyme , minced

1 tablespoon lemon balm, minced

½ cup sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons butter)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons of Paula’s Lemon Liquor ( or your choice of Lemon Liquor)

In a food processor bowl, add the sugar, then the lemon herb leaves and the lemon zest. Pulse a few times until the sugar and the leaves and the zest are completely blended. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, add the milk, then 1 cup of the lemony sugar, heat on medium and stir until almost scalding, continuing to stir. Remove from the stove and allow the milk to cool for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter your pan, either 2 large 9-inch layer cake pans, or 8 miniature cake pans which is what I like to use, I can serve little petite cakes or give them as gifts! Line the bottoms with parchment paper. 

Cream the butter, cut up into slices, add the other cup of lemony sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and slowly add the blended milk. Add the lemon juice, and the vanilla and liquor. 

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in ½ of the whites into the batter, then add the rest. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and let cool for the few minutes, then carefully remove from pans and remove parchment paper and allow to finish cooling on rack. 

Make the frosting by adding the ½ cup sugar to the work bowl of the food processor, along with the zest of the lemon. Pulse until fully minced and blended. Set aside. Heat the milk in a saucepan, adding the blended herb sugar, and stir well.  Heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Remove from stove and let cool. Add the lemon juice and liquor to the cooled milk and stir well. Cream the butter and add the blended milk and beat well. The frosting should be light and fluffy. Spread the frosting between the two cakes and stack and frost the top as well or frost each miniature cake. You can garnish with lemon herb leaves.

William “Bill” Varney

URBANherbal.com

Blog and Recipes, herbs

Fig & Almond Cinnamon Basil Cake

Fig Cake with Almonds and Cinnamon Basil

Do you really love figs? Well, I really love figs! in cakes, mixed drinks, pie, baked as appetizers, preserves, chutneys. Here is my version of Fig Cake. “If you have figs in your knapsack, everyone will want to be your friend.” Albanian Proverb

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, melted, also extra butter for greasing the pan

1 cup of organic almonds

1/4 cup fresh organic cinnamon basil

1/4 cup organic sugar

2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

1/2 cup organic white flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liquer

15 to 16 ripe figs, sliced into 4

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 inch fluted tart pan or as I really like to do, butter many small tart pans (12). Set them aside. In a food processor, add the almonds and 1/4 cup of sugar and grind to a coarse texture. Add the cinnamon basil, pulse, add the flour, baking powder and salt and pulse.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, melted butter, honey, almond extract and elderflower liquor. Add the almond/flour mixture from the food processor, and mix well, then add the figs. Mix in the figs well until they are smooth. Pour the batter into the pan or pans. Sprinkle the top with a little brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on the tops. Cool before serving.

Blog and Recipes, herbs

Fredericksburg Peach Thyme Spritzer

Peach Thyme Spritzer

Fredericksburg Peach Thyme Spritzer

If you enjoy Summertime with peaches and herbs, have we got the cool refreshing drink for you! Best of all it is super simple to make.

In a cocktail glass filled with ice, add ¾ of the glass with Organic Peach Thyme Soda (we like Central Market by HEB) then add a sprig of lemon thyme, and a slice of Fredericksburg Peach. Muddle together, then add 1 ½ oz. of Vodka (we like Tito’s Vodka), stir well and serve with a slice of Fredericksburg Peach on the rim and a fresh sprig of lemon thyme as a garnish. Can also be made without the vodka for the kids. A great drink for all of us Dad’s for Father’s Day!

Blog and Recipes

Herbs & Shakespeare

Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was no stranger to the task of plying his trade amid difficult conditions.

He was working in London when the bubonic plague surfaced in 1592 and again in 1603, the latter a particularly lethal outbreak that left more than 30,000 city dwellers dead.

In 1606, as England was roiling from a near-assassination attempt on King James, the plague returned to wreak havoc on Londoners once again.

But Shakespeare knew how to navigate the bumpy terrain by this point, the threats of royal upheaval and a debilitating illness no obstacle to him completing three of his great tragedies – King LearMacbeth Anthony and Cleopatra.

That summer, Shakespeare and his contemporaries were distracted from recent events concerning the monarchy when the black death made an unwelcome return.

The 1603 outbreak had brought a directive from the privy council that closed playhouses when more than 30 disease-related deaths were recorded in a week, and with London again facing those casualty levels by July 1606, the Bard was forced to shutter his venue, the Globe Theatre. 

This produced an attempt to recoup lost income via touring performances with his company, the King’s Men, while also leaving time for the wordsmith to sit alone with his thoughts and pen.

The evidence indicates that Shakespeare polished off Antony and Cleopatra, the successor to the Roman Empire intrigue of  Julius Caesar, during this period, its debut likely arriving when the Globe reopened late in the year. 

Even as he ostensibly worked in isolation, the plague threatened to ensnare Shakespeare in its invisible grasp. Shapiro describes how his landlady on London’s Silver Street, Marie Mountjoy, succumbed to the illness in October 1606, prompting the writer to vacate the premises shortly afterward.

Mentions of these contemporary events appear in his plays

It’s impossible to know how the ever-present dangers affected the well-being of the Bard, who left behind no personal letters, though there are clues to be found in his plays.

Lear provided an apt description of the plague’s ghastly symptoms by way of the king’s insult to his daughter Goneril: “Thou art a boil, A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle, In my corrupted blood.”

And while Macbeth lamented “The dead man’s knell” associated with the plague, the play also delivered a clear nod to the doublespeak employed by the masterminds of the Gunpowder Plot by referencing “th’equivocation of the fiend, that lies like truth.” 

All in all, it was a trying time to attempt to carry on business as usual, but Shakespeare did so in a manner worthy of his celebrated reputation, by funneling the fear and uncertainty swirling around into some of the greatest written works of the English language.

William Shakespeare was a poet, playwright and actor who is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most prolific writers in the history of the English language. The master penned a total of 39 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and perhaps a few other works, though authorship is hard to prove for certain. There are approximately 160 references to plants in all of Shakespeare’s works, namely herbs and flowers. Plants and the gardens that house them play an important role in Shakespeare’s plays, as they did in Elizabethan life in general. Modern gardeners can use Shakespeare’s love of flowers and herbs to inspire their own designs. 

Shakespeare used both dooryard gardens and grand gardens as settings in his plays. He wrote of wild gardens in the beauteous fields and lush meadows as well as medicinal plants that grew outside the castle walls.

Some of the herbs that Shakespeare studied, wrote about and used in his plays were:

Mint : Armando: I am that flower. Dumain: That Mint.

Lavender : Perdita: Here’s flowers for you: Hot lavender, mints, savory and marjoram.

Fennel : In Hamlet, Ophelia gives the king fennel as a symbol of flattery, strength and praiseworthiness. 

Wild Thyme : Oberon: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows.

Marjoram : Clown: Indeed sir, she was the seet Marjoram of the Salad.

Marigold : Perdita: The marigold, that goes to bed wi’ th’ sun.

Chamomile : Falstaff: For though the chamomile, the more trodden on the faster it grows, so youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it wears.

Parsley : Biondello: I knew a wench married in an afternoon as she went to the garden for parley to stuff a rabbit.

Lemon Balm : Cleopatra: As sweet as Balm, as soft as air, as gentle.

Rosemary : Ophelia: There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray love, remember.

In closing lets just remember to pray, love and know that this too will pass.

By the way If you enjoyed this blog you might enjoy reading this article that was just in The NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/opinion/coronavirus-shakespeare.html

Blog and Recipes, herbs

Fresh Frittata with Veggies & Herbs

Frittata with Veggies and Herbs

Eggs, do you love eggs? I raise my own chickens, so I am always looking for fun recipes using eggs and of course herbs! One of my favorite things to make is a frittata.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra – virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced (red, yellow or white)

1 tomato, thinly sliced

6 to 8 fresh asparagus spears, ends trimmed

1/3 bell pepper, thinly sliced (I like to use both red & green)

1/2 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow squash, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Other in season fresh herbs such as dill, basil, parsley, rosemary, finely minced

coarse kosher salt (I like using some of URBANherbal’s savory salt blends)

fresh cracked black pepper

6 to 8 large eggs (organic, farm raised)

Turn your oven on to broil. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and jalapeño, stirring until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the other veggies and herbs, cook until tender, about 6 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk you eggs in a bowl. I like to add about 2 tablespoons of warm water to the eggs while whisking. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Now pour your eggs into the skillet and heat on the burner over medium heat until the sides are just about to set, usually about 3 minutes. Now transfer your skillet to the oven and broil unit the frittata is just set in the center and golden, about 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever fresh veggies and herbs that you have available and it always turns out delicious! It is great for breakfast, brunch, for lunch or even dinner. Serves 4

Blog and Recipes, herbs, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Oregano, quinoa, Sopa de Quinua con Carne, soup

Quinoa Soup/Sopa de Quinua con carne

Quinoa Soup with Herbs, Veggies & Pork

Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is an herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains.  Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.

This soup is flavorful and good for you. The recipe is an Ecuadorian version.

1 cup Quinoa

8 cups cold water

1 lb. of pork that has been seasoned and diced. (I like to season it with crushed garlic, URBANherbal’s Spicy Mexican Savory Salt, Cumin and Black Pepper.)

2 Tbls. Mexcian Mint Marigold (minced)

1 Tbls. Mexican Oregano(minced)

1 onion, diced and sautéed 

1 lb. of potatoes, cut into chunks

1 cup of cabbage (chopped) 

2 cups of chicken broth

1 packet of Sazón Goya

A few dashes of Salsa de Ají (pepper sauce from Ecuador)

2 Tbls. Unsalted butter

After sautéing the onions, and cooking the pork, it is time to start the soup. In a large pot with lid, add the chicken broth, water and begin to boil it. Add the butter, then the onions and potatoes, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Then add the quinoa, then the pork, and cabbage. Reduce to a simmer. Add the packet of Sazón Goya and a little salt and pepper. Then add the minced Mexican Mint Marigold and Mexican Oregano.  Simmer about 30 more minutes. Serve. *note can substitute chicken instead of pork.

 William Varney 

www.URBANherbal.com

Blog and Recipes

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm  Melissa officinalis

Hardy perennial

Crafting, Culinary, Medicinal, Ornamental

Grows 1 1/2 feet high, to 6 feet wide

Full sun to partial shad

Moist, fertile, well, drained soil

From the earliest of times, lemon balm has been celebrated by poets and herbalists for it’s “uplifting” qualities. At one time, the whole dried plant – root – leaves and seed – was sown into the piece of linen and worn under ladies’ dresses to promote “an agreeable disposition.”

Lemon balm is native to the Mediterranean. The genus name, Melissa, is derived from the Greek word meaning “honeybee.” This herb’s lemony fragrance attracts bees. Hives were rubbed with its leaves to bring in swarms. Housekeepers once used handfuls of fresh balm leaves to polish and scent their furniture. 

Lemon balm thrives in cooler climates. It develops into a bushy plant with substantial roots and a stalk reaching 1 ½ to 3 feet high. Leaves are smooth, heart shaped and smell strongly of lemon. Yellow buds open into tiny white flowers by the mid to end of summer.

Planting and Care – Easy to grow although seeds are slow to germinate. Start from cuttings, root division or plant from containers. Plant as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. Accepts partial shad to full sun exposure. Prefers moist fertile soil with good drainage. 

Once established, plants endure in the garden unless a determined is made to eliminate them. They reseed easily and spread wide, so provide plenty of space. In small gardens, try growing in containers to control plants. The leaves die down to the ground with the first frost. In cold winter regions place a thick layer of mulch over the crown to protect the plant; each spring it will regrow from its roots.

Harvesting and Use – One of the sweetest scented of all herbs, which makes it a delightful ingredient for sachets and potpourris. Fresh-cut stems retain their fragrance well and lend a casual flair to floral arrangements. In the kitchen, lemon balm adds a light lemony flavor to soups and stews, fish, lamb and chicken. Use freshly chopped but sparingly with fruits or salads. It’s a favorite replacement for salt and an inexpensive lemon zest substitute.

Always add near the end of cooking because its volatile oils are dissipated by heat. Its flavor keeps well in baked goods because it is captured by the surrounding medium. Use as a fresh garnish in hot tea and lemonade or brew as a tea. A leaf or two improves a glass of white wine. Along with hyssop, it is an important ingredient in the liquor chartreuse.

Lemon balm is recognized as an aid to digestion and circulation. It is reported to help relieve feverish colds, headaches and tension. Its oil is believed to be beneficial in dressing wounds, especially insect bite. 

One of my favorite recipes for using it is, Lemon Balm Bars.

Lemon Balm Bars

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup of flour

1/3 cup blanched almonds

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons lemon balm leaves, minced

Grated zest of one lemon

3 eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup blanched almonds

Combine butter, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup almonds in food processor. Process until mixture forms a ball. Pat into a greased and floured 9 by 9 – inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Combines sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, lemon balm and lemon zest in work bowl of food processor. Process until finely blended. Add eggs and lemon juice, blend thoroughly. Pour over crust. Grind remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and  1/3 cup almonds in the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle over filling. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until set.

Yields 9 large lemon balm bars

copyrighted William Varney