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Poached Balsamic Pears with Rosemary

Poaching Liquid:

2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cups sugar
2 whole pears, endspara_mInlinetrimmed, peeled and cut in half
In a medium size saucepan, bring all ingredients (except pears) to a boil over medium – high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add pears and add enough water just to cover. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until pears are tender, turning every few minutes.

Remove from stove and allow pears to cool in poaching liquid.

When cool, core and slice.

Serve with a little of the poaching liquid drizzled over the sliced pears arranged on a plate with a rosemary sprig.

The poaching liquid can be kept refrigerated and used again.

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Lemon Verbena Sweet Biscuits

Lemon Verbena Sweet Biscuits

1 (6 inch) sprig of lemon verbena
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
Grated zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter; grated
1 egg beaten
1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half
Melted butter
Sugar to taste

Mince lemon verbena with sugar in mini food processor. combine sugar mixture, flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, mix well. Stir in grated butter until crumbly. Add egg and enough half and half to create dough, mix well. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Roll 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush hot biscuits lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.

Yield 12 biscuits

A wonderful way to show Mom how much you care, by baking these fresh and serving her on Mother’s Day Morning!

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Rose Geranium Buttermike Pie

Rose Geranium Buttermilk Pie

1-3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
10 tablespoons cold unsalted buttver cut into pieces
3 tablespoons shortening, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup (or less) of ice water
4 medium size rose geranium leaves
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (to taste)

Combine flour, salt and 2 teaspoons sugar in food processor. Add 10 tablespoons butter and shortening. Process until crumbly. Slowly add ice water with food processor running until mixture forms a ball. Turn onto plastic wrap and shape dough into large ball. Chill at least 30 minutes. Divide dough into two portions. Roll into circles onto floured surface. Fit dough into two 9-inch pie plates; trim and flute edges.

Mince rose geranium leaves with 2 cups of sugar in food processor. Add remaining 1/2 cup butter and process until creamy. Beat in eggs, buttermilk and nutmeg. Pour into pie shells.

Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Allow to cool completely before serving. Garnish with a rose geranium leaf.

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Mojito

Mojito – refreshing mint, lime and rum drink

Four fresh sprigs of spearmint
2 tablespoons of sugar (or substitute your favorite sweetener)
Fresh Lime
Sparking Water or Tonic Water
Ice
Bacardi Light Rum or Rum of your Choice

In a large glass put sprigs of mint, along with sweetener. Use a wooden spoon to grind the leaves. Squeeze juice of one-half fresh lime or whole key lime. Add ice to the top of the glass. Pour in one third Rum and fill the rest with Tonic Water or Sparkling Water of choice. Stir well. Garnish with a wedge of lime and mint. Sit back and relax in your garden!

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Heart Beet Salad

Heart Beet Salad

1/2 cup cashews
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons cooking oil

Melt in pan and roast cashews in the oven for a few minutes, then set cashews aside.

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 beets skinned and sliced
2 pears sliced

Melt above ingredients in pan and cook over low heat for a few minutes.

Plate lettuce, top with cooked beets and pears and sprinkle with cashews and add vinaigrette.

VINAIGRETTE
8 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons pale ale
8 tablespoons rice herb vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped

Whisk well.

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Savory Blue Cheesecake

Savory Blue Cheesecake

This wonderful recipe is from “Cooking with Herbs” Workshop at the James Beard Foundation
CAKE FILLING
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons fresh Mexican mint marigold chopped
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
12 ounces bleu cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons fresh Spanish or Greek oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

 

TOPPING
2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Rub generously with butter the sides and bottom of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Combine bread crumbs and marigold, evenly coating buttered surfaces with mixture. Set aside.

Beat cheeses at low speed with electric mixer until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl and add sour cream; beat at medium speed for one minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the onion, garlic, pepper, mustard and herbs.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until set in center.

Combine topping ingredients. When cake is almost set, remove from oven and let stand 5-20 minutes. Spread topping over cake; return to oven for 3-5 minutes or until the sour cream is set. Cool on wire rack for 1-1/2 to 2 hours before removing from pan. Chill thoroughly, preferable overnight. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.

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Absolut Tarragon

Absolut Tarragon
A libation sure to please the tarragon lover!

1 quart Absolut Vodka
1 large bunch of fresh tarragon sprigs, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon mixed whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all ingredients, re-bottle and allow flavors to infuse for at least one week before consuming. Store in a cool dark cupboard.

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Lemon Verbena Margarita

Lemon Vebena’s intense, citrus-green scent makes an ideal ingredient in this summer drink.

1 six oz can frozen limeade concentrate
3 tbs triple sec liqueur
3/4 cup top shelf tequila
3/4 cup water
1/2 fresh lime, juiced
2 tbs minced lemon verbena leaves
Lemon verbena sprigs for garnish
Ice cubes
Fill a 32 oz blender-carafe with ice cubes. Add limeade, triple-sec, tequila, water, lime juice and minced lemon verbena. Blend on high setting until all ice cubes are crushed to the point of being slushy. Pour into wide-mouth glasses; garnish with sprigs of lemon verbena; and enjoy as juicy company for an open-air repast.

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Lemon Balm Lemon-Aid

Lemon Balm Lemon-Aid

1 generous bunch of Lemon Balm stems and leaves, Lemon Verbena and Mint
1 large can of frozen lemonaid concentrate
Juice of 2 large lemons
1 lemon cut into thin slices
3 cups of water

Rinse and pat dry herbs. Place in a large glass pitcher and cover with the juices. Gently stir and bruise leaves with a large wooden spoon. Add water and lemon slices. Chill overnight, stirring occasionally, pressing down on the herbs with the wooden spoon. Serve in large ice filled glasses, and garnish with a sprig of lemon balm and lemon slice.

Serves 8 thirsty gardeners!

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Russian Dressing

RUSSIAN DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tablespoon whole milk
1/2 tablespoon grated onion (optional)
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
few drops Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

In a small bowl stir all ingredients together until well mixed. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Makes about 1/2 cup.

To serve, place chicken breasts on a large serving platter and garnish with rosemary sprigs and peach slices. Serves 6.