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Delicious Rose Flower Water and Rose Geranium Pound Cake

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This Mother’s Day, why not make a cake for your Mom and surprise her? Here is one of our favorites made with Rose Flower Water and Rose Geranium leaves.

ROSE FLOWER WATER & ROSE GERANIUM POUND CAKE

  • 6 rose-scented geranium leaves
  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons URBANherbal rose flower water
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 3 cups unbleached flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Zest from one small lemon
  • Powdered sugar, bittersweet chocolate, organic red roses, rose geranium leaves as optional garnishes

Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter and flour a 10 inch tube pan. (We like to use a heart shaped pan.)

In a food processor, finely mince geranium leaves with sugar.

Add butter and cream mixture until light.

Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add rose water and extracts.

Blend well.

Sift flour, salt and soda together 3 times.

Add alternately with the sour cream to the butter mixture.

Add lemon zest and blend well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 to ½ hours or until golden and firm.

Loosen edges with a knife, and let stand for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert on rack to cool.

Glaze or dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with bittersweet chocolate. Garnish.

 

Blog and Recipes

Tasty Caprese Salad!

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Tomatoes,Basil & Mozzarella Salad

A Caprese salad is an easy way to use up tomatoes and basil. The fresher the basil and tomatoes are the better the salad.

These ingredients are suggestions and you can add more or use less.

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 medium fresh ripe tomatoes
  • 12 to 20 fresh Italian basil leaves
  • 4 to 6 oz. fresh mozzarella (Paula Lambert’s from The Mozzarella Company is best)
  • 5 Tbsp. URBANherbal Coffee Fig Balsamic Vinegar
  • URBANherbal Lemon Dill Savory Salt to taste
  • Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut your tomatoes and mozzarella into thin slices. Rinse your basil leaves and pat dry.

Layer your tomato slices, mozzarella and basil leaves on to a serving platter or small plates.

2. Drizzle the Coffee Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil over the salad and season with Lemon Dill

Savory Salt to Taste and Fresh ground pepper.

Ready to serve at once.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Blog and Recipes

Enjoying Valentines Day with The Plants of Romance

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The Plants of RomanceAlmost 2,000 years ago Ovid lamented, “Alas, there are no herbs to cure love.”

This may have  well been true, but the addition of herbs certainly enhances many sweet pleasures that are important to a well-lived life.

On a personal level, I have reached an understanding of herbs that reflects a relationship with others-in who I once was and who I will become. I call herbs the plants of romance.

As I’ve come to know herbs, they have twined around my hearts’ qualities and preferences.

Herbs grow up close and personal. They are not just flowers, but calendulas, nasturtiums and roses. They are garnishes, but cinnamon and lemon  basil, apple mint and chocolate mint, parley and lavender and thyme.

They are not bulbs, but garlic and chives, dill and fennel.

Come and visit us at URBANherbal to discover something new, time for little sprigs and blossoms of beauty and grace. Herbs can make your meals more flavorful, your work more enjoyable and your life more pleasurable.

Wishing you herbs, health & happiness,

Bill Varney

P.S.  Watch for our new class schedule coming soon from March 2013 – March 2014

Blog and Recipes

Cellulite and looking good with the help of herbs

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Bill Varney at URBANherbal

If you are like most people, you want to start the New Year off on the right foot. So many people make New Year’s resolutions and break them. I am as guilty as everyone. But this year I decided to take a different approach and just make a decision to start exercising every day! Today is January 19th and I am proud to say I have not missed a day yet! No resolution, just a decision to Get Fit.

There is no easy way to get around it, but if you want to reduce fat you need to exercise and take in less food…sorry friends.

If you eat fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meat, your tissue will look like the lean meat. As well as diet and exercise, good massage and using essential oils will ensure that you are not left with flabby skin and stretch marks. Below are a list of some essential oils that have a diuretic effect and attack fat:

Try Essential Oils!
  • Basil
  • Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Grapefruit
  • Lemon
  • Juniper

 

To make a general fat & toning massage oil blend together 1/3 cup sweet almond oil, 1/4 cup safflower oil with 5 drops of Juniper Oil, 10 drops of Basil Oil, 8 drops of Grapefruit Oil and 10 drops of Lavender Oil. Shake well. Store in a sealed glass bottle. Massage onto your legs, thighs, around your abdomen and on your arms. Do this as often as you can.

So here’s to your health and well being and happiness,
Bill Varney
URBANherbal

Blog and Recipes

Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake

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What you’ll need:

CRUST

  • 1 – 1/4 cups ginger snap cookie crumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter (unsalted), melted

1) Spray a 9″ to 10″ spring form pan with a butter-flavored vegetable oil (e.g. PAM).

2) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pat this mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside.

FILLING

  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 – 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons evaporated milk or whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

How to Cook:

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2) Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and four, until smooth.

3) Add pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla.

4) Mix until no traces of pumpkin remain.

5) Pour filling mixture into prepared spring form pan, and bake 1 hour.

6) The center will be soft.

7)Turn off oven and let cake cool with door closed for several hours or overnight.

8)Refrigerate cheesecake. May be served with whipped cream, a lemon verbena sprig and thin twist of lemon.

Blog and Recipes

Homemade Turkey Stock

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What you’ll need:

  • 3 pounds of turkey wings
  • Turkey neck and giblets, but not the liver as it can make the stock bitter
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 medium celery rib with leaves, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lovage, minced
  • 2 cup of fresh parsley chopped, I (prefer flat leaf)
  • 2 tablespoons sage, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, minced
  • 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground peppercorns
  • 3 fresh bay leaves

How to Cook:

1) Chop the wings and neck into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces  Also using a sharp knife cut away any membranes from the giblets.

2) In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium  to high. In batches, add the turkey wings, neck and giblets, turning and cooking until golden brown. It should take about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often., until tender. It should take about 7 or 8 minutes.

3) Return the turkey to the pot. Add enough cold water to cover the turkey by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that rises to the top. Add the herbs and peppercorns. Reduce to a simmer for about 6 to 12 hours adding more water to keep the bones covered.

4) Strain the stock through a colander into a large bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then skim off the clear yellow fat that rises to the surface. If desired remove the giblets and neck and let cool and then chop and get the meat off the neck to use in making a gravy. Cool the stock completely and refrigerate or freeze. If frozen in an airtight container it can keep up to 3 months.

Blog and Recipes

Rosemary Spiced Cranberries

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What you’ll need:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup of our Cranberry & Herb Vinegar
  • 4 cups cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon crushed cardamom pods
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

How to Cook:

1) Cook sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.
2) Bring to a boil, add cranberries, vinegar, spices and herbs.
3) Cook for 10 minutes or until cranberries pop.
4) Remove from heat and cool.
5) Refrigerate, covered until serving time.
6) Serve cold or at room temperature, Garnish with a few fresh rosemary sprigs.
Serves 4 to 6.

Blog and Recipes

Fresh Herb Brined Turkey. Yum!

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What you’ll need:

One FRESH Turkey (about 20 pounds)

turkey_brined.jpg

  • 2 cups Kosher Salt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme (I love to use Lemon Thyme)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
  • 3 tablespoons fresh marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon celery seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cracked peppercorns
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 large celery rib, chopped
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1-1/2 quarts Homemade Turkey Stock (see separate recipe)

How to cook:

This recipe only works with turkeys that are fresh. Self basting, frozen, and kosher turkeys have already been salted.

You will need a large container, big enough to hold this size turkey and brine. A six gallon stock pot or larger should work.

To estimate the amount of brine you will need to place the turkey in the pot and measure in enough cold water to cover the bird completely. The portions in the recipe are for 2 gallons of water, but the amount of brine can be adjusted as needed. For each 2 quarts of water, use 1/2 cup kosher salt, and 3 teaspoons each rosemary, thyme, and sage, and 1 tablespoon each marjoram, celery seeds, and peppercorns.

The turkey must be chilled during brining and kept below 40 degrees.

The night before roasting, rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Use the turkey neck & giblets to use in gravy.

In your large stockpot mix in the 2 gallons of cold water with the salt and herbs and stir until the salt dissolves. Place the turkey in the pot. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 F.  In a small bowl, mix the onion, carrot, and celery.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well, inside and out. under cold running water. Pat the skin and cavities dry with paper towels. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with the onion mixture. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back.Fold the turkey’s wings behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the butter. Tightly cover the breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.

Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices in the bottom of the pan.Lift up the foil to reach the breast area. Roast and keep basting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh area, but not touching a bone reads about 180 degrees F, which should be about 4 1/2 hours. If the dripping evaporate add more turkey stock. Remove the foil the last 45 minutes to hour to allow the breast to brown.

Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Blog and Recipes

Beat the Heat with Herbs!

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If you need Summer heat relief from working in your garden, or just from being outside here are a few ideas:

Reward yourself with a cool refreshing bath or shower with a mint or eucalyptus body scrub or bath & shower gel.

Spice things up with one of my lavender sprays or lotions.

Kick back and enjoy a nice cold glass of mint iced tea.

OR cold glass of herb lemonade with mint and lemon verbena.

Impress your friends with an iced cold Cucumber-Rosemary-Lemon Drink. Here is the recipe;

  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 5 tablespoons sugar(or other sweetener)
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely minced
  • San Pellegrino Water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Fill a glass with ice and halfway with San Pellegrino water, top off with the cucumber blend, stir well. Can add a jigger of vodka if you want an adult beverage. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and sprig of rosemary.

 

 

Blog and Recipes

Winter Savory

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Hardy woody perennial

Culinary, Ornamental

4 to 16 inches high, 3 to 8 inches wide

Full sun

Rich, moist, well-drained soil

 Winter Savory, Satureja MontanaWinter savory grows slowly, reaching no more than 12 inches high. Mature, glossy, deep green leaves are pointed and narrow, developing from short woody stems.This is an especially decorative, low-growing and densely spreading shrub. White or lavender-blue flowers bloom on short spikes in late summer. A good border plant for an herb or a vegetable garden. Winter savory also excels in a rock garden, where its evergreen branches can trail gracefully over the edges of stones.

Savory was well-known to the classical Greeks and Romans. Its genus name Satureja may derive from satyrus, or satyr, referring to its aphrodisiac effects. Hippocrates ascribed medicinal properties to it.
Winter savory was well known in early England, as well. Culpeper recommended it for ringing ears and in poultices for easing the pain from bee and wasp stings. This last remedy of rubbing a bruised sprig on a bee sting remains valid today. Early American settlers treated colds and fevers with savory tea.