decorated with herbs and spices
Although it is the case that decorating eggs is a pastime most often reserved for this time of year, I certainly believe that presentation affects our palates.
So, with the help of a few eggs from our local bird, Gg domesticus and my herbal allies (but of course!), I extend my warm wishes for a very Happy Easter!
Leslie
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged breakfast, Easter, Homestyle cooking, Restoration Herbs | 1 Comment »
Horseradish is the herb of the year and is best known for the use of its root in making a sauce for meat.
Root
You can easily make a sauce like this:
Beg, buy or steal some horseradish root and grate it finely. This may make you cry but persevere. Put into a blender with a quarter cup of sour cream, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, one tablespoon of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of chopped chives. Whizz it up and you should have a creamy tangy accompaniment to a meat of your choice and it tastes much better than the kind you can buy in the supermarket. You can also experiment by adding other ingredients to this basic recipe such as garlic, coriander, ground cumin or whatever your fancy dictates. Traditionally horseradish sauce is eaten with roast beef unless one is a vegetarian in which case hold the beef.
Horseradish plant
For those gardeners among you why not grow horseradish? You’ll need a piece of ground where spreading won’t be a problem, although I have to say this has not been an issue here. Our horseradish as stayed firmly in place for several years and refuses to spread. Obtain a piece of root from a friend or a market. Dig a hole slightly larger than the root and place it with its head just above the surface. Pack soil around it and watch it grow. Fertilize occasionally but limit nitrogen otherwise you’ll get a lot of leaf and little root. Try an organic fish fertilizer. It smells but it works! It will probably be 12 to 18 months before you can harvest some root. Dig the roots in early Spring when the green tops begin to show. Keep the larger roots for processing and replace the others in the same spot. And remember horseradish appears benign until you peel and grate it.
Horseradish has particular meaning for us this week as it is an important part of the Passover seder symbolizing the bitterness felt by the Jews when they were slaves in Egypt at the time of the Pharoahs. Eaten grated and raw it will certainly bring tears to your eyes.
Posted in Food Lover's Tips, Uncategorized | Tagged dinner, local growers, Passover, Restoration Herbs, sauce | 1 Comment »
Charoset, ready to be served on a piece of matzah
Tonight many of us will eat charoset as we begin the seven day celebration of Passover. While I adore this dish ~ for its aroma, texture and flavor~ and because my mother made the best charoset ever when I was a child ~ I seem to reserve its preparation only for Passover year after year.
In keeping with an Eastern European tradition, I grew up with charoset being prepared with apples, wine, walnuts and cinnamon. In more temperate and Mediterranean climates, it is often prepared with pomegranates or dates; figs, raisins, apricots or cranberries, maybe even pistachios. Ingredients can be chopped or pounded into a paste.
Interestingly, many of the ingredients remind the Herbalist in me of birthing and rebirth as they are often associated with protocols to enhance fertility; perhaps this isn’t surprising as Passover is a holiday celebrated in the springtime.
Certainly the bitter/sweet experience of this food cannot be ignored … nor can the sense of “hope” it elicits ~ if only the most basic of hopes … that there’ll be more in the kitchen!
To make charoset tonight I used
I put about ¼ cup of wine in the bottom of the bowl, added chopped apples and crushed walnuts. When mixed, I added in some cinnamon and the pinch of sugar and adjusted cinnamon to taste. The resulting mixture is moist, not slushy.
Charoset can be served on crackers or matzot … or eaten straight from the bowl with a good-sized spoon!
May we all have a zissen Pesach
~ a sweet Passover ~
and find ways to move beyond that which binds us, just as charoset are used to symbolize our enslavement in times past.
Posted in Food Lover's Tips, Recipes, Vegetarian | Tagged apples, cinnamon, Food & Wine, nuts, Passover, Restoration Herbs | Leave a Comment »
I didn’t know you fancied garlic as much as I did?!
~ nice to be here
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Check out this beauty
It’s that time of year when we are all itching to buy seeds and plants. When buying either, especially for vegetables and herbs make sure you ask for organic heirlooms. Why? It’s simple. Heirlooms are resistant to certain pests, they are hardier and healthier than hybrids, they have a stronger flavor And you can save the seeds from year to year and save yourself some money. Moreover you are preserving our heritage. Some tomatoes, for example have been around for 200 years or more – the seeds that is! Buying organic means your seeds or plants are free of nasty chemicals. So try it and see. You won’t regret it!
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Sonja's inaugural salad
In honor of our Franklin Foodie extending an invitation to join her I decided that I must begin with garlic. Especially as I was making my own “garlic kebabs” last week to help overcome an infection.
When it was cold, I was roasting my kebabs in the fire. Now, weather’s warming. And garlic can be eaten raw, of course. But when it’s roasted? That’s delicious and it doesn’t need to be roasted in an oven.
I use an old frying pan which I’ve been using for years. I use it only to roast garlic so it’s become a bit blackened over time. That’s OK as I have a particular affinity for this ol’ skillet!
I place unskinned garlic cloves – often a whole bulb or two of garlic – in the skillet over a medium high heat. After 10 minutes or so the skin begins to blacken and mmmm, I can smell garlic. After that, it can be anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes until a clove is soft to the touch.
awesome (garlic)
These 9 cloves came from a single bulb. After they blackened, I let them cool. Careful! I guess you can tell from the stains on the skillet just exactly how many times I’ve forgotten about them … so setting a timer’s a good idea! After peeling off the skin, I may trim them up, or cut them in half. They are a great accompaniment to most any salad, a great bar snack and an all around general nibble! As spinach is peeking up also, here’s a recipe for wilted spinach (sorry, no photo!). Add roasted garlic – even plumped cranberries – if you need more suggestions, just ask
Wilted spinach
Clean and dry spinach leaves & place in a nonstick skillet, either moistened with olive oil (& garlic?) or not. Medium heat. Stir often & remove from the heat just after the leaves begin to wilt and before they’re soggy – generally within 3-5 minutes.
Here’s to our Franklin Foodie
I thank you for the invitation to join you ~ and I raise my glass, of herbal tea of course! to an exciting adventure!
Leslie
Leslie@RestorationHerbs.com
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Daffy-dills
Finally!!! Spring is a time for growth, a time for renewal and a good time to get back to this blog. Exciting changes are coming, new posts and contributing authors. Along with Restoration Herbs we will be bringing you the best of the best. Stay tuned!
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I’ve overheard people saying it didn’t feel like the holidays should be here already. Well with the mild temps we had up until recently, I felt the same way… until yesterday!! Now, I’m in a rush, slurping down the last of the Thanksgiving leftover turkey noodle soup and trying to figure what Christmas cookies I’m going to start baking and what ingredients I need to have on hand for party dips and appetizers. And I haven’t started my present buying either. It’s official…. I’ve got lots to do!!
Stay tuned for holiday recipes and doings in the area. I’ve gotta run, I smell cookies burning…
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I look out at my garden, it’s sitting at rest, rejuvenating itself for next years crop, but there is one plant still standing, bravely battling the elements and ready to provide flavor for fall’s earthy and hearty dishes (such as butternut squash ravioli with browned butter & fried sage and of course that glorious roasted bird on thanksgiving day), my beautiful, wise and fragrant variegated sage.
I know it’s been awhile, we’ve been through some trying times, but I’m back now. I hope you’ll keep coming back and checking on new posts, recipes and listings of the many tasty things that are going on in our area.
Cheers!
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