Back!

Dropped off the face of the earth... no e-mail for three days, and too much to do.
But I'm back: all it took was a bribe of a nice Italian dinner to get the computer guy over to do his voodoo magic on my "settings" which *somehow* got out of whack.
But Thanks, Tony!
Good grief, if I could only read fast enough over his shoulder to figure out what he did to restore my connection.
I should take a class.

Speaking of classes, I brought this quick Lemon Tea Bread last week for my class to sample. The recipe is one of favorites of the ladies of the Genesee County Herb Society, and can be found in our book, "Herbal Favorites."

Lemon Tea Bread
Yield: one loaf

3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh lemon balm
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh lemon verbena
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. fresh grated lemon peel

Juice of two lemons
Confectioners sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans.
Heat milk, stir in herbs, let steep 15 minutes until cooled.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in lemon peel.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring, alternately with herbed milk. Do not over stir. Pour into pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes.
While loaf is baking, combine lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar to form soft pourable paste.
While baked loaf is still hot, poke holes in top with skewer. Pour glaze over hot loaf and allow to cool.
Remove from pan, place on decorative plate. Here is where some sprigs of fresh herbs, preferably lemon-flavored, would make a lovely garnish. Slice to serve.

A spring peepers' chorus in Michigan

Saw this little guy in my backyard. He was sitting in a patch of Cerastium, a.k.a. Snow in Summer. The peepers are singing loudly in the wet spots out in the fields, the prettiest voice of all the amphibians. It's funny, all these years Herb thought I was talking about birds when I said 'spring peepers'.
Click on photo to see close-up. To get an idea of how small he is, those are spruce needles behind him.

As soon as the ground thaws

I found this recipe for Sunflower Soup in the archives of KGI, Kitchen Gardeners International (link).
Link back to the original for a good article about Sunchokes, a.k.a. Jersalem Artichokes, a native sunflower with an edible root.
The photo is from Monticello's website. Thomas Jefferson noted the native plant.

My personal favorite use for Sunchokes is to braise/roast them along with other root veggies in the pan with a pot roast of beef. Sunchokes have a flavor all their own, and with pot roast gravy they are outstanding.

Sunflower Soup

Two types of Jerusalem Artichoke are available in France, one white and thin, the other round and pale pink. Either one will do but both discolour if exposed to air so cover with cold water or cook quickly after peeling.

Start off by peeling and chopping a large onion and sweating it gently in a covered cast iron pan with a knob of butter and a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile peel and chop a good handful of Jersusalem Artichokes and add them to the pan.
If you want a thicker soup, also add a diced medium-large potato.
Continue to gently cook the vegetables, without browning, for about 10 minutes.

Now add 1 liter of chicken stock (or vegetable stock, if you prefer).
A shake of white pepper, a small pinch of dried sage, bring the pan to the boil and then let the soup simmer for about half an hour.

Turn off the heat, allow the mixture to cool a little and then put it through the blender. Add a little water if you think the mixture is too thick. You should have a soup that is creamy in both colour and appearance.

Test the seasoning, add salt and white pepper if necessary, and reheat. Now you can stir in different finishing touches, for example: a soup spoon of double cream (highly recommended) or a tiny pinch of saffron.
This recipe makes 4 generous bowls of soup.
"Bon appetit!"
About the author, Gill Thompson, is a roving reporter for Kitchen Gardeners International. She lives in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France where she and her husband live in a charming sun-baked house with a lovely garden.

Signs of Spring around here

First, are these new shoes we found at a little shop in Lititz. They are called "Funky Feet" and come in a variety of designs. These are a little too lively for me, and I wish I'd opted for something a bit more subdued. At only $20, these will probably go to Molly and I'll go back for something quieter. Don't get me wrong, I adore them. But at 51, they seem to mock me.

Next up, the creamy yellow crocuses outside the front door. The color is soft and gentle. It's kind of unusual, since generally the yellow crocuses are more riotous and golden. These are more buttery.
They've been buried under the snow twice since the first bloom, but don't seem any worse for wear.
I was wandering around earlier and noticed that some daylilies and hydrangeas need to be transplated.
The elderberry that was stomped into oblivion over the Christmas tree season seems to be making a comeback! Yay! And the J. Artichokes appear to be a big favorite with the groundhogs around here. They are laying all over the ground - partially eaten, with those big "munch marks" all over them. But there are still plenty for everyone. I'm having not-so-pleasant images of the tiny bits that they are gnawing sprouting up all over the place.

It's about time to wander down by the creek. Lots and lots of mud down there. In another month we'll be able to see if all the natives we transplanted last year made it. VA Bluebells, Trillium, Wild Ginger, Dutchman's Breeches.... I can't wait!

Almost Foraging Time Again!

The chickweed never did die off around here, but so many other greens are starting to pop up. It's time to mention the cookbook "Wild Foods for Every Table". Blogger seems to be having issues with photos at the moment (ggrrrrr...), but we'll load the cover later.
This cookbook amazed me as it came together! Not just typical recipes that foragers have known for years, but terrific innovative and interesting recipes that use the wild veggies in a way we aren't all used to - as a regular part of the the diet.
The recipes are incredible - for delightful soups, salads, main courses, side dishes, and desserts - as well as scrumptious dips, appetizers, and beverages. They came from experts in the field, and from people like me - who have been passionately learning about wild edibles for years.

My first recipes came from Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Foods Fieldguide and Cookbook. I adore that book, and still reach for it first for many plants. It is in sorry shape. This book isn't a fieldguide, but there are some pictures and some essays to help the novice get started. Wouldn't it be great if someday, somebody felt the same way about this cookbook as I do about Billy Joe's book?

Some other great wild foods books:
Edible Wild Plants - Peterson Field Guides - Lee Allen Peterson
Medicinal Plants Field Guide - Peterson Field Guides Steven Foster/James Duke
Using Wild and Wayside Plants - Nelson Coon
Weeds of the Northern U.S. and Canada - Royer and Dickinson
Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants - Badford Angier
Edible Wild Plants, A North American Field Guide - Elias & Dykeman
The Forager's Harvest - Samuel Thayer
Books by Steve Brill
Books by Peter Gail

I could go on and on - but beginning with a good field guide is important. Most larger bookstores have section devoted to Field Guides and/or Nature. Look for titles that involve the words Edible Wild Plants, Wild Food, Weeds, and Foraging.
If, every year, you could add one wild green to your diet and feel comfortable with it - how to find it, prepare it, and store it - think how much more diverse your diet would be, and how much more self-reliant! Most people only eat a few vegetables to begin with (tsk, tsk) so learning 6 or 8 wild veggies and a similar number of wild fruits and nuts can take you a giant step towards being able to find your own food.
Some people know a lot about wild grains and mushrooms too. Add a rabbit or pheasant from time to time, and a couple chickens and goats. Suddenly, the grocery store is taking a lot less money out of your pocket each week.

Spring is springing

Winter aconite. I always wonder if they will return. The originals I planted are underneath an old lavender plant, and I can't get a decent photo, but this little patch is in a more accessible spot. The Labrador violets haven't woken up yet, and the Epimedium needs to be cut back before it begins to wake up as well. Reminder: If you click on the photo, you can see the full sized photo.

Welcome Spring!

I'm just a couple days late welcoming spring, but with the snow just melting from the yard, not too many people noticed.
Today was an "open the windows!" kind of day, and all the dust-bunnies blew out from under the furniture. It felt wonderful! The birds are certainly making the most of the longer days, and their calls and songs fill the air. The pine trees in the tree farm below the office window is home to thousands. They perch on the uppermost tips of the trees singing to each other. Just last week I threw seed out on top of the snow to get them through the last of the winter. We are lucky enough to be watching some partridges outside this year. They were raised and released last spring, and some of them have stuck around. Gorgeous birds, they scurry more than they fly, and they make a soft "chukking" sound. I hope there is a nest nearby.
We managed to get the next issue of the magazine off to the printer today. It might have been a record! The deadline was the 15th, and we dawdled the first couple of days. This issue went together so smoothly - we were amazed. But - we did have to add pages again. The list question for this issue invited readers to send 100 words about themselves, and we were amazed how many responses we got. We think that everyone will be interested to see who they are sharing their recipes and ideas with - and we were fascinated with the intros. We also had a contest for a cover illustration. The winner (by Deborah Stiffler) is above, a photo of pansies and johnny-jump-ups. It was also a Readers' Spotlight issue. We had several new and innovative products to review. Then there were oodles of wonderful articles, recipes and crafts. When we get them in the mail, I'll post the cover and table of contents.
It's been a busy winter, but nothing compared to the spring that is gearing up. Hang on! It's going to be a bumpy ride!

Another recipe?

Wowsers! Another recipe? I'll bet you thought this was supposed to be a blog about herb gardening. And what's with all the little inspirational quotations, and the poems! Well, folks, that's herbs for ya! The little "useful plants" can be just about anything you want them to be. And for a Michigan gardener, in the winter, we read and cook, and walk down our own figurative garden paths. Spring is returning, though...

First a little seasonal quote, what I call "inspiration." Then on, to the recipe.

"In a garden _ growth has its season. There are
spring and summer, but there are also fall and
winter. And then spring and summer again.
As long as the roots are not severed, all is well
and all will be well."
by Jerry Kosinski, from 'Being There'

Last evening my herb class focus was on growing herbal tea gardens and making herbal tisanes (including my take on medicinal herbs and safety issues. We also talked about low impact spring cleaning. Lots of handouts.)
Along the tea theme, I brought in my Rosemary Scones for sampling.

This short scone recipe is quite old, I was making these before the trendy food people popularized the scones that look and taste like big oatmeal cookies. Not that I have a problem with trendy foodies. I can't! because Comcast doesn't provide Food tv on its basic plan, just a lot of very bad programming. But back to the scones.
These are more along the lines of a biscuit, and like biscuits, their success depends on your technique.
Practice makes perfect. Last night they were pretty good.
Oh, shoot! I forgot the photo. I'll take that right now. Mind these are day-old.

Back. Call me shakey...

I just ate one, still very good. Nice fresh rosemary flavor. My Scottish grandparents (via Nova Scotia, CA) would be proud.

Short Rosemary Scones

Yield: 16 scones.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine in large bowl:

2 cups flour
1 T sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

Cut in:

1/4 cup butter (chilled)

Combine in small bowl:

1 egg yolk (reserve white for glaze)
8-oz. container 'real' sour cream (NOTE: I've also used 'real' 1/2 yogurt (not 'lite') in place of the sour cream. You could experiment with heavy cream or buttermilk.)

1/3- 1/2 cup reconstituted dried apricots, snipped into small bits

Method:
Make a well in dry ingredients. Add egg-sour cream mixture all at once and stir until combined . (Mixture will seem dry. But stir until all ingredients are incorporated.) While stirring, add fruit.
Turn dough onto floured surface and quickly knead 8-10 times, until smooth.. Divide into four pieces. Form each piece into a ball, and flatten slightly.
Cut each piece into 4 wedges. Arrange on baking sheet 1" apart. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and finely chopped rosemary.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until light brown. cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, serve warm.

NOTE: I like to add reconstituted dried cherries, dried cranberries, or snipped dried apricots. The batch I made yesterday had apricots.

just a quick hello

I've been a bad blogger!
It's been so busy around here. This time of year should be slow and easy, but that hasn't been the case at all.
We just finished up the on-line incense class, and it was really fun! I think everyone had a good time and if they haven't already, they will wind up with a couple nice batches of nice incense. It lasted a week, and the pace was perfect for me.
We thought we'd have soap into the early part of summer after all that we made for the farm show, but it looks like we need to make quite a bit. We'll be working on that in the coming days in between work on the magazine.
The next issue is in the works. We've got all the articles and ads, and we have a winning photo for the cover. We had a contest on the Yahoo group, and of the several entries, Deborah Stiffler won with a beautiful shot of violas. We'll start putting it all together in earnest tomorrow, and hope to have it off to the printer by the end of the week so it can go out in plenty of time to be there before May comes around.
We also just finished up a show. It was ugly. We have to try new things every so often, and sometimes it is just to remind ourselves to stick to our own rules. Ug!!! The foot of snow we got up here on the hill made the last day of the show particularly hairy, and we'll just put that all behind us now. Weather has not been our friend this year.

One nice herbal note - I ordered 6 blueberry bushes from Papa Geno's the other day which should ship the beginning of next month. I can't wait to get them into the ground. Molly is a nut for blueberries and will sit and eat a quart of them (without sharing, I might add). It will be lovely to have more berries than she can eat! Maybe I'll get some. I'd love to learn to make fruit leather with them, and possibly juice and paste.

Get yer pepper seeds now...

...so that next March you can be doing what I'm doing, grinding my own chili pepper, ancho powder, and ground paprika.

1. Plant a variety of pepper seeds indoors, grow the plants out in your garden when the soil warms up.
2. Pick pecks of peppers when they're ripe.
3. Dry what peppers you don't eat. I dry ancho, paprika, and cayenne.
4. Store them in a dry place and grind them as you need them.

A few hints:
Cayennes are small and thin enough to string and dry, but if the air is at all humid (and sometimes Michigan is very humid in August and September), then you'll need to use a dehydrator or your oven. Anchos and paprikas have thicker flesh, so they should be cut open to dry. Again, you can do them on screens, but for best quality you can't beat the dehydrator.
Anchos can be smoked in a grill or smoker to add flavor.
I read somewhere that I trust, and it makes sense: grind the pepper seeds with the pepper - they add nutrition and there is an antioxidant element in the seed that helps the ground pepper retain it's color and vitamin content. It also eliminates the step of seeding the peppers. You don't even know they're there when the pepper is ground.
Quality Control.
I know how my peppers are grown, harvested, dried, and ground, and I've never opened up a container of home-ground peppers to find larvae or beetles. I sure can't say that of purchased paprika.

Herbed Potato Rolls

I made these to share with my class. Herb Sr. thinks they are wonderful, and I don't tell how unbelievably easy they are to make. I like them warm with butter and rosemary honey for a real treat.

Herbed Potato Rolls
(Adapted from a recipe found on www.breadworld.com)
Start in bread machine, finish in oven.
Yields: 12-18 rolls.

1 cup plus 2 Tblsp. warm water
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tblsp. instant dry milk
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1 Tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry rosemary, crumbled (optional: use chicken seasoning)
1 tsp. salt
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast (for bread machines)

Reserve another egg to brush on rolls.
Optional: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or crumbled herbs of your choice for topping.

Method:
Add all of the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order given, or in the order suggested by your manufacturer.
Process on dough cycle. (1:30)
Remove to floured surface when processed. Divide into 12-18 pieces.
Roll each piece into a rope, tie each in a simple knot and place each on a greased baking sheet, 2” apart.
Cover and allow to rise in warm spot until doubled (30-45 min.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brush tops carefully with egg wash. Sprinkle with herbs or seeds if desired.
Bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on size).
Cool covered with a towel.

Photos from the Michigan Herb Associates 20th Annual Spring Conference

It was a bright March day at Michigan State University during spring break... we parked near Spartan stadium and walked a short way to Wells Hall.
I suspect this fellow followed me home.
Jane Taylor, keeping the ship afloat one more time.
Dr. Lownds, Caroline Holmes...
Class with Julie Krist
(Hi Della!)

Jane's farewell, hope we see her again!

Photos from the MHA 20th Annual Spring Conference

Ym-health Williams, one of my favorite herb speakers, with books. Her talk was "Green Connections - Old Plants in a New Land."



Ellen Spector Platt spoke on lemon herbs and lavender.
A "zesty" speaker indeed, and all the way from England, Caroline Holmes.



Michigan's very own Colleen French who among her other herbal talents makes the very nicest soaps I've ever used.

Wednesday already! I'm behind from Springing ahead.

The class is going well, but I hate to tell you how small it is! Well, I always say I hate speaking to large groups. Crikey.
Anyway, what is it doing, being Wednesday already? Time flies. Yesterday was balmy enough to keep the door open all afternoon to hear the birds cheering. FRESH AIR!
And only two days before snowdrifts were covering all of anything green.

Flowers blooming on Tuesday March 13, 2007:
Species crocus, purple, they've reseeded around the yard lately. I appreciate how crocuses draw the bees so early in the year. Life. Yes.

Snowdrops,too. Notice how the amateur cameraperson neglects to spruce up the subject. Is that a stick laying across that flower?

Cyclamen coum:
My cameraship is shakey, sorry, but it is what it is. I had to stick the camera under the leaves of the epimedium that is threatening to beat up the tiny cyclamen. I love it when the little fellow blooms, tiny, screaming MAGENTA.

No sign of the winter aconites yet. They surprise me every time. Can't wait.

Peter Rabbit has been hanging around leaving fertilizer. I wonder if he was the culprit that left that stem of snowdrop there. Throwing down the gauntlet already?

Lancaster County Soapworks in the News!

Good clean fun / Making soap and cracking jokes is all in a day's work at Lancaster County Soapworks

By Catherine MolitorisLancaster New Era
Published: Mar 09, 2007 10:13 AM EST
LANCASTER - Maryanne Schwartz wants washing up to be an uplifting experience.

Schwartz operates Lancaster County Soapworks Etc. from her Manheim home, where she makes a variety of homemade soaps and aromatherapy products.

"Our soap is much more moisturizing than what we call 'corporate' soap," says Schwartz, who gets help running the business from her sister, Ym-health. "There is an overabundance of oil in our soap. It's super-fatted and full of glycerin."

Schwartz, 59, may be cleaning up now, but she didn't start out determined to make soap.

She and Sams operated an herb business at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire — where they became affectionately known as the "Twisted Sisters" — and ran the Herb Basket in Landisville from 1994 to 2000.

Although they were happy with herbs — Sams, 51, continues to publish The Essential Herbal magazine — they were always looking for something else.

Raised by a single mother with three other siblings, the sisters knew firsthand what it was like to run a business.

"Our mother was a real entrepreneur," Sams says, noting that their mom operated an in-home answering service and baby-sitting business. "We were raised around business."

One day, after reading an article on making soap, Schwartz decided to try it. She invited her sister over, and they began what they thought would be a simple process.

"We thought, 'Why should we buy soap when we can make it ourselves?' " Schwartz says. "It'll be easy."

They didn't even let a lack of instructions deter them.

"Today, if you want to make soap, it's all over the Internet how to do it, but back then, there weren't a lot of resources for us," Schwartz says. "Literally, the instructions we found said, 'Put this with this, stir it up and sell it.' "

While Sams' daughter was at preschool, the sisters started making soap.

It didn't turn out well.

"We stirred, and we stirred and we were still stirring when nursery school was over," Schwartz says.

"We should have known," Sams laughs. "Nothing's ever easy for us.

"Still, the women were determined.

"For some reason, we stuck with it," Schwartz says. "We kept trying, and we still aren't sure what happened, but something clicked, and at some point, suddenly, soap happened."

Their first successful batch was lye-heavy and brittle, but it was soap nonetheless.

"We finished a batch, put it out to cure for two weeks and came to see it," Schwartz says. "When I walked in (the workroom), it smelled like soap ... I went to wash off (residue), and it started to make suds. I yelled out, 'Tina! Get in here! It's sudsy!' "

That moment — what Sams calls "achieving soapdom" — was all the inspiration the sisters needed to perfect their product.

Before long, Schwartz was adding flavoring oils, food coloring and any experimental ingredients she and Sams could come up with to make their soap as good as it could be.

"We tried peppermint, paprika, cocoa — you name it," Schwartz says.

Joking about their grocery shopping in the early days, she says checking out with a basket full of anything from cans of lye to distilled water, Crisco, aloe gel, carrot juice and baby oatmeal was always an interesting experience.

"We would usually assure the checkout people that we were making soap, not planning to dissolve any bodies," Schwartz says.

After much trial and error, the sisters were convinced they had a desirable product, which they took to the Landis Valley Herb Faire.

"We said, 'If we sell two bars, we'll consider it a success,' " Schwartz remembers.

They sold 22, and Lancaster County Soapworks was born in 2000.

Customers liked the soap's moisturizing nature and unique scents.

"With commercial soap, the maker extracts the glycerin for other uses," Schwartz says. "Our soap is very moisturizing."

Their No. 1 seller is lavender soap, but they offer many other options, including apple, mint, green tea, blackberry sage, apricot freesia and a blend they call "Wise Woman."

"We have patchouli and sandalwood — we have all the hippie products," Schwartz says.

Their "Happy Wanderer" soap, made with jewelweed, is particularly good for combating poison ivy or insect bites. "Wise Guy" is made with beer instead of water.

Schwartz's products are available in local stores, including the Amish Farm and House in Lancaster and The Old Candle Barn in Intercourse, and she and Sams are building a budding wholesale business, with clients as far away as Florida and Wisconsin.

Schwartz says her most frequently asked question is, "How long does the soap last?"

A lot depends on the user, she says."Are you a hairy man? It won't last as long," she laughs. "You can prolong the soap by letting it dry out between uses and not letting it sit in water."

Along with soap, Lancaster County Soapworks offers "sniffing jars" — blends of herbs that battle anything from sinus stuffiness to PMS.

Sams has developed a line of hydrosols, an essential oil-type aromatherapy product, and the sisters also sell shower sprays and bath scrubs.

Schwartz and Sams are not sure what the future holds, but they plan to continue working for themselves as long as possible.

"We get to play every day," Sams says. "There's a little ballet we do when we make soap. We can anticipate each other's moves. It's great."

Adds Schwartz, "We don't know what our future plans are, but whatever we do, it'll be fun."

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

To learn more about Lancaster County Soapworks Etc., 2839 Hossler Road, Manheim, call 653-5666, or visit www.lancastersoaps.com.

CONTACT US: cmolitoris@LNPnews.com or 291-8758 (Lancaster Newspaper)

Tales of the Michigan Herb Associates Annual Conference

I will post something soon. It's truly been a l-o-n-g week. I do have some blurry photos and some commentary, so stay tuned. But I wanted to post a quickie Cuppa Tea of the Week:
At the conference I had an old favorite: Bigelow's "Constant Comment."
I like a cuppa good old Constant Comment when I'm in the mind of a little pick-me-up.

Ingredients: black tea, rind of oranges, spice, and "natural flavor."

Tea bag in individual wrapper. As advertised on said wrapper:
"The famous delicious blend of fine TEA flavored with rind of oranges and sweet spice." That third generation of the Bigelow family must be rich. I'da said orange rinds and cinnamon and lost half my customers.

More views of the Extension Backyard Herb Garden...

In these shots you can see the pamphlet box that holds folded-page handouts that explain the compost area, and some of the remaining compost bins. The site was originally meant to showcase various methods for backyard gardeners to compost. The herb garden was just planned for a pretty backdrop for the compost demo area. Little did they know...
It's hard to get people around here interested in compost (what a shame!) and the individual on the paid staff who was gung-ho about teaching composting has moved on. But the herbs are still here, and some of us hardy old volunteers.
Most of the finicky, short lived perennial or borderline hardy plants have disappeared over the years. The list of remaining plants is about a third of the original list. Some amount of signage from disappeared plants is or are sitting on a shelf. And the plants that were hardy, agressive or 'happy to be here' have grown with very little encouragement into each other and will need to be divided as we go. Lots to do!

Hope we have a gardening-friendly year. I understand it's an El Nino cycle. I'm not a hothouse violet, but I appreciate enjoyable weather for my gardening time. After all, gardening is my avocation, not my vocation.

Still a blanket of snow covers the ground. I've always grown snowdrops and winter aconite, and in the past few years planted some Cyclamen coum (the zone 5 hardy cyclamen that blooms when the snowdrifts melt) and Hellebores (believe it or not, before I heard Barry Glick speaking at a trade show in Lansing.) I have flowers blooming outdoors when many Michiganders are whining about their lack of garden flowers. But this year the snow has not had a chance to melt off the beds where my little gems are waiting. Patience!

There IS a little chervil still green and alive up near the house in the gravel under the overhang on the south-east side. I saw a big jack rabbit sitting there when it was even too cold for the cats to run out and back indoors on below zero morning a few weeks back. The world is never without some kind of life waiting to be discovered.
Weather this weekend, after all the awful cold we've had in the past two months, is expected to be in the 40's... I believe we'll be thawing, hoo-ray!

Recipes for Nettles in the local paper!

It was a week ago Sunday, and the Lancaster Sunday News ran an article about how to gather, clean, and prepare nettles. I was so thrilled! This veggie is incredibly nutritious, fairly easily found in this part of the country - and most of all, the recipes are becoming mainstream. Every forager is at some point amazed that people lost in the wilderness find nothing to eat, while sitting on a mound of chickweed or lamb's quarters, burdock or sweet violet. So it is with great pleasure that I've shared these recipes with some of the foraging groups, and now with you!


Nettle Tapenade Crostini with Anchovies
This was adapted from David LeFevre, executive chef at Water Grill restaurant in Los Angeles:

Crostini:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 slices crusty French bread, sliced on the bias

In a small pan over low heat, cook the garlic in the olive oil until soft but not browned. 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and brush the slices of bread with the mixture.
Grill the bread (you can use a stove top grill) over medium heat until golden brown and crunchy. Reserve.

Tapenade and assembly:
2 Tbsp minced onion
5 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 c stinging nettle leaves, washed
3/8 c chicken stock
1/3 c kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 c chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 c chopped fresh oregano
20 marinated white anchovy fillets

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until they begin to sweat. 1 to 2 minutes. Add the nettles and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and braise until the greens are soft and the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool. On a cutting board, mince the nettle mixture and put it into a mixing bowl. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.

Place about 2 Tbsp tapenade onto each crostino, then top with 2 anchovy fillets. Serve immediately.

Servings: makes 10 crostini.
Each crostino = 117 calories; 5 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 7 milligrams cholesterol; 502 milligrams sodium.


and another from the local paper:
Nettle Frittata with Green Garlic and Ricotta
adapted from "Local Flavors" by Deborah Madison

3 c washed nettle leaves
2 T olive oil
1 head green garlic, minced (or substitute 2 garlic cloves)
1 c finely chopped onion
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
1/3 c pecorino Romano, grated
1/2 c ricotta
1 T unsalted butter

Heat the broiler, Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the nettles and, using tongs or rubber gloves, put them into the water and blanch them for about 1 minute. Drain and when cool enough to handle, press out the water, chop into a rough cut and reserve.

Warm the olive oil in 10-inch skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the nettles and season with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir the nettle and onion mixture into the bowl and add the pecorino. Add the ricotta, leaving it a little streaky.

Wipe out the skillet and return it to the heat with the butter. When the butter has foamed and then subsided, pour in the egg mixture. Stir until the ingredients are emulsified. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the eggs have set up around the edges and are golden on the bottom, about 6-7 minutes. The center will still be slightly jiggly.

Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the top is set and golden, about 1 minute. Check to see that the eggs are cooked (the frittata should be set in the center); cool slightly or to room temperature before serving.

Servings:6
Each serving: 233 calories; 14 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 18 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 304 milligrams cholesterol; 430 milligrams sodium.

the Backyard Herb Garden

The gal who does the powerpoint slide show for the Master Gardener's annual banquet was finally able to dig up an uploadable photo of the project I'm assuming this year. Someone sent her a photo taken on the garden tour last summer.
This photo shows the herb garden at the Extension that I'm planning to renovate.

Crunch time today: 1. Need to finalize info on the garden stepping stone we're having made for the Herb Society. 2. Run by the Community Education office to sign papers for the class I'm teaching starting tomorrow, and pick up a printer cartridge (I hate my printer! I think it prints only about 20 sheets before it starts the low ink warning!)to finish up the first week's handouts. 3. Finish up the handouts and collect the visual aids.

Every class needs a theme. This year my mantra will be on confidence building:
"If I can do it, YOU can do it."

The student CSA organic farm at Michigan State University

This brings back memories of summer! I took the tour two years ago during the Michigan State Master Gardener Association Summer Conference.
Local, sustainable, organic produce... the wave of the future! Those young people give me hope.
I love my coldframe, but if I could only build a greenhouse. I've got Dr. Biernbaum's plans that he handed out that day, but I lack a willing partner.
Wouldn't you agree, fresh homegrown veggies 48 weeks of the year would be wonderful?

Cuppa Tea of the Week

Lemon Ginger Sharpness Herbal Tea, by Stash

In contrast to last week's Lemon Blossom Herbal Tea, this week's tea is lemon flavored, yes, but has more herbal flavors, the ginger being the strongest overall flavor. It should be called ginger-lemon. If Lemon Blossom was an A, Lemon Ginger Sharpness is a B.
Concerning the ginkgo, no one told me I was perceivably more brilliant that afternoon, and I never noticed the advertised sharpness.
This one drink without milk, but sweetener might help.

Ingredients: Ginger root, lemongrass, ginkgo biloba, hibiscus, safflower, citric acid, and natural lemon flavor.

Blurb on the bag wrapper: ... "very pleasing lemon-ginger taste ... Studies in Europe suggest that ginkgo helps increase blood flow to the brain, thereby increasing sharpness and alertness and improving memory."

Wrapper entertainment provided by Emily Dickinson:
"That it will never come again
is what makes life so sweet."