"It's A Marshmallow World . . . In My Kitchen!"

Dear Folks,

With no apologies to Dean Martin's song "It's A Marshmallow World" - I Made Homemade Marshmallows!!

First a little anecdote.

I was at a gathering the other day, fun stuff.  It was part cookie exchange and I brought homemade cookies and homemade marshmallows.  While offering them to one gal saying "I made homemade marshmallows" she responded with "why"?   Oh my why not! I thought.  :-)

Homemade Marshmallows flew onto to my make-it-at-home radar several years ago when Martha showcased them and I thought I want to do that.  But I was turned off by 2 things:  1) corn syrup is called for in every recipe, almost, and 2) they always say you need a candy thermometer!  This is frustrating to me because I KNOW these kinds of candies were made before thermometers and they turned out great.

So long story short, over the last couple of years I looked and looked and looked for better recipe options.  I thought I had found a good option when I read other syrups like maple syrup could be substituted for the corn syrup and then I tripped across the blog site of "Nuddybar" and WOW she nailed it and took all of the worry away.  What a cute gal and creative too.  Make sure you watch her video.

Throw out your worries about candy thermometers - she easily shows that the two stages are just beaten for a specific number of minutes (a standing mixer is good for that - or two people who can switch off holding the beater).  That took all the thermometer, soft-ball-stage chemistry angle and threw them out the window! Yay!!!!

So back to the gal's question "why".   Every winter I buy a package of marshmallows for my homemade hot cocoa that Deane loves, I like those chocolate coated marshmallow candies as a treat, and way back when I was a kid I was introduced to a fluff-er-nutter, peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.  That's why :-)

AND now I get to control the ingredients of this homemade candy.  And I need to really shout about just how wonderful these homemade ones taste.

The commercial kind have 10 ingredients, some of them chemistry sounding AND blue dye!!!  In a white food!  Growing up we used blue dye to make our white clothes whiter, but in food!  You can see from my picture that mine are snowy white and I used organic sugar which has a little beige hue and the marshmallows turned out white!.

This recipe has 7 ingredients (1 is vegetable oil as an anti-sticky element during the making).

This made a LOT of marshmallows.  I think the recipe can be halved easily without changing the taste or texture.

[CAUTION:  You are dealing with a sugar syrup that is boiling at one point - burns from a hot sugar mixture are terrible so be very careful in handling the boiling mixture.]

RECIPE:

Homemade Marshmallows
without corn syrup or thermometer

http://nuddybar.com/2015/01/23/homemade-marshmallows/

(Catherine's Notes:  I used a 9 x 13 pan and an oiled pizza wheel for cutting - worked great -- I also used organic sugars - so far I have not found organic cornstarch but I'm looking)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbsp. gelatin (2 envelopes)
 
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla 

3 tbsp. icing sugar [powered sugar]
1 tbsp. cornstarch


1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Equipment:
Large bowl
Small pot
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Hand blender
8×8 pan (or larger, for thinner marshmallows) or 9 x 13
Parchment paper and scissors (or plastic wrap or aluminum foil)
Rubber spatula
Cutting board
Large knife (or pizza wheel or kitchen shears)
Sieve

Directions:

Using a large bowl [this can be the bowl of your stand-up mixer], sprinkle the gelatin into 1/2 cup of cold water and give it a quick stir. Set it aside to soak.

Pour the other 1/2 cup of cold water into a small pot, and add the granulated sugar.

On high, heat the water-sugar mixture until it begins to boil. Turn down the heat to low, and simmer this syrup for 10-15 minutes.  [You can stir occasionally to keep the syrup from inching up the sides.]

Remove the pot from the heat.

While the syrup is cooling [you are only letting it stop simmering], line all sides of the 8×8? pan with parchment paper. Use some vegetable oil to lightly grease the paper.

Mix together the icing sugar and cornstarch, and use about a tablespoon of it to dust all sides of the pan. [If you need more mixture just keep proportions the same 1 cornstarch to3 powdered sugar.]

Pour the syrup into the bowl with the gelatin, and beat it for 5 minutes with a hand blender until it’s white, thickened, and doubled in volume.

Add the vanilla (and any flavouring or colouring), and beat it for another 7-8 minutes until it’s thick, glossy, and tripled in volume. It should almost be able to stand up on its own.

Scrape the mixture into the pan using a rubber spatula coated with vegetable oil, and flatten out the top as best you can.

Using the sieve, dust the top with the sugar-cornstarch mixture.

Put the marshmallow pan aside and let it set, uncovered, for a few hours.  [We let it sit overnight on the counter covered lightly with a towel and it was fine to cut the next day.]

Turn the marshmallow slab out onto a cutting board covered with parchment paper dusted with sugar-cornstarch. Oil and dust a large knife with sugar-cornstarch, and cut the marshmallow slab into 1 to 2-inch squares. Dust the marshmallow edges with more sugar-cornstarch to prevent them from sticking.

[To dust the cut cubes, I put the cornstarch/powdered sugar in a bowl, tossed handfuls of the cut cubes in and just gently tossed with my hands - did a great job of coating -- where I wanted to dip them in the sprinkles, I hand coated each cube except for one side and pressed the sticky side into the sprinkles held in a bowl.]

Store the marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature for ~1 week.  [We are still enjoying them 2 weeks later - I sometimes drop a cube into my coffee cup while it is brewing.]

"But even if you undercook or overcook the syrup, it doesn’t make a huge difference in the texture of the marshmallows. One time, I cooked the syrup for 2 minutes, and the marshmallows were still fine, just a bit stickier."  -- Nuddybar

 

Re:  A Fluff-Er-Nutter Sandwich - when you make these marshmallows at about the half-way to 2/3rds time of the final beating you will see marshmallow fluff.  I did not try it but I think at that stage you could jar up some and have fluff for making the sandwich.  I'm gonna try it with the next batch :-).
 



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations -- December 15

Dear Folks,


Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.

My Spearmint

Day 15

Herb: Mint, Mentha from the Lamiaceae (Mint) family which includes its relatives such as Basil and Lavender.  Mentioned in the bible Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”

Mint along with other herbs were so valued they were used as a form of currency.

"As for the garden of mint, the very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes our spirits" --Pliny the Elder

Meet The Neighbors – The Lamiaceae Family – The Mint Branch!
By Catherine, The Herb Lady - originally from my Newsletter  January 18, 2003
     Lamiaceae (formerly labiatae) is the well-known and well loved mint Family.  Botanically, the members of this family have a square stem, two-lipped flowers, and simple usually undivided leaves.  Many are herbs such as lavender, basil, thyme, rosemary, and of course the mints--and it is the mints we will visit with today.
     As neighbors, mints are an old established family.  Grandma planted them under an old leaky faucet, because they just love to play in the water!  One of the few herbs that likes its feet wet, mint needs damp (not wringing wet) soil and a bit of shade in the western summer afternoons.  Once established this family of herbs can easily take over the neighborhood. The incredible list of scents and flavors is due in part to its willingness to make new friends, i.e., plant two different side-by-side and you will eventually have a third kind--one reason for separating your beloved favorites to keep them really separated.  Cross-strains can produce wonderful results or something not quite so wonderful.
     The main group of mints is called by its Latin name Mentha. While the origins are a little sketchy the word Mentha may have come through the Greeks for a wood nymph named Mentha who got on somebody's bad side and was turned into the plant mint.
     Now the family members: Mentha piperita (peppermint) and mentha spicata (spearmint) are probably the best known examples, with peppermint being one of the children of the marriage of spearmint and water mint (mentha aquatica).  Mint goes back to antiquity. It is mentioned in the Bible and there are several species traceable to ancient Asia and Europe.
     There are so many varieties of mint that you essentially pick a flavor and someone will have come up with it. Varieties include most of the citrus family:  orange, lime, and grapefruit.  There is a chocolate mint (part of the peppermint branch), even Margarita Mint  (that smells and tastes like sweet Margarita mix) and variegated Pineapple Mint, to name just a very few.

Cooking:

Spearmint and Peppermint are the two most common mints and are used in very different ways in cooking.

Peppermint is most associated with foods like candy canes for its robust menthol flavor, a favorite for mint tea when someone has a tummy ache.

Spearmint contains only small amounts of menthol making the flavor lighter and ‘sweeter’.  Spearmint is still used for mint tea for digestive issues primarily for children.

It is spearmint which is called for in most recipes for salads, meats (mint jelly is a traditional accompaniment to Lamb) and side dishes.

Many years ago I read that the Chef at the Savoy Hotel in London put a bit of chopped spearmint in his sandwich salads and we were hooked.  Deane asks me when I prepare egg, tuna or chicken salad for lunch if I remembered to put the spearmint in!

Low Salt/fat Cooking

From my cookbook “101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady”

            "Green Sauces" are an excellent way to enhance a low fat/salt diet. There are green sauces in German and Mexican cooking.

Salsa Verde

1/2       cup fresh parsley leaves

1/2       cup fresh basil leaves

1/4       cup fresh mint leaves

1/4      cup epazote leaves

1/2       teaspoon coarse mustard

2          tablespoons olives or capers, chopped

2          tablespoons water

1-3      tablespoons lemon or lime juice

            Combine, mashing all ingredients with 2 tablespoons of water, then continue mixing adding additional water/juice to make a thick sauce. It should not be runny.

            This sauce can be used to stuff (or spread on top of) fish or chicken before steaming, baking or grilling. Use to lightly coat boiled new potatoes or as a sauce for grilled or steamed vegetables.

Zucchini/Edamame Salad

            Gardeners and cooks like to joke about what to do with all that zucchini. Slaws are the answer!

2          cups shredded zucchini

2          cups cooked green soybeans (edamame)

Rice wine vinegar

1/4      cup finely shredded spearmint

Salt

Olive Oil

            Toss zucchini with a couple of good splashes of the vinegar. Add soybeans, sprinkle with Spearmint, and mix with zucchini. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat salad, salt to taste and mix gently.

Planting:

Mint needs it own dedicated place or large container where you can keep an eye on it because it will quickly and completely take over.  My trowel and error with my beloved Kentucky Colonel Spearmint was when I allowed it to consume an 8 by 10 foot bed and the resulting removal was huge!  It now occupies a pot set on bricks where I can keep an eye on it.   Companion plant mint with chamomile, cabbage family, squash, tomato, but not parsley.

Music:

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 

Bing Crosby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUPGxVCIvrI

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Gene Autry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ara3-hDH6I

 


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations - December 14

Dear Folks,


Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.

Day 14

Herb:  Dill Anethum graveolens) a member of the carrot family, it is also the only member of its subspecies Anethum.  It is mentioned several times in the Bible, including references to it, along with other herbs, as a form of currency. Isaiah 28:25 “Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he continually turn and harrow the ground? Does he not level its surface and sow dill and scatter cummin And plant wheat in rows, Barley in its place and rye within its area?”  See also Day 13 quote on Cumin.

Hanukkah  Ends

Dill, the tangy and fragrant leaf and seed are widely used in everything from pickles, to vegetables, soups, stews and cooked meat dishes.  I can’t image a pantry without dill in it.

Planting:

Dill is easy to grow in the desert garden.  Start sowing seeds in early fall and plant every 2-4 weeks through January for successive harvesting and to ensure you can harvest seeds at the end of the season for use in cooking and to re-sow next fall.

I can’t find the picture at the moment, but I have a great photo taken some years ago, when – once again – I was not paying attention to plants in the back of the garden and one of the dill plants went to over 6 feet in height with the flower head a good 3 feet tall by itself!

Dill leaf dries easily and retains its great flavor for long periods if stored like all spices, teas and coffees – in a dark, cool, dry place.  And, don’t forget to have dill seeds on hand.

Medicinal: 

Dill is used for digestion problems including loss of appetite, intestinal gas (flatulence), liver problems, and gallbladder complaints. It is also used for urinary tract disorders including kidney disease and painful or difficult urination.

Other uses for dill include treatment of fever and colds, cough, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, infections, spasms, nerve pain, genital ulcers, menstrual cramps, and sleep disorders.

Dill seed is sometimes applied to the mouth and throat for pain and swelling (inflammation).

If pregnant do not use dill as medicine. AND Lithium interacts with dill -- Webmd

Recipes:

My Homemade Dill / Garlic Lacto-Fermented Pickles.
Makes 1 quart (use glass mason jar)

About this recipe – this IS the old fashioned type of pickle without vinegar.  The tang comes from the dill and brine.  Once finished and refrigerated these last months – if you can keep from eating them everyday.

Use pint jar filled with some water for weight, during the fermentation process the ingredients have to be kept under the brine at all times.

Cucumbers, Salt, Grape or Nasturtium leaves (if you have them – they help the pickles stay crisp), organic or natural yogurt whey (this helps jump start the fermenting process but is not necessary).

Directions:
Cut into spears to fit to length 1.5 inches below rim, cut some 2 inches long to fit cross wise at the top to hold the spears down.

Place some dill and garlic along with a few nasturtium leaves in bottom.  Fill jar with spears, then add cross pieces.  Add 1 teaspoon of whey.

Make brine of 3 cups of water to 2 tablespoons of sea or kosher salt (don't use iodized salt).  Dissolve thoroughly.  Add brine to cover, place weight jar in and cover loosely with plastic wrap (to keep dust and bugs out).  DO NOT seal the jar – the gas needs to escape.

Move to quiet spot on counter or stove, label jar and check daily - gently pushing periodically to release gas.  When gas has stopped forming, remove weight, cap and refrigerate and enjoy 1-3 weeks depending on temperatures.

Dill / Onion dips are always popular – here is healthier version, suitable with chips or vegetable dippers.

My Dill Dip with Options

            Dill is one of the herbs showing up high on the antioxidant research lists.  Good for you and tastes super too!

2 cups plain yogurt (make sure to buy live-culture-better for you, with no gelatin added)

1/4 cup finely minced fresh dill, or 2 tablespoons dried

1 tablespoon minced fresh onion, or 1 teaspoon dried

Barest pinch of salt

            Mix all together and serve with choice of dippers.  Tastes even better if you let the flavors marinate for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Option 1: Substitute garlic for the onion and add 1/2 cucumber, finely diced.

Option 2: In addition to the garlic and cucumber, add a teaspoon each of lemon juice and olive oil, and stir to make a sauce which can be used on pita sandwiches or over grilled chicken or salmon. (Not for Kosher meals – no dairy and meat combinations are allowed.)

Music:

Santa Baby

Eartha Kitt (The Best Rendition)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7T0IK99ELs

Holiday Dinner Party (Funny)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX9EAavxrus

 



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady If you enjoyed this post, subscribe in the upper side bar link, to get all my posts! Disclaimer: Clicking on links on this blog may earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Your price does not change.

25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations - December 13

Dear Folks,

Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration. 

Day 13

Herb: Cumin, Cuminum cyminum, Isiah 28:27 “For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin; But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club”, Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

Hanukkah  Continues

Cumin along with other herbs was so valued it was used as currency in the Biblical areas of the world.  A member of the Apiaceae (carrot) family, it is from the East Mediterranean to India, and used in many culture’s cooking.

Cumin was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and Portuguese colonists (Wikipedia), and is widely used in Spanish, Asian and Middle Eastern foods.  Indeed most any of these culture’s savory dishes are enhanced with cumin.

Planting:

Growing Cumin is very similar to growing cilantro.  Plant the seed (soak first) for sowing in the fall.  While the leaves and flowers are edible (choose young leaves for eating – the older ones are tougher), it is the seeds which have the most flavor and harvesting is when the seeds are tan and dry.  The time from sowing to harvesting the seed can be about 120 (4 months) days so plant and plan accordingly.  You can have multiple harvests if you sow early in the fall (late August/early September) and then 3-4 weeks later and another sowing 3-4 weeks after that.

Recipes:

My recipe for Traditional style bean chili has a nice dose of Cumin and would be a warming dish for a chilly night.

Chili Con Frijoles or Bean Chili

http://edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com/2008/07/recipe-chili-con-frijoles.html

For a Savory and Fragrant Quick Bread to serve with meals, check out this

Cumin Quick Bread

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cumin-quick-bread-14506

Music:

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Andy Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFtb3EtjEic

I’m Getting Nuttin’ For Christmas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4aDxwAwFwA

 


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations - December 12

Dear Folks,


Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.

Sweet Lavender

Day 12
Herb:  Lavender (called Spikenard in the Bible) Song of Solomon 4:14 (Nard)  Solomon Admires his Beloved  13"Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, 14 Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices."  John 12:3 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."

Fernleaf Lavender

Hanukkah  Continues

Lavender, Lavandula a member of the mint (Lamiaceae).

“Lavendula (the Latin name is believed to come from "lavare" — to wash, a possible reference to the ancient Romans’ habit of adding lavender to their bath water) Augustifolia, is an herb so versatile I call her the Queen of Herbs for this fascinating herb is used in cooking, teas, cleaning (it has antiseptic qualities), in cosmetics, as a headache remedy, and as a pest control (most bugs stay away from lavender). The fragrance is evocative — the fragrance of the fields of spring.

            There are over 200 varieties that have been identified. The Augustifolia [English or French] or official lavenders are the preferred varieties for cooking, but all are edible. As with other multiple variety herbs—some are more palatable than others.

            One of its essential oils (linalool) is shared with other herbs including basil and rosemary.

            Many American cooks have never considered lavender as anything other than a cosmetic herb. If experimenting, consider substituting lavender for rosemary in cooking. It is one of the traditional components of Herbes de Provence, a mixture used on everything from meat to vegetables and in egg dishes.

            A common use for lavender is to flavor lemonade and cookies, and to make flavored syrups for use with poached fruits.

            Lavender was reported as such a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, she ordered the gardeners to keep it available at all times to make her favorite relish (a conserve of lavender and confectioners sugar: suggested ratio is 1:3), which could be put in tea, made into icing, etc.

Lavender is an excellent headache remedy and relaxant. Place some in a small piece of cloth and tuck into your pillow for more restful sleep. Queen Bess sipped lavender tea for her migraines” – “101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady”

Planting:

With our Mediterranean-type climate Lavender grows well here in the desert and all 200 varieties can be grown here, whereas in 4-season areas they are limited to a few of the Augustifolia varieties.

Plant in SUPERIOR draining soil, in full sun.  Give them room as they can eventually get happy and big.  Plants can take a year or two to start really growing, so be patient.  DO NOT overwater.  Lavender is one of the few herbs which will not give you a second chance if you over water it.

Recipes:

These recipes are from my cookbook “101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady”

MEATLESS COOKING

Hot Herb Crusted Tofu

            Tofu is not just for vegetarians any more; with new science indicating the benefits of regular additions of soy to our diets, this simple recipe can take the mild-tasting tofu up a notch. This dish can be made savory or sweet.

1/2       package of firm tofu*, drained well           

1-2      teaspoons dried lavender flowers

1/4       cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

            Have a non-stick pan ready on medium heat. Mix lavender and chopped nuts together on plate. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch slices, press one side into nut/herb mix, and place nut side down in hot pan. Cook until nuts brown (about 3 minutes).

            For Savory, place on bed of mixed greens (which have been dressed with a light vinaigrette dressing), nut side up, salt to taste and drizzle with a touch of olive oil.

            For sweet, place on piece of firm sweet bread or pound cake, drizzle with honey.

            *If desired, any firm mild flavored cheese can be substituted.

Lavender/Lime Sugar Cookies

1/2       cup sugar (lavender colored optional)

2          tablespoons dried lavender flowers (divided)

2 1/4    cups flour

1/4       teaspoon salt

2          teaspoons of baking powder

1/2       cup shortening (or softened butter)

1          cup sugar

2          eggs, beaten

1+       teaspoon fresh lime juice

Zest     of 1 lime

1          tablespoon milk

            Grind together half cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lavender. Reserve stored in tight container (if you do not use all of this lovely sugar for the cookies, you can add to teas and beverages).

            Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs, lime juice, zest and rest of lavender. Add sifted ingredients and milk, mix, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out to 1/4 inch and cut out cookies. Place on cookie sheet, sprinkle with lavender sugar, and bake at 375E for 12 minutes. Do not over bake.

Music:

Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH0Qx0oHEVg

Heat & Cold Miser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQYfwXKZxA
 




-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations - December 11

Dear Folks,


Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.

Day 11
Herb:  Coriander (Cilantro seed) (Coriandrum sativum) Exodus 16:31  “The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.” Numbers 11:7  “Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.”

The ancient Hebrews originally used cilantro root as the bitter herb in the symbolic Passover meal.

Hanukkah  Continues

Cilantro is an herb that is known by two different names depending on whether you are talking about the leaf (cilantro) or seed (coriander).  Some cultures refer to both leaf and seed as Coriander.

Cilantro is probably one of the first herbs to be used by mankind, going back as far back as 5000 BC.  It is mentioned in early Sanskrit writings dating from about 1500 BC.

WHAT IS FRESH, GREEN, TANGY, SPANISH AND ASIAN?
By: Catherine, The Herb Lady originally appearing in the East Valley Tribune October 25, 2003
       Cilantro! Coriandrum sativum comes to us by way of the Eastern Mediterranean or Asia Minor. Cultivation dates back to ancient Egypt.  This cool weather annual is also known as Coriander (for its edible seeds) and Chinese or Indian parsley. It is one of those herbs that has no gray areas--you either love it or hate it.  Its taste is described as fresh, green, tangy and sometimes citrusy. The leaves, stems, flowers, seeds (called fruits) and even the roots (in Thai cooking) are edible. A member of the Apaiaceae family which contains parsley (for which it is sometimes substituted) and Dill, it has a long tap root, and two types of leaves--a large flat leaf resembling parsley and a lacy fern-like leaf evidenced before it starts to flower.
       There are several other plants called Coriander because of the similar flavor and use of the leaves: Long Coriander (Eryngium foetidum) from the same family as Sea Holly, is a frost tender perennial thistle-looking exotic; Vietnamese Coriander aka Rau Ram (Polygonum odoratum - Persicaria Odorata, from the same family as the Chinese herb Fo Ti, is a trailing vine similar in appearance to Trandanscandia and is also a frost tender perennial; and the Chameleon Herb (Houttuynia cordata) a perennial known primarily in Asia.
       Grow cilantro from whole coriander seed purchased in your grocer's spice section.  Soak overnight, and plant every 2-4 weeks through December for a continuous crop into next April.  The plant can be harvested whole or just cut what you need and have at least one more cutting before it goes to flower and seed.

      Plant cilantro where you intend to plant potatoes in January [as companion planting].

      The flowers are a beautiful garnish in soups and salads. And, many Asian and Spanish dishes would not be as enjoyable without this common but unique herb.

Recipes:

Vietnamese / Spanish Wrap
         A tasty and satisfying recipe using cilantro can be used for a snack or a whole meal.  This variation on the Vietnamese fresh spring roll uses soft flour tortilla's instead of rice paper and features fresh herbs. This is a great "fast food" - low in fat and high in flavor.

Fresh cilantro
plus other fresh herbs: mint, basil, parsley and/or Epazote (a mix gives the wrap more character)
Cooked shrimp*
Seafood cocktail sauce
Large soft flour tortillas**
Optional: slivered fresh ginger root

Keep herbs whole, removing only hard stems. Down the center of the tortilla layer herbs, shrimp and optional ginger, finishing off with a line of cocktail sauce, roll up and enjoy.  Reserve some sauce for dipping.
       *Use leftover chicken, beef or julienne tofu in place of shrimp.
       ** Large lettuce leaves can replace the tortillas if you want more "green."

Most fresh leaf herbs lend themselves well to “pesto” type sauces.  I’ve mentioned in past writings that pesto can be made of many herbs and different oils, Cilantro and sesame oil was one combination.

Martha Stewart has a Cilantro Sauce recipe that carries that theme, and can easily be used to toss pasta in or over fish or chicken

http://www.marthastewart.com/337260/asian-cilantro-sauce

Music:

Frosty The Snow Man

Jimmy Durante Singing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDNcJL90Y9A

Winter Wonderland

Johnny Mathias

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crXJ81GjCWY

 




-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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25 Days of Herbs and Celebrations - December 10

Dear Folks,


Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth of diversity around us - in true celebration.

Day 10
Herb:  Sorrel Rumex (Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) Family) one of the herbs recognized as a Bitter Herb of the Bible, although not mentioned specifically.
Hanukkah  Continues

There are three major varieties of Sorrel (Rumex):  broad-leaf (arrow head shaped leaf) (Rumex acetosa), French (Rumex scutatus), and red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus).  All have tastes that range from tangy / sour to bitter and are a lovely green for salads or cooking.  Most of the flavor comes from Oxalic Acid, also found in spinach and like spinach, should not be consumed in large quantities (People with arthritis or kidney stones should eat minimal amounts of sorrel because the high oxalic acid content can aggravate those conditions.).  I love the lemony flavor of my sorrel.  It is great in salads and cooking for the extra zip it gives.  Before the introduction of lemons in the Middle Ages, sorrel was used in cooking and to prevent scurvy due to its high Vitamin C content.

Plant:

I grow the Broad-Leaf and it is a wonderful herb in the garden, usually producing year-round, and will thrive for several years.

Sparrows enjoying some of my sorrel!

Growing certain types of greens in the desert garden can be challenging and most people who have grown sorrel have not had luck with it growing through the summer.  I found an afternoon shaded spot worked well to keep me in sorrel year-round. The growth is far more vigorous in the winter, but still produces enough during the summer for occasional use. (Pictured, the birds never paid any attention to the plant until I temporarily potted it to move it!)

Baker Creek has 3 types of sorrel seed for sale -- http://www.rareseeds.com/search/?F_Keyword=sorrel

Food:

Dandelion & Sorrel Salad
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dandelion-and-sorrel-salad-with-paprika-stars-11700

This Recipe for A Chocolate Dreidel was too cute to pass up, even though not quite in the theme.

http://www.marthastewart.com/318045/edible-chocolate-marshmallow-dreidels

More recipe ideas for using sorrel.

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ingredients-fine-foods/50-things-to-do-with-fresh-sorrel/

Here is an “herb soup” recipe I crafted after reading various versions many years ago.  I am including this recipe because 1) Sorrel is one of the traditional ingredients, but I did not have any growing at the time I crafted the recipe, and 2) Using up extra lettuce/greens and herbs is a wonderful bowl of flavor and good for you things on a chilly day.

Herb Soup

(aka –  How To Use an Abundance of Fresh Herbs and Greens)

“101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady” by Catherine, The Herb Lady, Crowley

Serves 6

I have to say when I was trialing this, I wondered if the use of water (you can use broth) was going to give it enough flavor - oh my!  I did not need to worry about that - wonderful and very satisfying on a chilly night.
     The wonderful thing about this soup is you can vary the herbs, lettuce, croutons (bread) and cheese and come up with a different taste every time.

1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
4 cups mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used Thai Basil, Cilantro, Parsley-see note below*)
1 Package spring lettuce mix (or 3-4 cups of greens from your gardens)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups boiling water (can use broth - but try the water the first time)
6 cups croutons (any stale bread diced will work too - some day-old nice artisanal breads would be great for this)
3/4 cups Parmesan cheese

     Set aside 1/2 cup each of herbs and lettuces for garnish.
     Divide croutons and cheese into 6 soup bowls
     Saute shallot in butter for 1 minute, add herbs, salt, lettuces
all at once and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.  Add boiling water,
cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Ladle
greens and broth into soup bowls, add garnish of herbs and
lettuces to each bowl. Serve and enjoy.

     *Traditional recipes call for sorrel and chervil or any combination you like - the Thai Basil has a tarragon aspect to it which minced the chervil with a kick and cilantro's citrus back-note minced the sorrel.

Music:

Grinch Song From Animated Show (because the Grinch was a sour-puss)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgP0aUKlmNw

Jingle Bells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PgNPc-iFW8

Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms 1957

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcMLwMEeMQ

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

My Cookbook 101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady - back cover.

Amazon

My Publisher 101 - print

My Publisher 101 - ebook - pdf

My Publisher 101 - ebook - epub





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FREEZE Warning!

Dear Folks,

FREEZE possible - the new system moving in Thursday Night will bring temps down into the low 30s or lower by Saturday early morning.  This will be around for at least a couple of weeks, so have your frost protection covers handy for sensitive plants.  You can mound dried leaves or straw completely over sensitive plants to try and protect if we get hard freezes - 32 or lower for extended hours.  Covers can be kept on plants for up to 5 days without damage, but if possible remove during the day to let sunlight in.

https://www.facebook.com/Catherine-The-Herb-Lady-and-Herbs-2-U-113673778894/
 

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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