Chocolate Flower Question - Edible?

Dear Folks,

Anonymous sent a question about my blog of last February on the whether the Chocolate Scented Daisy (Berlandiera lyrata) flower is edible. Yes it is. And I want to thank anonymous for the question - it allows me to explain some things about not only the plant but also the way I evaluate ‘edible' foods. This plant is also called chocolate daisy, green eyes, lyre-leaf green eyes (sometimes one word = greeneyes), and brooch flower.

The Chocolate Scented Daisy flower is Edible - specifically the flower head - usual references to the dried flower head but also just the stamens, indicate the unsweetened cocoa powder flavor, like dark chocolate.

And it is also true that most chocolate scented flowers are NOT edible - some other exceptions are chocolate mint or chocolate mint scented geranium - however neither of those has the incredible fragrance of the Berlandiera.

I did just find a reference to an Echinacea purpurea 'Green Eyes' PPAF PVR "Conehead." You may know the Echinacea for its medicinal help for blood and bladder infections. The flower head is medicinal but not ‘edible.' Which means always check the Latin/botanical name references to plants when looking for edible whatevers.

ALSO understand that because a plant, leave or flower may be medicinal does not make it safe to eat - one of the best known examples is foxglove, the source of digitalis -- it is SERIOUSLY not edible even though heart medication was made from it - modern digitalis is highly refined in the laboratory. Only certified herbalists, naturopaths, and alternative and traditional medical practitioners are qualified to evaluate and use medicinal plant parts.

Folks, here is how I go about determining whether a new-to-me or not as well known edible flower is indeed edible. I look for 3 independent authoritative sources - preferable either a study by an ethnobotanist and/or a university. Because of anonymous' question I did some more checking on the Internet. One plant seller lists the Berlandiera as not edible - I forwarded the references to them for consideration to their listing.

REFERENCES:

Flowers mixed with sausage as seasoning. — Swank, George R. 1932 The Ethnobotany of the Acoma and Laguna Indians. University of New Mexico, M.A. Thesis (p. 33)
AND Castetter, Edward F. 1935 Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest I. Uncultivated Native Plants Used as Sources of Food. University of New Mexico Bulletin 4(1):1-44 (p. 19)
AND quoted by the http://herb.umd.umich.edu/

From Jean Groen, "Native American Ethnobotany" noted the flower heads being used as seasoning in sausage. (Jean is a friend and an expert on native food and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert). Visit Jean and co-author Don Well's site here.

Some additional uses of the plant by Native Peoples were: Dried roots burned, ground & tossed on hot coals or smoke inhaled to give courage, or for nervousness. — http://herb.umd.umich.edu/

If you can't find seeds or plants locally - try Mountain Valley Growers (that's a picture from their site I'm using) Great customer service and selection of organic plants http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/berlyrata.htm

Here is the link for my original post on the Chocolate flower.

ABOUT EDIBLE FLOWERS in general:

Some edible flowers have no taste or are even bitter. Some taste floral, fruity or herby. The simple question can be - why bother?

Although I have been fascinated by the very idea of edible flowers for a very long time, I was moved to do even more research and experimentation after seeing soooooo mmmanny food styling photos and displays using toxic flowers to garnish everything from vegetable trays to wedding cakes. At a minimum edible means non-toxic garnish.

Allergies - it is important to note that if you or your family have allergies to flowers the pollen and nectar can be a problem - it is your responsibility to understand what allergic issues you have. Many edible flower recipes call for the petals, which eliminates some but not all of the issue of allergies - also the base of some flower petals are bitter - like rose petals.

GARDENING with edible flowers.

If you want beautiful landscape in your home garden, not just in the desert southwest, but anywhere, why not get both beauty and minimize the toxicity potential for family, pets, and you. If should go without saying, but I always need to mention - no chemicals in an edible garden.

Put a little petal-power in your life - enjoy the edible flowers for their beauty and the knowledge that they can grace not only your table, but your food as well.

I DO appreciate questions and comments - keeps the information flowing well.

. . .
Edible flower planting and harvesting is part of my reminder service. Check out how it may help you here.

Have a great day in the garden!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Grab the meter to check soil moisture

Dear folks,

Worth repeating tip.

It is that time of year as we transition into cooler air and soil temperatures that the moisture content of the garden can fluctuate widely.

The same conditions occur in the reverse in Spring when we transition into hot times in the valley.

Today, for instance, we are having high "Albuquerque" style winds and this will desicate the most hardy plant surfaces and top soil. Interim watering may be needed if you are on a set schedule.

At other times you may find the cool nights and milder days have not caused as much evaporation, so you need to make sure you are not keeping the soil soggy, which contributes to root rot and mineral leach.

Moisture meter to the rescue! This really is one of THE most important tools in a gardener's kit - and instantly helpful as it gives you an immediate reading of the soil moisture, whether ground or container.

Generally, 2-3 on the dry side is time to water most edibles. Some exceptions are mint and new seedlings or transplants, which may need a bit more constant moisture (that does not mean soggy, folks).

Meters come in plain/simple - just the moisture content; and more bells - moisture, light and pH. Most edibles here in the valley are not that sensitive to pH levels, but the light component of these types of meters are helpful for those of you trying to find the best placement for container gardens. Remember all the edibles need 4-6 hours of direct sun a day.

Pictured here is the simple kind. This link takes you to a purchasing/detail page on Amazon. I'm happy to report, though, that most of the garden nurseries in the valley carry at least the simple version of this meter.

. . .

Reminder service to better gardening success in the Valley. Folks there is only about a week left to get the reminder service permanently at the reduced rate of $15/year. Click here for information and to sign up. That page also directs you to other locations which may benefit out of state family members with similar growing conditions. You can give the reminder service as a gift - just specify that in notes when payment is made.

Have a great time in the fall garden,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Rosemary-Scented Stew

Dear Folks,

I've wanted to do something with barley for a while and I was inspired to try using a bit of Worschestshire sauce while watching a cooking show by Ming Tsai the other day. I prefer using chicken and sausage without any additives. There are several grocers or local suppliers who make sausage without junk. See below for ways to find local suppliers in Arizona and around the country.

1 cup of barley
3 cups of water
pinch of salt

1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken - cut into 3 inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds of mild Italian sausage
1 white or yellow onion, chopped or sliced in coarse pieces
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, rinsed
1 small handful of fresh thyme, rinsed (These herbs will be removed after cooking so, tie with string or in a cheese cloth bag for easy removal)
1/4 cup of Worschestshire sauce
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 quart of chicken stock
1 cup more or less of water
2 potatoes
2 sweet potatoes (can substitute carrots for some of the potatoes - you want about 3-4 cups of these vegetables)
Olive oil
2 grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup of flour or corn starch

1. Cook barley by bringing water and salt to boil, add barley, stir, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 50 minutes. Set aside after cooking.

2: Make the stew

In a large stock pot heat oil and add onion, stirring over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add rosemary and thyme, continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add Worschestshire sauce and lemon juice. Stir for 2 more minutes, add pepper, and a bit of chicken stock stir. Begin nesting in chicken and sausage adding broth to keep it covered. Add potatoes last, on top of meat. Add enough broth and water if needed to cover everything. Bring to boil, cover, reduce to gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove meat and vegetables to a bowl, discard herb bundle. Cool a bit of stock and stir flour into it, then while stirring, add back into stock to thicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes until thick. Cut meat and vegetables into large bit-size pieces. Add reserved barley to stock and bring back to a boil. Add meat and vegetables back in and heat for 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy. This hearty stew usually needs no additional salt.

ABOUT barley.

My mother cooked with barley frequently to extend the nutrition of soups. An old grain, barley is more nutrient dense than brown rice (higher fiber of the good kind). While it takes a little longer to cook, it is worth while to cook up several cups at a time and freeze in 1-2 cup packages for easy additions to soups and stews or to make a variation on fried rice. One nice thing about cooked barley is that it does not have the extra-gelatinous starch rice does.

. . .

GARDENING: My e-reminder service is applicable to areas other than the Phoenix Metro valley, including some other states. Click here to find cities whose gardeners can use the same planting and growing help.

. . .
Locavore - Local Suppliers of foods:

In Arizona go to http://www.localfirstaz.com/index.php to find local producers and sellers of not only food but everything your need .

All over the country, you can also find local farmers and producers of all types of foods at localharvest.org

And in Arizona you can find farmers markets at foodconnect.org - foodconnect.org also helps the community with the guiding principle of their mission statement "...to grow strong communities, healthy food, healthy families and healthy farms."


Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Oatmeal Stuffing - Oatmeal, Not Just For Breakfast

Dear folks,

I'm been wanting savory oatmeal again! And stuffing, so of course I married the two and came up with a recipe that is good for you and simple to make.

Oatmeal "Stuffing"

Oatmeal is not just for breakfast!

I love stuffing! Some folks call the poultry seasoning, onion, bread mix, dressing. Whatever you call it, it tastes good and the sage and other herbs in the typical seasoning are digestive aids.

When I made some stuffing and roasted chicken the other day I decided to make another version of my Savory Oatmeal.

(See my blog for Pumpkin Oatmeal - it is at the end of the nutrient-density post there)

My mother before me, and my sister and I, like simple stuffing most of the time. Chopped onions and celery in butter and poultry seasoning, add dried bread cubes and chicken broth and we are good to go. Occasionally I will add some sausage to it.

*For you vegetarians, see notes for options - just as good tasting and good for you.

This came out so close to the regular stuffing taste, I'm going to make it often.

1/2 cup of sauteed celery and onion** see recipe for stuffing and chicken below
1 cup of oatmeal - not quick cook
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth* (substitute vegetable broth)
1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
Optional: pinch of salt
*Vegetarians, you may wish to add about 1 cup of hot, precooked edamame to this oatmeal to make it a complete lunch or dinner item. Fold in after oatmeal is cooked and serve.

In a sauce pan stir poultry seasoning and salt into broth and start on flame. Stir in celery onion mixture and oats, bring to boil, reduce heat to gently bubbling, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve as a side dish to any lunch or dinner.

The leftovers, if any, make great patties for breakfast the next morning. (I like to use my tupperware hamburger press for these, spray lightly with oil, press in about a 1/2 cup more or less of savory oatmeal, refrigerate overnight - use up within 3-4 days.) When ready to eat, heat pan with a bit of spray or oil, and cook patties on medium heat flipping gently so each side gets 2 times on the pan - you are just heating through and gently crisping the outsides. Most of the time I try to serve 2 fruit and vegetables with each meal - that is sliced plum and cherry tomatoes with the English bacon and the oatmeal-stuffing patty.

**Stuffing is the one time I always throw fat concerns out the window, but you can make this with a 50/50 blend of butter and olive oil - just as tasty.
1 stick of unsalted butter (bread and broth usually provide all the salt you need, plus celery has properties which make food taste saltier)
2 cups of finely chopped celery
2 cups of finely chopped white or yellow onion
1- 2 tablespoons of poultry seasoning
8 cups of bread, cubed and dried (I will sometimes do this the night before and lay them out on a cookie sheet in the cold oven to dry)
2 more tablespoons of poultry season.
Chicken or turkey stock - or Vegetable Broth*

Melt the butter, add the seasoning, stir to mix add celery and onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 20 minutes. Hold out the 1/2 cup of celery and onion for the oatmeal. In a large enough bowl to allow mixing, pour celery onion mixture over bread cubes, add about 1 cup of broth, all of the 2 tablespoons of poultry seasoning and toss, adding more broth to completely moisten the bread. It should be well moistened, but not necessarily soggy unless your prefer and more pudding like stuffing.

A simple way to do a fast dinner of stuffing and chicken is to take a casserole dish, butter or spray the dish, layer in half of the stuffing, top with chicken pieces, with or without bone and skin, sprinkle chicken lightly with a bit more poultry seasoning and top with remaining stuffing - cook for about 1 hour at 325 to 350 degrees. Covering the chicken with the stuffing keeps it moist.

*A really great vegetarian stuffing is made with edamame as the protein addition and if you like a sweet stuffing, add the cranberries.

My Pumpkin Stuffing Recipe
(form "101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady")

To the basic stuffing recipe above, add
1 cup frozen green soybeans (shucked), thawed to room temperature
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 small apple diced (acidify diced apple in week lemon water for a few minutes to keep from browning before cooking.

You can either do this entire stuffing in a sprayed casserole dish or as a stuffing in a pumpkin or other squash. By itself, cook for 30 minutes at 350, or until the top is crusty brown, or stuff a squash or pumpkin and cook until the squash can be easily pierced with a knife.

A final thought about Savory Oatmeal - be creative - anything you can do with rice you can do with oatmeal or barley - both sooooo good for you. And the oatmeal old fashioned oats cook up quickly.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Garlic -- Time to Plant

Dear Folks,

Some of my garlic harvest from last spring is shown in the picture here. I was as excited as a kid in a candy store with the bounty! A pungent candy store to be sure, but the results were amazing. I did blog about it before, but I'm doing so again, because now is the time to prepare to plant garlic. Optimal time is October 1st through November 1st to ensure a sufficient cold potential through the winter here in the desert. While the 6 or so months of growing time seems like a lot of time to spend growing something large and consumed quickly, the efficient use of space makes it worthwhile. Garlic cloves can be planted as close together as 4 inches. In an approximate 17 x 3 foot section of the garden I harvested 124 heads of superior Purple Haze garlic. This year I'm trying out a Russian Porcelain Giant in addition to the Purple Haze - I hope to double my harvest next spring between these two varieties.
The picture to the right shows some of the garlic rinsed off and braided. Next spring I will go over the harvesting steps. (I used that picture before to show how lovely the garlic looks.)
STEPS to Success with Garlic:
1) The spot you choose must have 4-6 hours of direct sunlight a day, or more.
2) The soil must be organic rich and well draining.
3) Separate a head of garlic into cloves, do not remove paper, discard any that are rotted.
4) Plant pointy end up with 1 inch cover soil (basically 2 inches deep.
5) Water well and as needed - as with other herbs and edibles do not let the soil dry out completely between watering.
6) Keep the garlic bed weed free.

That's it! Plant, water, weed and wait. Now, where to get your planting garlic. You can start with a head of garlic from your local farmers market or grocer. Or you can purchase from my supplier ronnigers.com. Click here to go to their website.

Folks, I may be duplicating this info in several places, but that is because I want you to know how easy it is to grow garlic in your own backyard garden.

. . .

LOCAL FOCUS

Are you sore from gardening, work or just the stress of life? Rolfing may be the answer. Rihab Yaqub, whom I've known for as long as I have been going to the Mesa Farmers Market, is a Certified Rolfer and a great lady. Her focus on life has been self-awareness and living in harmony and it is just a simple pleasure talking with her. Click here for her website and learn more about Rihab and rolfing (And no, as I once read, it is not a mugging you pay for!)

. . .

Don't forget to sign up for the discount ($15/year) on my reminder service to greater success in the desert garden -- the discount ends September 30th - still a good deal after that ($21/year), but why not take advantage of an extra good deal. Click here for the payment window. Information on the service here.

Have a great day in the garden,



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

9/11 - 8 Years Later - Remembering What Hate Does

Dear Folks,

It has been 8 years since that terrible day.

One of our family, Deane's brother Doug, said "I worry about what someone will do in my name." Barely out of his mouth, on September 15th, a crazy man, chose to kill the gentle owner of one of our neighborhood gas stations while he was out checking his landscaping.

Backlash against anyone different, and vows by everyone that understanding and tolerance would be more forthcoming all followed that terrible day, where do we stand now?

8 years later there is still hate seething in society, born of fear, or anger over real or perceived injustices, I think sometimes there is less tolerance than before 9/11.

We can stop the hate and also remember that terrible day with good actions.

1) FIRST RESPONDERS
I come from a family of many firefighters and Deane is a retired EMT, so they have always held a special place in my heart, even more so after 9/11 -- and what the rescue workers and police had to do.
Find the fire station and police station in your neighborhood and mail or drop off a thank you card. They put their boots on every morning never knowing what the day will bring, that is a hero in my book.

2) PLANT ROSEMARY for remembrance, if you have flag pole in the ground, consider putting the shrub there.

3) IF YOUR CHILD's school does not have an anti-bullying program, insist they start one. Check out this site for information

4) CHECK OUT organizations that promote Stop The Hate programs

5) If you are in the area of the gas station owned by the family of Balbir Singh Sodhi, consider placing flowers on the memorial. That is part of my neighborhood. I along with hundreds of others after his murder added to a spontaneous memorial on the corner 80th Street & University in East Mesa. It grew so large I was worried that 'officials' might step in and try to restrain the outpouring -- to my relief they merely placed protective cones and limited traffic through the corner. Mr. Sodhi was known in the neighborhood for his kindness and generosity. A memorial page was dedicated to him on Sikh cultural site, click here to see the page - it has not been updated for a while but gives the story of the murder and the community support.

There were other attacks attributed to the murderer of Mr. Sodhi, who was ultimately sentenced to life, if those people are known to you, reach out to them, too. Also attacks in other areas of the country directly resulting from hate after 9/11, can be remembered in similar ways.

And, finally, I think we can all learn about what true charity and acceptance means when we consider the reaction of the Amish Community after another crazy man killed 5 children. Wikipedia has information here

Please pass this post on - we can learn and grow and be a better society,

In Sad Memory,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Weekend Fun East Side / West Side Local Businesses

Dear Folks,

This weekend I "have to" dedicate a lot of my time to the garden. However I have two local businesses to suggest to you for a Saturday visit.

WEST SIDE

In the Glendale Downtown Historic District you will find many shops and restaurants.

Kimberly Ann's Tea Room (Don't get too excited guys, it is also a great lunch place) is owned by a grandmother (Mae) and her granddaughter Kimberly. Begun as a life-long dream of Mae's, the tea and lunch restaurant is housed in an older home (not antique but homey), with separate rooms with different themes. The food is great and home-cooked, with a nice selection of light to hearty and satisfying.

No website, but give a call:
Kimberly Ann's Tea Room
7153 North 59th Avenue (59th & Myrtle)
Glendale, Arizona
623 934-1106
Hours Mon-Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

EAST SIDE

The Red Mountain Multi-Generation Center is the scene of a Market Boutique this Saturday.
7550 East Adobe
Mesa, Arizona
480-209-5360 (info)
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Get a jump start on holiday shopping (they expect 50-75 vendors).

I am going to the fair to see the offerings and particularly as my friend Alice Nelson, an earring artist, will be there.
Alice specializes in a type of earring called an "Earwrap" and they are just gorgeous. Visit her site to see these lovely pieces of ear "art." Click here.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to work on your fall garden preparation and planting!

P.S. Speaking of gardening don't forget - my reminder service - just $15 a year if you sign up before October 1st. Click here for the payment window. (Just $21 if you sign up after September 30th, still a bargain, but why wait!)


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Fall Planting Preparation

Dear Folks,

It is that time of year when we dream of spring -- excuse me, fall!

Most long-time desert valley gardeners know the fall to be our primary planting time for perennials, fruit trees and winter annuals. We look with anticipation to the temperatures dropping back down below 200 degrees (really below 100 consistently by mid-September) and getting our hands dirty once more.

Here are some helpers:

First, consider signing up for my inexpensive reminder email service to give you the detailed "plant this, do this" info several times a month. Payment link is here. Just $15/year if you sign up before October 1st.

Second, look to your local nurseries for seeds and plants. One great plant nursery is Harper's

Harper's Nurseries, a third-generation family and locally owned garden nursery, began with a WWII Victory Garden.

There is no better time than now to return to that same practical economy of growing some or all of your own vegetables, fruits and herbs.

With our valley prime planting season for perennials, trees and winter annuals beginning October 1st, it is time to get ready to dig, plant, sow and then reap your own "victory garden" with the help of Harper's friendly staff.

And they have a special "Garden Club" for customers with monthly meetings, email newsletters, and rewards for purchases. Ask about it when you call or visit or check it out on their website.

Two locations, one in Mesa and one in Scottsdale.
Website: http://www.harpersnursery.com/
Mesa Phone: 480 964-4909
Scottsdale Phone: 480 946-3481

Third, listen to my latest podcast show on "nurse" plants and plantings. This concept is so useful right now and then again in the real spring planting time, when temperatures gallop into the fry range again. Click here, or look to the sidebar for show/episode lists.

One last personal note, Deane came through his surgery just fine and is in the recovery/bored to tears/cabin fever stage, but he is doing great. My sister also went through some back surgery, one of the most amazing newest technologies, an instance fix for a crack vertebrae, nothing short of miracle type-stuff.

Take care folks, and have a great time getting your fall garden ready,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Our Weekend - A Tale of Three Vehicles And a Trailer Park

Dear Folks,

As mentioned in yesterday's post - we had such a weekend I just had to write it as a short story - hope you enjoy it!

A Tale of Three Vehicles And a Trailer Park
A short, but true, story by Catherine Crowley

It will probably be about 103+ degrees today and the humidity is up, so at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning in August we are getting ready to take our hike in Usery Mountains in the far East Valley.

My name is Catherine, my hiking partner is my long-time friend and companion Deane and the third person you will meet today is friend Jodi.

The telephone rings. Now everyone know that someone calling at 5 a.m. on any morning let alone a weekend is not someone bearing good news.

It's Jodi, thinking she is just going to leave a message but I scoop up the phone, and she explains the RV resort where she has her mobile home is dark and completely without power. This is one of those great resorts, like a small-city, where some folks live year-round but many come for the winter to enjoy all the outdoorsy stuff and the country-club like amenities.

Since it is early we all agree to check with her when Deane and I get back from our hike.

We climb into Deane's Toyota truck and go off to our hike, it goes nicely, and come back.

I go to my office to do some work and Deane calls Jodi to check in with her. The news is not good - the power is still out and since it is going to be roasting outside and inside her home in short order, Deane gets back into the Toyota and picks up Jodi with things she needs for the day, brings her back, and settles her in for a nap - it was a really long night for her as the power outage began in one part of the park the prior evening and continued to blink out the rest of the homes in the park a little at a time.

Deane tries to get some more sleep but can't so we chat a bit and I decide to go do some errands and shopping I had planned for the day - it is about 9 a.m. at this point.

Because my Dodge van has been leaking a bit of radiator fluid I decided to check to see if I need to top it off. Deane is chatting with me as I check the fluid level and not only is the radiator dry, but there is a dime-size hole in the lower hose. Well darn, and darn!

Now in the ordinary coarse of life replacing a radiator hose is a messy job, but not hard. And Deane will replace the hose, but we need to get the several pieces to do that.

It is still relatively cool outside, the van is in the shade - this is a big deal here in the summer - but Jodi is sleeping and we don't want to wake her to tell her we are going to get parts, so I decide to get the food items we planned for dinner. Deane wants to do one of his favorite meals "Crab Louis" and we need some additional ingredients. So I decide to take the Toyota - the one we used for hiking earlier and go to the store, which I do.

I head out to Fry's ‘cause its close and I know where everything on my list is so I can keep it to a short trip. Get to the store, shop and exit in record time, put the things in the cab of the truck (pickup) put the cart in the cart coral, get in the truck and it won't start! Well triple darn!

Deane had been having trouble intermittently with the Toyota not starting, but since it appeared to be one of those ‘get the key just so' things I waited, tried again, waited, tried again, etc. for about 4 or 5 times and decided if it was something like the starter or solenoid it was not going to help. So I climb out of the Toyota and call Deane on the pay phone.

He gets it on the second ring and I tell him what's going on - and of course I have fresh food in the truck and it is probably now about 95 degrees outside. Deane says he will take the Jeep over and give me a jump-start, if it will start - he has not driven it regularly (1951 Willys - Deane's main ‘squeeze-love'), so he may have to put it on the battery charger to get it going.

So I wait - I'm dripping sweat, and yes I could go in the store, but I can at least sit in the truck, I'm parked facing away from the sun, and I cover the food to keep it from warming too fast. I decide to count my blessings, ‘cause the day is not going well. We have friends and neighbors who can help us out, I have Deane in my life, it is only about 3-4 miles to the house, so I can walk home if I need too, and it ISN'T 115 degrees! - which is was two weeks ago.

Deane shows up in the Jeep about 20 or so minutes after my call and says on starting the Jeep it gave this funny kind of hiss he had noticed when backing it in the last time he ran it - he could not find anything upon lifting the hood that time, but he did this time - the carburetor base was cracked and one bolt was only holding the broken flange - not good! (Understatement here).

He tried his key in the Toyota and the silly thing started right up! We made sure he could get the Jeep started too and we both made it home and the food was okay.

Now we have 3 vehicles and a RV trailer park with mechanical / electrical problems and I contemplate calling my cousin Gayle to find out if Mercury is retro-grade for mechanical issues!

Jodi is up by now so we plot our next course of action. The Jeep is dangerous to drive with the carburetor sucking air and likely to spout gas. The Dodge is down until the radiator hose is replaced and the Toyota does not reliably start with the key, and it is a Saturday.

The Toyota is, luckily, a manual trans, it is about 11:30, so we decide to take the Toyota to run for parts for the Dodge, and plan on ALWAYS parking it on an incline in case we have to push start it, and we take off.

Two hours later we have hit the four major auto parts suppliers and a dealership parts department (which we missed by 10 minutes their having just closed as we pulled in) and we have a hose, reducer coupling for the narrow end of the radiator, clamps, and we have not had to push start the Toyota once!

Now, I enjoy a glass of wine or bottle of beer sometimes and I have been very good for a couple of months now because I want to 1) not drink as much so I've had maybe a glass of wine or beer, maybe two, about every two weeks, and 2) I am trying to loose the rest of the weight I want to take off. Deane is not a drinker with the very, very rare exception of a glass of plum wine or very sweet red port. I suggest one last stop for some cheese and to see if they have a bottle of wine for me and some plum wine for Deane - we are beginning to think a liquid dinner is due.

So we stop at Fresh & Easy because I know they have the cheese I like and they may likely have the plum wine. We get the shopping done, joking about explaining to Jodi that Deane and I are having a liquid dinner and she can have all the food - it is that kind of day, and at this point you can only laugh and joke about things.

It is about 2:30, we are about 2 miles away from the house, we are getting ready to exit the parking lot and an ambulance goes by in the direction we are going to go. Deane jokes that we can exit easier because everyone else has to pull over and we are going in the ambulance's wake. We exit, get up to the next traffic light, which is now red, where we will be turning right - luckily, and we hear the sound of another ambulance coming up from behind us, but far enough away that we have time to turn as the light turns green. The clutch slips, the engine stalls and dies and won't re-start!

The guy in the back of us is blowing his horn, the ambulance is coming up fast, and we hop out and start to push the Toyota around the corner and we are on an uphill sloop. The guy behind us finally sees what is going on and gets out to push from behind, we get it rolling and Deane hops in while I'm still pushing and pops the clutch and the engine roars alive! Deane has to pull me in ‘cause my bad hips and knees won't let me jump — the ambulance clears around us and the corner just as the clutch popped the engine started and we are out of its way.

At this point I'm laughing so hard I'm still trying to catch my breath - the only thing you can do on a day like this is laugh.

We get home, unload the parts and food and it is close to 3 o'clock..

It is too hot for Deane to work on the Dodge, so he picks up his guitar and does some practice, we get our meal put together and eat about 3:30 or 4. Deane goes to work on the Dodge about 6 p.m. with what little help I can offer and the Dodge is fixed by 7:30 - the power is still not on at Jodi's home and park so she spends the night.

It's Sunday, Jodi went back to a functioning home about 4 p.m. The Dodge runs fine, the Toyota will probably need a starter but we can deal with that later, and Deane's going to order the Jeep carburetor on Monday or Tuesday. Deane is practicing on his guitar and I am reading "The World in Six Glasses." Think I will have another glass or two of the wine we bought yesterday.



DEANE'S CRAB LOUIS SALAD

Lettuce mix
Imitation Crab (can be eaten by folks allergic to shell fish and it is cheaper)
1 hard boiled egg for each person, shelled and sliced
for each person half tomato, sliced and quartered
lemons, 1 quarter for each person
bacon pieces (I bought a nice ‘natural' no nitrates and we cooked it up fresh)
ranch-style dressing.

I like to squeeze some of the lemon over the crab pieces while preparing the rest of the fixins' - I also like to add some chopped fresh herbs to any lettuce mix I use for salads.

Assemble: place a small pile of lettuce on each plate, spread chopped tomato on lettuce, top with crab pieces, place sliced egg over all like petals, and sprinkle with bacon pieces.

Serve with lemon wedge and dressing on the side.


Have a great day, folks,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Hot August in the Garden and Kitchen

Dear Folks,

Temperatures up and down, humidity up and down - typical summer in the southwest desert. Last Thursday it started out with overcast skies, the pumpkin seedlings coming up (see note below about the picture of the seedlings) and the Arabian Jasmin in full and fragrant bloom and my experiment with growing sweet potatoes producing good vines anyway.



Pumpkin seedlings: You can see the small tube of chicken wire I've placed there. The first sowing of the pumpkins seeds a couple of weeks earlier were dug up by the birds, bless their feathery-hides, so I went back to a tried and true method to keep new sowings safe. Plant the seeds, cover lightly with soil, crush some dried leaves over to keep moisture in, water lightly (don't do too much right now or you could wash the seeds out) and place a tube of chicken wire around them. I keep the tube in place until the seedlings have a good head start then remove and allow the plant to continue unlimited growth. We use these kinds of tubes or even large square 'hats' for protection from the birds and bunnies until new growth is galloping along.

My cucumber is not only hanging in there (literally and figuratively) but is thriving with huge yellow flowers beloved by the bees - when getting this picture, Deane had a picture of a honeybee in one flower and a carpenter bee in another flower, when he tried to get a closer look as the carpenter bee moved to the same flower as the honey bee the carpenter bee kicked the honeybee off the flower - talk about territorial disputes.


Bullies in the garden are not limited to critters - some plants can be bullies too. The garlic chives can become so dense nothing else will grow easily amongst them, so it is a good idea to clear out clumps from time to time.

The garlic chives are starting to put out flower buds (everything on the chive is edible from the bulb, leaves (most often used) the flowers and the seeds). The cucumber plant decided to rejuvenate after Deane did a clearing of excess material. The horseradish plant I left in the ground is dying back, but there are younger plants that seems to be taking off. Some of the scented geraniums died back and I'm trying to figure out if there was a specific cause for it.

The desert summer garden is like that: you win a lot and lose some, even with 'expert' experience.

As we move towards the end of the monsoon season make good use of your water/moisture meter to make sure you are not over/under watering. After going through some of the most intense summer weather this is the time when some gardeners lose plants, because the transitional times of the year can be the most problematic — attention to a schedule as opposed to what is happening in the garden can mean the cause of some plants dying off before their time.

RECIPES:

Tarragon, both French and Mexican/Spanish are doing well in the garden, so here is another use for tarragon. Make the meal lighter with the side salad dressed with lemon juice and black pepper.

IMITATION CRAB WITH TARRAGON BUTTER
1 package (8 oz) imitation crab
1-2 lemons squeezed to give you 1/4 c juice
3 tablespoons of salted butter melted
1 tablespoons of fresh tarragon finely chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh chives or onion tops finely chopped
pepper to taste.

Mix lemon juice, melted butter, tarragon, chives and pepper to taste. Adjust for salt if needed.
Dip crab pieces and enjoy!
A green salad on the side, with a light vinaigrette dressing and you have a great lunch or light dinner.

WRAP SANDWICHES
Wraps are great for hot weather and families on the go. Use tortillas or soft flat breads, large lettuce leaves or both for the wrappers. Perfect for a buffet, let folks make their own from platters of ingredients.
PROTEIN: Sliced or slivered meat, cheese, tofu, whole shrimp, or a mix of precooked beans and cheese
HERBS: leaves of these herbs work well in wraps: Basil, mint, lemon balm and Epazote (great with beans or tofu) -- these herbs are in season right now, you can also add cilantro and parsley
VEGGIES: bean sprouts, slivered cucumber, squash, radish, Jicama
SAUCE: Mayo, yogurt, seafood cocktail sauce (particular good because of the horseradish) barbeque sauce, plain horseradish, salsa, or favorite salad dressing.
On the open tortilla, layer herbs first, then protein, veggies and then a line of the sauce over all, fold up and dip into extra sauce of your choice.
NOTE: if you grow mammoth basil, the leaves make great wrappers for mini wrap sandwiches, put only enough ingredients to allow you to wrap the basil leaf around all.

For more detailed how-to gardening and harvesting information - subscribe to my new e- newsletter - just $15 a year if you sign up before October - link in top side bar or click here to go to payment window

Tomorrow I'm posting a short story - we had the most incredible weekend, I thought I would write about it.



Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Camping Skills for Women - and a recipe!

Dear Folks,

Thanks to Arizona Dun-Deane, I am a skilled survival camper - when we camp we are in the middle of nowhere, miles from anything remotely civilized and throughly enjoying it. In the course of learning how to take care of myself in "the wild" the other part of enjoying the experience is the supreme appreciation of the flora and fauna and the knowledge to leave only footprints and no human impact on the area. Whether we are in the desert or the mountains taking only pictures and learning the land is another way to learn about oneself.

Luckily for you folks who do not have your own Arizona Dun-Deane, there is BOW -- "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" offering a weekend Camp Experience in Prescott August 14-16, 2009. Dozens of classes are taught at Camp Friendly Pines near Prescott. Enrollment for the weekend includes: classes, meals and cabin lodging all for $240.

Click here to learn about the program and find the registration form. To view pictures from previous camps click here for their photo gallery.

Call or email for information direct to: Kimberlee Kreuzer 480-644-0077 or email awf@azwildlife.org

FROM MY RECIPE FILE:

One of the 'civilized' meals we make while camping is a canned version of Salad Nicoise with lots of options. Since the primary ingredients are canned, you can have this ready to make salad anywhere.

CATHERINE'S CAMPING SALAD NICOISE
This is enough for 2-3 people, depending on appetites

1 6 oz. can of water packed tuna
1 8 oz (apprx) can of cut green beans in water
1 8 oz (apprx) can of stewed tomatoes
Italian-type salad dressing/vinaigrette (homemade, dry packaged, or bottled)
Optional:
1 small can of potatoes
1-2 tablespoons of capers
Other options include canned anchovies, olives, hard cooked eggs, red peppers, shallots, artichoke hearts and you might enjoy a rustic/crusty bread with it also.

Drain canned foods (Arizona Dun-Deane likes to drink the water from everything but the tuna), fold together gently - you don't want to mash the food - add capers if desired, toss with enough dressing to coat well but don't make it soggy. Eat and enjoy. Protein, Fiber, Lycopene, Vitamins, Minerals and some salt and fat - this is the kind of meal that is healthy and satisfying - just watch the salt content of the canned foods.

Enjoy!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Clarifying Using "Food Stamps" for Plants

Dear Folks,

In my eagerness to get the word out on those qualifying for the food stamp program -- now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP (which is administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service) -- I may have confused you readers about who and what qualifies for the programs.

I was trying to keep all the abbreviations to a minimum but unfortunately some important distinctions got lost.

The SNAP recipients are given a debit-type card now a-days instead of the old coupons, and the card is an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) which can be used through participating farmers markets, vendors and retailers who accept them. This card can be used to purchase qualifying food, food plants and seeds to grown food plants.

All farmers markets, vendors and retailers (including plant nurseries) who want to accept SNAP have to apply to the program to be able to accept the EBT card (with modern POS systems the "button" for EBT may be on the system but this does not mean it is "activated" - the retailer has to be admitted to the SNAP program by the administering agency).

WIC (Women, Infants and Children) coupons DO NOT qualify to purchase food plants or seeds for food Plants. A program for Seniors called Food Plus, is similar in scope. WIC and Food Plus recipients can purchase locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers markets in Arizona under the AzDES administered Farmers Market Nutrition Program - FMNP.

Recipients of FMNP may also qualify for the SNAP. Because of the nature of the various support programs, recipients of one program may qualify for other programs based on income and need.

More information on programs and who qualifies is here: This is a site run by Arizona Community Action Association and these folks can help as they work closely with AzDES.

This page on the USDA site has eligible and non-eligible products.

My special thanks to Cindy Gentry of Food Connection for helping me get the correct information into your hands.

And a few final words in support of these programs -- I can't help but think that anyone who can garden achieves benefits too numerous to count, so any assistance that can be lent by the community or a municipality is a support OF and FOR the community, not just the individual recipients - be sure to click on the Food Connection link and read the whole home page - I think it says a lot.

Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Edible Landscaping News Service Launched

Dear Folks,

I now have my new service up and running.

You can click this link and read the archive notice dated July 28th for all the information. There is no obligation to learn about the service and I'm offering a special 'charter' member rate of 30% off the annual subscription price.

After many years of writing about and receiving questions on how to successfully grow edibles in the desert, I realized most people need a simple reminder system, where they do not have go and look it up. "Edible Landscaping Success in the Desert Southwest" newsletter is it! Several times a month you will receive notices of what to plant and when, and also when to harvest. Included will be detailed information, tips and recipes. The service is $21 per year, but for 'charter' members their subscription will be just $15 if you sign up before September 30th.

For gardeners I think this will be a great resource because I am going to give you the benefit of my expertise, failures and research,.so you do not have to look it up.

Oh and if you would not personally use the service, you can give it as a gift to someone, who can. Just email to:

catherine at herbs2u.net

Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening -- Practical Ecnomy - The Home Garden

Dear Folks,

"Practical Economy" is the term I like to apply to growing your own edibles either by yourself or in conjunction with neighbors for your own "neighborhood community garden."

Who does not need 'practical economy' now - if you do not know someone who was downsized, reduced to a restricted income, or struggling to raise a family on low wages, you are very, very lucky.

I just learned about the extent of the food and nutrition program or Nutrition Assistance (formerly called food stamps) for those who qualify for the EBT card version (this is a debit-type card) of the food purchasing supplement. For those who qualify (can include seniors, working 'poor', disabled, unemployed, and other limited/low-income folks) the EBT - where accepted can be used to purchase not only food, but also seeds and plants to grow your own food at your home! How neat is that! See the government site here for information and what is covered by the EBT.

So what retailers will accept the EBT card? Well that is an interesting question posed to me by a reader, a single mother raising children on her limited salary. So I went searching and asking questions of not only the Mesa Farmers Market where I sell plants, cuttings and seeds, but I also started to inquire around the valley.

Here is the basic information. If your local farmers market and/or the individual farmers and food producers accept the EBT then you can purchase food plants and seeds for food plants from them.

Click here to find markets in Arizona and look for the words "foods stamps" under the Market Name. Currently the ability to purchase plants and seeds is NOT available to those receiving only WIC supplements - I understand that is supposed to be reviewed by the government sometime in the future.

How about plant nurseries?

Jay Harper at Harper Nurseries and Landscaping - one of the valley's oldest family-owned (3 generations), locally run nurseries, told me no one has asked as of yet, but he is pretty sure their systems will accept the EBT card for food plant and food seed purchases. Since each retailer or group (like the farmers markets) have to apply to be able to accept EBT, not everyone who sells plants and seeds may be able to take the EBT card. Check with your neighborhood retailer.

I am getting this information out in hopes that all local retailers of food plants and seed for food plants will consider becoming qualified to accept EBT. Instead of grass-roots we can call this a "food-roots" effort. Even if you personally do not need EBT, nor know anyone who does, this is about helping as many people as possible grow some of their own food -- Practical Economy for now and in the future.

I am working on seeking out other possible sources for those wishing to use some of their EBT supplement to garden with - the potential bounty and food savings of a cared-for-food garden far exceeds the cost of seeds and some plants, a huge potential that should be considered by any one, but particularly by those living on fixed or limited incomes.

Kimber Lanning the founder and president of LocalFirstAZ is excited about this idea and is going to get the word out to members. Click here to go to LFA for information on any product or service you need (not just food sources), and support your local community businesses and neighbors.

You CANNOT use the EBT card to purchase food through the Internet - another reason to find close-by local producers and another win/win situation supporting local producers of not only food, but food plants and food plant seeds.

For Arizona residents click here to learn how someone you know may qualify for the program.

For more general information and frequently asked questions see here - one common misconception is that this program is "welfare" - it is not - no longer called welfare, the "Cash Assistance" recipients may also qualify for the nutrition assistance program but the two programs are different, separately managed and have different qualification criteria.

One last note about growing some of your own food - in her book Animal Vegetable Miracle, Barbara Kinsolver comments about their trip through Italy and how every single home in the areas they visited had some form of vegetable garden, no matter how small, nor location -- it is simply the way it is done there and has always been. Modern times have given us many benefits, but let's go backwards to the time our grandparents always had a kitchen garden, it was the way it was done, and then came TV dinners -- if you want TV dinners you can make your some from your own backyard! Now that is a real benefit.

And, just so you know, I may sell a couple more packages of seeds or a few more plants, but this really about my basic passion and mission - I want YOU, who ever you are, to garden successfully and enjoy the thrill and taste of food from your own backyard.

Have a great day in the garden, (early morning and evening of course, right now),


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Events at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Desert Botanical Garden

Howdy Folks,

For you photography and budding artists, among other tours and workshops, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) is offering an artist workshop and a photography workshop coming up in August.

Click here for information on the BTA site.

And the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) offers great tours and events also. They have a neat "garden flashlight tour" which is great for the children.

Click here for information on the DBG site.

I present classes and lectures at both gardens and encourage your support of both our local Botanical museums.

Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Green Shopping - What Do Advertisers Focus On

Howdy folks,

Every so often I really sit up and take notice of an advertisement that rings a warning bell in my brain. Recently I wrote about the whole issue of 'food grade white distilled vinegar' being made from petroleum.( Click here to read that post if you don't see it on this front page.) I learned about that from an ad for Heinz vinegar touting their made from real food vinegar and of course did some research.

Here is another one of those ads that got me checking. Total cereal was comparing itself to Kashi Go Lean, as having 100% of a bunch of vitamins, and that Kashi had virtually none. WELL, since I like Kashi as one of my cereal choices, and since Total is a long time favorite of many folks (not me, but that is just taste preference) I went researching and what did I find?

It is true that Total has more 100% of certain vitamins and minerals, HOWEVER, there is little else to redeem it when compared to Kashi (with one exception, and I will discuss that).

First a little nutrient math.

Calorie intake recommendations for a woman (2000 calories) or a man (2500 Calories) require a certain amount of protein and fiber each day to maintain optimal health (brain function, tissue maintenance and digestive tract health, among other things), plus of course many other elements like vitamins and minerals. For the sake of this post I'm dealing only with the protein and fiber, since without them vitamins and minerals would be useless. A person consuming 2000 calories a day needs 60 grams of protein and a 2500 a day calorie diet requires 65 grams of protein a day. Each needs about 25 grams of fiber a day. If you have not caught all the discussions about fiber, it is a two-fold requirement of our bodies -- it keeps the digestive tract working properly without laxatives and it also keeps cholesterol and blood sugar at good levels.

Since most folks give a decent breakfast only a nodding acknowledgment, cereal is the choice of many people.

Adela Davis, one of the early promoters of better eating (she had her detractors - but over all her recommendations were very sound) said to, "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and eat dinner like a pauper." Farmers and ranchers tend to follow this regime with huge breakfasts followed by lighter lunch and dinners.

If you take the protein and fiber requirements of each meal - simply dividing 3 into the protein and fiber gram recommendations) you come up with each of our typical 3 meals a day should have 20-22 grams of protein and 8-9 grams of fiber, give or take.

In looking at Total's nutrient chart - the side of the box label - what you are really consuming with a bowl of total cereal - aside from the milk - is a multi-vitamin pill - in fact one buyer of Total through Amazon.com grocery section suggests that is why they choose Total -- they don't have to take a pill!

Well how about the math? Good Apple in Apache Junction (an independent health food/supplement store) sells a high quality 1-a-day multi-vitamin/mineral called "Little Super 1 Daily) and each pill costs about 7 cents - a day. Total cereal is about 27-35 cents per bowl. If you want to take a multi-vitamin I think the pill (as long as it is a superior quality) is the better economy.

Here is how the numbers work out.

Kashi Go Lean - Honey Almond Flax

Calories 200 (1 cup)
Protein 9 Grams
Fiber 8 Grams
0 cholesterol

Total Cereal

Calories 100 (3/4 cup)
Protein 2 grams
Fiber 3 Grams
0 cholesterol

Add 1/2 cup of milk to each cereal for 4 grams of protein, and you can see that where a meal that is supposed to get you going for the day and keep you satisfied until lunch, will be way under-performing if you rely on Total.

What is the one exception of Kashi superiority over Total? Sugar - but wait there is more. First the stats. A bowl of Kashi (before milk) has 12 grams of sugar, and a bowl of Total (before milk) has 4 grams of sugar. The USDA recommendations for both carbohydrates and sugar are that total carbs should be approximately 50% (250 grams) to 60% (300 grams) of your total calorie intake and of that sugar should not exceed 40 grams per day.

Keep in mind real sources of fat and sugar are not enemies unless you over indulge and I don't have to explain that to you -- we all know what over indulging is - when we know what we are eating.

Not all sugars are equal - no pun intended. Tops on my favorite mis-leading advertisers and claims are all the mis-direction about corn syrups, particularly high fructose corn syrup as opposed to cane sugar.

The research keeps piling up about the serious down-side of the consumption of high fructose corn syrup. The latest is from the Journal of Clinical Investigation read here . Lot of techno-stuff which probably appears like babble but here is the gist of it -- HFCS is a super processed 'sugar' which does not have the shut off signal (leptin) which cane sugar (or real fruit sugars) has, in fact it actually has a signal (ghrelin) which tells the body eat more, the more HFCS you eat the more your body craves it. This new study has some additional findings which go to heart-disease increased risk - not just obesity, but that is a big factor. It is about where the body tends to deposit that extra fat, in the abdomen, which research is showing has a direct correlation to heart disease.

The grossly-misleading ads by the corn syrup producers that 'when consumed in moderation' completely ignore the research showing someone consistently taking in these products CAN'T stop consuming because their bodies won't let them. (Will-power and self-control aside - if your body is telling you eat, busy people tend to follow that directive.)

The challenge becomes one of 'what are we eating' that we don't either know about or don't understand.

Kashi Go-Lean Honey Almond Flax is made with evaporated cane sugar, brown rice syrup and honey and contains 11 different grains, seeds and nuts. Kashi is owned by Kellogg Company.

Total Whole Grain Cereal is made with sugar (not specified as source) and corn syrup and 1 grain - whole wheat. Total is owned by General Mills.

Large corporations tend to give customers what they ask for, so we as consumers have to be careful what we want and how we define the need. Are you like the reviewer of Total Cereal on Amazon's grocery site who said that what s/he really wants is a substitute for a pill -- oh my goodness! Or do you want real food, with real benefits and less mis-directing hype?

Don't take either my thoughts or my suggestion of Kash cereals as the only way to go. Go out and do some 'marketing / benefit' research yourself.

One last note and reference. In November 2008 I posted a blog on nutrient density and an easy formula to use to compare processed/manufactured foods. Read it here - I showed you how to use a simple math formula totaling fiber and protein grams and dividing that into calories for an optimal target 'factor' of 20, the lower the factor the more nutrient dense the food item.

Using that formula here is how Kashi and Total compare.

Kashi 9 protein and 8 fiber total 17 divided into 200 = just under 12.

Total 2 protein, 3 fiber total 5 divided into 100 = 20.

Now my target maximum factor is 20, the lower the factor the better the nutrient density. While Total squeaks by with a factor of 20, if you were doing comparisons which would you choose?

Have a great day,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Recipe Ideas from Others

Dear Folks,

I love checking out recipes from cookbooks and magazines. Usually I find myself thinking 'this is great, now I would do it this way...' or I'm disappointed that the chef/cook missed the opportunity to make something really great. I find recipes which start out with "Herbed...." disappointing when their idea of "herbed" is to add a bit of garlic or parsley. There are sooo many great herbs which work well together that to use only one seems too limiting particularly when the recipe comes from a known chef.

Well the following do not disappoint. In the current (August, 2009) issues of Body & Soul and Food & Wine they offer some of the neatest ideas.

Food & Wine offers up Basil Limeade Slushies and several other great sounding recipes like Iced Basil and Lemongrass Tea and Herb and Endive Salad. The slushie is a variation on a Mojito with lime and mint.

I've made a Cilantro infused Limeade for some of my demos at Boyce Thompson but the idea of a slushie version is great. Herb and Fruit flavors to try in variations of this would be:

Apple -- basil, cinnamon basil, mint
Berries, All -- basil
Blackberries -- thyme
Blueberries -- rosemary
Cherries — thyme .
Cranberries -- cilantro
Lemon -- lavender
Lime -- cilantro
Mango -- cilantro
Orange -- rosemary
Papaya -- cilantro
Peach -- basil (all flavors), chamomile
Pears -- lavender, rosemary
Pineapple -- mint, cilantro, rosemary
Raspberry -- basil
Tangerine -- rosemary

Do not limit yourself to the combinations above. If something different sounds appealing, try it.

When watermelon is in season, I make ice cubes from the juice. I found the infused ice cube recipes in Body & Soul magazine, August, 2009, super ideas as well.

Cucumber Basil Puree
Combine 1 cup water, 1 cucumber (peeled and seeded), 1/4 cup chopped basil, and a touch of coarse salt in a blender and freeze in an ice cube tray.

Orange Lime Mix
Mix 1 1/2 cups of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of lime zest in a bowl, then freeze in an ice cube tray.

Lemonade Raspberry
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in 1 cup of warm water; stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice. Divide 6 ounces of fresh raspberries into an ice cube tray and place a sprig of mint in each cube. Add the lemonade and freeze.

Both issues of these magazines seemed to be particularly full of ideas right up my cooking alley. Hope they are as interesting to you.

If you have the freezer space, make sure you save some of these ice cubes for use later in the winter - a sample of summer time can lift the winter blues.

ON THE gardening side of things, I am readying a new service newsletter for desert gardeners to help with the often repeated refrain I get "I don't know when to plant... in the desert" - variations of which are "I grew this back in .... but I kill it here."

If you have an interest leave your screen name at the link below. It is for information only and there is no obligation.

Edible Gardening Success in the Desert

Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Growing Horseradish -- Success in The Desert Southwest

Howdy Folks,

I finished harvesting the horseradish on June 30th.

In reading about horseradish growing in the usual areas (not the desert) this is not only not the time to harvest the root, but also that the root may not be nearly as "beam my up Scott" hot and pungent as usual.

However, I was very pleased not only with the healthy growth on the plants, but also the resulting grated product.

To grow your own horseradish in the desert southwest, you need to reverse the growth pattern, because the roots will not survive our summer heat. Plant in the fall beginning October 1st and harvest in the spring in Later May or early June. One of the plants I pulled was just starting to flower.

I will keep about 10 healthy roots in my refrigerator crisper drawer to replant in the fall. I give the top of each root a straight cut, and an angle cut at the bottom to keep it straight in my mind which is which. I wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel and place in a zip lock bag and store in the crisper drawer.

Following general directions for grating I peel the roots, cut them in small dice, place with ice water in a blender or bullet blender and process to the thickness I want. I wait about 5+ minutes and add vinegar and this time I will remember to add salt (although the first batch I did in early June was great without it). 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of grated root.

I am really pleased to be able to grow yet another food my grandmother used and also to find a way for the gardeners of edibles to more fully expand their gardening and eating pleasures in the Desert Southwest. I also found the plant very attractive with it's large leaves, somewhat resembling many large leaved ornamentals.

RECIPE TIPS:

Horseradish, like its mustard relative, goes with so many foods. Add some to mashed potatoes, in salad dressing, add to a dip for a little kick, some chefs shave the fresh root -- I think a little very finely shaved root in cole slaw would be awesome. Fun stuff and it is a good source of some vitamins and minerals.

If you are not familiar with Gernot Katzer, he has the most incredible site for information on (mostly) culinary herbs and spices. Check out his page on horseradish

Have a grate (great!) day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Last of the Garlic Harvest

Howdy Folks,

The last of my for-sale garlic is gone - sold like crazy at the farmers market. Just to try it, I braided some as I was cleaning them off and thought you would enjoy seeing my amateur work.

For those of you who enjoy my fresh produce at the market and either got some of the garlic or missed it this year, I am planning on increasing the planting space for next spring's harvest. I was so pleased with the performance of the garlic, ease of growing and density of harvest, I'm going to plant the Purple Haze I grew this year and another variety.

If you have some garlic and have never tried roasting it here are a couple of options:

Roasting Whole Heads

Most Preferred: Slice off the tippy top of the garlic head to expose just a small part of each clove. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the cut top.
1) Roast on the grill on indirect heat for approximately 40-45 minutes - squeeze to test (don't burn yourself!) - it should feel softened.
2) Oven: at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Second Most Preferred: Separate the clove from the head and do NOT not peel. Toss in along side of any roast your are cooking, or place in a single layer in a pan and oven back at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes - squeeze to see if they have softened.

Roasting garlic mellows the flavor, bringing an incredible nutty taste to it. Squeezing the pulp from the skins is the easiest way to express the roasted garlic out. Add to mashed potatoes, spread on toasted bread with or without added tomatoes, basil and cheese, add to salad dressing.

Freeze in air tight container for long term storage. Refrigerate and use within a week for short term keeping.

CAUTION: For health-sake do not freeze whole raw garlic or onions.

Have a great 4th of July!!!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Banana Flower Bud

Howdy Folks,

On June 29, 2009, Deane spotted the banana flower bud on our Blue Java (aka "Ice Cream") banana plant. Hope you can see how the bud can just sort of appear - I circled, from left to right, in blue the bud as viewed from far away, then closer, then right up underneath it.

If you have followed my blog and newsletter you may remember we got our first ever banana bloom, followed by fruit, last fall. The challenge was that it really flowered too late for the fruit to develop to proper size. We decided to cut the fruit stalk off just before an impending freeze, hung the stalk in a back room and several weeks later we actually got to taste ripe bananas! That was okay, but I was really hoping our plants would fruit early enough this spring/summer to allow the fruit to ripen more fully before harvesting. I am really excited that we will get the true 'vanilla ice cream' flavor this banana is known for. Will keep you posted.

Did you know the whole plant is pretty much edible? The flower bud (as shown), the fruit, and the leaves (used for steaming food). I do not want to sacrifice a flower bud to try cooking with it, but I have used the leaves to steam things on the grill and it imparts a fruity flavor note to the food.

TIP: When serving food, especially with the July 4th weekend coming up, use edible leaves in place of doilies to display your delicious foods. Citrus, fig and banana leaves are all edible (meaning non-toxic, crunchy but safe) garnishes for your serving platters.

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Have a great day,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady