Posts Tagged ‘herbs’

Color Effects

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Fall is in full swing here in the midwest. The air is sometimes more than crisp. The harvesters are toiling through exhausted corn fields. The motif decorating porches and store fronts is all about hay and pumpkins. And our world is colored with the vivid reds, oranges, yellows and golds of the season that make those who don’t enjoy an autumn crowned in glory wish they were here.

My camera is as busy as anyone’s shooting the foliage as I watch the leaves fly. However, part of me misses the greens of summer . . . After all, I’m not certain I look forward to  taking inventory of our jackets and boots as we wait for you-know-what.

So, I’m going to take one last glance back at summer this weekend by making something that definitely brings green back into my life . . . PESTO.

This recipe is adapted from one that I found in a beautiful source -”Heart of the Home” by Susan Branch.

Basil Pesto Sauce

2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (discard stems)

5 Tbsp. pine nuts

4 Tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/2 cup olive oil

Saute the pine nuts and the garlic in the butter until the nuts are a light golden-brown. Remove from the heat and cool for a few moments. Place the pine nut mixture, cheese and the olive oil into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta.

For another lovely pesto sauce, visit Organizing Mommy.

“Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper. Pounding these things produces an alteration in one’s being — from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil’s appetite was probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.” – Patience Gray, cookery author

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Much Virtue in Herbs

Monday, October 13th, 2008

I am continuing to harvest a bountiful crop of herbs. “Bountiful” is a relative term here as my garden sits in diminutive pots on my patio. The harvest, however small, has allowed me to enjoy cooking with fresh aromatic plants throughout the summer and into the fall.

I relish unleashing the rich verdure as the herbs are chopped, crushed and pureed.  Fresh herbs enhance the flavors of an endless number of dishes and add an artful presentation to any culinary experience.

Cilantro, with its delicate lacy foliage and pungent flavor, is a favorite of mine for flavoring chicken, rice and ethnic entrees.

Basil, touted as the “king of herbs”, is a tender plant with an endless variety of aromas. Its fragrant, delightful leaves are the foundation of pesto.

The diminutive thyme leaf, utilized by the ancients in their baths and incense, is now a work-horse herb which commonly enlivens meats, soups and stews.

Herbs are so convenient in their dried form. However, nothing matches the flavoring power of fresh herbs. Unfortunately, the fresh herb maintains a short shelf life. Fresh thyme cannot be expected to make it even a week in the refrigerator. You can savor the fresh flavor a little longer by blanching the herbs in hot water and then freezing them. I understand that basil freezes nicely once pureed. I’d love to hear about your experiences with frozen herbs.

I have shared my recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Cilantro. It would be a disservice to the chicken to utilize anything but fresh cilantro in this dish. Now, I would like to recommend a recipe that my daughter enjoys preparing. Her inspiration for this recipe came from the June 1995 issue of Gourmet. Thyme is given its rightful place as it enhances this delightful and easy chicken entree.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken

12-15 chicken breasts halved

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Chardonnay or similar white wine

3 tbl. freshly ground pepper

3 tsp garlic

3 tbl. fresh thyme

Whisk all ingredients together in large bowl. Place chicken breasts in large baking dish. Pour blended ingredients over chicken. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes, forking occasionally. Grill on medium heat for about 4-6 minutes per side. Do not over cook as the chicken will dry out. . Serves 8-10.

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” – Prov. 15:17

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A Gardener’s Dilemma

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

I  have historically enjoyed gardening all year long.  This is hard to imagine since I live “up north” where it snows for 6 or 7 months every year.  Even in the depths of winter the idea of gardening can flourish.  I browsed through seed catalogues in January.  I planned and re-planned my garden throughout February and March.  I anticipated the ground thawing in April so that my husband could prepare the soil.  Finally, about May 15th I would begin to plant 5000 square feet of herbs, vegetables, and perennials.

For the past several years I have enjoyed this gardening cycle.  Our family would spend countless hours tending our garden: weeding, watering and then weeding and watering again.  Throughout the summer we would enjoy the fruits of our labor.  Our harvest, although not always as plentiful as we would hope, brought fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs and beautiful fresh flowers into our home.

This year we have relocated and I find myself looking out over the 18th fairway of a golf course instead of scanning acres of wilderness.  At first glance, this was a bit disconcerting and a little sad.  Now I realize  my garden will simply take on a different look.  We have a small deck outside our dining area.  It’s a great spot to view the golfing scene.  This is where my garden, albeit small, will flourish.  I have some terrific  faux ceramic pots that I will plant with lovely annuals in attractive arrangements.  I am even grooming a beautiful hibiscus tree inside in hopes of setting it out on the deck.  Finally, I look forward to harvesting herbs from a small pottage garden nurtured on the same deck. I will even try to work with a patio tomato as well.

Gardening is a lovely pastime even on a small scale.

Now I’m wondering what I will do with all of the countless hours I will save this summer since I’m not watering and weeding day in and day out.  Perhaps I will golf!

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce…Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper”  (Jeremiah 29:5-7).

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