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Bee Balm Fruit Salad 6 Tbsp. superfine sugar Place sugar, water, orange juice, and bee balm leaves in a pan over low heat (stir until sugar has dissolved). Bring the mixture to a boil for five minutes to thicken. Discard the bee balm leaves and add the black currents to the syrup and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When syrup is cool, add in the strawberries and raspberries. Pour the mixture into a glass dish and decorate the top with bee balm flowers and scented geranium leaves. Serves 4-6 Sage and Cider Jelly 2 1/4 lb apples, cored and sliced Place apples, lemon juice, water, and cider in a large pan, add sage sprigs and bring the mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 25 minutes longer or until the apples are tender. Strain the mixture through a jelly bag into a large bowl for several hours. Do not squeeze the bag. NOTE: Measure the strained fruit juice and weigh 1 1/2 lbs of sugar to each 4 C of liquid. Pour the juice back into the pan and add the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Boil hard for ten minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Place a small amount of jelly on a small plate and let cool. Push the jelly with your finger and if it wrinkles remove the pan from the heat, stir in the chopped sage, and leave the mixture for about 5 minutes. Stir the jelly again and pour it into warm, sterilized jars. Cover with screw or clip-on lids, label, and store in a cool, dry place. Roses Did you know there are about 35 species of roses native to North America, and all roses have edible parts, the quality and size varying with the species? If space is limited and you have room for only one rose shrub in your herb garden, the apothecary's rose is recommended. This rose combines beautiful flowers with intense fragrance and petals that dry well, and is a good source of essential oils.. It grows 3-4 feet tall, has semi-double crimson petals with golden anthers in the center of each flower, and red hips in the fall. The best time to gather rose hips (fruit) is in the autumn as they ripen (after frost) or during the winter. Wash them and remove any dried flower parts from the top of the hip. Split the fruit open, remove the seeds, and eat away, or prepare them as jellies and sauces. Rose hips can also be dried (whole or halved) for use at a later time. Simply soak them overnight in warm water or grate or grind dry hips to make a powder to sprinkle on hot cereals or to make hot tea. Young leaves can also be cut into small pieces and dried to make hot rose tea, and flower petals can be used in candy, tea, rosewater, jellies, and syrups, but the fruit is more nutritious - rich in vitamin C and essential minerals. Rose Petal Pudding (18th-century English dessert) 2 1/2 C whole milk Heat the milk and sugar to boiling stirring to keep from burning. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered gelatin and rosewater. Pour into a decorative glass dish and leave, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the pudding sets. Once set, whip the cream and spread over the top of the pudding and decorate with crystallized rose petals. Serve with fresh raspberries or strawberries. Serves 4 Crystallizing Roses Pull off each rose petal separately. Whip an egg white until it is frothy and with a small camel hair paintbrush, paint the entire surface of the petal (both sides) to cover it completely and exclude the air. Then sprinkle the surface of each petal completely (both sides) with superfine sugar. Spread the sugared petals on wax or parchment paper and leave to dry for at least two (2) hours. Store in single layers between paper in an airtight container. Flavored Sugar Store superfine and/or confectioners' sugar in small, lidded jars and flavor them with rose petals. The amount of petals depends on the intensity of flavor and the quantity of sugar you require. Experiment to find what flavor you enjoy most. Before using, strain sugar to remove petals. Rosewater 10 C fragrant rose petals Put rose petals and water into a pan with a tight-fitting lid (or cover the pan tightly with foil). Bring the water slowly to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer very slowly for two hours. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for about 48 hours. Bring the water and the petals to a boil again, simmer for one hour and leave to cool. Strain through a non-metallic strainer, pressing the petals against the sides to extract the maximum fragrance. Stir in the storax and tincture of benzoin. Pour into bottles, cover, and label. Makes about 2 1/2 C. Lavender Cookies 5/8 cups of unsalted butter, in room temperature Lavender Sugar 1 tablespoon of lavender blossoms to 1 cup of sugar Lavender sugar should be kept in a tightly sealed jar in a dry, dark place for at least a couple of weeks prior to use. The longer it is stored, the heavier the scent. Make sure the lavender you buy is free of chemicals. Better yet, grow your own. Preheat oven to 355F (180C) Note: This is a recipe I found on the net. I haven't tried it so I'm not sure how many cookies you get from one batch of dough. It sounds wonderful! The Handy Dandelion We can thank the English who brought the dandelion with them when they first colonized the American continent. To the English and the French, this was a hardy, perennial herb with culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, and household uses. Every part of the plant, flowers, leaves, and roots were utilized. One of the first uses being that of a diuretic, the French name, pis-en-lis, literally meaning piss-the-bed. For many of us, however, it is just one more nuisance plant encroaching on our lawns and gardens. Young leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be used in salads or cooked like spinach. Leaves picked before the plant blossoms will be more tender and less bitter. Leaves that are picked later in the season are better cooked but should be blanched with a couple of hot water baths to remove some of the bitterness. (Note: do not start with cold water as this tends to set the bitterness). The roots can be made into a coffee substitute while the flowers or leaves can be used to make wine. Asparagus Asparagus is considered Mother Natures most perfect food and for good reason. It is one of the most well-balanced vegetables in existence leading nearly all produce items in the wide array of nutrients. Most notable, it is the leading vegetable supplier of folic acid, providing 60% of the daily requirements of folacin in one 5.3 oz serving. Folacin is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and helps in the prevention of liver disease as well as neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. A 5.3 oz. serving provides 6% Protein, 20% Vitamin C, 15% Thiamin and has only 20 calories per serving. It also contains 8% Vitamin A, 6^Riboflavin, 6% Niacin, 3 grams of Protein, 2% calcium, a trace of Iron, and Vitamin #, 3 grams of Carbohydrates, 10 % Vitamin B6, a trace of Pantothenic Acid, 60% Folacin, 0 Cholesterol, 4% Copper,4% Magnesium, 0 grams of fat, 400 milligrams of Potassium, 5 milligrams of Sodium, and 3 grams of dietary Fiber. Asparagus is a cultivated vegetable that often runs wild along roadsides, old fields, or old farm sites where the soil is well-drained and sandy. The plant resembles a dried Christmas tree-shaped stalk. Slice off young stalks just below ground level when green shoots protrude only a few inches. (Shoots will continue to grow and can be reharvested). This plant is found in many locations throughout the US. Of course, for those of you haven't the time or energy to go hunting for great vegetable, there is always the supermarket. An asparagus is a member of the lily family and a spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period under the right conditions. During the spring and early summer months, spears will continue to shoot from each crown for about six to seven weeks. Later, after harvesting, the spears grow into ferns which produce red berries. The ferns and berries are needed for next seasons crop. Most of the fiber is in the skin so the larger the diameter of the spear, the better the quality. Most consumers believe the opposite to be true. Look for nice meaty spears. Note: White asparagus is not a variety. It is simply a plant that is grown in the dark so that chlorophyll does not develop. It has a slightly sweeter taste but less fiber. Orange and Asparagus Salad 2 cups cut up fresh asparagus Steam or microwave asparagus until tender-crisp. Drain and let cool. Combine all ingredients pouring dressing over all. Toss & serve immediately. (6 servings) Golden Asparagus Soup 4 cups chicken stock* (see recipe below)
or canned broth Bring chicken stock and ginger to a boil. Stir in sherry and sesame oil. Reduce to a simmer and add fresh asparagus and noodles. Cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in green onions and serve immediately. Serves 4 Chicken Stock In a stock pot, combine 1 1/2 quarts water, 3 pounds chicken back and neck pieces with skin, 1/2 lemon, 2 stalk celery (cut in half), 2 carrots (cut in half), and 5-6 peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Lower heat hand simmer, covered, 3-4 hours. Pour through a fine strainer and skim fat from top. Asparagus and Crab Salad Dressing: 2 tablespoons olive oil Salad: 2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus For Salad, steam or microwave asparagus until tender-crisp. Drain and let cool. Cut crab into bite-size pieces. Combine asparagus and crab in a large bowl; add lettuce mix, cantaloupe and cucumber. Toss gently. Pour salad dressing over all. Toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Italian Beef Wrap 2 tbsp. mayonnaise Combine mayonnaise and Italian seasoning. Spread over one side of the flour tortilla. Layer lettuce, cheese, and roast beef. Place red pepper pieces near center of roast beef. Top with asparagus. Roll up. Cut in half diagonally to serve. (1 serving) Asparagus in Boursin Sauce/pasta shells 1 tbsp. butter In a large skilled over medium heat, melt butter and heat olive oil. Cut the mushroom caps in half and slice 1/4 inch thick. Cook mushrooms in skillet 8 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Season with salt. Stir in chicken broth and Boursin cheese. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly until well blended. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook for 5 minutes. Place the asparagus in the pot and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus tender. Drain. Toss with the mushroom sauce to serve. Fiddleheads (Ostrich Fern) Fiddleheads can be found in wet habitats like bottomlands, swamps, along stream sides and ponds, or for the less adventurous, at many local grocery stores. The plant is easily identifiable with its leaves tightly coiled on an 8 inch stem. April is the best time to harvest this tasty plant in the south and May, in the northern states (can usually be found about the same time serviceberry trees bloom). Note: there are no poisonous look-alikes. Boiled Fiddleheads Scrape any brown scales off by hand and wash plants in cold water. Boil the plants for about 10 minutes in hot water, drain then add butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Raw Fiddleheads Scrape any brown scales of by hand and wash plants in cold water. Add them to your favorite salad. No cooking required. Note: Fiddleheads make a great trail snack when hiking in the woods. Plantain - A Common Backyard Weed Plantain is an invasive broad leafed plant introduced from Europe and found in many backyards. As children, we use to scrape the seeds from their long slender spike-like stems and pretend they were coffee beans. We had no idea they were edible. Plantain has numerous basal leaves, the broadest near or below the middle of the plant, 2 to 8 inches long and 1 - 4 1/2" wide. The leaves are generally slightly rounded at the tip, toothed, and wavy along the margin. Spikes grow up from the center of the plant containing numerous seeds that produce tiny flowers with 4 translucent petals. Pick young leaves before the flower stalk appears or pick new leaves through the summer. Seeds may be harvested from late spring through the fall. Boiled Plantain Soak leaves in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Boil with with little water in a covered pot until tender but not overcooked. Plantain Tea For a beverage, steep a handful of leaves in a pint of boiling water for 1/2 hour or longer. Plantain Pancackes Dry plantain seeds thoroughly and grind them into
flour. Mix thoroughly. Add more milk or flour for proper consistency. Blueberries, apples, or other fruit can be added. Cook on a hot griddle. Serve with your favorite syrup. Note: only the most tender young leaves should be eaten in salads with other greens.
Purslane
Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) is a very misunderstood plant known by many names: pusley weed, verdolaga, pigweed, or little hogweed. To many it is is an overabundant obnoxious weed, but to someone familiar with its culinary uses and health benefits, it is a pot herb, an annual succulent, or a green vegetable. At only 15 calories per serving, purslane is a good source of vitamins A, C and E, contains alpha linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), is high in magnesium and potassium, and has more beta carotene than spinach. It can be found growing in fields, vacant lots, waste sites, and gardens and flower beds. You can eat the wild varieties you find in your garden or flower beds if you are certain they have not been exposed to chemicals of any kind. Identification: annual herb, lying flat on the ground and forming mats to 1 sq. ft. The stems are smooth, fleshy, shiny, often reddish purple. Leaves are alternate and opposite (.8-2 in. long and .4-.8 in. wide), fleshy, broadest near the rounded tip. Flowers: single (some clustered at tips of branches) .2 - .4 in. wide with 5 yellow petals. Harvest: June-September. Pinch or cut young leafy tips. Pick larger stems in midsummer for pickles. To gather seeds, spread whole mature plants on a sheet to dry for 2 weeks, then sieve and winnow. Cultivated varieties are often larger and more tender. Plant seeds in a well-drained, sunny spot in your garden. It is drought tolerant but good, fertile, composted soil is needed to produce the juiciest stems and leaves. Once the plant blooms it becomes less tender. Purslane can be added to soups, and adds a crunchy, tangy taste when used in salads (substitute for spinach in a Bacon Spinach Salad). It can be added to eggs and omelets, and it's succulent leaves can be substituted for cucumbers when making dill pickles. Purslane Salad 4 cups chopped young
purslane, rinsed Place purslane in a large salad bowl. Toss with oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix the yogurt with garlic, spoon over greens, toss, and serve. 4 to 6 servings. Purslane Potato Salad 6 medium red potatoes, cubed and cooked till just
tender Mix together all ingredients. Chill and serve. Mexican Omelet with Purslane Rinse the purslane. Add the diced onion and purslane to a hot skillet. Sauté about five minutes. Add the eggs and cook as you would a large omelet. Garnish with chopped tomato. Serves three. Anatolian Purslane, Lamb and Lentil Stew 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and
drained 1. Rinse the black-eyed peas and chickpeas. Place the peas into separate saucepans and add water to each to cover. Cook covered over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes for the black-eyed peas and 1 hour for the chickpeas. Drain the black-eyed peas and discard the liquid. Drain the chickpeas; reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. 2.Combine lentils with 4 cups of water, cover partially and cook over medium heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain; reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid. 3. In a large pot - heat 2 tbsp. of oil. Add lamb and cook over medium heat, stirring until browned. Stir in onion, cover and cook about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, red pepper paste and 1/2 cup water - bring to simmer. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, about 20 minutes. 4. Add purslane, bulgur, reserved chickpea and lentil cooking liquids to the pot. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lentils, garlic and enough water to barely cover. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt. 5. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in small skillet.. Add spearmint, Turkish red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. When the oil begins to sizzle, give it a stir and drizzle it over the stew. Stir once and let stand for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or let cool, then refrigerate and serve chilled the following day. Pass the scallions and lemon at the table. Notes: Turkish red pepper flakes and sauce can be purchased on-line or check your local gourmet store.
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