I’m always looking for something new to do with eggplants, it’s hard to not just make eggplant parmesan or baba ganoush all the time. This weekend we tried our hand at an eggplant bolognese recipe from Whole Foods. It needs a day to sit for the spices and flavor to reach it’s peak, but the [...]
My herbs are gigantic, so any idea I read or see concerning herbs sticks in my head. Latest and greatest is from 1,001 Ingenious Gardening Ideas, (page 204 if you’ve got the book). Harvest herbs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and chive. Make sure all the herbs you harvest are between 5-8 inches in length. [...]
Making simple syrups with your herbs is very easy. Ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup water A handful of your favorite herb Lemon, or Peach (as I did above with the rosemary) Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan til sugar dissolves. Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon and herbs. Let cool, strain, [...]
Today’s temperature is to break 100 degrees, I can think of nothing better than using the sun’s heat and some herbs from the garden and make sun tea. Growing up in Texas, we did this often; so to try it here in Chicago is a nice throwback to my youth. I’m using Chocolate mint, but [...]
I started a bit of lettuce. Luckily, it’s a romaine called Freckles that is heat tolerant. I thought I’d look up some new salad ideas and came across a minted bean salad from Vegetarian Times which sounds delightful. I share. 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic salt and pepper Whisk [...]
This is the forest pumpkin and below is the kitty pumpkin. Both are from a farm stand in Wisconsin. I saved a few seeds to try to grow next year and roasted the rest. Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe heat oven to 325 degrees rinse seeds, coat with butter or olive oil and season with salt [...]
Interestingly, basil is a mild anti-bacterial. Studies published in the February 2004 issue of Food Microbiology, have shown that washing produce in solution containing either basil or thyme essential oil at the very low concentration of just 1% resulted in dropping the number of Shigella, an infectious bacteria that triggers diarrhea and may cause [...]
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got tons of tomatoes. I love searching out the little red and yellow fruits, but when the fridge is full and more are ripening on the vine, it’s time to save. Blanching tomatoes and making sauce to freeze are great ways to keep some summer for the winter [...]
You may have a natural spring with watercress growing in it like in Wisconsin. I wish I were that lucky. I’ve always known about watercress sandwiches for some reason, but this site, watercress.com, gives you history, recipes, nutritional information, and a little folklore. Proven to help fight cancer, we all need to add this super [...]
I ran across a great way to save your sage for winter. wash and remove leaves from stems let dry completely so they don’t turn brown in the freezer after they’ve dried, stuff them into the bottom third of a freezer bag roll, as you would a cigar, releasing the air as you go keep [...]