Herb Week: Basil

If Rosemary is Queen, then Basil is King of Herbs!

Roasted tomatoes with basil & mozzerella

Basil is the hallmark of summer in the South, begging to be plucked and tucked into a sandwich or blended with olive oil for a creamy pesto. Easy to grow and just as easy to root, Basil serves floral & culinary duties.








Placing long stems of Basil into floral arrangements one curious of the delightfully sweet aroma. Basil has many culinary powers, too. Pick fresh leaves/stems early in the morning or late evening for peak essential oil & flavor.

Fresh Basil on sandwiches & pasta, combined with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella---divine! You must try making your own pesto this year--read Pesto Presto! for a good starter recipe...


Plant your Basil soon & enjoy the King of Herbs all summer!
see you
ML

The Beginning

I love our growing season.In the beginning there are herbs, radishes, chard & broccoli.




Growing Herbs for Beginners on Facebook asked me to post tonite's supper recipe.
However, most of our suppers are so simple, they don't require a recipe...












Here it is:

Salad
Lettuce of choice...tonite it was Iceberg, my garden lettuce is wilting & I admittedly love the crunch of Iceberg
Pitted Kalamata olives, chopped tomato, carrot, drizzled with WHITE Balsamic vinegar...much more pleasing to the eye!

Shrimp
Large pink Publix shrimp, smothered in EVOO, and freshly chopped garlic, roast in oven at 500 til all pink

Ground Beef Patties...
Put in large zippy bag, add seasonings, garlic powder, onion, teriaki sauce tonite.
Place on stovetop or grill and let em cook til done...
I add large slices of onion & the swiss chard when burgers almost done



Potatoes(my favorite, but don't eat too many!)
Gourmet(small) new potatoes...from garden. Cut into 1/4's, drizzle with EVOO,
add freshly cut thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, and flat leaf parsley...
Watch the carb cravers come!!!

Thyme co-habitating with perennial sage

A few goodies from the Home Garden

Supper Club Update

So many of you have sent me recipes and fabulous ideas for our March 26th Garden Party Supper Club. In case you need to catch up, read Party Time: Supper Club.

I found these Ralph Lauren Veranda Paisley green napkins at TJ Maxx in Aiken last week. 

Set of 4, need 16 more, but will look for mix and match.

Hoping the menu looks a bit like this:

Herbalicious Cocktails

Sweet pepper Appetizers

Ina Garten's recipe for Green Goddess salad dressing

Maw Maw's Scalloped Potatoes
dressed up with garlic & cayenne

I am still undecided about the main dish & dessert, but there's plenty of time. Anticipating a taste of Norma's Rosemary & Lemon cake (and recipe!).
 Just hope the weather holds up! Stay tuned. 

Blessings from the Garden . 

ML

Appetizers

Sometimes when I traipse off to speak to a group, I take a little goodie with me.




It's most important to take some "show & tell" as herbs
are so sensual! Often I'll make little tussie mussies to give as door prizes or create an herbal
appetizer for sampling by the group...

Robert ripped this recipe out of an old June 2009 issue of Southern Living magazine, and asked me to try it.
I usually have a small nibble tray ready when he comes home. This adds to our repertoire of bites...It's a gourmet cheese spread that is supposed to taste like goat cheese. I love both!






Definitely a keeper & hope you'll try with your spring herb collection...

8 ounce softened low fat cream cheese
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese (can be plain or flavored)
Combine by beating with a mixer or with a spoon.  Shape cheese mix into 2 logs, roll one 
log into coarsely ground pepper (about 2 tsp), and the other in 2 tsp of chopped dill (my favorite!). 


Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 4 hours.  Serve with crackers or crusty French bread. 
Use your imagination here. Mix the herbs in with the cream cheese mixture, roll the cheese in finely chopped nuts, use multicolored pepper, dried fruit, etc...

Enjoy!

Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Garden to Grill...and somewhere in between!

Summer Herbs by June

Some of my friends have dubbed me June,

as in "Cleaver". Although I am much too young

to remember the show, I produce the

full meal deal for breakfast and dinner

every week day unless I am dying. My brother in law

once asked if he could come over for breakfast because

he knows hot coffee, bacon, eggs and grits

would most likely be the morning special!

I've been experimenting with the garden harvest

on the grill this week. Here was tonight's menu:

* grilled marinated shrimp on rosemary skewers

* tomatoes slices topped with jalapeno, basil,

Vidalia onion, and mozzarella cheese then

drizzled with white balsamic vinegar

* grilled tenderloin tails and fingerling toms

in olive oil

Keep cutting your garden herbs! No need to pay

3 bucks for a moldy package of wilted leaves!

Blessings from the Garden.

June...I mean ML

Cooking with Herbs

Herbal Harvest

It's good to have herbs in the garden, and better to

actually make use of them!

Last night I snipped a handful of flat leaf parsley,

rosemary & chives, chopped them and placed in a zip lock bag with

quartered new potatoes.

Added a bit of olive oil, distributed onto

Pampered Chef large bar pan (LOVE IT)

and roasted on almost HIGH broil for about 15 min.

Even my kids love the potatoes...

please pass the ketchup!

Blessings from the Garden...

ML

Bruschetta

Pronounced Brus Ketta, this tasty little treat is

great served as an appetizer or add a bit more cheese,

some beans and you've got a tasty

small meal!

Marianna and Emma were caught experimenting in the kitchen this weekend then presented the parents

with this...

By now you should have plenty of basil planted in

the garden, tomatoes will be ripening soon, maybe you have some fresh garlic, too? The girls had a not so fresh sliced baguette, some olive oil, basil, toms, and

mozzarella cheese.

I must say, the parents were impressed.

Blessings from the Garden.

ML