From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, I heard you talking on your radio show about the upcoming autumn season, and how fall is a good time for planting. You’re right, and even herbs can be planted in the fall. Here’s a nice primer on caring for your herb garden during this season, and how to preserve those herbs you planted in the spring:

PLANT CULINARY HERBS IN FALL – Perennials like lavender and sage along with other hardy perennials, do well when planted in fall.  Hardy annual seeds such as dill, cilantro, and parsley do great when the seeds are tamped down in the ground in autumn.   They’re content to “lay low”, ready to sprout at the first sign of warmth in spring.  The reason is as the weather gets cooler and we get more rain (hopefully), new plants and seeds settle in.   Perennials develop stronger roots because they do not have to push their way up to support life above the ground.

PRESERVING HERBS FOR COOKING – Except for lavender (the flower buds contain the most flavor and fragrance), I like to use the leafy portion of the herbs – the flavor of herbs is best right when the plant is beginning to form buds, but most of the time, I harvest whenever I can. Sometimes it’s at this stage, other times the herbs are in full flower. And remember, the flowers of culinary herbs are edible, so if you want to dry them, that’s OK.  My thought is at least I’m getting them harvested!

TRADITIONAL BUNCHING OF THE WHOLE PLANT – Herbs like basil, catnip, chives, feverfew, lemon balm, marjoram, mints, except apple mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, among others, dry nicely by these traditional methods:

1.  Strip an inch or so from the bottom of the stem and hang upside down secured with a rubber band or string away from heat, light and moisture (or hang upside down in paper bag).

2.  You can also place the leaves in single layers in a basket, on a cloth or screen.  When they crinkle between your fingers, they’re dry. Strips leaves from stems and leave whole if possible.  Volatile oils stay intact until you crush them for cooking.  Store away from heat and light.

To use dry herbs in place of fresh, use l/3 of the amount called for, since dry herbs are stronger.  Herbs hung in bunches, dried naturally usually turn a grayish green. To keep a brighter color, see “Chopping up Herbs” below.

CHOP HERBS TO DRY ON SCREENS, ETC.: -For years, I have experimented with drying herbs, and have found that some herbs are best if dried quickly in leaf or flower form only.  And I’m not alone with this thought.  Herb Companion Magazine has a nice article this month on this method.  I think that some herbs, like apple mint, basil, chamomile (flowers), chive flowers and leaves, dill, lovage, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme, even rose petals, dry with better color when they are removed from the stems and cut into small pieces, except for chamomile – I dry the whole flower.  Put them in a single layer and dry on screens for large amounts, or on cookie sheets in a barely warm oven (keep the door ajar if necessary) for small amounts. Stir every day, and then store.  Herbs preserved in this manner will dry more quickly than those hung on the stems.

MICROWAVING HERBS TO DRY:  Place one layer of leaves between two layers of microwave-safe paper toweling.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds to one minute.  Cool.  They should crinkle.  If not, microwave a few seconds more.  Do this in small batches with time in between or place a cup of water in the microwave to prevent overheating and possible fire.  Herbs dried in the microwave retain a nice green color. There’s a big debate, however, among herb enthusiasts about this method: some feel that microwaving draws volatile oils out; others feel that not only the oils are preserved, but the green color, too.  My take on this? Try and see and you be the judge.  Remember, herbs don’t always follow the rules!

Witness this: Last summer I had a paper grocery bag full of fresh herbs in the trunk of my car. It was hot, hot, hot.  Within a week or so, they dried and retained a nice color.  Now herbs are supposed to dry away from heat and light.  As I said, herbs don’t always follow the rules!

You can chop and freeze herbs. Whirl with a bit of water in the blender or food processor.  Pour into sprayed ice cube trays.  After the cubes are frozen, store in baggies. They will turn dark but add a nice fresh flavor to cooked dishes.  Toss unthawed into soups, stews, etc.
SAVE SEEDS FOR WINTER DISHES!

To save seeds to use in cooking (or for planting next year), remove seed heads and lay them out in an airy, dry, dark place.  When they are dry, shake them out and store in containers away from heat, light and moisture.  Or tie stems of herb seeds with a rubber band and hang upside down in a bag.  Seeds will drop into the bag as they fall off.

-Rita Nader Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist   www.abouteating.com

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  It’s Labor Day Weekend, so be safe if traveling about.  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW the Yardboy.  (Listen every Saturday morning to ‘In the Garden with Ron Wilson’, 6-9am on 55KRC The Talk Station and XM158.  You can also catch RW from 10-noon ‘In the Garden’ on 610WTVN (Home of the best Buckeye Coverage).

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Two-Way Roasted Whole Plum Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450. Toss tomatoes with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Lay in single layer on rimmed baking sheets. If you have some fresh thyme, basil and oregano, tuck several sprigs in between the tomatoes. Bake until they burst, about 45-60 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool, and then coarsely chop. Use them right away or freeze. You can freeze them up to 6 months.

Tips from Rita’s kitchen:  Any tomatoes roast well but plum do the best since they have a high percentage of pulp vs. juice.

Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist   www.abouteating.com

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Remember – no emailed newsletter next week.  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and make it the best next couple weeks of your life.  See ya, RW the Yardboy.  (Join us Saturdays 6-9am ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC (XM158), and from 10-12pm on 610WTVN (Columbus).

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, my garlic chives are just starting to bloom. They lend a nice patch of white spiky color to the herb garden. I’ll use the flower heads to make some flavorful herbal vinegar. Herbal vinegars are fun and easy to make, and even the littlest child can help (that includes you, Yardboy).

Here’s how I do it:

-Wash and dry a glass container.  It can be a canning jar, a decorative bottle, etc.  If the lid is metal, you will have to put a piece of plastic wrap under the lid to keep the vinegar, with its acidity, from destroying the lid.

-Fill the jar 1/3 to 1/2 way up with herbs.  What herbs to use? What do you like and what’s growing?  Use your imagination.  Single herb vinegars are lovely and one dimensional, like chive vinegar.  When you combine two – four herbs in a vinegar medley, you have multi-dimensional vinegar with awesome flavor.

-Bruise the herbs with a spoon as you put them in the jar.  Add aromatics such as a piece of shallot, a clove of garlic, a hot pepper (or your favorite herb, Yardboy:  hot & spicy oregano), etc.  Now this is optional.

-Pour wine or champagne vinegar over the herbs to cover. **

-Let steep for a couple of weeks on the counter.  The brighter and warmer the area, the quicker the herbs will infuse. You’ll know when they’ve infused by the aroma and the fact that the leaves will turn light gray/green and look wilted. When herbs have infused, strain them out and add a new sprig of herb to your vinegar.  Try infusing them in the herb garden – they will infuse in a day or so.

-Even faster: Bring mixture just to a simmer and let cool before straining into jar.  Put a fresh herb sprig into jar or bottle.

(**I make my own wine vinegar by pouring 1/4 cup white wine into a quart of clear vinegar.)

Herbal Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup herb vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, minced

Few shakes of Maggi seasoning (opt)

2/3 cup Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

-Rita Heikeknfeld, CCP / Herbalist    www.abouteating.com

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Keep watering, keep weeding, and keep cool.  And, by all means, have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW the Yardboy.

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, our tomatoes and carrots are doing great this year, no weird fungus on the tomatoes like last year and we planted the carrots in very loose soil so they are coming out nice and straight. Today I’m canning pizza sauce and salsa with the tomatoes. Since I won’t have time to cook a regular dinner, I’ll be serving these veggie burritos:

VEGGIE BURRITOS

(Now, go to taste here and add any veggies, etc. that you like.)

2 soft tortillas

1/2 cup refried beans, vegetarian

1/4 cup salsa

4 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olives, sliced

1/4 cup tomato, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup mixed salad greens, shredded

Favorite salad dressing (Ranch works well)

Mix beans and salsa together so that it is spreading consistency. Spread on tortillas. Spread sour cream on top.  Add onions, olives, tomato, carrots and salad mix. Drizzle with dressing. Roll up with two toothpicks and cut in half. A bit messy but so good.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist   www.abouteating.com

[“Just think.  If I hadn’t married Rita, I would have gone thru life thinking I had no faults at all.”  -Frank Heikenfeld]

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya!  RW, the Yardboy.  (Join us every Saturday morning 6-9am ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC / XM 158, and from 10-12pm on 610 WTVN – Columbus.)

From the Garden to the Kitchen

SALAMI, CAPOCOLLO AND PROVOLONE STROMBOLI FOR TW

Yardboy, sometimes when it’s just Frank & me eating supper during the summer, I like to serve a hearty sandwich along with fresh corn from the garden. One of my favorite open air restaurants in Italy served a Stromboli type sandwich fresh every day. Here’s one that reminds me of those fun times.

(Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated “Cooking for Two” cookbook.  This is one of my favorite cookbooks, by the way.)

8 oz pizza dough

2 oz ea: thinly sliced salami, capocollo, provolone or your favorite deli meats and cheese

1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and sliced thin

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (opt)

Kosher salt (opt)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 400. Brush rimmed baking sheet lightly with oil. On a lightly floured counter, roll dough to a 10x 7-1/2” rectangle, bout 1/4” thick. Put meat and provolone slices over dough, leaving a 3/4” border. Top with peppers and Parmesan. Brush edges with water and starting from long side, roll tightly into a long cylinder, pressing edges to seal.  Transfer Stromboli to baking sheet, seam side down. Brush egg over top and sprinkle with seeds and salt. Cover lightly with foil that has been sprayed with vegetable spray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Slice into pieces and serve with no cook pizza sauce.

No Cook Pizza Sauce – In food processor, pulse together 1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes, juice reserved, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 small garlic clove, minced and a pinch or two of salt to taste. Pulse 12 times.  Transfer to measuring cup and add reserved juice to make 1/2 cup sauce.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist     www.abouteating.com

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Keep watering and stay cool.  Hey, September is only 5 weeks away!  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW, the Yardboy.  (Join us every Saturday 6-9am on 55KRC / XM 158, and from 10-12pm on 610 WTVN Columbus.)

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, my tomatoes are ripening at warp speed. So naturally they’ll be featured in lots of recipes. This pasta with fresh tomato sauce is so good, and so easy.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

12 oz linguine, boiled but undercooking slightly

While linguine is cooking, make sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 nice cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds tomatoes, about 3 cups chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

16 basil leaves, torn into pieces

1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded or grated

Heat 3 tablespoons oil and add onion; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute, stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper and simmer. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta well and add to simmering sauce and cook until pasta is done, a couple more minutes. Add basil and rest of oil and combine. Top with cheese.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist www.abouteating.com

[I never knew what real happiness was until I married Rita, and by then it was too late.      -Frank Heikenfeld]

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Do your best to stay cool.  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW, the Yardboy.  (Join us every Saturday from 6-9am ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC The Talk Station / XM158, and from 10-noon on 610 WTVN – Columbus.)

[You know it’s hot when the cows are giving evaporated milk.]

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, fresh green beans are in season right now. Remember when you and I were kids and we called them “string” beans? Now you can grow or purchase “string-less” green beans. But no matter which kind you have, fresh green beans are very low in calories and contain no saturated fat but are very good source of vitamins, minerals. They have lots of good fiber, and are great sources of vitamin A, also vitamin C. There’s a nutrient in green beans, too, that is good for your eyes. They also contain potassium which is good for your heart, muscles and blood pressure.  Here’s a recipe that makes perfect use of the first batch of green beans from the garden. I’m making this for supper tonight – stop by and I’ll set an extra plate.

RITA’S SMOKED COTTAGE HAM WITH GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES

This is what I call cooking from the garden: freshly dug potatoes and onions, new green beans snapped from the vines and a cottage ham from the store. Sometimes smoked cottage ham is called shoulder butt. It’s called that because it comes from the “butt” of the shoulder. Put it all together and you have heaven in a Crockpot!

Cut up potatoes and place in sprayed Crockpot. Ditto with beans and 1 fat onion. Lay cottage ham on top and add just a small amount of water – not quite half way up. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a side of fresh corn.

TIPS FROM RITA’S KITCHEN

Having trouble digesting beans? Add a bit of savory to bean dishes. Savory is called “the bean herb” in Germany and yes, it does help digest beans.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist    www.abouteating.com

[Last week Rita said she was convinced her mind was almost gone.  Doesn’t surprise me - she’s been giving me a piece of it everyday since we’ve been married.  -Frank Heikenfeld]

OBKB – that’s it for this week.  Now do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best week and weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW, the Yardboy.  (Join us Saturdays 6-9am ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC The Talk Station / XM158, and 10-Noon on 610 WTVN – Columbus.)

From the Garden to the Kitchen

Yardboy, it was so much fun meeting our customers at the Preferred Gardener Ladies Night Out at the Mason and Florence stores. I’ve had requests for some of the recipes, so today I’m sharing one of the most popular, which is an onion bruschetta. It’s delicious and the bonus is that this recipe can be done several days ahead!

RED ONION MARMALADE WITH PARMESAN TOASTS

1/4 cup canola oil

2 very large red onions, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Several dashes cinnamon, to taste

Salt

1 baguette

Parmesan cheese, cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler

Directions:  To make the onion marmalade, in a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the honey and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid from the onions has evaporated. Add the vinegar and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced and thickened to the consistency of a marmalade. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Cut the baguette into 1/4-inch-thick slices. You should have about 24 slices. Arrange the slices on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the first side. Turn the toasts over and continue to bake for 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until golden on both sides. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. The toasts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.  Arrange the toasts on a large platter. Top each toast with a dollop of marmalade and a few shavings of Parmesan.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist   www.abouteating.com

[I fell in love with Rita at first sight.  I should have looked twice.  -Frank Heikenfeld]

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Coming up next week it’s the Fourth of July Weekend!  Next thing you know, we’ll be celebrating Labor Day Weekend.  Wow, it does go by fast!  Now, do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best first week of summer and the best first weekend of summer of your life.  See ya.  RW the Yardboy.  (Join us every Saturday morning for ‘In the Garden’, 6-9am on 55KRC / XM 158, and 10-12pm on 610 WTVN.  Coming up this Saturday on the early gardening show – perennial experts Jennifer and Olivia Radcliffe!)

From the Garden to the Kitchen

THAI PARTY PORK TENDERLOIN FOR DAD’S SPECIAL DAY

Yardboy, it’s your special day Sunday (along with all Dads out there).  So here’s wishing you, Frank, and all Dad’s the BEST Father’s Day ever!  Now for this year, I’m going to try something different for my husband, Frank – a delicious twist on the usual marinade for pork!

THAI PARTY PORK TENDERLOIN FOR DAD’S SPECIAL DAY

You’ll need:  2-3 Pork tenderloins, 1 # each (Sometimes I’ll butterfly the pork, cutting down on the grilling time.)

For the Marinade you’ll need:

Grated zest, juice and pulp from 3 large limes

1 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce

3/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce (I like Mae Ploy brand but your favorite is OK)

1/4 cup finely minced ginger

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 cup minced chopped fresh cilantro, basil and mint mixed

Mix all ingredients together. You can make the marinade up to 8 hours ahead. Marinate pork anywhere from 8 hours to overnight. Grill over medium heat until pork registers 160 and is still slightly pink in the center.  During cooking, brush with marinade.

-Rita Heikenfeld, CCP / Herbalist    www.abouteating.com

[I just read where in some parts of Africa, a man doesn’t know his wife until he marries her.  Same thing happened to me when I married Rita.  –Frank Heikenfeld]

OBKB.  That’s it for this week.  Its Fathers Day weekend so do yourself a favor.  Go out and have the best Father’s Day weekend of your life.  See ya.  RW, the Yardboy.  (Join us every Saturday 6-9am ‘In the Garden’ on 55KRC The Talk Station.)