GARLIC
At the end of last summer I planted some garlic. I had not grown garlic before so this was a new experiment. Now that I have pulled it up, I see that it was reasonably successful. Not perfect of course, now that I’ve done a little research I see that I should have planted later, and dug it up earlier. Also, I should have stopped watering it a week or so before pulling it up. The cloves did grow to a pretty good size and while they are not as pristine looking as the ones in the supermarket, they are still acceptable. I will plant some again this September or October, this time I will try putting them in a spot I can leave dry at the end and see if they will come out even better next year. Perhaps in a few years I will look at volunteering for a seeds of diversity project. I found two web sites with excellent information on growing garlic: www.seeds.ca and www.garlicfarm.ca Both are Canadian sites. Since I love to put garlic in almost all savory dishes, this will not be a whole year’s supply, but I won’t have to buy any for several months either!
- Karin Wegner (from Common Greens, September 2009)
FEATURE RECIPE
Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
*2 small whole garlic heads or 1 large whole garlic head
*2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise
Method
Pre-heat oven to 175° C (350° F). Wrap each head of garlic separately in aluminum foil and place on rack in the center of the oven, bake 45 minutes. Remove garlic from oven, unwrap and allow to cool. Separate the cloves of garlic and squeeze each clove so that the garlic is removed from the papery skin. In a small food processor or blender, process all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve at room temperature. Serve with crackers, raw veggies or crisp breads. Also, good as a sandwich spread.
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BASIL
The reason I chose basil this month is because I was given a small bunch free and it smells yummy…
On Wednesday I went to the farmers market and indulged. There was an organic farmer there from which I bought tomatoes, cucumber and snow peas. I must say those snow peas did not last long and we also went to the baker… but I digress as that doesn’t have anything to do with the basil. He also gave me a little bunch of fresh basil.
Admittedly on the homemaker side I’m a bit, well actually, very lax. I don’t much like to clean, but cooking I enjoy. So with the basil, here’s what I made. I used some Swiss chard, spinach and kale from my garden, tomato and the basil from the market and sweet onion, red pepper and garlic that were already in residence. Started with the coarsely chopped onion, in a pan with a bit of olive oil, add the coarsely chopped red pepper, cook a bit, add the garlic, cook a bit more, add the tomato and basil, turn down the heat and cook a bit then add the leafy green greens and cook a bit then add a splash of hot water to wilt them. And there’s dinner, add to pasta and sprinkle on a little cheese. Light fresh and tasty. You can add salt, but I forgot. Unfortunately the household food critic does not particularly like vegetables so I made it when she was out. Therefore, you only have my word for it that it was any good.
Apparently companion planting it with tomatoes gives them better flavour, I’m curious to know if this is true… the other plants it “helps” are pepper, oregano, asparagus and petunia. Also, basil attracts butterflies and repels asparagus beetle, mosquitoes and white flies.
- Karin Wegner (from Common Greens, August 2009)
FEATURE RECIPE
Fresh Pesto
Ingredients
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
Use on your favourite pasta or on top of fish or chicken.
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LAVENDER
Although lavender is a culinary herb, its primary uses seem to be in aromatherapy. Commonly used in cosmetics it has a lovely scent. In aromatherapy it is used to calm and soothe. One can also use lavender either in an eye pillow or a steam for headaches.
At a recent seminar at the SPCA for those of us who work with the cats, we learned that we will be using some scents in our care of the cats while they are in the shelter. Lavender is one of the herbs to be used to help calm anxious and fearful cats. Of course it is also a strong scent so care must be taken not to use so much as to overpower.
As a culinary herb it can be added, in small amounts, to baked goods or even some savory dishes, teas or tea blends. There is an aromatherapy shop in Fort Langley which blends a lovely Rooibos lavender tea.
In the garden lavender is recommended for borders as it attracts bees, but other pesky insects tend to be repelled by it.
- Karin Wegner (from Common Greens, May 2009)
FEATURE RECIPE
Lavender Cookies
1 tablespoon dried organic lavender flowers
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Crush lavender flowers. In a medium bowl, cream together crushed lavender flowers, butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon extracts. Add flour and salt; mix until combined (dough should be soft but not sticky.) Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until dough is firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough approximately 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. When cool, frost if desired.
