cookinwithherbs
brookeville, MD, UScontributor
Susan Belsinger Bio 2009
Ms. Belsinger is a culinary herbalist, educator, food writer, and photographer whose articles and photographs have been published in The Herb Companion, Herbs for Health, Natural Home & Garden, Fine Gardening, GRIT, Kitchen Gardener, Organic Gardening, The Herb Quarterly, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Woman's Day, The Washington Post, and other publications. She has been featured in the Baltimore Magazine, Better Nutrition, Organic Gardening Magazine, Mid-Atlantic Magazine, Victoria Magazine, and The Washington Times. She has co-authored several best-selling, award-winning cookbooks. Her recently released book the creative herbal home co-authored with Tina Marie Wilcox is the second in the living with herbs series published by herbspirit. not just desserts-sweet herbal recipes is the first in the series. Recently, Susan compiled and edited Bay: Herb of the Year 2009 for the International Herb Association.
Besides gardening organically and teaching, Susan travels throughout the U.S. Canada and Europe giving lectures and demonstrations on subjects including herbs, edible flowers, chiles, garlic, Southwestern, Italian, vegetarian cooking, cooking with kids, gardening, herbs for a healthy lifestyle in the home and for aromatherapy. She has been a teacher at L'Academie de Cuisine, an accredited cooking school in Bethesda, MD, for more than 25 years.
Presently, Susan is a contributing editor writing regularly for the Herb Companion, and has a regular feature ‘Fresh and Flavorful’ in Washington Home & Garden Magazine. She is the editor for the Herb of the Year books for IHA and was the editor for the IHA newsletter for the past three years. In 2005, she completed an herbal apprentice course with Rosemary Gladstar. In 2003 and 2004, she had a regular feature titled "Season's Eatings" in Natural Home magazine. Susan was a contributing editor for Vegetarian Times and wrote a monthly column titled "GoingVeg" for the year 2002. She has been moderator and coordinator, and presenter, for a number of day-long seminars on herbs & gardening for the Smithsonian Associates.
Susan has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, The Willard Scott Home & Garden Show, National Public Radio, PBS’ Cultivating Life, Ultimate Kitchens, DeLiteful Cooking, and many national and local cable stations. She has given presentations at nationally known places such as the Atlanta Botanic Gardens, Australasian Collge of Health Sciences, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, Denver Botanic Gardens, Gilroy Garlic Festival, Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Library of Congress, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, National Cathedral, New Orleans Botanic Gardens, Ozark Folk Center, Philadelphia Flower Show, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Tai Sophia Institute for the Healing Arts, United States Botanic Gardens, U.S. National Arboretum, and University of Michigan.
Susan resides in Maryland with her husband, Tomaso, and daughters, Lucie & Cady. She has lived in Italy and California & has traveled throughout Europe, the U.S., & Mexico. She is a member of Les Dames d' Escoffier, Herb Society of America, Garden Writers of America, board member of International Herb Association, American Botanical Council, United Plant Savers. In 2006, Susan received the HSA Joanna McQuail Reed Award for the Artistic Use of Herbs; in 2004 she received a Professional Award from IHA for her outstanding contributions to the herb industry.
Growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers organically, harvesting them at their peak, and bringing them into the kitchen to create healthy recipes is a way of life for Susan. She is passionate about herbs & her work-sharing the joy of gardening & cooking through teaching & writing-& inspiring others to get in touch with their senses of smell & taste.
gardening interests: Composting, Container Gardening, Cooking, Culinary Herbs, Edible Landscaping, Gardening with Kids, Herbal Crafts, Medicinal Herbs, Organic Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegetables
Member Since: 02/22/2009
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Summer Greek Salad
Having just recently spent a few weeks in July on the isle of Syros, I found out what a true Greek salad is and savored many of them, all a variation on this theme, in the height of the season. The tomatoes there, I might say, were the best that I have ever eaten—sweet and tart and red and bursting with juice. In restaurants and the market, I only ever saw English cucumbers, so they were served with the skins and had no big seeds. If you are using a waxed cucumber, it must be peeled. There are many kinds of feta to choose from—sheep, goat, cow, very salty, extra creamy—all of them are very fresh. On this traditional dish, not once did I see the feta crumbled, it was always sliced, in keeping with the textures of the other salad ingredients. It was caper season, and let me tell you, fresh cured capers are something that we don’t see here! Ours are small and briny, so I generally rinse them before using. This salad is placed on the table family style and generally serves 2 to 4 people; it is easily doubled or tripled.
Summer Musings
It is that laid-back lazy hazy days of summer time. It is almost too hot to go out to the garden during the day, so many gardeners get up early in order to get weeding, watering and garden chores done before the heat of the day arrives. If I have time, I often plan what to have for supper, harvest and cook it in the morning, so I don’t have to heat up the house later in the day.
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Tzatziki
This is a national dip of Greece—it is on every table and goes with just about any dish— and there are probably as many variations as there are cooks. It always contains drained yogurt, cucumber and garlic; some used red wine vinegar, while others use lemon juice; dill is popular, however occasionally mint is added instead; olive oil is added in some recipes.
Cream Cheese with Herbes de Provence and Garlic
This cheese is simple to make, less expensive than store-bought herb cheeses, and better tasting. Since I have the fresh herbs in my garden, I use them to make afresh-tasting blend. However, the dried herb recipe below also makes a delicious cheese. The touch of vinegar makes it less cloying. Herb lovers will find this a versatile spread, it is good on sandwiches and crackers, great on baked potatoes, and when thinned with a little milk it can be used as a tasty dip.
Catching Up and Thriving
About two weeks ago, I blogged about Herbal Blends and an upcoming event to be held at the USBG. At that time I promised you a recipe using an herbal blend. Since then I have been to Greece and back and am finally posting the recipe for you. I fully intended to post the recipe and write a bit about the USBG event, however the Greek gods intervened and we had no internet at the villa where the Holistic Herbal Mediterranean cooking class was held. I will report on the vegetative wonders on the isle of Syros next, however first I want to post the recipe for Cream Cheese with Herbes de Provence and Garlic and tell you about the awesome exhibit at our national botanic garden.
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Herb Blends to Grow for the Cook's Delight
This weekend I will be giving a demo featuring ‘Herbal Blends from Around the World’ at the Thrive! Summer Festival at the U.S. Botanic Garden. It has inspired me to think about growing small gardens or containers featuring herb blends.
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Chefs From Across the Nation Gather at the White House Kitchen Garden
On Friday, June 4, 2010, over 500 chefs from 38 states gathered at the White House by invitation of the first lady, Michelle Obama in support of her Chefs on the Move initiative.
Arugula and Balsamic Tomatoes on Bruschetta
A winning summertime combination—arugula and tomatoes—on toasted garlic bread is the perfect way to start a meal. Or serve as a salad with bread on the side.
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My Favorite Salad Green--Whatever You Want to Call It: Arugula or Rocket
Rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) is an ancient plant, cultivated or gathered from the wild in most Mediterranean countries; over the past decade it has become popular in North America. Its several names in Italian indicate how widespread it is on the peninsula: arugula, ruchetta, rucola; in French it is known as roquette.
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A Visit to the Green Farmacy Garden
Dr. Jim Duke's Green Farmacy Garden is an outdoor learning classroom filled with herbs, flowers, vegetables--all of which help to keep us healthy.
Another Harbinger of Spring: The Merry Mints!
Mints come in such a profusion of varieties--and all tend to crossbreed with each other--leading to much confusion among both the marketers and buyers of mints; even herbal experts do not always describe the same species in the same way. To make sure that you are buying plants that are closest to the true species, buy them from a trusted herb grower.
tropical fruit salad with vanilla mint syrup
This syrup works with practically any combination of fruit, however I especially like it with the tropicals. It is a light and refreshing dessert; the use of the vanilla bean makes these fruits seem exotic. Sometimes, we cut into an unripe melon or pineapple and it has little taste. You can save it and make it delicious by macerating it in this syrup. I like to add a garnish of lime zest or mint leaves, cut into chiffonade to this salad. Excerpted from not just desserts—sweet herbal recipes by Susan Belsinger.
Moroccan Mint Tea
To prepare the traditional Moroccan tea, keep the following essentials in mind. The tea must be green, with a mild flavor. The mint must be fresh (absolutely not dried), and it must be spearmint. The tea is traditionally very sweet; there is always sugar in the bottom of the glasses in Morocco. The tea should be served in small glasses with several fresh mint sprigs in each glass. This recipe is excerpted from Herbs in the Kitchen by Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille, Interweave Press, 1992.
Writing from the Road, Spring 2010
Once again, it is springtime for this roving gardener. I have been on the road teaching other folks about garden-related topics; which means that I haven’t had a lot of time at home working in my own garden (or writing for that matter). Click on the pix to enlarge them and read the photo captions.
More Harbingers of Spring: Chives
Be sure to click on each photo to see it expanded and read the captions. Chives are bright green in my garden now and it seems like they are growing about half-inch a day! Get out there and snip some of those fresh onion-like herbs to add flavor to your spring dishes!
Herbal Harbingers of Spring: Lemon Balm
In most parts of the country our gardens are coming alive and we are rejoicing that spring is upon us. We delight as the first herbs appear in the garden and combine their flavors with seasonal...
Strawberry and Lemon Balm Whipped Cream Parfaits
Welcome the warm weather with strawberry parfaits.
Plant Dill This Spring
Dill is a treat as a salad crop, and also in the form of dill seed. It is easily grown; why not plant some now?
Dilled Beet and Buttermilk Soup
This soup is especially good in the spring, when beets are in season.
Celebrate Dill!
It is time to welcome dill as herb of the year for 2010, chosen by the International Herb Association for its culinary, ornamental and medicinal traits.
Spring Green
Spring is in the air! It is time to start foraging for new plant growth and harbingers of spring in our gardens—celebrating green.
A Time to Sow
It is March here in Maryland and we still have about 20 inches of snow on the ground. Folks around here are having serious cabin fever. I am getting ready to haul out the flats and potting medium in my greenhouse and start a few flats of green growing things to shake off the drears and dulls of winter!
Herb Butter
Simple to make, herb butters keep in the refrigerator for about one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Zuppa Verde
Welcome spring with this amazingly simple and nutritions soup.
An Indoor Herb Garden Tides Us Over Until Spring
Record snowfall in the mid-Atlantic this winter has kept us inside, so why not sow some seeds indoors?
Savory for Winter Dishes
I’ve been discussing the robust herbs for warming winter dishes in my blogs for January and part of February and Savory is my last, but not least entry. I believe that savory is an underused...
Vegetarian Chili
This hearty, satisfying chili is made with tofu or tempeh.
Thyme, a Robust Herb of Many Uses
Thyme is an herb of Mediterranean origin. It is useful in all kinds of dishes from appetizers to desserts and goes well with seasonal winter produce as well as grains, beans, nuts, as well as meat, fish and fowl.
Greek Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette
This version of an old stand-by is easy to make. It is fresh and tasty and crunchy anytime, and especially good in winter.
Rosemary: A Robust Herb of Winter
The bracing scent of rosemary brightens our mood and our cooking. Best of all, rosemary is an easy herb to grow and maintain. It can be wintered over indoors in cold climates.
Country Pea Soup with Rosemary
This simple, hearty soup can be made in a crock pot and is sure to please the whole family.
Outstanding Oreganos and Mild-Mannered Marjoram
Delightful myths and lovely uses surround sweet marjoram, while herbal remedies and hearty dishes are associated with oregano, its close cousin.
Savory Spanakopita
This version of spanakopita is packed full of flavor—it is delicious—as well as being good for you.
Using Sage in Warming Winter Dishes
Sage has a long history as a medicinal and culinary plant. Like other robust herbs, sage adds hearty flavor to your winter cooking.
Pasta e Fagioli
This easy, wonderfully hearty peasant soup is perfect for a chilly winter day.
Once in a Blue Moon...Happy New Year!
You've heard the saying "once in a blue moon," which generally means "not very often." We are having a blue moon on New Year's Eve.
Winter Solstice: Celebrate the Light
Late on December 21st or early on the 22nd, depending upon where you live on this earth, begins the celebration of the Winter Solstice. This is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. From this day until the first of January is a time for reflection and repose, as well as celebration.
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Homemade Applesauce
My family loves homemade applesauce. Sometimes I use a combination of apples--and even add a few pears--other times I use all of one type of apple. Although any apple can make a good sauce, one of...
Eat An Apple a Day--In Many Ways!
Fall and winter months, we are fortunate to have an abundance of apples and pears. We store them in our cold room in the basement and they keep over the winter months.
Just a Bit More on Winter Squash and Pumpkin...
Wait! Don't toss those winter squash and pumpkins into the compost. Make a golden yellow puree to have flavor and sunshine on a winter day. You will be glad if you put them up for winter soup, stews, bread pudding, pies, cakes, scones and more.
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Golden Loaf Cake
This cake has a tender crumb, is not as heavy as the usual pumpkin bread, even though it uses part whole-wheat flour and it slices beautifully.
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Oven-Roasted Winter Squash with Garlic and Sage
Use whichever winter squash you prefer. Some of my favorites are Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Blue Hubbard, Carnival, acorn, and butternut; I usually use two different types for this dish. This is so simple and oh-so-good.
The Hardy Cucurbits: The Wonderful World of Winter Squash and Pumpkin
Pumpkins and winter squash come in a cornucopia of colors and sizes, not to mention flavors. Fortunately for us, these heirloom vegetables are becoming quite popular, allowing us to buy a vast array...
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Winter Squash Soup with Black Beans and Corn
This Southwestern-style soup features the native trio of squash, beans, and corn; their flavors having been combined for centuries. This soup is quick to assemble once the squash or pumpkin has been prepared. It can be made ahead; it is one of those soups that tastes even better the next day. If you don't like cilantro, substitute Italian flat-leaved parsley and/or basil.
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Plant Garlic as a Fall Crop
Fall is the time to plant garlic in most parts of the U.S. If you haven't done it yet, there is still time unless you are so far North that the ground is frozen.
Sorghum and the Making of Sweet Syrup
Sweet sorghum syrup, also referred to as sorghum molasses, sorgho, or sorgo, is made by boiling the sweet juice of the sorghum cane. Since it contains iron, calcium, and potassium, sorghum is good for you--unlike other liquid sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.
Celebrate All Hallow's Eve!
It's not too late to carve a Jack O' Lantern! See the detailed directions below—let your mood lead you to a grimacing pumpkin, a wicked witch—or even a tree of life.
Farewell to the Summer Harvest Season--Fall is Here!
Gone are the bright blue skies of autumn, when one looks up through a dazzling palette of colored leaves against the sky. Lime green, bright yellow, golden, orange, red, mahogany, and brown leaves...
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Skillet Cornbread
This savory cornbread is hearty and rich and cake-like and full of flavor. Sometimes I add a tablespoon or two of fresh chopped sage, oregano or marjoram. This is a great accompaniment to baked beans and coleslaw.
To The Burren and Back!
Here's an account of my visit to The Burren, an astounding limestone expanse on the western coast of Ireland, and my return to my garden in full fall mode.
Whole Pickled Peppers
I have made good pickled peppers from Santa Fe Grande, Hungarian hot, red hot cherry, jalapeno, serrano and habanero chiles. Makes about 6 pints. Wash the peppers and cut the stems from the large...
Garlic and Chile Insecticidal Soap Spray
I have been making this spray for more than 20 years--I don't remember where the idea came from--perhaps an old issue of Organic Gardening or Mother Earth News. I do know that the recipe works. It is...
Seeing Green: The Emerald Isle
Ireland is a wonderland of magical bright green vistas—sometimes the sea is off in the distance—and other views feature unbelievable rock formations.
Getting Familiar with My Irish Roots
Happy autumnal equinox! Inspired by the cuisine of Ireland and their prodigious use of root vegetables, I am ready to start roasting them in the oven and making soups.
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Fall Planting of Cole Crops
Just because fall is in the air, it doesn't mean that the gardening season is over. In fact, for some crops it has just begun. The Brassicas, which have been referred to as "cole crops" for...
Red Hot! How to Harvest, Dry and Store Mature Red Chiles
Woohoo! Chile season is in full swing and you should be harvesting and preserving those red, ripe fruits from your garden or buying them at the farmers' markets. Let Susan, an admitted aficionado of...
Herbal Libations
Gather your herbal bounty to make mouthwatering herb syrups that can be used in cooling cocktails or drizzled over summer fruits or shortcakes. These scrumptious flavor-packed syrups can be refrigerated to have on hand or they can be frozen so that you can enjoy them year round.
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Exotic Ginger Syrup with Lemon Herbs and Vanilla Bean
This syrup is very good for a sore throat, cold, or flu. It is delicious stirred into tea, lemonade, or other juices to make a fruit punch, tossed with fruit salad, and drizzled over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. It also makes an exceptional homemade ginger ale.
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The Gardeners' Exchange
We gardeners know without a doubt that besides reaping the harvest and spending time outdoors in nature, there are many benefits to being a gardener. We may not always realize this when we are...
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Garden Gazpacho
When tomatoes are ripe and in season this simple, savory soup is the perfect way to begin a meal, or to enjoy for lunch, perhaps with some bread and cheese. This is not a ho-hum, cold, watery soup; it is packed full of flavor.
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Hot Hot Hot! Get Ready to Preserve the Chile Harvest
About midsummer, peppers mature and begin to ripen, and chiles become more pungent. Right now in my Maryland Zone 7 garden, my chiles are coming on strong and we are eating them morning, noon and night. Some of them are almost fiery hot, while some are crisp, slightly sweet with just a hint of heat, and full of flavor.
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Roasted Chile and Herb Sauce
This is a recipe using roasted chiles in a delicious South-of-the-Border green herb sauce. It has similarities to both pipián verde from Mexico and pesto from Italy, with a Southwestern touch. It is delicious on pasta, potatoes, squash, fresh sliced tomatoes, or with grilled chicken and fish, on sandwiches and wraps.
The Tomato Sandwich: Summer's Ultimate Food
What's better than garden-fresh tomatoes on sandwich bread slathered in mayonnaise?
These Basil Varieties Shine in the Kitchen
If you like to use basil in your cooking, consider growing the ones listed here.
Basic Pesto Recipe
Many of us use a food processor to make pesto since it's quick and easy. But for centuries, Italians have made pesto using a mortar and pestle. Pesto prepared in this manner is by far the best, as it...
Tea Party Gardening in Containers
A few years ago, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens contacted me to see if I had any ideas for chapters for a new book Designing an Herb Garden. Tina Marie Wilcox and I proposed and wrote two chapters for...
Growing Basil
For the best harvest, give plants full sun, ample water, and regular pruning
One More Report--Writing from the Road: Spring Extravaganza at the Ozark Folk Center
Sometimes, in the spring with all of the traveling, I do feel disconnected, longing for some garden time. However, once back home, I leave my suitcases unpacked and head outside to commune with...
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Egg and Cheese Puff with Greens
A great brunch dish, or quick lunch or supper, this recipe is easily put together and can actually be prepared a few hours ahead of time and refrigerated. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. The ingredients are fairly versatile. Use the best greens that you have in season; some other good choices are: spinach, baby chard, dandelion leaves, arugula, watercress, nettles (pick with gloves!), basil, dill, cilantro, etc.
Video: Make a Flower Salad
Many flowers are as delicious as they are beautiful. In this video, culinary herbalist Susan Belsinger makes a gorgeous flower salad.
Writing from the road continued
Still out on the road, this traveling gardener experiences different stages of spring in gardens around the country. This trip begins with summery weather at the Epcot flower and garden festival in Orlando, Florida, then back to spring in Maryland and then a drive south through Virginia, North and South Carolina.
Writing from the Road
Lecturer and author Susan Belsinger reports from the road as a traveling gardener--it is springtime everywhere--in varying stages.
Five Flowers to Dine On
Daylily, nasturtium, monarda, viola, and squash blossom are more than just pretty faces. Handled with care, these tasty beauties travel gracefully from garden to plate.
Chocolate Pudding with Bay
This chocolate-rich pudding is redolent with the aroma of bay that lingers on your palate. Fresh bay leaves give the pudding a wonderful fragrance that you don't get when you use dried bay leaves.
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Bay (Laurus nobilis): From Legend and Lore to Fragrance and Flavor
Hello gardeners! This year, bay is Herb of the Year and it's being celebrated internationally. The following article appears in Bay, Herb of the Year 2009, published by the International Herb Association.
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Bay Syrup
Herb syrups are wonderful flavor essences that can be added in place of the liquid in cakes, pie filling, and drizzled over all type of baked goods. They are good on all kinds of fruits and fruit salads, used in beverages, and to make sorbets.
Fresh Pea Soup with Mint
This simple soup can be made with frozen peas, if necessary. For added richness, use half-and-half instead of milk.
Chocolate Mint Brownies
You can use spearmint in these chocolate brownies, but peppermint works best with chocolate.
Blondies with Orange Mint and Apricots
Orange mint endows these blondies with a citrus flavor and scent.
Tabbouleh with Mint
This is a traditional-style Middle Eastern tabbouleh with the added flavors of garbanzos, pine nuts, and currants.
How to Grow Chives
Flowers are only one of the reasons to grow chives. Their flavor, with the sweetness of an onion and the hint of new garlic, adds a pleasing touch to many dishes. Here's how to grow them well and use them in the kitchen.
Cooking with Lavender
Lavender is an edible flower. Used judiciously, it can enhance the taste of a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savory.
How to Grow Delectable Lemon Basils
Rich soil and sunny spaces yield citrus-sparked flavor.
Lemon Basil Ice Cream
This velvet-textured ice cream leaves a delightful perfume on the palate.
Buttermilk Cream Scones with Lemon Basil
These delicious scones can be prepared for a special breakfast, brunch, tea party, or even served as dessert.
Pasta with Summer Vegetables and Lemon Basil
This dish is the perfect summer supper: simple, quick, easy, and light.
Peach Crisp with Lavender
Serve up a tempting summer dessert that combines the sweetness of fresh peaches with the perfume of lavender flowers.
Cream Cheese with Herbes de Provence and Garlic
This versatile spread can be served on sandwiches and crackers; thinned with a little milk, it makes a tasty dip for vegetables.
Chives in the Kitchen
Chives and their flowers find many uses in the kitchen. Susan Belsinger offers suggestions for using common chives and garlic chives in your cooking. You'll also learn how to infuse chive blossoms in vineger.
Wilted Greens with Garlic
Use any of your favorite greens in this dish—spinach, chard, kale, beet, collards, dandelion—even a bit of arugula. These are good served as a vegetable accompaniment to roast meats or...
Mashed Potatoes
This basic recipe can be served as mashed potatoes or used to prepare other Irish side dishes: root vegetable mash, colcannon, and champ.
Mashed Potatoes, Irish Style
This basic recipe can be served as mashed potatoes or used to prepare other Irish side dishes: root vegetable mash, colcannon, and champ.
Garlic Croutons
These are garlic croutons so good, you'll want to make extra to snack on while you're cooking. I like to use a good, hearty, country-style bread to make these, but you can use leftover baguettes, wheat, or even rye bread to make croutons--I often mix them.
Garlic Chive and Rice Salad
This make-ahead salad includes peas, peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs.
Spring Flower Salad
A lovely mixed salad with colorful edible flowers topped with a light vinaigrette.
Baked Stuffed Eggplant
Cheese, breadcrumbs, rice, onion, and herbs make a savory filling.
Sautéed Eggplant
Make an elegant sauté by cutting long, slim eggplants into sticks.
Tea Cake with Candied Flowers
Tea Cake with Candied Flowers tastes as good as it looks.
Summer Fruit Salad with Monarda
Red monarda's tealike flavor is a lovely complement to the summer stone fruits.
Daylily Petals with Pesto Dip on Cucumber Slices
This dramatic appetizer offers the double crunch of cucumber and flower.
Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese and Herbs
Make a savory treat from squash blossoms.
Like Two Beans in a Pod
WesternGardener | July 29th, 2010
Saving onions and garlic
ColleenF | July 27th, 2010
Save It For Later
yourownvictorygarden | July 26th, 2010
QUESTION: Tomatoes not producing
Chazmo | July 25th, 2010
Re: Sweet Bay (Laurus Nobilis): The Herb of Frankenstein
your title made me read your post! i believe bay to be a noble herb--not at all to be used in the same sentence as frankinstein! you are lucky to have such a big bay tree outside--wowee! i have to bring mine in and out in a pot. you should feel blessed--although shade in the herb garden is generally not what we want.
posted: 5:07 pm on May 4thfor some yummy herb recipe look at my bay herb of the year 2009 post!
happy herbing!
Re: QUESTION: What Is This Plant?
looks like a plectranthus to me--could be a silver leaf or a cuban oregano. i can't tell from the pic--if i could rub it and smell it i would know for sure! (they are sort of stinky).
posted: 3:14 pm on May 4thRe: Savory Spanakopita
thanks paoli cook--wholefoods, and most other healthfood stores sell the wholewheat, or at least the unbleached flour filo. it keeps in the freezer for a long while. gosh when i was in greece, i was astounded to find 11 kinds of filo at the grocery store! they have a thicker one that i just loved--didn't have to use as many sheets. remember, i use olive oil to brush on the layers instead of melted butter, which tastes wonderful and is much better for our health!
posted: 10:17 am on January 25thsusan
Re: Outstanding Oreganos and Mild-Mannered Marjoram
dear mary,
posted: 10:10 am on January 25thgood job--we have to keep our pollinators happy!
susan
Re: Once in a Blue Moon...Happy New Year!
hi ruth and gersha,
posted: 5:12 pm on January 1sthappy 2010! it was freezing rain here last night in maryland zone 7 so i wasn't able to see the full blue moon. however i could feel it and when i turned off the lights to go to bed, it was if lights were on outside it was so illuminated even through the cloud cover.
today i've been by the woodstove working on my calendar for 2010! i better take advantage of the downtime now because spring and summer are already booked! right now i have a pot of leftover soup warming on top of the woodstove for dinner so i don't even have to cook! now that is comfort...
cheers!susan
Re: Winter Solstice: Celebrate the Light
thanks! the chimney sweep and the mushroom picker are my favorites. they have been passed on from my mom's collection--my sisters and i display them every year.
posted: 2:12 pm on December 26thi'll leave them out until after the new year. then the dried greens are used in the woodstove. the fir needles are already dropping all over the floor from the christmas tree.
i love the smell of the greens in the house. in fact, i created a new spritzer for the season which i call herbal holiday spritzer and spray about the house ( i also gave many as gifts). it has essential oils of pine, juniper, cedarwood, rosemary, eucalyptus, sandalwood and vetiver. wow. it sure does spruce the place up!
Re: The Hardy Cucurbits: The Wonderful World of Winter Squash and Pumpkin
dear muck and chris,
posted: 2:51 pm on November 30thyes the heirlooms are wonderful--i find their flavor is superior to many other hybrid varieties. they are not hard to grow--just need traveling space for the curcurbit vines to wander. sometimes i don't realize how many squash are out there until harvest time; then i follow the vines through the weeds and find vegetable booty! i'll talk about planting them come spring. meanwhile enjoy them now in soups, stews, cakes, pies, breads and more.
susan
Re: To The Burren and Back!
dear jada,
posted: 1:30 pm on October 20thi am a confessed aficionado and eat chiles everyday. last night i made rajas which is one of my most favorite things. saute strips of roasted green chiles with onion and slivered garlic until soft and wilted. season with a little salt and pepper and even toasted cumin if you like, cover with grated cheddar, put the lid on and let the cheese melt. serve with warmed wholewheat tortillas (and a margarita!) yummmm! you can do this with the frozen ones too.:)
dear roz,
wow, i am sorry that we didn't connect beforehand. now that i know you are there, i will let you know when i am coming back. you are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country! it truly is an emerald isle except for the rocky parts. does it rain all of the time in the winter?
yes, we should all be eating our greens now! i love them in so many ways--yes greens and beans--makes a great soup too!
happy harvest season!
susan
Re: Spiders in the Garden
hi chris,
posted: 8:29 pm on October 11thgood for you!--people should realize how beneficial spiders are to us. if you don't like them indoors, catch them and put them outside. i do this with a cup or a glass and slide a stiff piece of paper underneath and then take them to the door and release them. i taught this to my kids too. one year for christmas i found these really cool long-handled see-through insect catchers with little sliding doors and gave them to everybody. the kids were so interested in using them they forgot to be scared of them and the elders in the family really liked them. it is called a bug trapper and sold through lee valley tools; made in england by environmentally sensitive people.
cheers,
susan
Re: Getting Familiar with My Irish Roots
hi jada,
posted: 11:15 pm on September 28thi love potatoes too. small leeks are just as good as big ones--they are worthwhile growing them regardless. smaller ones aren't as tough as some of those ones i call horse leeks!
i bet if you oven-roasted those rutabagas with some other root vegetables, fresh sage leaves, and garlic cloves drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper, you might like them. i also stew them with other root vegetables, a few bay leaves,and onions or leeks and garlic with a can of tomatoes added and 1/2 cup red wine. let it all cook together until the veggies are tender and the sauce is rich and thick. ladle into bowls and garnish with some sour cream and chives! yum.
thanks for writing and i'll post a few more stories about ireland.
susan
Re: Fall Planting of Cole Crops
hi leslie,
posted: 9:29 pm on September 23rdyou will be so glad that you planted all of those greens! golly, you will probably be able to start harvesting them in less than a month now. you go girl!
happy gardening, susan
Re: The Gardeners' Exchange
es violas--thanks for catching this--you are correct that this is an oriental lily rather than an asiatic--and its fragrance filled the whole room!
posted: 11:11 pm on August 25th---susan
Re: The Tomato Sandwich: Summer's Ultimate Food
dear delolds,
posted: 6:13 pm on August 10thain't it the truth!
for the other vg commentators,
for me the whole idea of the tomato sandwich is the simplicty of it--tomato, bread, and the adornment of good quality mayo along with salt and pepper of course--i am a purist (who rarely deviates from this particular sandwich).
and then there are variations on the theme...which are endless...whatever makes your tastebuds tapdance--go for it.
right now i am favoring the brandywines although the cherokee purple are pretty darn good. sorry for you northerners--guess you'll just have to salivate at the thought of our tomato pleasures.
here is another tomato-type sandwich which makes me happy:
toast nice rustic bread and once cool, rub each piece, both sides with a garlic clove. the clove should disappear as you "grate" it into the toast. place on a plate and drizzle eversolightly with extra-virgin olive oil. lay slices of dead-ripe summer tomatoes on the toast with a few shredded basil leaves and garnish lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. if you want--gently mash the tomatoes onto the bread with the back of a fork--this step releases the juices and holds the tomato slices from slipping around however it is not necessary. buon appetito!
Re: The Tomato Sandwich: Summer's Ultimate Food
dear delolds,
posted: 6:12 pm on August 10thain't it the truth!
for the other vg commentators,
for me the whole idea of the tomato sandwich is the simplicty of it--tomato, bread, and the adornment of good quality mayo along with salt and pepper of course--i am a purist (who rarely deviates from this particular sandwich).
and then there are variations on the theme...which are endless...whatever makes your tastebuds tapdance--go for it.
right now i am favoring the brandywines although the cherokee purple are pretty darn good. sorry for you northerners--guess you'll just have to salivate at the thought of our tomato pleasures.
here is another tomato-type sandwich which makes me happy:
toast nice rustic bread and once cool, rub each piece, both sides with a garlic clove. the clove should disappear as you "grate" it into the toast. place on a plate and drizzle eversolightly with extra-virgin olive oil. lay slices of dead-ripe summer tomatoes on the toast with a few shredded basil leaves and garnish lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. if you want--gently mash the tomatoes onto the bread with the back of a fork--this step releases the juices and holds the tomato slices from slipping around however it is not necessary. buon appetito!
Re: The Tomato Sandwich: Summer's Ultimate Food
hi chris,
posted: 3:05 am on July 30thglad you are inpsired; i have been eating a tomato sandwich pretty much everyday now that they are in season. i've toasted the bread before which makes the sandwich more like bruschetta. somehow the softness of the bread with the mayonnaise seems to soak up the juice of the tomato so well. the lemon pepper sounds like an interesting twist--sometimes i add a basil leaf--however mostly i eat my tomato sandwiches unadulterated.
happy herbing!
susan