It is Freezing! Must Be Time for Soup!

Parsley Dill Soup!

It is just freezing here in the 'Burgh!  Yes, I know it is January, but it is exceptionally cold at the moment.  We are about to get a break over the weekend and it will feel like the tropics at 30 degrees!  One of my resolutions this year is to make more homemade soup and not rely on canned ones.  Soo with that in mind, here is one of our favorites, Parsley Dill Soup recipe.  It is a bit darker than other recipes because I used vegetable broth rather than chicken.  The Herbal Husband likes the chicken broth in it better.  I did think the vegetable broth gives it more depth of flavor.  You can use either.  We got six servings out of what I made and I usually double the recipe.

Here is the link for my mom's Vegetable Soup recipe.  There is also a link in the vegetable soup recipe post for a Cream of Carrot and Lovage Soup recipe and the Feta-Sage Cornbread recipe!  Just remember on the Mother Earth Living site to click the Continue Reading button to get both recipes!  You are loaded, herbally speaking with hearty easy to make soups and a cornbread recipe too!

So hope you are staying warm if you are in the northern hemisphere and not getting too much snow like on the east coast of the U.S.  We get up to almost freezing this weekend!  Exciting!  Happy New Year!  Talk to you later!

Holy Blooming Cuban Oregano!

What a Surprise When I Was Watering Today!

In all my years of growing this herb, I don't think I have ever had this herb bloom.  I love this herb, Cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus) which is not actually an oregano at all.  It has a bunch of common names:  Mexican Mint, Indian Borage, Caribbean Oregano, Country Borage, French Thyme, Indian Mint, Soup Mint, Spanish Thyme and Cuban Oregano.  It is so important to know your botanical name.  Common names are different in different areas of the world as you can see above.
   
It is very easy to grow in a container.  It was used in Victorian times as a bedding plant.  It is a tender perennial here in the 'Burgh.  It has a very pungent smell and flavor, a camphorous one.  There are lots of people in the Caribbean regions who use it in cooking.  I just tasted a flower and I would not use it in cooking.  It is too intense for me.  If you are interested in trying to cook with it, here is a recipe for Grilled Cuban Oregano Chicken from the Feral Kitchen and the 10 Best Cuban Oregano Recipes from Yummly.  Please let me know if you try any of these recipes.

We were much more seasonal today with sunshine and even cold temperatures seem better when there is sun.  The wildlife and I got along a bit better today, but I am counting the days until The Herbal Husband returns.  Hope you have had a great day.  It is December already!  I feel like I have glided through this year!  You may think so too!  OK we are getting closer until I unveil the contents of my annual Herbal Christmas box.  It is epic this year!  Talk to you soon.

Making a Comeback, Herbally Speaking!

Along the Front Side of the Garden Are Herbs!

Lemon Balm!

And Spearmint!

A Bit of Lemon Balm and Spearmint for Tea!

So we were out raking leaves from the neighbor's tree that fall on our side of the street.  We use them for ground cover and mulch throughout our garden.  I am always on the lookout for green this time of year since we have had a killing frost.  Low and behold, I found a bit of lemon balm and a lot of spearmint.  Before you get too excited for me, it has mostly likely been peed on by the neighborhood dogs!  I think of it as additional fertilizer!  Then I thought but we can wash it well and boiling water will be washing it as well!  Sooo if you don't hear from me tomorrow, call the first responders!  Don't worry I have survived a bunch of stuff in my 64 years.  I will survive a little dog pee!

Using the last of our turkey today to make Chicken using Turkey Divan.  This time I will only make one recipe of sauce and use sharp Cheddar cheese, because I forgot to buy shredded Parmesan.  Hope you are having a great Sunday!  Getting colder here.  This posting every day is going pretty well.  Talk to you tomorrow.

Parsley Dill Soup on the Stove!

Chinese Soup Container, Frozen in Bowl, Fresh in Measuring Cup

I say every winter season I'm going to make more homemade soup.  It doesn't always work too well.  This year I have been terrible.  I have shared the recipe for Parsley Dill Soup from my friends at Buffalo Spring Herb Farm (no longer open) in Virginia several years ago.  It is a favorite of The Herbal Husband and mine.  Very easy to prepare and we have to double it because we love it for several days.  Hope you enjoy it.  Parsley is one of the easiest herbs to preserve.  I love to measuring out what I need for a recipe and place it marked in a Chinese Soup Container.  Really I don't think you can tell (well maybe a little) which is the frozen and which is the fresh.  I also have to give a shout out to my herb buddy and Virgo sister, Kathleen Gips who has taught me so much over the years about herbs.  I added a bit of the lovage inspired herb mix she taught an herb class to make at the beginning of cooking time and a bit at the end to finish off the soup.  It was very yummy if we do say so!

Finished Soup!  It was Delicious!

An Herb Seasoning Mix I Made In A Class Taught by Kathleen Gips!

We are finally in the 30's today and will be in the 40's tomorrow and maybe 50 by midweek!  Can't see the ground yet, but as I said on Facebook yesterday a bit of sun makes everything better.   Hopefully I will be back in the garden soon!  Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

A Last Celebration of the 2014 Herb of the Year-Artemisia--Possible Cocktails for the New Year!

Artemisia absinthium  Image Provided by Fine Gardening

I don't drink because of my GERD.  I do have a toast occasionally and would actually like to try absinthe some day.  Have seen several different movies where absinthe was a focal point.  Absinthe is a bit expensive and possibly not the easiest to obtain, but I thought since New Year's Eve is tomorrow night, you could splurge and try it.  As with all alcohol, please be moderate with your drinking and never drink and drive.  This is my sixth post about the 2014 Herb of the Year, Artemisia. 

I'm going to talk about Artemisia absinthium or true wormwood in this post.  It is a gray shrub-like herb that grows from two to four feet tall.  It needs sun, but will grow in partial shade.  It is a native of Europe and one of the great plants of the past because of its medicinal uses.  It is an ingredient in Absorbine, Jr.  In Dioscorides' time wormwood was declared to be a preventive for intoxication.  The word wormwood was a synonym for bitterness.  Dr. W.T. Fernie (A favorite of Debs Cook) said "It keepeth clothes from moths and wormes."

Here is an article by Fine Gardening magazine about its growing habits and that it is on the list on invasive.org's website.  The artemisia that is used to produce absinthe which is an anise and wormwood flavored distilled spirit is made from aniseed, fennel and wormwood.  I found that there is a Wormwood Society and their website is full of great information concerning absinthe.  Click under the Frequently Asked Questions and you will have all you need to know.  Also, the Society's website has a cocktail section at the top of the home page.  I found an Epicurious.com link called the Top 5 Absinthe Cocktails which may peak your interest.  Wanted to add just one more link to my friend, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh's blog, Backyard Patch Herbal Blog and her last post of 2014 on Mugwort - Herb of the Week.  Always learning from other bloggers!  She really has a ton of information plus great herbal recipes of all types!

Wanted to mention a great resource book about each herb of the year produced by the International Herb Association.  This year's book on Artemisia has lots of great information and recipes.  You can also find the 2015 IHA Herbal Calendar as well.

Artemisia Herb of the Year 2014

Well, that's all I have for this year.  Hope you have a very special New Year's Eve and I'll see you in the new year for the 2015 Herb of the Year, Savory.  Cold here going to get colder, but still no snow!  Talk to you next year!

A Celebration of the 2014 Herb of the Year-Artemisia-A Tarragon Recipe or Several!

The Only Culinary Artemisia--French Tarragon!

I should have probably been talking about the only culinary artemisia, French tarragon throughout the year!  Sometimes it just doesn't happen.  I found a lovely article on Mother Earth Living's website from an article first published by The Herb Companion called A Taste for Tarragon by Carolyn Dille.  It has lots of recipes using French tarragon.  I also found a very good article from another favorite magazine, Kitchen Gardener called French Tarragon.  This article has a lot of growing, cultivating and propagating techniques as well as a recipe for Tarragon Cream Cheese.  Maybe just in time for the holidays! Sadly both Herb Companion and Kitchen Gardener are gone from the newsstands but their voices live on in digital format!

Remember French tarragon is not grown from seed.  If you find a packet of seeds marked tarragon, they are going to be Russian tarragon whose flavor cannot compare to French tarragon.  Here are several recipes for chicken and tarragon.  I have not tried them yet.  I thought we could try them together.  This first one is from the Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld.

Tarragon Chicken Breasts with Buttered Leeks
Four Servings

2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only (1 large or 2 small)
2 cups chicken broth
4 T. unsalted butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1-1/2 pounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 t. fresh lemon juice
2 T. coarsely chopped tarragon (If you do not have fresh tarragon in your garden, you can buy it in most grocery stores in the produce department.  If you made tarragon vinegar, you can use the tarragon as you would fresh as well.)

Put the leeks in a large skillet with the chicken broth and 2 T. of the butter.  Cook them at a gentle boil over medium heat until they are tender and the broth has boiled down far enough that the leeks are no longer completely submerged.  This should take about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Place them on top of the simmering leeks, spoon some of the leeks over the chicken and cover the pan tightly.

Reduce the heat to low.  In 10 minutes test the chicken for doneness.  It should feel firm when you press on it and if you cut a slit into the thickest part of a breast, there should be no sign of translucence.  If the breast pieces are large, it could take as much as 15 minutes, but don't overcook them.

When the chicken is done, lift the pieces from the leeks and put them on a warm platter.  Increase the heat under the leeks to high and stir in the lemon juice, the remaining 2 T. butter and the tarragon.  When the butter melts, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.  Pour the leek sauce over the chicken and serve.

This second recipe is from Favorite Recipes from Well-Sweep Herb Farm by Louise and Cyrus Hyde.

Sherry Chicken with Tarragon
Four Servings

1/2 c. margarine
1 medium onion
4 chicken breasts
2 t. tarragon
1/2 c. sherry
Flour

Melt margarine in frying pan.  Cut in one medium onion and brown a little.  Remove onion.  Salt and pepper chicken then roll in flour.  Brown in margarine.  Add 1 cup of water and the browned onion.  Cook covered for 25 minutes or until done.  Add sherry and tarragon and cook another 5 minutes.    

This last recipe is from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld.

Chicken Breast in Tarragon Cream
Four Servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped (about 3 T.)
1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 T. coarsely chopped fresh French tarragon
1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1.  Browning the chicken.  Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large (10 to 12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat.  Using tongs, carefully lower the chicken breasts into the pan and cook them for a bout 1 minute on each side just until they begin to brown slightly.  Transfer the still raw chicken to a plate.

2.  Poaching in cream.  Reduce the heat under the skillet to low.  Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly until softened but not browned, less than 1 minute.  Add the vermouth or wine and cook for 30 seconds, then add the cream and half the tarragon.  Return the chicken breasts to the pan and adjust the heat so that the cream gently simmers.  Cover and cook until the chicken is firm and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.  To check for doneness, cut into the thickest part of a breast with a paring knife--there should be no sign of pink or translucence.

3.  Finishing.  Transfer the chicken breasts to a warmed serving platter or individual dinner plates.  The cause should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.  If it is too thin, continue to simmer it for about 1 minute and it will thicken.  Stir in the remaining tarragon and the lemon juice, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve right away with buttered egg noodles.

If you are in the southern states of the United States, you should grow Mexican marigold mint or Texas tarragon (Tagetes lucida).  Here is a horticulture update from Texas A & M University about The Three Tarragons:  French, Russian and Mexican.  Some good information if you are in the southern half of the country.

This year has flown by.  I'm going to try to do one last post about artemisia tomorrow before the new year.  Seasonably cold here.  No snow yet.  Would like a little dusting on the ground at least.  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later. 

An Herbal Fix for Those Stinky Sneakers Just in Time for the Holidays!

Found An Herbal Recipe to Fix Those Stinky Sneakers!

Bought Some USA Made Crew Socks

Mixed Up the Recipe in An Old Casserole with a Wooden Spoon

Put the Sock in a Tall Glass to Fill It

Tied Those Socks with Festive Ribbons

and Put Them in a Festive Plastic Bag!

Always looking for good ideas for Christmas presents that I can make.  A few people who shall remain nameless may have stinky sneakers.  I'm here to help with that problem, herbally speaking.  I really like the book The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier.  I have done my take on her recipe.  Here is the original with my notations in parentheses.

Herbal Sneaker Tamer #1

2 cups of dried sage
1-1/2 cups of dried lemon balm (I used lemon verbena and some lemon scented geranium.)
2 cups of cedar chips
1/2 cup of baking soda
2 tablespoons grated orange rind (I didn't use this ingredient, but I think I would use lemon peel.)
10 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil

Combine the dried herbs, cedar chips, baking soda and orange rind in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Stir with a wooden spoon.  Add the essential oils and stir to blend.  Place half of the mixture in a clean sock and tie the open end shut. (I used a rubber band and then tied on a ribbon.)  Stuff other sock with the remaining mixture and tie off.  Place a stuffed sock in each sneaker overnight or when not in use.  NOTE:  These are 'dusty' because of the baking soda.  When you aren't using them in your sneakers, store them in a plastic bag.  You may have to replace the baking soda after a while.

Very easy.  Smells delicious.  Think it will work very well.  I may make them for myself and another person who shall remain nameless.  I did buy women's socks.  I think this will work equally as well for men's socks and sneakers as well. 

Getting a bunch of rain here.  Hope you had a great day.  Getting items ready for my annual holiday giveaway.  May post the items and start things over the weekend if I get the chance.  Talk to you later.

Almost At the End of Canning Tomato Sauce!

One of the Last Canners Full of Tomato Sauce!

Yes, I know I have GERD and I really shouldn't be eating tomato sauce! But I canned a lot of tomatoes back in the days when we grew a lot of tomatoes.  I still have to do something with those canned tomatoes.  Yes, they do survive years of being canned.  The Herbal Husband loves my sauce and so do I.  I just can't eat a lot of it any more.  So I spent last Saturday making tomato sauce and canning it.  I have one more recipe to make later on and then I will be done with quart canning.  I'm passing along my empties to my master gardening buddy who teaches canning and she will pass them on.  A rite of passage.  Let the young ones learn what our grandmothers and mothers did in the early days.  Although I learned to can on my own.

Need to put together your box for my Christmas giveaway.  Stay tuned!  It's that time of year!  Hope you are having a great day. Talk to you later.

A Beautiful Day in the Garden and More Harvesting Tips, including Fennel Seeds and Parsley!

A Big Blue Sky and a Warm Pleasant Day!

The Containers Got a Sunbath!

Happy in the Sunshine!

Mints, Scented Geranium and Figs (Brown Fig Count 108!)

Planted Garlic!

Time to Harvest Parsley!

A Few Rose Geranium Leaves to Dry!

Bronze Fennel Seeds!

German Chamomile Still Blooming!  Not For Long!

Lemon Eucalyptus Leaves to Dry!

Well, the last nice day to work in the garden was today.  Tomorrow the cold air is coming our way.  Not supposed to be as intense as our neighbors to the north have gotten already.  But it will be a wake up call after the beautiful day we had today.  I got out into the garden and clipped any last leaves of herbs that needed to be harvested.

Fennel seeds should be harvested when they are green not brown.  I just clip the seed heads and throw them in a paper bag until dried.

Green Not Brown for Fennel Seeds

As far as parsley goes, I always have at least three parsley plants each year.  They are a true biennial and produce leaves in their first year and go to seed in the second year.  Not completely a bad thing because swallowtail caterpillars love parsley in its second year.  Back to the story, I somehow got three second year parsley plants to start this year.  They went to seed and disappeared!  Only got one parsley to replace them.  So I pretty much do the same technique that I use for chives.  I do a parsley dill soup in the winter that uses a cup of parsley leaves in the recipe.  I just use a small Chinese takeout container and place a cup of leaves in each container.  I always try to mark what it is (in case I lose my herbal mind) and the date.  Then just place them in the freezer.  I always try to use my freezer harvest up before the end of winter.

A Cup of Parsley to Go Into the Freezer!

I also cut to dry rose scented pelargonium leaves, lemon eucalyptus, coconut scented pelargonium leaves (not sure that they will dry well).  Just wanted to mention that the vinegars I made two weeks ago are ready to decant.  Have to find some small bottles and it may be one more addition to my Christmas basket/box this year!  Stay tuned.

Hope you had a great day outside if you were in the eastern half of the U.S.  I really enjoyed it.  Here is a last look at the pineapple sage.  The bees were still trying to get nectar from it this afternoon.

Bee Enjoying the Blossoms of the Pineapple Sage!

A Beautiful End to a Day in the Herb Garden!

Talk to you later.  

The Flavors of Summer from the Garden!

Chicken Salad in Avocado

A White Pizza

Lunch Today!

The tomatoes are coming in like crazy.  Not quite like in the early days when I canned them into tomato sauce.  Unfortunately I can't eat sauce any more in great quantities.  So we just have to find ways to eat them every day and almost every meal.  I had an English muffin this morning with some peanut butter and a Zebra tomato which is green if you don't know.  It is one of my favorite tomatoes.  The top photo is from a lunch a few weeks ago where I made chicken salad with a bit of mayo and herbs and a bit of mixed veggies thrown and placed in a half of an avocado.  

The middle photo is dinner one night several days ago.  Since I can't have tomato or pizza sauce because of my GERD and The Herbal Husband doesn't like red sauce, we do a white pizza.  Lots of toppings, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, ham, cheese on a Boboli crust.  You get the idea.

The bottom photo is our lunch today.  We had a big salad with avocado and feta cheese, croutons and lots of different herbs and fresh tomatoes!  Hope you are enjoying the flavors of summer before it is gone!

The ickies and stickies are still with us.  Hope you are having a great day!  Talk to you later. 

A Pot Luck Picnic for Gardeners and Friends at Schenley Plaza!

Lemon Verbena Cookies On the Way to the Picnic!

Gardeners Know How to Cook!

Me and One of My Gardening Mentors, Jessica Walliser!

Jessica and Doug with Fans of Their Radio Show and GE Events!

The title of this post may be a mystery for you.  A couple of weeks ago I got invitation from Jessica on Facebook for a pot luck picnic for gardeners and friends organized by Doug Oster, her Organic Gardeners radio partner.  He and Jessica are a very talented pair.  Jessica taught me everything I know about horticulture and probably much more that I have forgotten and should have remembered.  We were giggling yesterday that she would stand in front of us holding her notes so tightly and would start to read.  Two and one-half hours later she would be done and the class would have been writing the whole time!  It was an amazing time.  I learned so much that has made me the gardener I am today!  Thanks Jessica!  Thanks Doug for organizing the event.  BTW, Doug is a columnist and blogger for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and a garden author as well. 

The event was held at Schenley Plaza.  There is a big tent in one corner that is used in all kinds of weather for eating and socializing.   I thought I may have known a few more people, but I didn't know a soul besides Jessica and Doug.  As it turned out, a lovely couple asked me to join them.  Thank you Veronica and Dennis for asking me to join you.  Always interesting to hear about the same problems or different ones in the garden.  Universal problem is the deer population.  Veronica cooks what Dennis grows.  I would say it's a great partnership.  I had lunch before I went and so I didn't try everyone's dish.  I did love an individual quiche that turned out to be Veronica's contribution.  She gladly shared the recipe with me.  It is simple and delicious!  I'm going to share it with you plus the recipe for lemon verbena sugar cookies I have shared before.

ZUCCHINI CHEESECAKE (OK, so it's more like a quiche.)
Serves 6
Contributed by Mary Ann Fennimore

1 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 T. parsley, chopped
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
4 eggs
2 medium squash, shredded and drained (3 cups)  

Mix the oil with the eggs first (This step seems to help the batter come out smooth.) and then add all other ingredients except for the squash.  Squeeze out the excess moisture from the squash and fold into the batter.  Bake in a greased 8 x 8 inch casserole dish about 30 minutes at 350˚.  (Veronica said she used a muffin top pan for the individual quiches and topped them with a slice of tomato (Hers was a Roma variety.) before baking.

LEMON VERBENA SUGAR COOKIES
(Makes about 4 dozen cookies)
Source Unknown

2-1/2 cups flour                                          1 cup butter, softened
2 T. fresh lemon verbena, chopped            1-1/2 cups sugar
2 t. baking powder                                       2 eggs
1/4 t. salt                                                      1 t. vanilla
1-1/2 t. lemon zest                                      extra sugar for rolling

NOTE:  If you don't have any lemon verbena or other herbs, I think you can just omit it and just let the lemon zest be the surprise.  Preheat oven to 350˚.  Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a bowl and set aside.  I put all other ingredients (butter, lemon verbena, lemon zest, sugar, eggs and vanilla) except for the extra sugar in the food processor and combine or beat in a bowl with a mixer.  The food processor finely chops the lemon verbena and lemon zest so they aren’t big pieces.  If you don’t have a food processor just make sure to finely chop the lemon verbena and lemon zest (or other herbs) (fresh rosemary or lemon balm would work as well) and add them to the dry mixture.  Add one half of the flour mixture to the food processor or bowl to combine.  Then stir in the remaining flour mixture with a wooden spoon.  This is a very sticky dough.  I have tried to refrigerate it, but it is still sticky.  So make rounded teaspoons and roll them in the extra sugar.  Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes until golden on the edges.  When you take them out of the oven, let them sit for a minute or so and then take them off the cookie sheet to cool.

I think I won the grand prize (an automatic grass seeder) briefly.  I passed it on to the next ticket holder.  I don't have enough grass to warrant a grass seeder!  The person who finally won it was thrilled!  They gave away a lot of prizes yesterday.  My prize was getting to talk to Jessica.  Was very glad to be with her again.

The other point in Jessica's and Doug's story is that they had a partnership with the local Market District Giant Eagle stores to come and do a cooking demo and answer people's questions and give organic gardening tips on a monthly basis.  They had quite a following.  Giant Eagle pulled the plug on these events and this picnic was a thank you to their followers because Giant Eagle didn't give them a chance to say goodbye.  I know these two will come up with a solution.  So stay tuned!

Back to the ickies and stickies in the garden.  I actually have a Youtube page started, but it is about The Herbal Husband's flight on the Memphis Belle over the weekend!  How do these things happen?  Hope to get some gardening videos on there shortly.  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

Is It A Weed, Herb or Groundcover Or Maybe Two Out Of Three?

New Use for Purslane as a Groundcover!

Well, I would say it's at least two out of three.  It is better known as purslane (Portulaca oleracea).  I have always considered it a weed first and now I'm more likely to consider it an herb or a groundcover.  I first learned about it being so good for you from my herbal friend, Jekka McVicar who wrote this fabulous cookbook called Jekka's Herb Cookbook.  She states that "This (purslane) is an important culinary herb as it is one of the few vegetable sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids.  It also contains vitamins A, B and C and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium."  You can also pickle purslane with sliced garlic, peppercorns and apple cider vinegar.  May try this if I have enough.  The Herbal Husband and I started putting purslane leaves and stems (if not too woody) in our salads after Jekka's visit in 2011.  You can read about Jekka's visit to Pittsburgh in my blog for Mother Earth Living called The Herb Channeler's Adventures with Jekka McVicar.

Just recently Barbara Damrosch in her column for the Washington Post called Dealing with a Glut of Weeds said a friend asked whether she could just leave the purslane instead of pulling it.  Damrosch adds that her husband says that the "soil is much happier with vegetation on it."  Why not purslane?

Well, we had another spectacular day in the 'Burgh!  Hope you had a great one as well and that you have a great weekend!  Talk to you later.

Celebrate the 2014 Herb of the Year-Artemisia, Part Two!

I think I wrote in January that I would be talking about the 2014 Herb of the Year once a month!  That's really funny!  Well, eight months in I would like to continue my conversation with you about the 2014 Herb of the Year-Artemisia.  When you think of artemisia, you might think about wormwood, or southernwood.  As I talked about in January, tarragon is an artemisia.  There are 200 plus species of artemisia and they come in annual and perennial varieties.  I have grown a few in my garden.  I found a very good article by Betsy Strauch in the October/November 1993 Herb Companion (now Mother Earth Living) magazine called The Many Faces of Artemisia to give you some information about these wonderful herbs.

The Wildlife Love the Southernwood!

Several years ago I had a beautiful bush of southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) in my garden.  Between the shade of a tree and the tunnels of a chipmunk, the southernwood died, but it was a glorious addition to my garden while it lasted.  It was placed by the front or back door in Medieval times so that a lady’s skirt would brush over it or by it and take the fragrance into the house.  It is used more as a moth repellent today and should never be ingested.  I am growing a lemon southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) in my lemon and lime herb garden this season.  I am going to use it when it is a bit bigger to put in moth chasers.

The annual artemisia is called sweet Annie (Artemisia annua) and is used for fragrance in potpourris and in wreaths for your wall or door.  I have to work with sweet Annie outdoors not inside because it gives me a headache.  It was a beautiful day today and I was able to use the sweet Annie I cut last fall for a wreath for my front door.  I just poked the stems into the grapevine and then wired it down using 24 gauge green wire.  It makes a very upright plant for the herb garden but the other caution is that it can reseed rampantly.  I know all of these cautions, but sometimes you just have to live on the wild side for a bit!

Sweet Annie Adorns This Grapevine Wreath on Our Front Door!

'Silver King' Artemisia Drying for Use in Wreaths!

Another nonculinary Artemisia that I have worked with in wreaths and decorations is ‘Silver King’ Artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana).  Some artemisias are clumpers and some are reseeders.  This Artemisia is a runner, but not too bad and the good news it increases the size of your plants each year.  It is starting to form flower heads and I'll try to be vigilant now so that they go past and turn black.  You will need quite a bit if you are going to make more than one wreath each year.  Recently, I made a Christmas tree with my ‘Silver King’ Artemisia for a blog post.  It is really fun to decorate with natural decorations and it lasts for several years.

Spring is a Wonderful Time for Tarragon in the Herb Garden!

The final Artemisia I am going to discuss in this post is one of the culinary ones and there are only a few.  French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa') is the only good tarragon to grow and use in cooking.  It is a sterile plant and if you see seeds of tarragon for sale in a store, it will definitely be Russian tarragon which has an inferior taste.

For those of you in the deep south who can’t grow French tarragon, I would grow Mexican tarragon or Mexican marigold mint (Tagetes lucida) which can stand the heat of the south.  I can’t say this enough there are many common names but only one botanical name.  So if you always learn the botanical name, you will get the correct plant.

French tarragon is preserved very well in vinegar for winter use and the sprigs of preserved tarragon can be used just like fresh.  Here is a favorite omelet recipe with my twist on it:

Indulgent Omelet (from 1990 April/May Herb Companion) by M.J. McCormick

Makes One Serving

2 T. butter

2 Eggs (or equivalent in egg substitute)

1 T. water

1/2 t. fresh tarragon

3 T. cream cheese (or equivalent in Laughing Cow Cheese)

2 sprigs of parsley, chopped

½ t. paprika

¼ t. fresh tarragon

¼ medium onion, chopped

Lightly stir together eggs, water and ½ t. tarragon.  Set aside.  Cream together cheese, parsley, paprika and ¼ t. of tarragon.  Set aside.  In an 8-inch skillet, sauté onion in butter over medium-high heat.  Pour in eggs and cook as for any omelet, pushing cooked portion of eggs to the center of the skillet and allowing runny portions to spread around the edges to cook.  When eggs are set, spread the cheese and herb filling down the center of the eggs, roll the omelet in half and slide it onto a plate.  Garnish with paprika, pepper and additional parsley and tarragon.

Hopefully I'll get back on track and read Adelma's take on artemisia and let you know what she has to say!  Hope you have a great weekend!  We had a beautiful day here and another one is coming tomorrow!  I have been busy making jelly if you think I've been slacking!  Enjoy your herb garden! Talk to you later!