What a way to celebrate February - Garden Expo!

I know that I have followers in many different locations, so I thought if you live in Wisconsin you might be interested in the PBS Wisconsin Landscape and Garden Expo which is being held  Feb 11 to 13 in Madison, WI

I will be presenting my special program Infusion on the Demonstration stage at 12:30 pm each day. I will be demonstrating how to infuse herbs into water, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and more!

I hope to record at least one of the programs to rebroadcast. But we will see how that goes....

I have not been to a garden expo since 2019.  My last set of programs at a garden expo was to be March 2020 in Chicago, but that was cancelled never to return, so I am looking forward to this.  Plus the chance to get out of town is nice also.

You can join me in Madison, WI (a short 2 hour drive from the Chicago suburbs) and enjoy presentations, deonstrations and vendors in all topics of gardening.  The celebrties of PBS gardening programs will also be on hand and Master gardeners to answer all your gardening questions.

Here is a little sample of some great infusion ideas!

Homemade Mustard

• 4 tablespoons mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a small, nonreactive bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Whisk the ingredients together to form a smooth paste, adding more water if needed.

Let the mixture sit for up to 10 minutes at room temperature to incorporate all ingredients. Store the homemade mustard in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Ways to Use Mustard

Here are some easy ways to incorporate mustard into your cooking.

Add to salad dressings: Mustard is a popular addition to vinaigrette for the burst of tangy flavor it adds and the emulsification properties of mustard seeds, which help keep the oil and vinegar from separating.

Add to glazes: Combine homemade mustard with brown sugar, raw honey, or maple syrup (1 part mustard to 2 parts sweetener) and brush the mustard mixture onto baked chicken thighs during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Make honey mustard: Combine mustard with honey in a 1:1 ratio to make an easy honey mustard dipping sauce.

Add to barbecue sauce: In South Carolina, the predominant style of barbecue is pork slathered in a mustard-based sauce. You can make your own South Carolina–style barbecue sauce by diluting homemade mustard with extra vinegar.

Herbed Butter

• 1 stick (4 oz.) butter
• 2 Tbls. fresh or 1 -3 tsp. dried herbs
• 1 t. lemon juice

Have butter at room temperature.  Mince herbs with a sharp knife.  Stir them with the lemon juice to moisten, especially if working with dry herbs.  Then using a fork mix herbs thoroughly into butter.  Put into custard cups or butter tubs (or if you have them butter molds) for serving.  Refrigerate or freeze.  Make 1/2 cup.