January Recipes of the Month
- 1 pkg. Backyard Patch Multi-BeanSoup Mix or 1 lb.mixed dried beans
- 15 cups water, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 14-oz. can stewed or whole tomatoes, undrained
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ham hocks
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions or chives
Place dried beans in a large stockpot and add 9 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil beans l minute. 2. Remove beans from heat, keeping covered. Allow to stand l hour. Drain beans and place in slow cooker. Add remaining 6 cups water, chopped onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, seasoning packet from Soup Mix (or ½ tsp. rosemary and ½ tsp. thyme), bay and ham hocks. Mix together well. Cover and cook on low l0 hours. Remove ham from bone. Cut meat into small pieces and stir into soup before serving. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onions or chives, if desired. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Februrary Recipes of the Month
Something to serve for the Big Game that is manly and tasty!
BEEF TENDERLOIN COCKTAIL SANDWICHES
- 1 oven roasted fillet of beef thinly sliced
- (or a package of thinly sliced deli meat)
- 3 baguettes, 14 inches long
- Flavored Butter (see below)
Slice baguettes in half lengthwise. Spread with flavored butter on both cut sides and arrange thinly sliced meat on one half before closing sandwich. Using a serrated knife cut each baguette into 12 mini sandwiches.
Use one or more of the following flavored butters:
Butter N Cheese Butter
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 Tbls. Backyard Patch Butter N Cheese Herb Mix
Horseradish Butter
- 1 Stick butter
- 1 Tbls. Backyard Patch Horseradish Spread
Herbal Butter
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 Tbls. Backyard Patch Herbal Spread Mix
For each butter combine butter with herb mix with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes to meld flavors.
March Recipes of the Month
Maybe an Easter Brunch or
perhaps just a seasonal dish to get you thinking of bursting new life.
These recipes will win you over, along with those you make them for.
- Dilled Celery, Asian Pear and Hazelnut Salad
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or a homemade dill herbal vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup hazelnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced celery
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped dill weed
- 1 medium unpeeled Asian pear or Bosc pear, cored and cut into thick matchsticks
- ½
cup
coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk rapidly as you pour in the oil in a slow stream. Just before you serve, toss the celery and dill with the dressing in a large mixing bowl, and then gently toss in the Asian pear and hazelnuts. Mound the salad on individual plates and serve.
Apple and Jicama Salad (adapted from the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World)
- 4 Apples
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Jicama, peeled and julienned
- 1/2 cup Red Onions, diced
- 1/2 cup Radish Slices
- 4 cups Spinach or Mixed Greens, washed and spun
- 2 ounces Port Wine
- 8 ounces Yogurt
Wash apples. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut all halves into slices. Place in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place apples on a grill on low heat to caramelize and impart some of the smoky flavor. Chill grilled apples and set aside. Wash and peel the jicama. Cut into slices, then julienne. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add the red onions, radish slices, and spinach. Remove the apples from the refrigerator and cut into large dice. Place in bowl.
To make the dressing, place the yogurt in a bowl and add the port wine. Mix well. Take the yogurt dressing and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix and serve. (Serves 8)
Note: Peaches may
be substituted for apples.
Lemon Rosemary Honey Butter from food writer Lynn Alley
Not
only does this butter taste good, but it's pretty and will suit pancakes just
as well as it suits a Raisin Bread.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Zest
of 1 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon rosemary blossoms or chopped rosemary
Combine all ingredients in a bowl beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer until blended. Serve at room temperature. Store butter in refrigerator.
Triple Happiness Tea (From Kathleen Kips of the Village Herb Shop)
- ½ cup loose back tea
- 1 Tbls. Rose buds
- 1 Tbls. Rosemary
- 1 Tbls crushed, dried Rose Geranium leaves
- 1 Tbls. Hibiscus
- 1 Tbls. Seedless rose hips
- 1 tsp. whole cloves
Use 1 level tsp.
per cup of hot water and steep 3 to 4 minutes.
This tea is refreshing and great both as a hot or iced tea. The medicinal properties of the ingredients include
increased happiness, comfort and emotional balance.
May Recipes of the Month
Mother’s Day Brunch
Brunch can be the easiest and
simplest way to handle a family gathering. Rather than creating omelets
to order, make scrambled eggs. Not into cinnamon rolls, a nice seasoned
biscuit can do the trick. Both are a snap to prepare. When you add
a few herbs and spices, simple recipes become extraordinary fare.
This bountiful breakfast menu
shows you how to get a maximum amount of flavor from basic morning foods in a
minimum amount of time.
The
Menu
Sparkling Orange Juice or Mimosas
Eggs Scrambled with Chives and Cream Cheese
Sage Sausage
Spiced Right Pan-fried Potatoes
Cinnamon Biscuits
Seasonal Fresh Fruits
Freshly Brewed Coffee or Hot
Herbal Tea
Nothing in this elegant menu is
difficult to prepare. The eggs are scrambled to avoid too much last
minute detail. You can buy sausage flavored with sage in most areas but
if you cannot find it, simply sprinkle raw patties with a bit of ground sage
or, if you have it in stock, Backyard Patch Lemon-Sage Marinade. And
for the potatoes, use our new Potato Topper Herb Mix.
If you are really short on time,
skip the potatoes. Rather than slice the fresh fruits make a bowl of oranges,
bananas and grapes the centerpiece for your table.
A fruit plate is not only
seasonal, but with a little effort you can make it an attractive addition to
the table. Slice a wide assortment of fruit and arrange it artfully on a
plate and serve with Poppy Seed Yogurt Sauce made with our new Poppy Seed Salad Dressing Herb Mix. For
yet another flavor component, grind the seeds of four or five cardamom pods to
mix with the coffee before brewing the pot.
THE RECIPES
Eggs Scrambled with Chives & Cream Cheese, serves
4
- 8 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons
water
- Salt and
pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons
snipped chives (or use 2 tsp. Backyard Patch Herbal Spread Herb Mix)
- 1/4 cup (2
ounces) cream cheese, cut into small chunks
- 1 large tomato,
chopped, for garnish, if desired
Heat a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over
medium-heat. Whisk the eggs with the water, salt, pepper and
chives. Pour into the hot skillet. Use a rubber spatula to keep the
eggs moving as they cook. When the eggs have reached the degree of
doneness you prefer, remove from heat and sprinkle the cream cheese chunks over
the eggs. Gently fold the eggs over the cream cheese so that it gets
mixed in but creamy spots of cheese remain. Transfer to a warmed platter
and arrange the chopped tomato in a ring around the eggs, if desired.
Cinnamon Biscuits, makes 2 doz.
- 2 Tablespoons
granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon (or for added zip use the same amount of Backyard Patch Cinn-ful Dessert Blend)
- 2 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon
baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
salt
- 1/3 cup cold
butter, sliced
- 1 cup plus 2
Tablespoons milk, divided
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the sugar
and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium
mixing bowl. Cut the sliced butter into flour using a fork or pastry
blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently stir in the 1
cup milk just until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto
floured wax paper and knead gently 6 or 8 times. Gather into a circle
about 3/4" thick. Use a floured cookie cutter or juice glass to cut
circles of dough.
Place remaining 2 Tablespoons of milk in a small bowl. Dip
the top of each biscuit first into the milk and then into the cinnamon sugar,
twisting just a bit in the sugar to coat well. Place on an ungreased
cookie sheet, sugared side up. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the
bottoms are golden brown.
Seasoned Right Pan-fried Potatoes, serves
4 to 6
- 2 Tablespoons
butter
- 1 Tablespoon
olive oil
- 4 medium baking
potatoes, peeled
- 1
Tablespoon Backyard Patch Potato Topper Herb Mix,
divided
- salt, if
desired
Melt the butter with the oil in a heavy skillet over
medium-high heat. Carefully slice the potatoes directly into the skillet,
cutting random thin pieces. Season with 2 teaspoons of the Potato
Topper and salt to taste, if using. Use a spatula to mix well
and stir the potatoes regularly as they begin to brown. After 5 minutes
or so, reduce the heat to medium; cover. Continue to cook and stir. When
the potatoes are cooked through, season with remaining teaspoon of Potato
Topper blend; cook and stir for another minute. Serve hot.
Another nice way to use this blend is for boiled
potatoes: Boil new potatoes in plenty of water. When they are
cooked through, drain off all but 3 Tablespoons of the water. Smash the
potatoes with some butter and Potato Topper.
Sparkling Orange Juice or Mimosas
Fill champagne glasses half full with orange juice.
Top off with sparkling water or club soda. For Mimosas, use
champagne.
Poppy Seed Yogurt Sauce for fruit
- 1 Tablespoon
frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 1/2
Tablespoons Backyard Patch Poppy Seed Salad Dressing Blend
- 1 container (8
ounces) vanilla yogurt
Whisk the orange juice concentrate and the poppy seed mix
into the yogurt. Serve chilled over fruit or as a fruit dip.
Makes about 1 cup.
With these recipes you have a wide range of possibilities
for tea. You can go with a Spiced Tea to match the cinnamon
including Teatime Heerbal Tea, Cinnamon Spice Herbal Tea, Harvest Fruit Tea, or Chai Black tea.
You can match the light and fruity tastes of the fruit with
minty Calming Spirit Herbal Tea or
light and lemony like Zesty Lemon Tea or Lemon Lavender Splash Herbal Tea.
A great black tea with floral flavors is available with Garden Gait Special-tea.
Or try bringing out the sage flavor with a Vitamin C rich
and beautifully colored Rose Blush Herbal Tea.
June Recipes of the Month
Herbal
Burgers
Burger tips
in general
1.
Lean meat is great, but be sure to
add moisture and fat via vegetable oils and sauces to avoid an unpalatable dry
burger that you have to drench in condiments to eat.
2.
The internal temperature of egg
dishes and ground meet should be at least 160 degrees. Ground turkey and
chicken should be cooked at 165 degrees according to food safety standards.
3.
Wash your hands, then use them to
mix the meat, which allows you to feel when the mix is too dry or too moist and
to ensure that the seasonings are mixed in evenly. Just make sure you
wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
Tomato’s
Friend Burger
This burger with herbs that compliment tomato flavors makes
it perfect when served with a slice of tomato.
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 2 teaspoons ketchup
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
· 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
OR
1 1/2 teaspoons Backyard Patch Burger Blend
· 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
· 2 pounds ground beef
· 8 hamburger buns, split
· Mayonnaise, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes and red onion
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl,
combine meat, seasonings, ketchup, Worcestershire, egg until well mixed. Split
mixture into eight equal portions. Shape into round patties about 4 to 5 inches
in diameter. Press your thumb in to make a hollow in the top of the
burger. Place patties on lightly oiled grill grate and cook for 8-10
minutes on each side. Remove from heat and serve on buns with mayo and
tomatoes. (See below for a horseradish mayo.)
Fresh Herb
Burgers (from About.com)
I have not tried this recipe, but it sounded fun. Just
remember when using fresh herbs, use your hands to mix so you know if it is too
wet. If it feels wet, add more bread crumbs.
· 1 pound lean ground beef
· 1 cup breadcrumbs
· 1 egg
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
· 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
· 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
· 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl,
combine meat, herbs, bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well
mixed. Split mixture into eight equal portions. Shape into rectangular patties
about 5-6 inches long. Place patties on lightly oiled grill grate and cook for
8-10 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and serve on buns or sliced
baguette.
Southwest
Seasoned Burger with Avocado Sauce
· 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
· 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
· 1 tablespoon lime juice
· 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
· 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
· 1 pound ground chuck
· 1 teaspoon chili powder (or Backyard Patch Herb-rich Chili Blend)
Preheat broiler to high; place a rack about 8 inches from
heat source. Combine avocado, shallot, lime juice, crushed red pepper and 1/2
tsp. salt in a bowl. Lightly mash avocado with back of a fork to break up
chunks. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface of guacamole,
and chill until ready to serve.
Sprinkle beef with chili powder and 1 tsp. salt. Mix gently
with your hands to distribute seasonings. Shape into 4 patties. Broil
hamburgers until they reach desired doneness, turning once, about 8 minutes for
medium-rare. Serve hamburgers on buns with guacamole on top.
Burger Sauces
If making a specialty burger is not in your plans, then
craft an herbed-up sauce to go on top. Here are three suggestions. I started with a mayo
featuring Horseradish.
Horseradish
Mayo
· 6 Tbls. Prepared horseradish
· 1 cup mayonnaise
· 2 scallions, white & green parts, finely chopped (about
2 Tbls.)
· Salt & pepper
Drain horseradish in a fine-mesh sieve for 10 minutes,
occasionally pressing down on solids. Discard liquid. Transfer solids to a
bowl. Add mayonnaise and scallions to bowl; mix well. Season with
salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Zippy
Homemade Ketchup
· 3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· Salt and pepper
· 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tablespoon tomato paste
· 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
· 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
· 1/3 cup cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon pickling spice, wrapped in cheesecloth
(we recommend Backyard Patch Picking Spice)
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place tomatoes on a foil-lined baking
sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft and wrinkled but not burned. Let
cool for 5 minutes.
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, warm remaining 1
Tbsp. oil and cook onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Put
tomatoes and onion mixture in a food processor and process until pureed, about
30 seconds. Transfer mixture back to skillet, add tomato paste and brown sugar
and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes. Stir in both vinegars
and pickling spice, reduce heat to low and simmer until very thick, stirring
occasionally, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids
to force all liquid through. Discard solids. Season mixture with salt and
pepper and let cool before serving (it will thicken as it cools.)
Seasoned
Commercial Ketchup
As an alternative to making your ketchup from scratch you
can also season up store-purchased ketchup by adding a few Backyard Patch Herb
Mixes:
Ø For
a savory blend perfect to dress up a plain unseasoned meat paddy, try adding 1
Tbls. Butter N Cheese Blend to 1 cup red ketchup.
Ø For
a spicier outing, try 1 Tbls. Backyard Patch N’orleans Spririt, BBQ Blend, or Garlic & Herb Combination per cup of tomato
ketchup.
July Recipes of the Month
Sparkling Orange Juice or Mimosas
Eggs Scrambled with Chives and Cream Cheese
Sage Sausage
Spiced Right Pan-fried Potatoes
Cinnamon Biscuits
Seasonal Fresh Fruits
Freshly Brewed Coffee or Hot Herbal Tea
Herbed Goat Cheese
It is Hot, too hot to cook most days, but fresh herbs and
fresh vegetables are all around. So make
this blend of goat cheese and herbs and serve it as part of a cold meal with fresh
veggies.
+ 2 4-ounce packages soft
goat cheese
+ ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs
(such as flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, or chives)
+ 1/8 tsp black pepper
In a food processor, pulse the cheese, herbs, and pepper until creamy. Serve with the crackers.
- 1 10-ounce package couscous
- 4 mediums carrots, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 mediums zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup lime or lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
Prepare couscous according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir carrots in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and green onion; cook and stir 6 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Transfer couscous to large bowl and fluff with a fork. Add carrot mixture.In a screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Cover and shake well. Pour over couscous mixture; toss to combine. Top with walnuts and cheese.
