Hearty Beef Stew - Weekend Recipe

Hearty Beef Stew

Marinade:

1 glove garlic

10 peppercorns

8 whole allspice

1 tsp. salt

1 cup red wine

3 pounds rump roast, cubed

Stew:

3 Tbls. Olive oil

2 cups beef broth

1 Backyard Patch Bouquet Garni packet

1 clove garlic

3 medium carrots, peeled & quartered

1 large white onion, quartered

12 small mushrooms, sliced

10 oz. pkg. frozen green peas  

Directions:

Marinated Beef: In a deep bowl, combine 1 clove garlic, crushed peppercorns, allspice, and wine. Stir to dissolve salt. Add beef cubes, pressing cubes down into marinade to immerse as much as possible. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  

Remove beef and garlic from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade. Pat beef and garlic dry on paper towels. In a 6 quart non-reactive oven-going pot (like a dutch-oven), heat olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. Add meat in 2 batches, searing meat on all sides until deep brown. Return all meat to pot. Pour in reserved marinade and beef broth. Add bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350F. Layer carrots, onions and mushrooms atop meat mixture in casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bouquet garni. Stir in frozen peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and bake 4-5 minutes until peas are cooked. Spoon stew and cooking juices into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: StewFeb
To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:
   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)
   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)
   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)
   April - Ham & Shrimp Dishes
   May - Bread recipes
   June - Garden Delights
   July - Grilling
   August - Salsa, Corn and Jelly
   September - Squash Dishes
   October - Pumpkin Recipes
   November - Chili
   December - Herbal Cocktails

6 Unique Ways to Preserve an Herb Harvest

There are many ways to preserve the herbs from your harvest.  Here are a few quick and easy ones to get you started.

Freeze leaves in water

Quick and easy, you just grab an ice tray fill the square halfway with water and add the herb leaves.  You can leave the leaf whole or chopped them fine.  Pop them into the freezer.  Once the cubes are frozen fill the tray the rest of the way with water and freeze again.  This two-step method makes sure the leaves stay covered by the water and ice so they keep their green color.

Once finally frozen you can pop put the cubes and place them in a zip lock bag for long term storage.  This will give you herbs for casseroles, soups, stews and long cook dishes all winter.  Discard the cubes once the spring harvesting begins.

Make a Bouquet Garni Bundle 

Bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs (thyme, bay, parsley, rosemary, savory) used in long cook soups and stews.  It is great in the crock pot where you can hang the bundle from the side and let the flavor infuse the dish, then remove the bundle when cooking is over.  You do not have to worry about leaves in the dish or picking out bay leaf.

You can use a bouquet garni fresh, or you can make fresh bundles and hang them to dry.  Once dry, you can wrap a cello bag around them and give them as a gift along with a soup recipe, or save their wonderful goodness all for yourself.

I have previously posted recipes to use with bouquet garni too!

Dry in a paper bag

Savory, Thyme and rosemary are all great candidates for bag drying.  The leaves have a small size and very little moisture, so you toss the cut stems in a bag, hang it on the wall and let the herbs dry.  Sometimes depending on humidity, I will give the bags a shake every few days. No other special treatment is needed and the herbs will be try enough to be stripped from the stems for storage in about a week.

Honey or Vinegar Infusion

Make an infusion of herbs transferring the flavor into another medium.  You can create a vinegar or honey.  See these posts for detailed instructions.

How Tuesday on making vinegar

Recipes using Herbed Vinegar

Make a compound butter

A compound butter is any plain unsalted butter to which you add herbs. You can create a single herb flavor or blend the herbs tighter to create a variety of flavors.  The general rule is 1/8 to 1/4 cup herbs into 1 stick unsalted butter.

Here is one of my favorite versions:

1 tsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp chopped chives or garlic chives

1 tsp tarragon

Blend the herbs into 1 stick of room temperature unsalted butter with a fork to get the herbs evenly distributed.  Then roll the soft butter into a sausage in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to eat in a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.  You can use the butter on fresh steamed vegetables, steaks, baked or roasted potatoes, rice, egg noodles are on your morning toast of muffins.

I have more recipes for making compound butter (also called Herb Butter) all over the blog, but here is one of my first. 

Make a salt

There are several ways to make herb salt.  My two favorites are just to layer the whole herb leaf in salt and allow the salt to absorb the flavor from the leaf then later remove the leaf and you have white salt infused with flavor.  Another way is to run the salt and herbs in a coffee grinder.  I start with a larger salt so that I get a fine salt with fine flakes of herbs in it. 

You can also make an herb salt with chopped fresh leaves that you stir into salt, then spread on a baking sheet and allow to dry in the open air for 2 to 3 days to a week depending on humidity.  This is a great way to infuse the salt with a mixture of herbs, like a blend of chives, thyme, parsley and sage.  You use about 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs to ¼ cup of salt (I like kosher.)  Once the herbs and salt have dried, you can place the mixture in a jar where it will keep its herbal taste for at least a year.

We will be posting more ways to make herbed salt and flavored sugar later this fall.

Advent How To - Last Minute Gift Bouquet Garni

One final HOW TO for the holiday season. And this is perfect for a last minute gift, you can whip these up in just a few minutes with herbs and materials on hand and yet craft a thoughtful and hand-crafted present.

The term Bouquet Garni refers to little bundles of aromatic herbs and spices used to flavor soups, stews and sauces.  You keep the herbs contained so that the flavor but not the flecks of broken herbs will permeate the food.  You can make the bundles with fresh herb sprigs tied together with string, or with dried herbs whole or crumbled wrapped in cheese cloth bags.

This summer I discussed them as something to make with the fresh herbs from your garden.  Now I want to detail a few recipes you can use to craft a special culinary gift.

Classically bouquet garnis contain parsley, thyme, and bay with any or all of the following: whole peppercorns, whole allspice, whole cloves, celery leaf, tarragon, or marjoram.  The best part about a bouquet garni is you can make them ahead of time.  As a result they make a great gift idea.

For a keen cook you can make a culinary herb gift set. Add a bottle of herb vinegar and a decorative bottle of olive oil, then include a selection of bouquet garni bags that will compliment different types of food.

To make a bouquet garni bag you need a double or triple thickness of cheesecloth (or drip coffee filters or even oversized heat seal tea bags) string and decorative ribbon.

Step 1 - Cut the cheesecloth into squares about 6 inches on each side or lay out and hand-flatten a drip coffee filter.

Step 2  - Measure the herbs into the center of each.

Here are three recipes to try, or craft your own:

For Meat – 1 teaspoon each Nutmeg, Thyme, Chervil and Tarragon.

For Fish – 1 teaspoon each of Tarragon, Dill, Mint and Lemon peel.

For Vegetables – 4 Bay Leaves, 2 teaspoons Parsley and 1 teaspoon Thyme.

Step 3 Gather each bundle and tie with string tightly so the herbs do not escape.  I generally use a rubber band then cover that with the string.  Leave a long tail on the string so the bundle can be suspended in pot tied to the pot handle. 

Step 4 – Label each bouquet garni or gather into a mason jar and add a label to the outside

For gifting --

Gather 3 to 5 bouquet garni and place in a jar with a tight sealing lid and instructions for use.  Gather 3 different jars into a basket with a sauce whisk and a kitchen towel to create a perfect gift for the foodie in your life.  Below are several recipes you can make with bouquet garni.

Include these instructions with the bouquet garni:

When using the bouquet garni, tie the bundle sting to the pot handle and dangle the bouquet in the pot with your cooking meat, soup, stew or sauce.  Once cooking is finished remove the bouquet.

(And do not forget to include an ingredient list – you never know about allergies and sensitivities!)

Here are a couple of recipes that go with bouquet garni you can include in your gift as well.

Garlic Consommé

6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
12-15 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Bouquet Garni Herb Bag
1 cup  tomato juice
1/4 cup brandy or sherry (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Bring the stock, garlic, and bouquet garni to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 

covered for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine well.  Strain the soup and 

discard the garlic and bouquet garni.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and adjust the seasoning 

before serving.  Serves 4 to 6.

Beef Bourguignon

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup butter

3 slices bacon, cut up

2 lb. boneless beef, cut in 2" cubes

2 Tbls. flour

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbls. tomato paste

1 1/4 cup red cooking wine

2 beef bouillon cubes

2 Tbls. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/2 lb. small white onions

1 Bouquet Garni Herb Bag

In large pot, sauté mushrooms in butter.  Remove mushrooms and set aside.  Fry

bacon until crisp.  Remove and set aside. Add meat to drippings and brown well. 

Blend in flour.  Add garlic, tomato paste, wine, bouillon and seasonings.  Add

Bouquet Garni Herb Bag, cover and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add

onions, mushrooms and bacon; simmer 1 hour longer.  Add additional wine if liquid

has evaporated.  Remove Bouquet Garni before serving over rice.

Split Pea Soup

1 ½ c split peas, soaked overnight

3 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 c water

1 pkg. Bouquet Garni Herb Bag

½ c. onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. carrot, peeled and chopped

¼ tsp. Salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients, including Bouquet Garni in a large stew pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 1 to 11/2 hours, adding more water and skimming foam as needed (Carrots should be tender).  Discard Bouquet Garni and puree.  Reheat and serve soup.

Holiday Gift Making Series - Food Gifts

This year I’m trying to put a more personal spin on the gifts we give.  I have always given herb blends and many years I have given cookies, truffles and the like, but this year, I decided to use the garden bounty in a different way.  I have come up with several ideas, a couple of which I have shared already.

Food items are always a hit and rather than giving a mix or two this year, I am actually going to make up a few items and put them in a basket.  Instead of a theme, like breakfast or dinner which I have done in the past, I am going for an herb sampler of items.  Making the time to create a gift from scratch is well worth it, most people you give a homemade gift will recognise the love and effort that went into the gift making it more special than anything you can buy in a shop. 


Here are a few recipes for herb infused items you can bake up and give to your friends too:

Savory Herb Crackers
Here is the recipe, for detailed instructions for making these, check out the how to I did back in July.

Rosemary Crackers How to!


Herb Scones
Baking up a pan of scones is probably the easiest gift to create.  They have a good shelf life and you can make them as a mix or as the baked finished product.  They also do not require special tools and the variations are endless. and most versatile recipe you can create.  For other scone recipes, check out this past post.

Tea Party Currant Scones
4 cups flour plus 2 tablespoons, divided

¼  cup white sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest
3 sticks (1 and one-half cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (see testing note)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried currants
Egg wash made from 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water or additional cream
Crystallized sugar for topping, optional

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, zest and pieces of cold butter. Beat on low speed just until butter is the size of peas. (Alternately, whisk together dry ingredients and work butter in by hand.)

In a small bowl, whisk together schnapps, eggs and cream. Turn mixer on low and add liquid in a slow, steady stream and mix just until mixture is blended, about 1 minute.

In a small bowl, toss currants with 2 tablespoons flour. Add to bowl and mix for a few seconds just until distributed. Turn dough out onto a clean counter and make it into 2 balls. (Note: due to the large amount of butter and eggs, this is a very sticky dough. Add flour as needed to form into balls. It will firm up when chilled.)

Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press or roll chilled dough out to one-inch thickness and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut scones of desired size. You can re-roll scraps but they may need to be re-chilled first. Place scones on a greased cookie sheet and brush with egg wash or cream. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.  Bake 13 to 20 minutes depending on size until golden brown.  Yields about 60 mini (2-inch) scones.

 Herbal Jelly
Scones can be topped with jelly or with Devon cream or even lemon curd, so try this!

Savory Jelly

1 Tbls. fresh or dried summer or winter savory

½ cup boiling water

1 ½ cup unsweetened cranberry juice

3 cups honey

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 box powdered pectin

Make an infusion (tea) of savory and water.  Let steep 5 minutes or more.  Strain.  In large sauce pan combine juice, honey, and infusion liquid and bring to boil.  Add pectin, stirring at all times.  Heat until mixture reaches a hard boil.  Boil hard for 30 seconds and give a sheet test.  Once it passes the sheet test remove instantly from heat. Pour into sterilized jars with a sprig of fresh savory in each, seal.

Sheet test –

Dip a metal spoon into the boiling syrup.  As the boiling mixture nears the jellying point, it will drop from the side of the spoon in two (2) drops, (not a stream).  The jelly is finished and should be removed from the burner.

Bouquet Garni
Bouquet Garni is traditionally bay, thyme, rosemary & parsley, but I believe you can mix your own bouquets to work with your favorite ingredients.  You can combine the herbs and place them in cute squares of fabric or muslin bags.  And put them in a bale jar or basket with a few recipes.  You can add an herbal vinegar and a bottle of quality olive oil to make a perfect seasoning package.

Here are some suggestions for a selection of Bouquet Garni bags that will compliment different types of food.

For Meat – 1 teaspoon each Nutmeg, Thyme, Chervil and Tarragon.
For Fish – 1 teaspoon each of Tarragon, Dill, Mint and Lemon peel.
For Vegetables – 4 Bay Leaves, 2 teaspoons Parsley and 1 teaspoon Thyme.

Herbal Vinegar

1 cup fresh herbs (of your choice)

2 cups wine or rice vinegar

Place the washed herbs in a jar with a plastic lid and bruise them with the handle of a spoon.  Cover them with vinegar of your choice that you have warmed in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes. 

Seal the jar with a non-reactive (plastic) lid and let sit for at least two weeks shaking daily. Strain using cheese cloth or a coffee filter and rebottle. 

For detailed instructions, check out the How-to-sday on Making Vinegar.

Herb Quick Bread
Quick breads do not have yeast ahdn have no rise time,so they make a quick and easy gift.  You can use your imagination here too, but I have given two recipes to try.

Herb Quick Bread

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         3 tablespoons sugar

·         1 tablespoon baking powder

·         1 tablespoon caraway seeds

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1 egg

·         1 cup fat-free milk

·         1/3 cup canola oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Transfer to a 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Herb & Cheese Quick Bread

Ingredients:

·         2 cups flour

·         1 tablespoon sugar

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon dried basil

·         1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·         1/4 teaspoon dried sage

·         1/4 cup margarine or butter

·         1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 1 cup Monterey jack cheese

·         1 egg, , beaten

·         1/2 cup yogurt

·         1/2 cup milk

·         1/8 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients.  Cut in margarine or butter. Combine cheese, egg, yogurt and milk, and add to other ingredients. Dump into a round or square 9-inch pan, sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make up a basket of culinary herbs & spices to give as a gift.  You can include your own home made herb tea blends, give them pretty labels, add a herb mug and pack them all in a basket for a herb tea fan. Or pack a selection of dried herbs and spices into some little amber glass jars which you’ve labelled with the name of the contents, add a few loose herbs such as bay leaves, cinnamon sticks or even dried orange slices, cover in cellophane and finish with raffia to make your own personal herb and spice gift baskets. If you’ve grown and dried your own herbs not often available in supermarkets such as lemon thyme, chocolate peppermint and rose geranium, you can add them to your basket. Or make Rose Geranium, Vanilla and Lavender sugars and put together a gift basket for someone who likes to bake, slip in a few recipes, biscuit cutters and whatever else takes your fancy.  You can make themed gifts too, like an Italian herb gift basket for a friend who loves pizza and pasta.

If you are too busy to craft these items, check out the Backyard Patch.  We have herbal vinegars, scone mixes, cracker mixes and even soup mixes, that are entirely hand-blended with herbs we grow ourselves.  An entire selection of Backyard Patch items can be seen on Etsy and if you use this code: PASSPORT10, you will get 10% off.