Perennials Herbs to add to your landscape this Fall

Here are three Perennial herbs that you can plant in your fall garden so you can enjoy the flowers and eating them next year.

Edible flowers are a great addition to the landscape.  They have long-lasting flowers that not only add to the look of the garden space, but also add great flavors colors, and scents to your food dishes.  These three are easy to grow and simple to use. 

Perennials are a great plant to add to the garden at the end of the season so they can establish over winter and emerge for your enjoyment in Spring.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

I recommend Common Chives, rather than Garlic chives.  Common Chives flower first thing in the spring when few other things are flowering and the flowers can be used a number of ways.  I love to make herbal vinegar with my chive blossoms.  It is a lovely pink color with the gentlest flavor of onion,  You can also crumble the flowers into a salad or to flavor oil dipping sauces. Later when the flowers are finished you can sprinkle the chopped leaves sprinkled over baked potatoes, salads or pizza.

Add them to your landscape where you want a change in texture as the thin blade-like leaves will fountain out as the plant gets older.

Chives are great in vinegar and salads as an edible flower and you can find several recipes on this blog.

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Bee balm is a wonderful perennial for drawing pollinators into your garden, but did you know it is an edible ornamental? Both the leaves and flowers are edible and have a strong, oregano-like flavor. You might also detect notes of mint, as this perennial is in the mint family. Don’t let the fact that they are in the mint family fool you—these are non-running, clump-forming, petite perennials for the front of the border or herb garden.

Another common name for bee balm is bergamot, as an herbal tea is is a great substitute for the bergamot oil in black tea that flavors Earl Grey.   The leaves or flowers of Monarda didyma can also be used fresh, chopped finely like you would use fresh oregano to flavor pasta dishes, in salad dressings or on your homemade pizza.

To use Bee Balm in recipes, check out these posts.

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Like bee balm, lavender is another plant we tend to think of mostly as an ornamental flowering perennial rather than an edible herb. You’ll find a number of different species at the garden center, but English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, is the one often used in recipes and garden. It tastes much like it smells—sweet and floral-like. Its fresh or dried flowers can be used in marinades and cooking blends, sprinkled over ice cream, steeped in lemonade or cocktails, or used to flavor shortbread cookies and other baked goods.

The plant must be well mulched in winter to come back the following year, but the tall flower spikes with purple buds and flowers can bloom from June to September. When not blocking it has a needle-shape leaf in a silver-gray color that adds a bit of scent and texture to your garden landscape.

So try out these perennials and plant them now in the fall and enjoy them next year to their fullest and most tasty.

Check out recipes with this herb here on the blog.

Pork Chops Dijon - Monthly Recipe Theme

This recipe was originally included in my Backyard PatchCookbook, which I put together back in 2000. It is a collection of recipes using herb ingredients, like this one using herb vinegar. Since it is the perfect season to make herb vinegar, I thought it was a perfect inclusion for this month’s theme.

This recipe has a nice tang to wake up the taste buds and is great served with a side of wild rice or couscous and green beans.  You can always use a plain wine or rice vinegar if you do not have herbal vinegar, but I recommend making an herbal vinegar to enjoy in the winter.  You can use fresh herbs from your garden, the grocery or the farmers market.  Full instructions for this easy technique are available in this previous post.

Pork Chops Dijon

• 2 Tbls butter
• 4 ¾-inch thick pork chops (trimmed of fat)
• 2 Tbls Chive or Garlic chive -based vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp chopped chives (dry or fresh)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat, turning occasionally, for about 30 to 35 minutes, until brown and tender. Remove from the pan and keep in warm place. Now turn up the heat just a little and deglaze the pan by adding the vinegar and stirring well, scraping up any brown bits.  Next stir in the mustard, then the cream.  Simmer, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, then serve over the chops sprinkled with fresh chives. Serves 4.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, Recipe2019, or Recipe2020.

 
You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD for each month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2021 so you can find them all.

The themes are:
Jan 2021 – Baked Items
Feb 2021 – Breakfast Dishes
March 2021 – Italian Dishes
April 2021 - Chicken Recipes
May 2021 - Appetizers
July 2021 – Pork Recipes
August 2021 - Seafood
September 2021 - Pizzas
October 2021 – Mexican Dishes
November 2021 - Cookies
December 2021 – Gift Recipes

Luthy Botanic Garden - National Garden Month Series

In August 2016 my husband took me on a road trip when we were quite a ways from home we decided to spend the night and go home the next day.  On the voyage home we stopped in Peoria.  It was raining, so we decided to go to the Luthy Botanic Garden and Conservatory because the building was indoors, so I could look at plants in a heavy rain.  While we were there, the rain stopped and I was able to take in the Herb garden and the other outdoor displays.

The Luthy Botanic Garden opened in 1951 and is run by the Peoria Park District.  It off the main road on a side street you would never guess was taking you to a glass conservatory set among trees and flowers.

Living in Illinois I do not get the chance to grow or enjoy many tropical plants so I was fascinated with the offerings inside the Conservatory.  The Bird of Paradise was in bloom and I must have taken 30 pictures of it trying to catch the best view of the blooms.

There were plants I'd never known about like the miraculous plant that changes your tastebuds (temporarily) to make sour things taste sweet called Miracle Berry.

There were blooming orchids and other tropical plants I cannot identify that have exceptional flowers.

 There were banana and plantains almost ready to be harvested.

And this lovely variegated shrub that I think I know the name of?

There were umbrellas made available that we used to go outside when the rani slowed down.  This is Hubby approaching a green house that I am guessing was the original 1951 era conservatory.

Tucked away under the trees in the outdoor area was a children's garden.  Some of it had been put to bed for the year, but there was the cutest train and other fun garden art and play areas.

There was a lovely display garden of Dwarf Conifers installed in 1997.

Now to the herb garden.  This was a pretty garden tucked along the side of the conservatory that had a metalwork entrance arch that spelled out "Herbs." The center sported a sundial and the formal four square layout had a variety of herbs and garden art to explore and enjoy.

The garden included Lemon Verbena and Rosemary planted in the ground, looking like they wintered over in place.  I was curious if this was true, but no one working that day was well versed in herbs to be able to answer that inquiry.

Rosemary

Lemon Verbena surrounded by catnip and lavender

There were some unusual plants like Lungwort, Hyssop and Rue.

Being August the Garlic Chives were ready to bloom.

There was a bush of Meadowsweet an herb I would like to grow when I have more room for it to spread out like this one has. The herb is a go-to for stomach and intestinal ailments and can be used in tinctures as well as dried and taken in tea form.

I don't have another picture of it, but you can see the willow branches placed diagonally in the ground to the right of the Meadowsweet that were keeping other herbs like Yarrow from creeping into the space.  I thought it was clever and not at all distracting.

There was a Costmary (Bible leaf) plant. This lastly minty smelling and tasting leaf can be sniffed to increase wakefulness.

And the most interesting Thyme Bed -- Sofa? A most clever way to display Thyme and a perfect memorial sculpture - a scented seat.   The "planted seat" is an old herb garden item, used often before the 1800s to scent clothing. It was created of carved stone, much like a heavy church pew. The seat was hollowed out into a cavity about 6 inches deep and into this was packed earth planted with either chamomile or thyme. When a person sat down and crushed the plants, resulting oils soaked into breeches or skirts. The seat would be replenished as needed.

I did not notice the arch with HERBS until I was leaving the herb garden as I entered from the back side like this view.

The sundial in the center is registered with the North American Sundial Society is said to be only one of two designed by Grant Hood of the Bradley  It is inscribed "TIME FLIES LAT 40 43 DESIGNED BY GRANT HOOD, PEORIA, ILL."  The granite pedestal includes a dedication plate reading, "Presented by - Mrs. S. A. Kinsey - October 1905"  Grant Hood worked for Parson School of Horology (founded in 1886.) Horology is the study of watchmaking and time keeping the school was part of what is now Bradley University in Peoria.  The other sundial was at the school but was later removed and sold.

The George L. Luthy Memorial Botanical Garden, usually just Luthy Botanical Garden, is a 4.5 acres botanical garden and conservatory located in Glen Oak Park, near the corner of Prospect Avenue and Gift Avenue in Peoria, Illinois, United States. The garden was established in 1951. The street address is 2520 N Prospect Rd, Peoria, IL 61603

Low salt, Low fat Chicken and Dumplings - early Weekend Recipe

EDIT: Nothing like presetting all the monthly recipes to take care of the posting so I can lecture prep and realizing that it never happened 2 months into the process.  So if you were expecting these recipes to post during the month for your enjoyment, I am sorry.  If you want to find the recipes which have now posted, try out the links below in the theme list.

Easy low-fat and sodium Chicken and Dumplings

I got this recipe through Carolyn Foster.  It started out with just sage in it and I found if you are removing fat and salt you need more herb flavors, so I added them. I think if you get a rotisserie chicken and pull it apart it will have less sodium than the canned chicken in the recipe, but that is just me.

2 large cans of chicken breast

2 48-ounce carton low sodium chicken broth

2 cups of pre-chopped celery, onion, carrots, and bell peppers

1/4 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp savory

1/2 tsp chives or garlic chives

1 Tbls olive oil

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup cold water

1 tsp salt (use a 1/2 teaspoon for broth mixture and 1/2 teaspoon for dumplings)

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté chopped vegetables and herbs in olive oil until translucent. Bring chicken broth to a boil add canned chicken breast to broth. Add cooked vegetables and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to broth and reduce to simmer.

Dumplings: Form dumplings by mixing 1 cup cold water to 1 cup of self-rising flour and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix together until flour mixture consistency is sticky. Use a tablespoon to form the dumplings.

Drop dumplings one at a time into simmering broth mixture. Dumplings will form and will not stick together. Turn heat up to medium. Broth and dumplings will turn to a gravy-like consistency. Reduce to simmer again. Serve hot. Can be reheated for leftovers the following day. Leftovers may be kept up to three to four days in the refrigerator. Serves 10

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Cajun And Creole

May 2019 - Seafood Recipes

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Enjoying an Outdoor Picnic - Menu & Recipes

There’s nothing like the thrill of packing up a scrumptious meal in a picnic basket and gathering together your friends and family to enjoy an outdoor picnic on a bright and sunny summer day. That is my favorite way to spend my birthday.  We pack a picnic into our bicycle saddle bags and off we go. 

courtesy of Ravinia Festival

Another favorite activity for my hubby and I in the summer is to go hear the symphony play, either the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival and Outdoor Theater or Elmhurst Symphony on their annual Fourth of July concert on the grounds of Elmhurst College.  We also like to hear the Wheaton Municipal Band play in the band shell at Memorial Park in Wheaton on Thursday nights.

courtesy of Wheaton Municipal Band

Any of these musical events can include a picnic.  So when I was sorting recipes I pulled together this collection of picnic recipes so you can take your dinner along to any outdoor event.  All you need is a basket and a blanket with these quick to prepare herbal dishes.

The MENU

Chive Dip with raw vegetables

Caraway Coleslaw

Garlic Chive Pasta Salad

Chicken Salad with a Stuffing Twist on a wheat or herb flavored bread or focaccia

Egg Salad with Salad Burnet in Pitas

Lemon Basil Fruit Salad
Rosemary Shortbread

The RECIPES

Chive Dip
This dip is a wonderful accompaniment to fresh raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes.

1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives or garlic chives - snipped with scissors
1 tablespoon fresh sage - minced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

½ teaspoon granulated onion

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix add all ingredients and mix well. Let chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before using to allow all the flavors to meld together.

Caraway Coleslaw
2 cups green cabbage - shredded
1 cup red cabbage - shredded
1 cup carrots - peeled and shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tarragon or thyme herbal vinegar or wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Use a food processor to shred the cabbage and carrots then add them to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients until all the sugar is dissolved to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and mix together. Store the coleslaw in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 4 cups of coleslaw.

Garlic Chive Pasta Salad
2 cups dried bow tie pasta
1 cup tomatoes - chopped
1 cup yellow or green bell peppers - seeded and chopped
1/2 cup green onions – sliced

½ cup diced, peeled zucchini
1/2 cup black olives - sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh garlic chives - snipped with scissors
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
fresh grated parmesan cheese – optional

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, cover with cold water and drain again. Place the prepared pasta into a large bowl. Stir in the tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, oil, vinegar, garlic chives and marjoram. Let chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese prior to serving if desired.

Chicken Salad with a Stuffing Twist
The stuffing twist comes from the use of sage and thyme two herbs that are normally used in stuffing.  This is another terrific sandwich spread to serve on top of the whole wheat herb bread or a seasoned focaccia.

2 split chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely diced celery
2 teaspoons fresh sage - chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or lemon thyme – chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves - chopped fine
salt & pepper – optional

Drain the liquid from the can of chicken breast. Flake with a fork and add to a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise, celery hearts, sage and tarragon and mix well. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Egg Salad with Salad Burnet
To make a hearty sandwich to serve at your picnic serve this egg salad on fresh slices of whole wheat herb bread.  For an easier to manage picnic sandwich used a pita to hold the salad.  The cucumber flavor of the salad burnet will lend a unique flavor to this perfect dish.  If you like it a bit more robust, add a Tablespoon of herb flavored mustard, like tarragon.

12 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh salad burnet - chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

courtesy of Ravinia Festival

Place the eggs in a large pan, fill the pan with water and place it on the stove on high heat. When the water comes to a boil turn the heat down to medium and cook the eggs for an additional 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, drain the water and run cold water over the eggs until they have cooled down. Remove the shells from the eggs and chop them up then place them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve this salad with assorted breads and crackers if desired.

Lemon Basil Fruit Salad
2 cups fresh raspberries or blackberries
2 cups fresh strawberries - hulled and sliced
2 oranges peeled and deveined and the sections left whole
One (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained
2 tablespoons white grape juice
¼ cup fresh lemon basil – minced or sliced in ribbons

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Rosemary Shortbread

Walnuts and pecan can be used instead of pistachios if you don’t have them.  This is a perfect make-ahead item for the picnic as shortbread will keep for a week or two.

1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachios (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves - minced fine
additional confectioners sugar for garnish

In a large bowl cream the sugar into the softened butter using a large mixing spoon. Add the flour 3/4 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract, pistachios and rosemary and mix until well blended. Place the dough in a greased rectangular cake pan (9” x 13”) and press down the dough until it is about ¾ of an inch thick.  Prick the top with a fork in a pattern of squares or rectangles to make it easier to break later.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 17 to 20 minutes until light brown.  Cool completely before breaking into pieces and storing in an air-tight container.

Exotic Herbs in the Garden

Happy Easter!  I am getting out the garden plans and making my plant lists while I have sometime off visiting the family.  As a result I started thinking about what I wanted and what I could get that was new.  that was when I remembered that a lecture attendee asked me at a recent program to list three herbs that most people have not tried in the garden which I would recommend growing.

I came up with this list: Lemon Verbena, Pineapple Sage and Garlic Chives.

Lemon verbena is my favorite herbs so I always recommend it, but pineapple sage is god for flower gardeners as well as herb enthusiasts.  And Garlic chives allows those who fear the strong flavor of garlic to enjoy its more gentle tastes.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

Perhaps no other herb can appease the true lemon lover like lemon verbena can This deciduous woody shrub to bushy, tender perennial grows 3 to 5 feet in cooler climates; 10 to 15 feet tall in frost- free regions of the South.

Growing conditions: Prefers rich and moderately moist, well-drained soil in full sun. The roots can be hardy down to 20 degrees if heavily mulched and grown in a protected area. Zone 8, so here in Illinois you need to  treat it as an annual or plant it in a container.

Culinary tips: Use fresh or dried leaves in teas and beverages; salads and fruit dishes; salad dressings and marinades; and baked goods and desserts. Lemon verbena brightens the flavor of fish and chicken

 

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

This herbaceous subshrub grows from 3 to 5 feet tall and features brilliant green, slightly hairy pineapple scented leaves and red, trumpet-shaped flower spikes from summer until frost.

Growing conditions: Plants thrive in full sun and rich, well-drained soil, but appreciate some shade in hot summer areas. Pineapple sage prefers more moisture and nitrogen than most other species of sage. Zone 9, but can be grown a zone or two lower if you cut back the plant in late full and cover the soil with a thick layer of winter mulch. Or you can grow it like I do in a pot and bring it in each winter along with my Lemon Verbena.

Culinary tips: Use fresh or dried leaves with foods that are enhanced by the light tropical flavor of pineapple, such as fruit salads, jams and jellies-or to heighten the flavor of cheeses and desserts.

 

Garlic Chives (Alliun tuberosum)

This flat leafed member of the onion family blooms with white flowers in the fall. This hardy perennial plant will grow in expanding clumps or sprout from seed.

Growing Conditions: Can sprout in almost any soil from rocky to humus and prefers full sun. In colder climates, Zone 5 and above, the leaves will die back in winter and regrow in the spring.

Culinary Tips: Both the leaves and the flowers can be eaten.  Toss the flowers into salads or use them to craft and herbal vinegar.  Chop the leaves into stir-fry, over potatoes, or whisk into salad dressings.

So enjoy a few exotics in your garden this year and see what joy you can turn up!

Weekend Recipe - Company Cream Cheese Butter

This is a crowd-pleaser that makes a fresh loaf of bread into a marvelous experience.  So grab a great French or Italian loaf and serve this with a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

I made this version with fresh parsley and dried chives.

Company Cream Cheese Butter

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tbls. butter, softened

1 tsp. dry white wine or lemon juice

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. cumin powder

1 ½ tsp. chives or garlic chives (1 Tbls. fresh if you have it)

1 ½ tsp. parsley (1/2 Tbls. fresh if you have it)

In a small ceramic bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter.  Stir in wine or lemon juice.  Add herbs and seasonings.  Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, then bring to room temperature before serving.

I actually made this for a party taking a short cut of using 1 Tbls of Olive Oil Dipping Sauce Blend instead of the chives and parsley.  It was perfect with the Pinot.

The Best Herbs for Autumn

Here is a list of the ripe perfect autumnal herbs  and some ways to add them into your seasonal cooking.

Garden Sage

Sage -- This herb gives savory flavor to sausages and stuffings, either by itself or in combination with other herbs. To amaze your friends at dinner parties, pick a handful of the thick, fleshy leaves and fry them to crispness in olive oil, then sprinkle them with sea salt. Much better than potato chips as a snack.

Peppermint -- The mint (small serrated leaves in the picture) shoots up long, lavender flowers. Don't discard the flowers! These have a strong and slightly different flavor than the leaves, and make a nice addition to salads. While most use mint to make iced tea or juleps, the mint can also be used in pestos, and to make various other Italian salsa verdes.

Flowering garlic chives -- This herb flowers in the fall with a white button type flower.  It can be used in stir-fries, or as stuffing for meat, poultry or fish. Steamed with a little sesame or olive oil, they make a fine side dish by themselves.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm -- Said to have healing properties, this herb in the mint family smells like lemon more than it tastes. It can make a fine addition to salads or teas, or can be macerated to make a soothing balm for insect stings or sunburn.

Purple Rubin Basil

Basil -- Once again, the flowers are the most potent part of this anise-y smelling herb, and, crumbled over pasta or fresh mozzarella with olive oil, make all the dressing you ever need. And if you like a colorful vinegar, use the purple varieties instead of the green for the best shade of magenta you have ever seen and all the same Basil flavors.

Curly parsley -- Once provided on the side of the plate almost universally in restaurants as a breath freshener (you were supposed to chew it after the meal), curly parsley is strongly flavored and a little goes a long way. Salads or pestos are its best use, or sparingly in meat and poultry stuffings. Or try stuffing a big zucchini with rice and chopped up curly parsley.

Lavender

Lavender -- Identifiable by its lovely lavender flowers and saw-tooth leaves, lavender is more fragrant than it is tasty, and cooking applications are sometimes hard to find. Yet, it is indispensable in the Herbs de Provence of France, is great stuffed in a sachet and hidden in your underwear drawer, and can be sparingly used in flans, ice creams, and other sweet applications.

Thyme -- After a rainfall, thyme becomes the densest of herbs, and also one of the most pungent. Typical uses include savory stews and soups, and why not dry a handful for the winter? Much better than the jarred variety in stores.  The lemon thyme varieties make great tea and vinegar.