March TO DO - Seed & Herb Planting tips

In the car this morning on the way to work, my husband and I were discussing gardens.  I am contemplating a new garden patch and he is trying to talk me out of it.  That and the weather report from WGN saying that we will be in the 50s soon put me in a gardening state of mind.  It is almost too early to do much outside, but I did come up with a list of things that can be done in March if you, like me, are in zone 5.

One of the great things to do in March is starting a few plants from seed.

I grew these Chives from seed and am so excited that after bringing them in last winter they are now getting ready to flower.  I should have a batch of chive blossom vinegar before I can even move the planter back outside!

Here is a list of good herbs to start from seed:

            Basil

            Borage

            Chervil

            Chives

            Dill

            Lavender

            Marjoram

            Some mints

            Sage

            Summer Savory

            Thyme

Starting seed in March means that the plants will be about 2 to 3 inches tall by the frost free day in May meaning they will be ready for transplanting directly into the garden.  I am also saying that if you procrastinate like I do there is still time to get a jump on the season with seed.       

Start calendula seeds inside now in individual peat pots for June blooms in the garden which if kept cut will continue to flower for the remainder of summer.  Calendula, known as Pot Marigold, is the preferred marigold for culinary and bath purposes.

When staring seed indoors, some herbs should not have light while germinating.  Calendula, statice, verbena, parsley should be shielded with newspaper until sprouts appear

Plant sugar snap peas close to your fences now for June picking.  In May your luffa transplants can be planted between the pea plants to climb the fence when the latter are finished.

Here are a few other March Tasks to do as well:

As soon as soil is workable (not frosty or muddy) prepare it for your new herb plants by tilling in compost, lime, peat and sand.  Herbs want a neutral pH (on the sweet side) and light friable soil for good drainage.  Friable means easily crumbled.  This is sometimes also referred to as loamy soil which means it is a mix of different sized particles so water drains easily.

I wrote a blog series on soil preparation a while ago.  Here are the links if you want more details:

http://www.backyardpatch.mysite.com/blog/520365/Soil_Structure

http://www.backyardpatch.mysite.com/blog/520369/Soil_Structure_Part_2

Savor your first outside exclusions if you’ve been winter bound.  Take vigorous daily walks amongst your gardens, inhaling deeply.

Prune roses and cover tops of cut stems with Elmer’s glue or special paint from a nursery to keep out borers.  Gradually remove winter mulch, hills, or covers protecting the bushes.  If you hilled up organic material around the roses, gently smooth it out at the base of the plants creating a circular border that will catch rainfall.

If you like me are itching to garden, I hope these ideas keep you active in the garden this March!

Spring Cleaning with Herbs! Joyous scents few chemicals

I’ve done a few blog entries on cleaning with herbs before, but I wanted to do one for Spring Cleaning with a few very simple recipes you can try easily at home with or without herbs.  If you have respiratory issues or skin irritations and inflammations regularly you might want to look into changing to all-natural cleaners.  The harsh substances and chemical scents in commercial cleaning agents can bother many people especially children.

Try these easy home-made naturals instead:

To get you started --

Adding herbs to easily available household compounds, like baking soda, can create great cleaning tools.

Steep 1 cup of herbs (lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage or a combination)

in 4 cups boiling water for 15 minutes

Stir in 1 to 4 tablespoons of borax or baking soda

Use this to clean china, glassware, bathroom fixtures, kitchen counters and even lightly soiled walls and painted woodwork.  I use it on a light color sponge like my own “magic eraser.”

Herbal Waters for cleaning --

Technically what you are making is an infusion (or a very strong tea) which is heavily permeated with the scent and properties of the herbs. 

Use a strong mixture of at least 1 cup of herbs to 3 to 4 cups of water.  Bring the water and herbs to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then allow to steep for at least 15 minutes before straining out the herbs.

Add the remaining liquid to the borax/baking soda using the recipe above, or just use the liquid to wipe down lightly soiled items to leave behind a fresh garden scent. 

A liquid made with sage is good as a bathroom spray in the shower to kill fungus.  One with thyme will kill bacteria.  Lavender leaves a fresh relaxing scent and rosemary lends many bacteria fighting properties too.

You can also make an air freshener spray:

1.5 oz. vodka

¼ tsp. bergamot essential oil

8 drops clove essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

6 fluid oz. distilled water

Put vodka and oils in spray bottle and shake to disperse the oils.  Add distilled water and shake.  Leave for a few days to mature.  Spray to refresh a room.

Here are some other suggestions for using herbs to clean your home this Spring Season:

Window Cleaner – I have been using herbal vinegar for years to clean my windows and bath.  You can make your own window cleaner by filling a 1 quart spray bottle half with water and half with white vinegar.  You can use herbal vinegar if you have it.  I like to use up the vinegar from last season and make a lemon window cleaner.  If you want to fight germs in the bathroom use vinegar with thyme (anti-bacterial) or sage (anti-fungal).  I make lemon thyme vinegar just for using to clean. 

All-purpose Cleaner – Good on doors, refrigerators, counter tops and light switch covers.  To a 1 quart spray bottle add 2 Tbls. Borax and fill with water.  To the top add 1 tsp. castile soap and 15 to 20 drops of essential oil if you enjoy scented cleaners. (I purchase Borax in the grocery store, look for it on the bottom shelf of the laundry isle.)

Furniture Cleaner – Add to a 1 quart sprayer 2 tsp. light olive oil, ¼ cup white vinegar (lemon herbal vinegar works well here too!) and 15 drops of lemon essential oil.  I think this is the greatest on my wood desk.  Especially where I rub the mouse over the wood while on the computer.

Floor Cleaner – add ¼ cup of vinegar and 10 to 15 drops of essential oil to your wash bucket and mop away.  If you have a dirty floor, add a teaspoon of liquid soap to the bucket as well.  If germs are a concern add 4 to 6 drops of oregano or thyme essential oil.  We only have uncarpeted floor in the foyer, bathrooms and kitchen (a total of about 10 square feet) so I mix up a batch in the bucket to clean all the floors, but before I begin I scoop out enough to fill a spray bottle for touch ups in between bucket washings.

Carpet freshener – Place 1 cup baking soda in a covered bowl and add 16 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil.  Lavender, lemon, rose all work well.  Shake well and leave sealed until the next day, then sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum up.  If you have a HEPA filter vacuum you should avoid this treatment as it will clog the filters.  If you happen to have scented geranium leaves you can add those to the mixture as well.  I love the scent the geranium leaves give the house as I vacuum and the scent returns the next time I vacuum as well.  We make a VACUUM Freshener at the Backyard Patch with these very ingredients.

Mattress Freshener – Use a small spray bottle and fill it with water or witch hazel and add 12 to 16 drops of eucalyptus oil.  Shake and spray on the mattress.  Eucalyptus is supposed to kill dust mites. This will work on upholstered furniture as well.  I use witch hazel as it evaporates faster and does not spot the mattress cover.  I spray it on every time I strip the bed to wash the sheets.  I leave the bed clear for an hour or so then come back and vacuum the mattress and bed area before remaking the bed. 

Gourmet Garlic - Why not grow your own?

Most people, even those who cook regularly with garlic may not realize the diversity that exists in garlic plants.  The many-clove heads of garlic with the white papery shell that you get at the grocery store, or the already minced and stored in oil garlic that you get at that same store limits your palate considerably.  If you love garlic, then you need to experiment and enjoy its endless variety.

Garlic is as various as the world

Garlic is a highly adaptable plant and therefore exists in a wide range of characteristics, differences in flavor, ease of peeling, hardiness in colder climates, storage properties, number of cloves and size of the head can all show differences, and most importantly the rich and complex flavors can varied as well.

Growing Garlic is actually very easy

1. Start with quality stock.  The best place is to find a local grower or a specialty producer who specializes in “seed” stock.  Separate the cloves and discard any that look unhealthy.
2. Plant cloves in a sunny location in fall, at least three weeks before the ground freezes.  October is a good month.  Plant cloves root end down, pointed tip up two to three inches deep.  Space plantings 6 inches apart with rows 10 inches apart.
3. Plant in loose, loamy soil, with a near-neutral pH.  You can work some nutrients into the soil with composted manure, and then feed them in spring.
4. If your winters are very cold or dry, mulch the beds to protect them from freezing.  This can be accomplished with straw.
5. Keep garlic well watered but to not make the area muddy with too much water.

Harvesting and Storing Garlic

1. Cut off the scapes (flower stalks of hardneck varieties) after they have curled down, but before they uncurl to grow straight out.  If you don’t remove the scrapes, the bulbs will be smaller.  (These scrapes are perfect in stir-fry, soups or salads.)
2. Harvest garlic when about 5 to 6 leaves remain green.  Garlic leaves die from the inward to the outermost leaf upward.  To harvest, first loosen the soil with a spade or fork.  Then gently pull the bulb from the ground, gently rub the soil out of the roots.  Keep harvested bulbs out of direct sunlight and do not rinse them with water.
3. Cure bulbs in a well-ventilated area out of the sun.  With twine, tie the garlic in bundles of 6 to 12.  Hang the bundles to dry and cure, bulb portion downward, for several weeks. Until the leafy potion above the bulbs is completely dry.  (You can braid the leaves and stems to hang the bulbs to dry also – see blog on September, 13,  2010 for directions http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2010/09/braiding-garlic-to-dry.html .)
4.  Trim the leafy potion about 1 inch above the bulb; trim the roots to about ¼ inch long.  Brush soil from the roots with a toothbrush.  Remove the outermost dirty bulb wrapper with your thumb or the edge of the toothbrush.
5. Store the garlic in a netted bag, like those used for onions, lemons and potatoes.  This will allow air to circulate.  Keep the garlic in a cool, well ventilated area, but do not store it in the refrigerator or below 50 degrees or it will sprout.  Ideal storage conditions are 56 to 58 degrees with a relative humidity of 45 to 50 percent similar to the conditions of a good wine celler.  However, this isn’t really required; garlic will keep just fine even with higher temperatures and more humidity.  Just not too hot.  (I made the mistake of storing mine in the cupboard next to the refrigerator.  When I moved it to the pantry, they kept longer and stopped sprouting.)

Herb of the Week - Bay laurel

An aromatic evergreen shrub native of the Mediterranean.  The plant has stiff, shiny green leaves with a sharp, slightly peppery flavor with a medium bitterness due to an inherent sweetness.  Reaching as high as 30 feet in height in is native land, in most of the United States we grow it in pots and to makes it to 3 feet or so at most.

I am talking about Bay Laurel - this week's Herb of the Week!

The leaves of the Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis) are 1 to 2 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide, with a characteristic finely serrated and wrinkled margin. Since you need a male and female plant to produce seed, most do not.  Bay Laurel is the source of the bay leaves which are used for their flavor in cooking. It was also the source of the laurel wreath of ancient Greece, and therefore the expression of "resting on one's laurels." A wreath of bay laurels was given as the prize at the Pythian Games because the games were in honor of Apollo and the laurel was one of his symbols ever since his unsuccessful pursuit of Daphne. In the Bible, the sweet-bay is often an emblem of prosperity and fame. In Christianity it is said to symbolize the Resurrection of Christ and the triumph of Humanity thereby. It is also the source of the word baccalaureate (laurel berry), and of poet laureate.

Bay can be a natural insect deterrent. Try putting some dried leaves in the flour or sugar bowl, with whole grains, or stuff them in the clean toe of an old pair of stockings and use as a sachet in pantries. You could even tape some leaves to the sides of kitchen cupboards, drawers and shelves.

Making Bay Thrive

Bay is a container plant in most regions of the US and Canada because it is outdoor hardy only up to Zone 8.  The good news is it does very well in container and can be moved indoors in the winter.  Find a nice bay plant at a local nursery and bring it home.  They will grow in the shade outdoors, but since light is reduced inside, keep them in a sunny window and feed them with a top dressing of ½ inch of well-aged compost when new grow appears in the spring.  Harvest the leaves to use fresh or dried in the kitchen.  Because potted bay plants are prone to developing scale insect infestations, move them outdoors in summer so beneficial insects can feed on the scale.  You will need a horticulture oil spray to control it if it develops indoors in winter.

To Use

Bay seasons slowly, so it should be added at the beginning of cooking.  Used whole it can be removed or left in foods, but should not be eaten.  Crumbled or crushed bay leaves should be enclosed in a bag or tea ball, as they can still be sharp and can injure the intestines.  Bay is wonderful flavoring for fish or meat stock, soups and sauces, and goes well with port and beef roasts.

This herb is indispensable for pickling and can make an ordinary stew extraordinary.  It brings out the savory flavor of meats in all its forms, oven or pot roasted, goulash, corned beef, lamb, kidneys, and beef stock.  Bay will accent the goodness of most tomato dishes.  Add one leaf to a can of tomato soup for a wonderful flavor.  Add a few pay leaves to the skewer when making beef or lamb kabobs.  Give canned vegetables a lift by adding one to cooking water, especially with asparagus, green beans, carrots, beets and kidney beans.  Even boiled potatoes can come out of the ordinary with a bay leave added to the water before cooking.

One leaf if usually ample for meat dishes, soups or gravies.  Two small leaves in the bottom of a pan provides just the right flavor for pot roasted beef and gravy.  Delightful in fish and seafood sauces use one leaf with peppercorns to a tomato based sauce for cod.

Recipes

Pasta with Marinara Sauce

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbls. minced fresh parsley (or 1 ½ Tbls. dried)

3 Tbls. minced onion

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 bay leaves

Pinch salt & pepper

1 Tbls. chopped fresh basil

Cooked Pasta

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic in oil for 3 minutes.  Add parsley, onion, tomatoes, bay, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add basil. Serve over pasta.  Serves 4.

Bay Blend for Meat & Poultry
3 parts powdered bay leaf
2 parts rubbed sage
2 parts dried savory
1 part dried marjoram
1 part dried thyme
1 part dried basil
1 part dried rosemary
½ part garlic powder
½ part onion powder

Mix all ingredients. Store in lidded container. Rub into meat or poultry before roasting or broiling.

One of my favorite places to use Bay in mixes at the Backyard Patch is in Bouquet Garni.  It is also an important ingredient in my Beauy Monde Seasoning.  If you want to try either one, please visit the Backyard Patch e-store!

Keeping an Herb Notebook

One of my first herb books was Phyllis Shaudys The Pleasure of Herbs: A Month-by-Month Guide to Growing, Using and Enjoying Herbs (Storey Communications, 1986).

On page 20 just at the beginning of the book, she suggested keeping an herbal notebook, in which you put your herb wish list and things to try and other information gleaned from books and seed catalogs.  I took her notebook advice and wrote down herb lists, growth information and then sketched in my garden and what I want to plant here and there.  This started me on quest for information about herbs that has only multiplied over time.  I began with one notebook that exploded into another and another and a garden journal and then another and soon I had hundreds maybe thousands of pages of information.

After 20 years I can’t use just ONE notebook anymore.  I have multiple books I carry around with me to jot down ideas, plants to try, books to read and uses for herbs that books, people, blogs, and other places suggest.  These notebooks sit on the shelves my grandfather made (with a few cookbooks).  When they started to number into the hundreds I realized they were impossible to sort through to find what I wanted so I had to take them apart and place them in folders.  This information expanded into file folders of ideas, plant and gardening lists and craft ideas.  Those folders now fill two filing cabinets.

The reason I share this is to let you know that no matter how you begin saving or collecting information about herbs it’s perfect!  Organization can always come later!

I now collect notebooks with herby and garden themes so I love pulling them out and writing things in them.  My new favorite is the wire bound book with the elastic band and the period plant sketches on the cover which I picked up at Target!

While I was taking all these pictures I found an herb chart from Clark’s Greenouse of San Juan, Illinois (which unfortunately closed back in 2007) that gave some great information on the cooking uses of 9 basic herbs.  Here is the information I discovered:

       Herb                   Soups               Meats/ Poultry     Cheese/eggs/fish      Vegetables

Basil	Vegetables, tomato (seafood dips)	Beef, pork, veal, lamb, meatloaf, liver, stews	All egg rice and cheese dishes, all fish and shellfish	Tomatoes, salads, squash, beans, carrots, beets, peas
Dill	Tomato, pea beef soup, borsch	Lamb, corned beef, creamed chicken	Any cheese dip, egg and cheese, tartar sauce	Potatoes, Peas, Cauliflower, sour cream dressing
Marjoram	Clam chowder, minestrone, onion soup	Beef , veal, stews, chicken, pork, sausage, stuffings	Cheese and egg dishes, creamed fish, gravies	All vegetables, tossed green salads
Oregano	Bean or tomato soups	Pizza, spaghetti, meatloaf, all game	Fish sauce, poached eggs or omelets	Seafood salads, all mushroom dishes, onions
Rosemary	Rea, chicken or turtle soup	Stews, veal, lamb, chicken, pot roast	Baked or fried fish, omelets, scrambled eggs	Cabbage, broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts
Sage	Chowders and soup stock	Dressings, stews, pork sausage	Egg dishes, and baked fish, cheese	Beans, tomatoes and onions
Savory	Chowders, bean, onion or lentil soup	Pork, veal, lamb, chicken dressings, stews	Egg sauces, cream cheese	String beans, lentils, vegetable or potato salad
Tarragon	Vegetable, tomato and any chowder	Chicken, chops or steaks, beef or ham, beef or lamb stew	All egg dishes, fish or lobster, tartar sauce	Peas, beans, asparagus, tomato seafood salad
Thyme	Onion soup, fish or clam chowder	Beef stew, lamb, veal, game, pot roast, meatloaf	Cheese dishes or sandwiches, fish, scrambled eggs, lobster or shrimp	Salads, peas, tomatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage slaw

If you like the idea of cooking with herbs, but are not sure, even with a chart like this how to begin, we have made it easier.  Just use one of the herb seasoning blends created by the Backyard Patch.  We have a blend ofr poultry, one for meat and seafood, as well as blends for salads, soups and more.  See them all here:

Brewing Tea - Hot Tea Enjoyment #3

On February 8th, I introduced a list of 7 suggestions for introducing or enjoying tea in all its forms both those made from herbs and those made with Camellia sinensis.   In this post, I will focus on item #3.

If you want to see the original list of 7 see this post: http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-tea-enjoyment.html   or

Suggestion #2 which posted on 2/24/11 http://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2011/02/loose-herbal-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment.html

3. Learn how to brew the best tea. It’s not hard, but there are variations in time, temperature, and brewing equipment that can make a big difference in the quality of tea.

Now brewing tea is an important aspect of tea. You can easily turn the best, most quality tea into dishwater if you do not brew it correctly.  Just like a burned meal, you can overbrew your tea, which is called “oversteeping.”  It may seem confusing at first, but Black, green and Herbal teas are all brewed differently.

Brewing Traditional Tea

When you place your black tea in the hot water, this is called "steeping." As the tea steeps, it releases tiny particles called "tannins." It is these tannins that give tea its astringency.

As the tea steeps, tannins continually flow from the leaves. Tannins are not necessarily a bad thing as they are what make tea exceptionally healthy and they are prized by people who like a brisk cup of tea. But, like most things, you want to keep tannins at a moderate level. 

Have you ever had a really sour grape or a cup of tea that makes your gums dry up?  Well, that is caused by... you guessed it, tannins! This can be avoided by simply steeping your tea for the proper amount of time. Each tea has its own ideal steep time, but as a general rule you should steep your tea as follows:

- Small leaves like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast and Assam teas should steep 3 minutes.

- Medium leaves of Ceylon Breakfast, Orange Pekoe should be brewed 4 minutes

- Large leaves like Oolongs, Jasmine, and Earl grey should brew 5 to 6 minutes. Or as My friend suggests 2 minutes, several times.

If you want stronger tea, add more tealeaves, not longer time steeping.  Never steep longer than 6 minutes, or you will reach the place of oversteeping.

If using tea bags, always steep them a shorter period of time, because they are comprised of lower grade tea, which brews quickly.

When brewing Black tea (and Herbal Tea) the water needs to be boiling.  If you don't use water that is hot enough, then you will never get it to taste right no matter how long you steep it for. 

Black tea has certain chemical compounds, or flavonoids, that green and white teas do not have. These compounds are not released unless the water temperature is near boiling.

Once you have brought cool water to the boiling point, in a non-aluminum kettle, warm your tea pot.  Place one teaspoon of tea for each cup plus one for the pot into the teapot.  You can place that tea in a strainer, infuser, tea ball or coffee filtered.  You want to stop the water just as it reaches boiling so it does not lose oxygen, then immediately pour it over the tea leaves. 

Brewing Green Tea

- Green Tea is like medium leaf black tea and should be steeped for 3 minutes

Green Tea does not need boiling water. In the most basic sense it is because green tea is not fermented as long as black tea. It is in this fermentation process that black tea produces the extra flavonoids that need the boiling water to extract. Which is why you steep green tea by stopping the water just before it reaches boiling point, then let it sit for 2 minutes before you pour it over the tea leaves.

Brewing Herbal Tea

Herbal tea can contain leaves, seeds, roots and fruits or flowers of herbs.  When you take these items and steep them in hot water it releases the essential or volatile oils of those plant materials into the water. The drinking of that water provides you with the taste enjoyment as well as the healing properties of those volatile oils.

There are two ways to create an herbal tea.  Tea by definition is a drink which includes Camellia sinensis -- real tea.  Herbal teas which do not contain this plant are actually known as tisanes.  You can make a tisane using one of two methods:

1. Infusion – using just boiled water poured over herbs in a warmed tea pot or tea cup.  The herbs are then allowed to steep for 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the herb or your personal taste.
2. Decoction – Used more with roots, seeds, and bark which need to be boiled to release their active ingredients.  Generally you add the herbs once the water has reached boiling, reduce the heat and simmer in the pan uncovered for about 10 to 20 minutes.  This boiling away of the water concentrates the herb’s flavor and potency.

Other tips for brewing:

Using an infuser – if using an infuser, you must leave lots of room for the herbs to move freely and release their oils into the water.  For large pots it is sometimes better to let the herbs float in the water and strain them as you pour into the cup or a separate tea pot for serving.

When using dried roots, seeds and barks they are sometimes crushed before brewing.

When sweetening herbal tea use honey instead of sugar as the sugar will mask the herbal flavors, while honey will enhance it.

For added flavor consider adding a little lemon and/or honey. Yum!

Mulled Wine Day!

Recently on one of my Yahoo Groups we were discussing what one does to get ready for spring.  I was unwilling (or maybe I should say unable) to take myself out of winter.  It was snowing at the time….

That coupled with the fact the Food Network was showing programs featuring “comfort food” and I was more about the snuggle up and enjoy the cold frame of mind than lets think about spring. 

That’s when I discovered that March 3 is National Mulled Wine Day.  Now I have a reason to snuggle up on the couch with a little mulled wine and celebrate that winter is not yet finished.

Mulled wine is mentioned in Fletcher's The Loyal Subject in 1618, but the first published recipe does not appear until 1769, in The Experienced English Housekeeper, by Mrs. Raffald.  Mrs. Raffald began her career as housekeeper in a large country-house, then went on to operate a confectioner's shop, catering business, and a cooking school for young ladies, where she wrote one of the most popular cookbooks of her day.

I make three of four different mulling spice blends at the Backyard Patch.  They can be used with cider, wine or grape juice.  Each has a different formulation but basically they have cinnamon, star anise and some citrus.  To make a Mulled Wine, all you need is your selection of mulling spices either loose or in a bag or infuser, some red or white wine of your choice (dry wines tend to work best) and a pan to simmer them together for 15 to 30 minutes. 

Here is a recipe you can try (I adapted it from Ina Garten of the Food Network):

• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 3 fresh sprigs of lemon balm or 1 Tbls. dried crumbled leaves

Combine all the items in a saucepan and simmer on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve decorated with a cinnamon stick or sprig for herbs.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

And Happy Mulled Wine Day!