September the month for potatoes - recipes

September is National Potato Month.  I have used this as an excuse to share potato recipes for years and this year is no exception.

In its native Peru, the potato has been a valuable food staple for nearly 8,000 years, and some 4,000 different varieties can still be found there. The Quechua vocabulary included over a thousand words to describe the cultivation and use of potatoes, and "the time it takes to cook a potato" was as an important measure of time. The potato was used as a staple medicine and was believed to ensure fertility.

When the Spaniards brought the potato to Europe in the 1570s, however, it was a different story. Europeans were suspicious of the plant, partly because they viewed it as a food for the poor and partly because it produced grotesque tubers underground and reproduced itself from those same misshapen tubers. Surely there was some deviltry associated with this! The matter was settled when in 1596 the Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin assigned the potato to the Solanaceae family: the same nasty clan that included the deadly nightshade, henbane, and tobacco—herbs long used as poisons, narcotics, and magic.

I love potatoes and since my husband is a Peruvian scholar, we don’t get to ignore, replace, or forego potatoes in our diet.  I even put together a “Spud Celebration” package.  This set of herb mixes is the best of the best for using on spuds and it comes with a list of the best eating potatoes and ways to prepare them.

So celebrate National Potato Month in style with these great recipes:

Green Chile Potato Casserole
Scalloped potatoes never had it so good!

5 - 6 potatoes, sliced with skins on
2 - 3 green chilies, cut into long strips
1 cup onions, sliced

1 tsp. summer or winter savory, dried
1 cup Longhorn cheese, grated
1/2 cup Velveeta cheese, thinly sliced (you can use Farmer's Cheese or Chihuahua Cheese if you dislike processed Velveeta)
3 - 4 strips bacon, cooked crisp
butter or margarine

Directions
Grease 13x9x2 inch pan. Layer potatoes, then onions, strips of chilie, Longhorn cheese, and last Velveeta cheese. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used up. Top with pats of butter and crumbled bacon. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Can’t forget the Sweet Potato, this recipes is good at Thanksgiving too!

2 cups sliced sweet potatoes

1 medium onion, finely sliced

1 cups frozen peas

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 Tbls. butter

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees until vegetables are tender.  About 40 minutes.

Tomato Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 scallions, trimmed and chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 pounds salad tomatoes (about 5 medium), chopped

Directions

Place the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces a potato.  Drain the potatoes and garlic. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until smooth. Blend in the milk, butter, parsley, scallions, Parmesan, and salt. Gently fold in the tomatoes.

National Peanut Day recipes

Today is National Peanut Day so I thought I would provide you with some Peanut trivia and a recipe or two.

First the trivia:

• The peanut isn't really a nut. It's a legume, related to beans and lentils.
• Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 of the "new treat" at his concession stand.
• Peanuts have more protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols than any nut.
• Peanuts have more antioxidants than grapes, green tea, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, and carrots.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth
• Peanuts and peanut butter contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients.
• Peanuts flower above ground and then migrate underground to reach maturity.
• Peanuts are cholesterol-free. (my favorite!)
• Two different presidents were peanut farmers can you name them both?  (answers at the bottom)
• November is National Peanut Butter Month, so we might get to speak about these wonder nuts, excuse me legumes again!

Now the recipes:

Cinnamon Roasted Nuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnut halves

1 cup peanuts

1 egg lightly beaten

1 tsp. water

3/4 cup sugar

1 T. Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend

3/4 tsp. salt

Combine the nuts.  Mix together the egg and water and toss with the nut mixture.  Combine the sugar, spices and salt and toss that with the nuts until they are well coated.  Spread nuts in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Break up any large clusters and allow to cool.

Recipe courtesy of The Backyard Patch 630-248-7278 www.backyardpatch.com

I think I have shared the recipe before, but with the winter approaching, I thought it a good time to share it again.  Besides this is a great project to make with the kids on a rainy fall day.

Just-for-Birds Pudding
½ pound lard
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup raisins
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup mixed bird seeds
¼ cup honey or molasses
about 3-4 cups cornmeal
Soften the lard and peanut butter briefly in the microwave to make it easier to mix. Add raisins, seeds, honey or molasses, and as much cornmeal as the mixture will absorb. I keep this in the refrigerator and soften it in the microwave when I'm ready to put it out. I "butter" it directly onto tree branches and place big dollops of it on the tops of bird feeders; it will, however, stain tree bark. You can also freeze it in a square cake pan, cut it into blocks, and insert the blocks into suet feeders.

Presidential Peanut Farmers - Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter!

Weekend Recipe -No butter Corn Topper

The sweet corn is reaching the end of the season, but finally we've had some rain so the corn is a bit sweeter than it was earlier this summer.  Now I love an ear of corn slathered in butter, but I also recognize that does not always enhance the flavor of the corn, it can mask it.

I have explained how to make herbal butters int eh past, so I thought this time i would share how to make an vinaigrette corn topper with fresh herbs so you can enjoy several harvest time flavors.

Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette Corn Topper

1 Tbls. lemon juice

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. freshly minced basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk lemon juice, oil and basil in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Brush over hot corn just before eating.

Make a Herb Car Freshner

One of my favorite comments when someone climbs into my car is “Wow, it smells so good in here.”  I have to admit what they smell I do not because the scent of herbs is in my home and car and on my clothing so much that I have learned or been conditioned to ignore it.

But if you would like to get these types of comments, it is really simple to do.  My car smells like herbs because of the scents left behind when I transport my programs, lectures and show supplies, but you can make an herbal bundle to do the same thing without all the hard work of hauling the crates.

Bundle some fresh herbs, like lemon balm, lavender, mints, or scented geranium leaves and hang them in the car or lay them in the back window.  I love the smell of scented geraniums and I often cut small twigs of leaves and tie them together to hang from the rear view mirror or tuck into the side door pocket if my car starts to smell like garden mulch from hauling supplies out to the garden.

Try it, you will love this better than a pine-scented freshner any day!

Mojito Mint - Herb of the Week

The Mojito, a traditional Cuban cocktail said to be the favorite of the writer Ernest Hemingway,  is made with rum, powdered sugar, lime juice, club soda and a mint unique to Cuba.  Since the true mojito mint is difficult to get “up north,” spearmint is usually substituted.  However I recommend that you grow a plant of Mojito Mint and enjoy its unique minty flavors.

Mojito mint and lemon verbena

True mojito mint known as Mentha x villosa is very different from other mints.  And worthy of being considered for an Herb of the Week

Mojito Mint’s scent and flavor are agreeably mild and warm, not pungent or overly sweet like some mints.  Like all mints it is easy to grow and will provide more than enough fresh sprigs for your mojitos. While recipes call for any available variety of Spearmint, the real mojito can only be made with the true Mojito Mint.

This culinary herb, a native to Cuba, was previously impossible to get in North America but thanks to Toronto mojito enthusiast Catherine Nasmith who visited Cuba in 2006, we now have the authentic plant from Cuba. Not just great in beverages, Mojito Mint also makes a great seasoning for meats and confections.

To Grow

Hardy in zones 5 through 9 it likes partial sun rather than full sun as it will react badly in full sun and high temperaturtes.  It requires normal water and should not be overwatered. The plant will not set seed accurately so it is best not to grow this plant from seed.  Instead gather it by root division, cutting or from a nursery plant.   They do very well in containers.  I grew it in a pot on the porch so I could make a Mojito anytime I wanted!

To Propogate from a stem cutting

This is good with many plants, like rosemary, scented geraniums, any variegated plant or hybrid variation, like Mojito mint.

You will need a mother plant, a sharp knife or scissors, plastic zip seal bags, Hormone rooting powder, growing medium, pots, a dibble (I just use a blunt pencil)

Collect only a small amount of material at a time and be sure to keep it in the zip seal bag to avoid moisture loss.  Choose a sturdy, non-flowering stem with lots of leaves. Cut a section just below the leaf joint and remove all but the top two of three leaves.  Fill a pot with moist growing medium.  Insert the blunt-end of a pencil into the edge of the pot and create a circle of holes. (Do not plant too close together or put one in the direct center of the pot.)  Dip the cuttings into hormone rooting powder, tapping off excess.  Place the cutting into the holes created with the dibble.  No need to fill the holes back in because when you water it the soil fills in itself. Be sure to water the pot lightly.  Cover with a plastic dome, or seal into a gallon sized zip seal bag.  You need to maintain maximum humidity. It will take 2 to 4 weeks for softwood cuttings like mint to root.  Once they are rooted transplant to individual pots.  Be sure to harden them off before moving outdoors.

I do this in the fall to make smaller plants to bring in side, so think about doing it now so the plants will be hardy by the time frost arrives.

If you just want to get a nursery plant, they are generally available from Richter’s Herbs at www.richters.com

To Use

Mojito Mint can be dried and used as a tea.  It has a rich flavor that is perfect with heartier herbs like rosemary and sage.  Mojito is a great herb to use to make scented oil for salves and is a nice ingredient in mint jelly.  You can also make a marinade for chicken or pork with it.  And of course it is the main ingredient in a Mojito Rum Drink.

Cuban Mojito recipethe original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba

1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

There are countless recipes for the Mojito (pronounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito's place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. If you are throwing a Cuban theme party (Havana night themed party), definitely plan on serving mojitos.

Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a "collins" glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You'll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime.

Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler (a long wooden device with a nobby end, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon if one isn't available). Add ice (preferably crushed) then add the rum and stir, and top off with the club soda (you can also stir the club soda in as per your taste). Garnish with a mint sprig.

The Nojito

Here is a non-alcoholic recipe from recipezaar.com.

crushed ice

8 mint leaves

3 ounces lime juice

1-1/2 ounces sugar syrup

2 ounces club soda

garnish with mint

Fill a pint glass 1/3 full with ice, add mint leaves, lime juice

and sugar syrup. Lightly mash the leaves in the liquid using a

blunt instrument, taking care not to tear the leaves. Fill the

glass with more ice, add club soda, and garnish with mint.

Mojito Marinated Chicken

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup light rum (2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (finely)

6 tbls. Mojito mint syrup

1 tbls. vegetable oil

1 tbls. kosher salt (coarse)

6 chicken breast halves (with skin and bones about 5 pounds)

3 limes (quartered lengthwise)

1 sprig fresh mint

Directions:

Whisk lime juice, 1/2 cup rum, and next 4 ingredients in bowl. Place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over; seal bag. Turn bag to distribute marinade. Chill 4 hours, turning bag twice. Place lime quarters in shallow bowl. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons rum over, tossing to coat. Let stand at room temperature. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill chicken until cooked through, about 15 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Grill limes until soft and slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Garnish platter with mint sprigs. Squeeze grilled limes over chicken and serve.

Mint Syrup

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

8 mint leaves

Directions

Combine water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling and the sugar has dissolved (creating simple syrup), remove from heat. Rip the mint leaves into small pieces and combine with the hot simple syrup immediately after removing the pot from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool until the pot is cool to the touch. Now, it will be ready to add to a drink or recipe! Refrigerate the left-overs.

How Tuesday - Making an herb infused oil

Herb infused oils are used to make scented salves and beauty products and sometimes to cook with.  I have shared making Lemon Cooking oil on the blog previously.  This time I want to explain how to make an herb infused oil for making a salve.  I share this now because we are entering the gift making season and I will be sharing a few recipes for salves and toners and creams and other beauty gifts in the coming months.  I wanted you to have this base of information to work with.

Oils, unlike vinegar will not keep indefinitely, so you must use a preservative, like alcohol or another stabilizer to keep the oil from going rancid.

To Make Herb-infused oil for a salve

Infused-Herb Oil

What you’ll need: oil of your choice (almond, jojoba, grape seed, olive oil can all be used), wide-mouth jar, herbs of your choice, 190-proof alcohol

Use a ½ pint wide-mouth jar for this size recipe.  Add about ¾ cup herb of your choice (washed, chopped and air dried until they are wilty), to that add about ¾ cup oil, ore more as needed to cover the herbs entirely, but leave about 1 to 2 inches of headroom at the top of the jar.  Insert a butter knife into the jar and run it around the edge to dislodge any air bubbles.  Make sure the oil covers the herbs completely.  Then to prevent mold float about a ½ inch of 190-proof alcohol on top.  Put a tight fitting lid on top and shake the alcohol into the oil.  Remove the lid and replace with four layers of cheese cloth, help in place with a rubber band or jar lid rim.  Place in a warm dry spot for about 2 weeks or until oil has taken the color of the herbs and the oil has evaporated.  Then strain the oil from the jar pressing as much of it out of the herbs as possible.  Let the oil sit overnight.  Decant it to separate it from any sediment or water that will settle to the bottom.  A turkey baster can be helpful in doing this.

Salve from herb-infused oil

What you’ll need: a double boiler, beeswax, 8 liquid ounces of herb oil, enrichers of your choice can also be added like vitamin E, lanolin, cocoa butter, coconut oil, etc. depending on your skin type. 

Gently warm 8 ounces of herb oil ion a glass or stainless double boiler.  Add 1 Tablespoon of beeswax; add small amounts of other enriching ingredients about ½ teaspoon at a time.  When the ingredients are all melt together, you check the consistency by dropping a few drops in ice water.  If the salve is thick in will form a little ball, if thin it will spread out over the top of the water.  Simply add ¼ teaspoon of beeswax at a time to firm it up or a bit more herb oil to thin it down.  While liquid pour it into a container.  Let it sit to cool.  If when it sets it is not the firmness you like, you can reheat it and add materials until you adjust it to your desires.

 

Weekend Recipe - Orange Mint Skin Toner

Mint Orange Toner

It is getting that time of year to harvest and the recent rain has really made the herbs sprout.  This skin toner recipe is quick to make with some fresh mint and left over orange peel.  Orange is high in vitamin C which helps protect your complexion.  Mint leaves are high in iron and menthol which will tighten your pores after cleansing.  And while the temps are still warm, you can keep it in the refrigerator for a cooling effect.  Use this after cleansing to rid your skin of surface residue and dead skin cells.

3 Tbls. fresh mint leaves

1 orange peel

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbls. witch hazel

Place mint leaves and orange in a ceramic bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Allow mixture to steep and cool completely.  Strain out mint leaves and peels and stir in witch hazel.  Pour into a clean container with a tight-fitting lid. 

To Use: Apply Mint Orange Toner to your skin after cleansing with a clean cotton pad.  You can also use in a spray bottle after bathing or a freshner throughout the day.