Herbed Bread: Fennel-Semolina Loaf

Italian Semolina Bread: Fennel VariationIngredients (Recipe and bread picture from Pat Taaffe)

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 2/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
3 cups durum flour
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds for top crust, approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons
Cornmeal for the pizza peel
Cornstarch wash

Process:

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the lukewarm water in a five quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the flours without kneading, using a spoon , a 14 cup food processor(wirh dough attachment) , or a heavy duty stand mixer (with dough hook).If you'te not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises
and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is esier to handle when it is cold.Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use within the next 14 days.


5. On baking day, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a one pound (grapefruit sized )piece.Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides to form an oval shaped free-form loaf.Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal -covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.

6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

7. Just before baking, paint the surface with a cornstarch wash, sprinkle with fennel seeds (look at the bottonm of this post for other suggestions) and slash the surface diagonally, using a serrated bread knife.

8. Slice the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour one cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the over door. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will need adjustments in baking times.


9. Allow to cool before eating.

Many ethnic specialties feature yeast breads quick breads using a variety of spices and herbs.Add the following ingredients per pound (3 to 4
cups flour) of yeast dough.1 tsp. sage, 2 tsp. caraway seed, and 1-1/2 tsp.
nutmeg;1 1/2 tbsp.sesame seeds 1-1/2 Tbsp. dill seed or 1-1/2 Tbsp. caraway seed and l/8-cup instant minced onion; orl/2-tsp. sage, l/2-tsp. thyme, and l/2-tsp.marjoram.
DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Chemistry and Cooking with Herbs

Aroma: The herb has volatile oils (rapidly
evaporating)contained in stems and leaves.

Flavor: The herb has chemical compounds
containing flavor chemicals such as
stevioside and capsalin.

We detect flavor though taste, smell, and
texture. Coolness, hotness, and
temperature are also important.

Taste: Types and Herbal examples

Taste buds last an average of 10 days!

Sweet: Stevia, Licorice, Sweet Cicely.

Salty: Sodium ions. Tomatoes.

Sour: Acid: French sorrel.

Bitter: Wormwood, Hops, Wild chicory, Dandelion greens,

Savory or “Umami”: Cheese, Soy sauce, MSG

Cooking With Herbs

Composition or Arrangement:
No chemical change due to temperature
or medium used. Garnishes, dressings.
and cheeses. Salsas, sauces, cocktails made with Lavender or Basil, wrapping with Sea Weed or Shiso. Pesto.

Emulsions , diffusions, infusions
Glazes for meat,
Bouquet garni. Using oils or fats to draw out essential oils/flavors. Teas. Oil and vinegar infusions, herbed butters


Chemical changes in the substances due to
heating, pickling or freezing: Frozen liquids.
From liquid, pickling or using brines that
cause absorption of flavors, change
in texture. Breads, baked goods.

Rosemary and Gray Sea Salt Roasted Potatoes

This dish us surprisingly easy to make and adds an elegant touch to any roast or grilled fish dish.

Ingredients:

2 lb. potatores, preferable small Russett ones

Gray sea salt (or, frankly, any other sea salt, flavors will vary)

2 tsp Rosemary (fresh), finely minced

Olive oil

(Mortar and Pestle)

(Roasting Pan)

Scrub potatoes throughly. Boil for ten minutes and remove with a slotted spoon from the pan.

Let cool until you can handle the potatoes (without burning your hands).

Using a mortar and pestle, pour the sea salt into the bottom.

Pour the rosemary onto the top of the salt and grind the rosemary and sea salt.

The salt will be infused with the rosemary.

Take olive oil and coat the roasting pan. You wiull be cutting the potatoes into wedges and rolling them in the oil in the pan.

After coating the potatoes with oil, sprinkle the salt and rosemary mixture a bit at a time over the potatoes.

Be sparing---you do not want a dish that is too salty.

Place in the oven , heated to 350 degrees and roast for at least 1/2 an hour, or until they are crispy.

French, English and Italian Tomato Sauces

Tomatoes from the End of Summer

If you followed either workshop in the summer, you can use your ice cubes of the two herbs in this easy Italian sauce.

Ingredients
2 cans of plum tomatoes, with sauce, chopped.
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
1 Onion. Bermuda, minced finely
cloves of garlic, peeled, minced
3 ice cubes of basil and oregano mix (or 1 tbsp of each herb, minced, if fresh; 1 tsp of each herb, if dried.)
1 tspn. Sugar

Preparation
1.Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven
2.Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, Add garlic, mix with onion, and cook until alliums are translucent (alliums=onion and garlic)
3.Add tomatoes, stir. Let simmer, not boil, covered, 1/2 hour.
4. Add sugar, then Basil-Oregano cubes, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
If you do not have cubes (it is the middle of the winter, for instance), use
1 tsp of each herb. If you want a more "herby" taste, increase the proportion to 1 1/2 tspn of each.
5.Serve over piping hot pasta.

A variant on this recipe that does change an Italian sauce into a French one:
- Add one tsp TARRAGON (dried, or 2 tsp (fresh) when you add the herbs.

Another variant from Jekka's cookbook, an English sauce:
- Saute the onions and garlic in BUTTER. Do not use oil.



DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Another recipe from the Flavor and Fun Workshop:

Herbs: Use with Caution

Going to the Dogs: Parsley Dog Biscuits

FRESHEN-UP” PARSLEY DOG BISCUITS
Parsley is one of the few things that are plentiful in
gardens now---let it go to the dogs!These are treats for pups-and owners. Fresh doggie breathe is a possibility!


Ingredients


2 cups whole wheat flour, or more as needed
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup shredded peeled apple
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup warm water


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, carrots, apple, honey and parsley, then add the warm water. Mix thoroughly. If the dough is sticky, add more flour.


Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll into a circle 1/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a boneshaped cookie cutter and place on a nonstick
baking sheet.


Bake the biscuits for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size, until the edges are brown. Let cool on a rack, then pass out the biscuits -----as deserved.

How to Preserve Herbs

I'm holding aloft my Favorite: Lemon Verbena, and wondering

when to start taking cuttings for the fall...

10 Easy Ways To Preserve Herbs
Enjoying a big bounty of fresh herbs from the garden this year? Fresh is best when it comes tocooking with herbs, but here are ten easy ways you can preserve them for year-round use.
10 Easy Ways To Preserve Herbs
1. Air Dry Herbs: If you have the space
and the time, you can tie small
bunches of cleaned herbs together
(about 4 or 5 stems) and hang them
upside down in a dark, warm, well
ventilated area. The drying time is
about 2 to 4 weeks–you want the
leaves to be crispy and easily crumble
between your fingers before you pack
them. Store them in airtight containers
once fully dry.
2. Oven Dry Herbs: Arrange cleaned
herb stems in a single layer on a
cookie sheet with temperature set at
180° F. Heat for about 4 hours,
keeping the oven door open the entire
time (to let moisture escape). Stir
herbs occasionally during this heating
process. Store herbs in airtight
containers once fully dry.
3. Dry Herbs With A Microwave: Here’s a
quick & easy method to drying them in
the microwave if you need dried herbs
fast…but watch while you’re heating to
make sure they don’t smoke or start
on fire. Since microwaves heat differently, the times may vary for you. Instructions are
here: How to Dry Herbs With a Microwave.
4. Cool Air Drying: Wash and dry herbs. Layer a cookie sheet with paper towels and then
arrange herbs in a single layer. Place in the refrigerator and remove once herbs are
completely dried (check daily). Store in airtight containers and jars. Does not work in
crisper bins.
5. Salt or Sugar Drying: Layer fresh herbs between salt or sugar (covering completely) and
leave them until they are desiccated. Remove leaves and store in airtight containers.
Choose salt or sugar depending on the flavor of the herb and which would be better
suited to it.
6. Freeze Herbs In Ice Cubes: Chop herbs then sprinkle them into ice cube trays (measure
into each cube the most common amount you use in cooking). Cover with water and
freeze (can also cover with stock or olive oil). Pop them out once they’re frozen, package
in freezer bags and store in the freezer (remove as much air as possible from the bags
before freezing). When needed for cooking, just take out a cube and pop it in the dish
that’s cooking (thawing first is optional–remember to account for the frozen liquid in your
recipe). Tip: Try mixing your favorite blends of fresh herbs before freezing.
7. Freezing Whole & Chopped Herbs: Many herbs freeze well without added liquid. Wash
and dry herbs then store in freezer bags with as much air removed as possible. Freeze.
You can also lay the herbs in a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze, then pack in bags
(easier to remove singly when frozen). See this handy tip for crushing frozen herbs
quickly: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy. You can also chop them first before freezing.
Tip: Search online with the word
"tipnut" to find the good stuff fast!
{see Conquer the 'Net
for more ideas}
Tipnut Holidays
10 Easy Ways To Preserve Herbs : TipNut.com
http://tipnut.com/preserve-herbs/[8/30/2011 5:52:35 PM]
8. Bulk Herb Pastes (Pesto): Chop fresh clean herbs in a food processor then add enough
oil and blend to make a paste (approximately 2 cups fresh herbs to 1/3 cup olive oil).
Freeze in small containers (remove all air first by shaking and tapping the container then
top with a fine layer of olive oil to seal paste against air). When needed, remove container
from freezer and allow to thaw. Spoon out the required amount needed for cooking then
store the rest in the refrigerator. The most common pesto is made from basil, but you can
use other herbs too (and combinations of herbs).
9. Bulk Herb Seasoning Salt: Have a ready supply of herbs & seasonings at your fingertips
(create your own signature blend), whipping up batches only once a year and freezing
until needed. Instructions: Make Ahead Herb Seasoning Salt.
10. Bulk Herb Butters: Chop herbs and mix with butter to taste. Freeze in single serving
butter pats or in cube sizes appropriate for cooking (just add the herb butter pat while dish
is cooking–remember to account for butter in recipe). Thaw before using. See Make
Ahead Fresh Herbs & Butter for more details.
Tips:
One teaspoon of dried herbs is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.If you prefer fresh herbs over winter, consider growing herbs indoors: How

Garden & Gardener Profiles

Each garden shows choices in how to use space, how to support plants, what and when to plant and how to keep out the critters..

You have to have courage to garden---trying new ways of growing different plants with differing conditions. Each of our Garden Club of Teaneck members show such courage.

Patrick Taafe, Leonard Schwartz, Odessa Turner, Marty Steeil, Ho Wan Ching and Fred Dolch have gardens on the Herb Harvest Tour, August 31, 9:15 AM to 12 PM at the Teaneck Greenhouse. The public who enrolled in the Herb Harvest workshop will go through the Garden Club Greenhouse Gardens.This post concentrates on the five gardeners who volunteered to have their gardens inspected.



Look around---there are others with beauty in their plots.Look at the lush Borage plant in Despina Metaxatos' garden, as well as the large white moonflowers in Jane Furman's garden.





Ho Wan Ching's garden has large bamboo and wood tri-pole frames for supporting plants, as well as planters to increase productivity in a small space; in this case, the pathways. She shared her process with us:

" I am Ho Wan Ching; basically this is what I do at my garden.
I got this plot last year as a Greenhouse member. I had to clear all the weeds and dead plants. I turned over the soil with a hoe as soon as the ground was workable.
Then I made trenches. The trenches serve the purpose of drainage so that the plants’ roots will not rot in times of heavy rain. Some I the plants I left on the ground as cover as well as compost.

A couple of weeks later, I started the seeding process: tomatoes, corns, beans, lettuce and peppers. The tomato and corn take longer to bear fruits while lettuce is planted while the weather is cool. Some of the peppers from last year have re-seeded and I got many extra plants this year.I bought some eggplants, squashes, jalapeno pepper and kale plants from our own club sale. I planted my melons from seeds later to avoid the chill which could destroy the seeds. I also planted my cucumbers and long beans.

I rotate the planting location each year to avoid overusing or depleting the soil nutrients. I also ensure those plants that need the sun most will be planted in a sunny spot. During the first year, I did not know what plants do well where, this year I knew more so I planted different plants at different locations.

I tried watering daily in the early morning or late evenings so that the plants will not get scorched by the hot sun. If you need to keep them moist on extreme heat days, try misting them and not watering. Misting will disperse the heat and help the plants stay healthy.I checked on the plants’ progress every now and then. If I see the leaves are chewed on, I sprayed some soap water around the plants but not directly on the leaves; the soap may destroyed the leaves.

This year I have added some granulated cow manure which provided much nutrient to the plants. I put baking soda around my garden to deter the slugs and snails. I also put them around the tomatoes plants’ roots; baking soda helps to de-acidify the soil and makes the plants grow better.I read that planting marigold or geranium around squash and cucumber to deter beetles that destroy these plants.

I also try to weed out whenever I have time while the weeds are small and few. DO NOT wait until they have overgrown to weed them out. By then it is a lot of work. "

Ho Wan Ching, Garden Club and Greenhouse member


Odessa Turner uses a vertical framing support system ("basket weaving" at Johnny's Seeds. ME) for his vegetables. He reclaimed the land from long disuse in one season.


Fred Dolch's garden shows a classic economy of space---he has densely planted his produce for a long time, and usually has an excellent crop. His gardening methods are traditional (straight rows, contained definite areas per vegetable, and well-maintained plot, with few if any weeds). Fred's hoe chases them away. Note the crops planted as companion plants, the closeness of tomatoes, corn, cabbage, basil, flowers and fall vegetables.You will see raised beds, made from aluminum recyclables, in his garden.


Martin Steeil's garden is a one-plant (zucchini) operation, with flowers happily punctuating the vegetables.According to his gardening neighbor Fred, he has given away at least a hundred of the zucchini this summer. The picture was taken earlier this summer, when the zucchini were in flower.One popular outlet for all that succhini is zucchini bread. Try it at this time of year, don't give it all away!



Leonard Schartz exhibits diversity---in this case, stepping out of "flowers and vegetables" to growing bonsai trees. Never a quibbler, Leonard insists that they are "pre-bonsai" trees: and range from well-cared for specimens to rescued bushes (boxwood)that he has hopes to train into good shapes. Pitch Pine, Black Pine, Apple, and Boxwood are some what you will find here. Make sure to ask him what his philosophy of "edibility of the garden" is--- be prepared to be rocked by the answers.
Learn more about the classical art of bonsai.

Patrick Taaffe's garden shows a comfortable, "lived in: look. There are architectural elements to this space, such as the plants supports and the arch, as well as a mulch that changes the coloring of the garden. The yellow straw, when first laid, gives a light carpet on the ground level. His plants include Asiatic Lilies as well as tomatoes and a full array of vegetables. Learn the basics of building bamboo trellises as Patrick and others has done.




Hope you had a chance to meet these gardeners in person. If not, there will be other workshops in which you will get a second chance to exchange garden wisdom.

Use That Herb! Lemon Tarragon Chicken

Young sprigs of Tarragon from my garden in August. They are being used in everything exceopt Vanilla Ice Cream

Lemon Tarragon ChickenIngredients
2 skinned,boneless chicken breasts, halved (vertically)
Flour to coat chicken breast pieces
2 tbsns butter.
1 cup chicken broth
1 lemon (juice and one tspn. lemon zest)
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of tarragon (fresh) or
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon (the recipe is best with fresh tarragon)
Preparation
---Rinse chicken breasts--pat dry with paper towels.
---Halve chicken breasts vertically (meat is thicker when cut vertically)

Using a paper bag, place about 1/3 cup of flour in the bag.
Place one chicken breast at a time in the bag, shake bag
to coat breast with flour.

--Saute’ the breasts in 2 tbspns butter.
--Remove chicken breasts to plate.
--Saute minced shallot in remaining butter, to golden color.
--Return chicken to pan with the shallots.
Add lemon juice and zest..
Gather up shallots, pan juices with the lemon added.
---Add chicken broth, a bit at a time, scraping and stirring to mix lemon juice
This addition is to make a good sauce, and the flour coating is to enhance the thickness of the sauce.
--Cook at least ten minutes so the chicken is tender, not dry.
--Finishing touch is to add the tarragon reserving about 1/2 teaspoon. Stir into sauce, cook at least one minute.
Serving--Add the reserved tarragon as garnish. You could always add about one half lemon, cut into slices as garnish, also.

This recipe multiplies well, up to 6 chicken breasts. Simply make sure you have a large enough pan.
DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Books, Links and Videos:Herb and Jam Preservation

Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (any edition). Check each herb you want to harvest and preserve---methods for each one are in the entries.

Tucker and DeBaggio’s Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Scent. This book has the chemistry of herbs, as well as the rate flavor would be lost in preserved herbs, articles and charts on kinds of herbs and drying methods

Homegrown Herbs, Tammi Hartung. Charts and information on harvesting and preserving for most culinary herbs as well as conditions for herb propagation and use.

Herb Companion. Recipes : herb jellies.
http://www.herbcompanion.com, search

Rodale’s WikiHow.com, LeGourmetTV.com.

---The Harvest Workshop: Gardens, Jams and Herbs Teaneck, NJ: Garden Club of Teaneck, Greenhouse. .(August 31, 2011)

Herb Harvesting Notes

Herbs are best when fresh---or so it is said. But given today’s budget crunch (winter time fresh herbs cost about $3.00 for a small amount), putting aside some for yourself is wise.

When to harvest? Generally, that is “ in the morning, before the flower emerges, and prior to the loss of flavor oils.” A number of herbs differ---check a harvesting chart (see Homegrown Herbs.)

What do you do with the herbs? Decide how much space you can allocate to storage and what method you will use per herb.

-Drying can involve drying racks (a laundry rack will serve), paper bags (to catch seeds) Use rubber bands for contraction of the herb to tie and hang h he herbs. Use screens (to ensure all sections of small herb are dry so mold does not set in. Crumbling the herbs is the next step. Then, store them in amber bottles and place in a dark, dry place.

Freezing herbs can involve freezing the whole herb in plastic bags, in ice cube trays with oil or water. How much can your fridge---or freezer-hold?

Shiso and Salad Burnet cannot be preserved---use while in your garden!

More Information:

Five Culinary Herbs to Preserve

<

Bolivian Coriander next to my plea for justice from the skies.


1. Basil: Freeze it in water-basil cubes, use it in vinegar or oils, or dry it .All methods have one danger: the possible darkening of the basil.. Do not put into plastic. This herb loses its volatile oils very rapidly.

2. Rosemary: Dry it, freeze it (in whole branches—pick the needles you need).

3. Tarragon: Dry it, keep in vinegar or oil.

4. Oregano. Dry it ---freeze minced oregano with basil , the better to put in tomato sauce.


5. Thyme: Dry it. Use paper bags or drying racks.

Preserving Seeds
You can also preserve seeds for use in next spring’s planting: be sure that the seeds you are saving are not hybrids. Ones that work well include parsley and fennel. Use rubber bands to wrap the branches together, hang them upside down in a dry, dark place and place a paper bag over the plant head to collect the seeds. Make sure the specimens you collect are not weather beaten.
(Check Seed Savers Exchange: Susanne Ashworth's book Seed to Seed for ideas. www.seedsaversexchange.org)

---The Harvest Workshop: Gardens, Jams and Herbs Teaneck, NJ: Garden Club of Teaneck, Greenhouse. .(August 31, 2011)

Using Mint:Persian Salad with Cucumbers and Mint

There isn't any fresh mint in my Sunny Garden, in which I have been spending time photographing the herbs. Mint is in my Shady garden, and I'll put a photo here.. But don't wait for that to try the salad. 'Tis the second day of August and it promises to be sufficiently hot to qualify as an August day. Cucumbers, hitting the market, can be paired with yoghurt and mint for a refreshing salad. Grill salmon to pair with this salad, add a baguette, and slice saa fresh tomato for color balance.

Ingredients: Three medium sized cucumbers, peeled, split lengthwise, seeded and cubed.(You can use a spoon to scrape the "bowl" of the cucumber to remove the seeds.)

Six scallions, white areas, minced.

Mint (peppermint preferred, although any variety will do, even horsemint. Spearmintgives a sweet flavor,

One cup of yoghurt

This salad is a simple assemblage of ingredients. Add mint, scallions to diced cucumber and then stir in the yoghurt, Refrigerate, part of the strength of the salad is its "coolth."It is best served after combining ingredients and refrigerating for about an hour.

It keeps for two days ---stir the entire salad to redistribute the yoghurt. The salad works well with chicken glazed with honey and mustard.

Thanks to Dayush M., who, many years ago, while a graduate student at U.of Penn, gave me this recipe. He and another student, Vijay, had cooking competitions in which I got involved by peeling onions and learning their recipes.
DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Recipe: Lemon-Basil Drink

This recipe from Marty Steeil, and was used at the Herbal Iced Tea Workshop. This is perfect for today, which is blistering hot, up to 100 degrees and more.
Perhaps a section on Herbed Iced Beverages will show up here in August.This is the first, albeat it in July:

Marty's words: "I made the lemonade with a very simple recipe:

a. Buy a 2 liter bottle of lemonade
b. Put a half ounce of basil into a blender and half the lemonade
c. Blend on high for 1 minute and pour into a container
d. Repeat with the rest of the lemonade and another half ounce of basil. Pour the rest into the container.
e. Put the container into the frig and everytime you open the frig for the next 24 hours shake the container
f. After 24 hours strain the mixture through cheese cloth or a very small holed strainer (get out all the green).

It is best served ice cold. It tastes great alone. It also makes a great base for adult drinks.

Enjoy!"
________________________________________________
The next Herb Workshop will be in late August or early September, stay tuned for the exact date. It will be on on Harvesting and Preserving Herbs. The time is 9:30 to 11:30 AM on the Greenhouse Lawn, at the end of Lindbergh Blvd. We are going to feature a tour of Greenhouse Gardens, with gardners there to discuss their practice. The demonstrations of herb preserving methods will be centered on herbs for That Summer Taste All Year Long.
DISCLAIMER:

The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

A Five-Herb Pocket Garden

--- Find a spot that gets sun at least six hours a day.

--- Make your plot fit the area----about a 4 feet square area is enough for a pocket herb garden.

---Sow parsley in late March. Add dill, cilantro, oregano. Sow basil last (mid-June).

---Allow for growth --find out the size of the mature plant.

---- Water regularly and make sure the plot stays weeded.

---Harvest when there is enough of the herb that some will still grow, Snip the tips of large leaves for the flavor. Remove stems (they are usually bitter) from oregano and use the leaves from cilantro and dill.
---Rinse and pat dry; use in recipes for that fresh herb taste.

---Basil will grow large over the summer; pinch off the flowers to keep the plant growing;cilantro and dill should be sown again as cool weather approaches.

--Parsley will return for another year; oregano is a perennial, and as the season ends, so does the basil.


Have a partially shady area? Try Parsley, Chives, Lemon Verbena, Mint, and Sage.
A surprise addition is Breton Shiso. I grew seven Shiso plants this summer in my pocket garden under the trees. They had coloring of purples underleaf, dark chartreause on the upper leaf. I transplanted two of them to full sun, and each grew vigorously. I compared them to the five in the pocket garden, and the height is not appreciably different.

Herbs: How They Grow, Where and How to Plant Them and More

Herb Society of America. Everything, from “this year’s herb” (Horseradish) to guides for the 400 public herb gardens in America.
www.herbsocietyof America.orgHerb Companion. Recipes and practicalities.
http://www.herbcompanion.com

Information About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products Sloan Kettering site: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/58481.cfm. See how healing the herb actually has proven to be in research.


Two Sages: Common and Tricolored

Herb Gardening, Recipes & Design Books

Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.
Claire Kowalchik & Willian H. Hylton (Eds.).Classic (any edition.)
Check each herb you want to try.


For a formal herb description, use Tucker and DeBaggio’s Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Scent.

Herbal Teas for Lifelong Health. Kathleen Brown. (A Storey County Wisdom Bulletin.)This small book packs methods of preparation, recipes and notes about healing herbal teas. Adapt the recipes for iced teas.

Homegrown Herbs. Tammi Hartung. Has the single best set of charts on conditions for each herb’s propagation and use.

The Story of Tea. Mary Lou Heiss. Largely focused on the vast array of Oriental teas and the judgment of "what is a good tea".

Your Backyard Herb Companion. Miranda Smith. The emphasis is on manageable and beautiful spaces for 100 herbs. The pocket size space plans fit Teaneck well

Teas: Where to Find Them

Garden States House of Tea lists the teahouses in the state. A number of them serve and sell loose herbal teas. http://www.teaguide.net/tearoomsnewjersey.htm

Oradell: Cool Beans.ns. About 30 varieties (Including lavender).

Whole Foods, Paramus and Edgewater: has loose teas, notably mint.

Fort Lee: Kudo Beans: Wide array of herbal teas in tins.

Ever Notice the Noxious Names of Weeds?

This is not a weed, although the name Wormwood puts it with them. This is an herb with a dubious reputation, having been used for making absinthe. In the past, it was used as a strong purgative, and brought on body convulsions.In the picture, Artemis absinthus is in flower. I planted a number of them for decorative foliage,for which it is used now.

But look at the common weeds we try to keep out of gardens.
Look at their names :
Redwood Pigweed,
Nodding Beggar-ticks,
Great Ragweed,
Canada Fleabane,
Marsh Cudweed,
Poverty Weed,
Sticky Groundsel,
Puncture Vine...
Hardly attractive as names.
Not all are evocative of the worst, but most are!


Take some time with a weed identifier book.With one you can read the ugly names in two languages:
Royer, France and Richard Dickenson. Weeds in the Northern U.S. and in Canada (1999).Foreword by Shafeek Ali, Provincial Weed specialist (Bet that's a job title you haven't seen.)Alberta, CA: Lone Pine Publications.

One of the very best documentation parts of the book is the listing for each weed its dangers for livestock, humans, waterways, as well as a picture of the plant as seed, seedling, and grown plant. This book shows the waterways endangered by the Cattail (not the reverse(.


The Rutgers University Agricutural Dept.has a weed identification database:Online Weed Gallery:http:// njaes.rutgers.edu/
weeds/


Use the identifier, but more important---get rid of them. Read Ray Edel's recent column to see how.Although this cattail is not as ugly sounding a name as other weeds, it is a USDA -recognized weed, clogging many canals in Florida.Cattails: Great Swamp near Gillette, NJ,



---Urban Herban

Lemon Verbena-Mint Iced Tea!

Lemon Verbena in a swirl---seen in July 2011 in my garden

Ingredients
1) 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves (not the stems, they're bitter), rinsed, lightly packed (about 20 leaves)
2) 1/2 cup of fresh lemon verbena leaves, rinsed, lightly packed (about 10-15 leaves)
3) 2 cups of water

Method
1)Bring a pot of fresh water almost, but not quite to a boil.
2)Put the mint and verbena leaves in a teapot. Pour the hot water over the leaves.
3)Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
4)Strain into tea cups. Makes 2 cups.

For Iced Lemon-Verbena-Mint Tea: you need to have a stronger base so the water won't dilute the tea. You can let the tea cool after removing all the leaves. Then serve over ice.


Orange Mint in my shady garden, backyard

---Urban Herban

Op Ed piece:“Tomatoe” can be spelled like Quayle’s “Potatoe”

Green Zebras maturing

Just kidding.




Urban Herban

7 Ways to Find Grants for Community Gardens

Oregano in blossom

Looking for resources to fund the local comuunity garden can be compared to looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.But that gold is there, say all leprechauns. To begin,take the time to look at municipal-sponsored gardens and greenhouses on the web (NJ) and see how others support their community resouces.

Examples of NJ Municipal Greenhouses from the Internet
Maplewood NJ greenhouse contains some ideas that could be adapted to Teaneck: These include renting out spaces to citizens, first come, first served, for vegetable and plant growing. Greenhouses are on town property and maintained financially and otherwise by the Garden Club. This club, started in the 30s,received a national award for the effort.Belmar, NJ: Magical Gardens Started in the 80s. Municipally supported. Club also rents space to people for gardens, as well as indoors.

Grant Resources: You have to dig in here, with a focus on looking for grant opportunities that meet your purposes. Grants get given for limited periods of time, for specific purposes and usually getting one is quitecompetitive.< You will be filling out an application

Usually, grants from the US or State governments are given to groups with well established reputations (university, research, etc.) An exception is in education, in which numerous mini-grants are tied to elementary education. Community groups are eligible for some. Any such award would need members who know how to write curriculum and specify standards.

Learn about proposal writing: A Foundation Center Free Course Online. Then the resources will make more sense.
In the past, have downloaded a number of proposals that show good ideas that won grants. One was to use computer heat to warm up a greenhouse (Indiana, 2009.) If you are interested, write me (urbanherban@hotmail.com.)


State links: The New Jersey Agriculture Dept. has information, case studuies, descipyions of projects and several specific kinds of grant opportunities.There are qualifications, deadlines and forms to examine on your quest.

Federal links: This is the largest grants database available for free. The Foundation Center’s database costs $2,000 a year to support looking for opportunities in the corporate and non-profit world.

Look at qualifications, forms, amounts, and deadlines:http://www.grants.gov/ Estimate what to start with--usually, a well thought out problem statement or proposal.


Associations: Some garden associations have mini-grants for working with children. Connect with The National Gardening Association of America and look at their listing of grants. Kids Gardening has a listing of these on http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants.asp.



University Databases: Rutgers Agricultural Sciences Subject Guide.You will find ideas in the databases assembled (horticulture, environment, water use, etc.).

Corporate Resources. Considering the amount of literature from companies done with university partners for energy efficiency, it is smart to look at company and university research literature. For instance, if you use “drip irrigation“ as a search in Google, will find Center for Irrigation Technology. Look at what is being funded and by whom. It can inform your proposal,

Beyond Databases: One Specific Book. Foundation Directory. Part 2: Guide to Grant Programs, $25,000-$100,000. Call Number: REF 061 FOU PART 2 2009 ED This directory includes foundations by name, state, subject---and has material on what organizations were funded, with how much in funds. Restrictions in funding are listed. You will be surprised how many small foundations there are, as well as the activities they support.

Herb Recipe: Dog Biscuits with Parsley

Deserving Dog One: Buddy

Deserving Dog One Wakldo
Deserving DogTwo: Waldo

“FRESHEN-UP” PARSLEY DOG BISCUITS

Parsley is one of the few things that are plentiful in
gardens now---let it go to the dogs!These are
treats for pups-and owners.Fresh doggie breathe
is a possibility!
2 cups whole wheat flour, or more as needed
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup shredded peeled apple
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup warm water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, carrots, apple, honey and parsley, then add the warm water. Mix thoroughly. If the dough is sticky, add more flour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll into a circle 1/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a boneshaped cookie cutter and place on a nonstick
baking sheet.

Bake the biscuits for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the size, until the edges are brown. Let cool on a rack, then pass out the biscuits -----as
deserved.
(From Chester Garden Club.http://homelandia.net/blogs/cgclub_blog/archive/2008/08/25/
Recipes-for-Goodies.aspx )

Chronicles of an Herb Garden: The Original & 2009 Lists of Plantings inThe Grace Kriegel Memorial Herb Garden

The schematic (below) shows what was in the Grace Kriegel Memorial Herb Garden four years ago, 2008-2009.

I was the Herb Garden Keeper for tow summers: 2008, 2009. Time was spent uprooting over 400 large milkweeds with extensive tap roots, cutting down 1,200 garlic chives, in the hope of preventing widespread takeover of the Gardens space, making a blog to capture the beauty of the Garden in pictures, identifying and and mapping the Garden's weeds and plants.(Whew! It was a long and lonely summer. A team was definitely needed.)

The next season, there were helpers from the greenhouse group: Herb Garden Planning started. Over the course of two summers, over 15 wild flower varieties were identified, herbs were specifically grown for the Garden, and herbs that were perennials were identified. The following summer Nancy Cochrane continued the Keeper role.

It is different today---much has been done to redesign the space. Nancy led winnowing and replanning of crowded areas shown above and areas were bordered.

Although the schematic pictured is small, it exists as a PDF file in full 8.5" X 11" and is available for the asking. It remains as one of the few records left of planting design of that garden. It is a valuable record of what was planted in the garden at that time. At the bottom of this listing is the 2008 list of plants by section.

The Original List for the Grace Kriegel Memorial Herb Garden
(Common Name: Use Latin Name Type:
A=Aromatic, M=Medicinal, C=Culinary, Dec.= Decorative, D=Dye, HP= Hardy Perennial, TP= Tender Perennial, A=Annual, HA= Hardy Annual. List by Grace Kriegel)


Sneezewort: M Achillea ptmarmica HP

Bear’s Breeches: Dec Acanthus mollis TP

Anise Hyssop: C Agustache foeniculum HP

Lady’s Mantle: Dec Alchemillea mollis HP

Garlic Chives: C Allium tuberosum HP

Dill: C Anethum graveolens A

Chamomile (Ger): M Matricaria chamomilla HP


Butterfly Weed: M Asclepias tuberose HP

Mullein: Dec Verbascum P

Carolina Allspice: A Calycamthus HP

Feverfew: M Tanacetum parthenium HP

Lemon Grass: C Cymbopogton citratus TP

Scotch Broom: C Cytisus scoparius, HP

Queen Anne’s Lace: M Daucus carota HB

Purple Coneflower: M Echinacea purpurea HP

Globe Thistle: Dec Echinops ritro HP

Our Lady’s Bedstraw: C Galium verum HP

Baby’s Breath: Dec Gypsophila paniculate HP

Indigo : Dye Indigofera HH

Sweet Bay: C Laurus nobilis TP

Lavender: A & M Lavendula HP

Lovage: C Levisticum officinale HP

Lemon Balm M +C Melissa officinalis HP

Bee Balm/Oswego Tea: M Monarda didyma HP

Greek Oregano: C Origanum HP

Russian Sage: Dec Perovskia HP

Italian Parsley: C Petroselinum swativum HP

Curly Leaf Parsley C Petroselinum crispum HP

Salad Burnet: C Sanguisorba minor HP

Lungwort : M Pulmonaria officinalis HP

Rue: C Ruta graveolena HP

Soapwort : Saponaria officinalis HP

Lemon Thyme: C Thymus citriodorus HP

Pot Marigold: D Calendula officinalis HP


originally in: P. Libutti, In the Garden, (blog), http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4769595601834500422&postID=8006632470792862979 2008

“We of the Garden Club of Teaneck offer this gift to the Township with the hope that it will serve as a living memorial to all that was fine in our colonial past and to the spirit that is still strong in all of us to make democracy work by exemplifying what people acting together can accomplish.”---Grace Kriegel, Teaneck News, May 26, 1976.

“ On April first, 1975, then-Mayor Eleanor Kieleszek turned over the first spade full of earth for the Bicentennial Celebration Herb Garden, located on the Municipal Green. But work on the project really began two years prior to that date.A group of Garden Club members, headed by Grace Kriegel, prepared a plan for a permanent garden as a gift to the township. The garden would be composed of an “Inner Knot Garden”based on authentic colonial designs and bordered by a four foot brick walk. Surrounding the walk would be an “Outer Garden” composed of culinary, decorative, medicinal and aromatic herbs.

Plants would be indigenous to to the northeastern area, with minor exceptions for educational purposes. Most of the plants would be propagated at the township greenhouse. There were many hours of painstaking research and trips to sample gardens in NJ, NY, CT, and PA.

A small group of members began to create the inner knot garden in the Spring of 1975. They were joined by several Cub Scout Den members, led by Mrs. Kay Hower, on Saturday mornings, learning how to plant, mulch, weed, rake and water a garden.

In April of 1976, the hopes of having the garden enclosed by a brick path were realized through the helpful efforts of Miss Olive Tamborelle of the Teaneck Public Library. An anonymous contributor donated two thousand used bricks and Mr. Ed Carratura generously contributed the labor. The outer garden was soon completed.Twenty years later, the garden still retains most of the original design.

“...A special thank you to the Monday Herb Group--Angie Torrieri (Group Leader), Ida Caselli, Helen Humphreys, Helen Hurlbut, Paul Hurlbut, John Lewis, Catherine Lloyd, Emma Mutchler, Monica Oscarsson, Lenora Wesl and George Zourdos for their tireless work in maintaining the Garden twelve months of the year and whose efforts, along with those of Rosalie Beffa, Helen Bove (posthumously), Nancy Cochrane and Julia Condit, made today’s dedication a reality.”

From the program for the Dedication of the Grace Kriegel Memorial Herb Garden, October 5, 1996, 1:00PM, Township of Teaneck, Municipal Green.

Initial Inventory of Plants 2008

West section:Butterfly Bush
Rosemary
Bay Tree
Sage

West SideCoreopsis
Anise Hyssop
Chives
Scented Geranium
Lemon Balm
Spice Bush
Daylilies
Sedum
Multiflora Rose
Pink Hibiscus

South SideHolly
Daylilies
Iris
Yucca
Sedum
Chives

East Side
Iris
Bellflowers
Purple Coneflowers
Solomon's Seal
Lilies-of-the-Valley
Junipers

North Side
JunipersWitch Hazel
Spiderwort
Daylilies
Mahonia
White Hibiscus

Center (Knot)Aloe
English Ivy
Periwinkle
Chamomile
Greek Oregano
Italian Oregano
Lemon Balm
Scented Geranium
Spiderwort
Lady's Mantle
Queen Anne's Lace

Two Good Gardening Books to Check out from the Library

Short reviews: Herb Gardening books

The Complete Herb Book By Jekka McVicar
Teaneck Library:635.7 MCV
Firefly Books 2008

Jekka McVicar has been an herbalist and garden designer for 30
years in Somerset, England, and revised her earlier edition of
this book. History and folklore are interwoven with description,
cultivation and harvesting. The language used, as well as photographs
and recipes to accompany each herb are appealing. A number of herbs are native to the U.K.; the majority grow in North America, also. The design for herb gardens section is worth checking for ideas. Herbs are organized alphabetically by
Latin name.This is beautifully written, a joy to read.





This is an oldie but goodie, a no-nonsense book about all the
weeds we encounter. One of the very best documentation
parts of the book is the listing for each weed its dangers for
livestock, humans, and waterways, as well as pictures of the
plant as seed, seedling, and grown plant. With this volume one
you can read the ugly weed names in two languages: English
and French.
Weeds in the Northern U.S and in Canada.
OY France Royer & Richard Dickenson Lone Pine
Publications,1999 Teaneck Library 581.652 ROY