Enjoying Early Summer at The Farmer's Market

Summer, my favorite season, is almost officially upon us. and one of the things I love in the summer is going to the local farmer's markets for produce and a pleasant morning out with music and nature.   

IN MY KITCHEN - JANUARY

Sherry at Sherry's Picking hosts a monthly share called IN MY KITCHEN where anyone can participate.

This is what's IN MY KITCHEN right now for January. 

I have a few fresh herbs in my kitchen because I wanted to make a quinoa tabouleh salad for New Year's Eve for a dinner party. 

IN MY KITCHEN OCTOBER

Typically, I join in with Sherri (at Sherry's Pickings) and other bloggers to share what's IN MY KITCHEN at the beginning of each month.

Here is what I have for the beginning of October. 

Vegetable Tian - A Colorful and Flavorful Side Dish

This French inspired baked vegetable tian blends summer's abundant vegetables and fresh herbs to create an amazingly delicious healthy side dish.

It looks a little intimidating to make, but a classic tian is actually fairly easy to prepare and makes a truly beautiful presentation at the dinner table.  

The 8 Brocades

Self care is an important part of a daily routine. My physical therapist recently suggested that I take 10 minutes every morning and practice the 8 brocades of Qi-Gong! ( Which I found on Youtube-see below)

WHAT'S IN MY KITCHEN - AUGUST

What's IN MY KITCHEN this month? 

I've got lots of new things in my kitchen this month, but after 3 weeks without a refrigerator, my new refrigerator is first on my list this month!

How To Get Basil Plants To Grow Full and Bushy

Want healthy full bushy basil plants that will produce all summer? 

 

If you would like your basil plants to get full and bushy, instead of tall and spindly, you need to prune them (not cut them). In this post I will tell help you understand the need for learning how to prune. I also included 6 wonderful summer recipes that include fresh basil.

Herbed Potato Salad - no mayo

Are you in the mood for a creamy bowl of potato salad? 

This is a simple herbed potato salad recipe that I tossed with a parsley, dill, and scallion dressing. It contains no mayonnaise or oil, yet it is moist and tasty.

My mother used to always make homemade potato salad. 
In fact, when I was very young, my parents owned a corner grocery store and deli for about 5 years in Bristol, Pa. 

In those days (1950's), neighborhoods had little corner grocery markets prior to the arrival of large supermarkets in the 1960's. In fact, many of our groceries such as eggs, cottage cheese, milk, and produce were delivered to our door by the  historic "egg man" or "milk man"- of course it was after we sold the deli.

All of the salads were homemade in our deli. My mother made her signature homemade potato salad every day which meant she needed to peel and cook 20 pounds of potatoes daily. My mother and her recipe are long gone, but she always sold out, so her potato salad must have been exceptionally good.

For this recipe, I usually make about 2 pounds of potatoes and we eat it over two or three days. Potato salad is such an easy side dish and is delicious and filling. 

This herbed recipe is particularly flavorful, colorful, and low in fat. 

Use baby red or white potatoes which seem to taste best. 

Of course it's always the dressing which gives the potato salad its flavor. This dressing is made using fresh herbs and seasonings such as parsley, dill, scallions, mustard, lemon juice, and acquafaba. 

If you are not familiar with aquafaba, it is simply the water in the can of chickpeas or the water from when you make your own chickpeas. If has a slightly thickening quality and adds a very nice taste. I use it instead of the oil.

Ingredients: 

2 pounds of baby red and or white potatoes, cleaned, quartered, and steamed or boiled and drained.

Dressing: 

1/4 cup of Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup of chopped parsely

1/4 cup of scallions, chopped 

1/4 cup of dill, chopped

1/4 cup of lemon juice 

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/4 cup of aquafaba

Optional: 1/2 cup of celery chopped small

Directions for the Dressing

Add the mustard, parsley, scallions, dill, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic powder to a food processor. Whiz until well blended carefully adding small amounts of aquafaba from the chute as needed. Remove from food processor and toss the dressing over warm potatoes. Add chopped celery if desired and mix well. 

Notes: 

1. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, kosher parve

2. I think the recipe tastes best at room temperature.

7 Must Try Homemade Salad Dressings that are Family Favorites

Homemade salad dressing is so quick, easy to make, and delicious that we always make our own. Making our own ensures us that we will know that are made from healthy quality ingredients, and I can be certain that they are gluten free.

 I've rounded up 7 of our family favorites for you to try.

No chemicals, no additives,,, just good wholesome ingredients like the herbs growing in your garden.

Homemade salad dressings are not just empty calories, they contain fresh herbs, fruits, and other ingredients that add nourishing enzymes and nutrients.

Over the years, we've experimented with all kinds of flavors. Our basic dressing is usually just freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Somedays when we are feeling more adventurous,  take the extra 5 minutes to make a special dressing like one of our seven family favorites below.

We love to add fresh herbs from the garden like basil, mint, and dill. Fresh and amazingly fragrant, they make the dressings not only taste wonderful,  but these gluten free dressings also smell fabulous.

Our fresh ingredient salad dressings add a delicious zing to any salad.

• Fresh mint salad dressing tantalyzes the taste buds  
• Secrets to making a tasty salad dressing
• Cucumber -dill for special occasions
• sweet balsamic reduction which is both rich and sweet ( fabulous) 
• cranberry honey for a sweet,  yet tangy taste
• orange cashew is a creamy treat
• Strawberry Balsamic for a fruity flavor
• Bonus-Bold  immune building lemon- alkalizing and delicious

• Tips on making quick homemade salad dressing
• Use your Vitamix, Bullet, or blender to make a salad dressing in minutes
• Use fresh herbs that completely pulverize in a strong blender and add an incredible flavor
• Use balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or fresh lemon juice
• Use olive oil or coconut oil or simply blend in an avocado
• There are no chemicals 
• It hasn't been sitting on a shelf for a year
• It's tastier
• You control the amount  and type of oil you want to use in the recipe

Homemade salad dressing can bring out the best of any salad! Whether you prefer a fruity dressing or a savory dressing, I'm sure you will find one in our favorites! 

Linked to: Wednesday Waste Less Linky and Weekend Cooking at Read Fish Reads which is open to anyone wanting to share a food related post.

Grow Herbs On Your Kitchen Windowsill

Grow your very own herb garden with herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, etc. in little pots on your deck or windowsill. 

It will be so handy when you need a little fresh basil or parsley for a recipe. No more last minute runs to the supermarket for an herb. 

Easy to Grow 

Herbs are easy to grow in containers- indoors or outside- or they can be planted in the ground. No special skills needed to be successful growing herbs such as rosemary, parsley, dill,  thyme, basil, and mint.

Containers 

To grow herbs in a container, purchase plant containers that have holes on the bottom, fill with potting soil, and then add a little herb plant. I like to begin with small plants that I buy at places such as Whole Foods, local farm stands, or even some supermarkets. In upper picture is my container of  thriving parsley and thyme.

Another herb that I planted is Stevia that I got from one of the local farms in Hopewell, NJ. Yes, the very stevia that is a sugar substitute. I haven't really done much with it, but it is fun to grow. I have chewed a few leaves, and boy they are sweet!

Combine Different Herbs in One Container 

To save on containers, I planted sage, thyme, and a tomato plant in the same container.This  also saves space and makes watering faster. Herbs like to grow in small spaces and all three are thriving. See below

Once you plant your herbs, you can enjoy the herbs all spring, summer, and fall. You will enjoy freshly clipped herbs added to a salad or roasted vegetables. There is no end to how you can use fresh herbs. In addition, fresh herbs provide vitamins and antioxidants that boost the immune system

Plant Mint in the Ground not a Container

One herb that I plant in the ground is mint because it is a perennial ( comes back every year). My mint welcomes me ever March with my tiny mint buds popping their heads out in the still frigid weather. 

With our Middle Eastern background, we use a lot of mint, so we usually harvest the mint, dry it, and then use it in a lot of Mediterranean recipes.

We use fresh mint all summer to make mint tea,( like in a Moroccan restaurant), mojitos', chutney, pesto, or add it to tabbouleh. We also love adding fresh mint to lemonade.

Mint comes up in the end of March, and if I keep cutting it, it will bloom into the fall .

Here are some recipes

 Lemonade with Fresh Mint is a refreshing beverage that everyone can enjoy.

Ingredients: 
10-12 fresh mint leaves
4-5 fresh lemons, halved and seeded
3 drops of orange blossom water ( middle eastern store) optional
1/2 cup organic honey
10 -12 cups of water
lots of ice
Preparation 
Fill large pitcher with water. Add agave nectar, juice of 4-5 fresh lemons, mint leaves, orange blossom and water. Mix well, let sit about 15 minutes add ice and serve. ( you don't eat the mint leaves, but leave them in the pitcher as long as there is still liquid and the flavor will continue to improve.)

*** Orange Blossom is an extract . You can get it in some specialty stores or Middle Eastern or Indian food markets.

How I use my fresh and prolific basil:

Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil and parsley makes a wonderful appetiser or side dish to a meal.

Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes, sliced thin and evenly
1 pound of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced evenly
12 large basil leaves,  washed and patted dry
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar  
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
On a flat serving dish arrange tomatoes,  mozzarella cheese, and basil alternatively in a circle to fill the plate
Drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve a room temperature.




Fresh Basil Pesto
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 and 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves ( packed)
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup  grated Parmesan cheese grated


Using a food processor, quickly process garlic until it is minced. Add fresh basil and pine nuts and pulse well.  With processor running slowly add olive oil until smooth. Put pesto into a bowl and mix in the grated Parmesan cheese. If mixture is dry, add a little more olive oil.  Stays fresh for about 3 days or can be frozen for 4-6 weeks.

Mix pesto with your favorite gluten free pasta.

Herbs can be used fresh, they can be frozen, or they can be dried.
So, if you grow more than you can use, put some away to use all fall ( and even winter). I dry some of my mint and store it in containers to use as flavoring in omelettes, Greek salad, and vegetable dishes.

How to freeze herbs.
Wash herbs well, shake off excess water and dry between two paper towels. Place in a ziplock baggy and freeze for 6-8 weeks. Take out as needed for recipes.

How to dry herbs

There are many ways to dry fresh herbs.  

One way is to first wash the herbs well. 

Dry between two paper towels. Then tie a rubber band around the stems and hang upside down for about 5-7 days until they are completely dry and brittle. Remove leaves from stems and crumble the leaves into a container, or remove leaves from stems and put into a little food processor and process until tiny. Use in omlettes, salad dressing, and sauces.


Once you plant your herbs, they will grow quickly.
Most herbs like full sun, and don't forget to water daily;
Also, remember to cut the herbs frequently, otherwise they will flower and go to seed.
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This blog post has been shared on Pennywise Platter and Wildcrafting Wednesday