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Cooking
with Herbs
Here's
What's Cooking —
Fredericksburg Herb Farm
Herbal
Recipes for Potpourri, Massage Oils
and More...CLICK HERE |
Herbs
enhance the foods we eat, capturing the lure of uplifting fragrances
and the hint of romance. They give us an appreciation of subtle foliage,
flowers, and flavors. Although the vitamins and minerals herbs provide
may be minute in quantity, it is the taste, mood-enhancement and health
benefits they give foods that make them so valuable. |
Parsley
and Mushroom Soup
At Sparta's Palace twenty
beauteous mayds
The pride of Greece, fresh garlands crowned their heads
With hyacinths and twining parsley drest
Graced joyful Menelaus feast.
~Theocritus,
3rd century BC poet |
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| 2 large
bunches of flat-leaf parsley |
|
4 tablespoons butter |
| 1 large
leek, finely chopped and rinsed |
| 2 ounces
chanterelle mushrooms |
| 2 ounces
button mushrooms |
| 1/2 cup
minced onion |
| 1 medium
parsnip, peeled & chopped |
| 3 cups chicken
broth |
| 1 tablespoon
fresh thyme |
| 1 tablespoon
minced shallot |
Rinse the parsley and chop off the leaves from
the stems. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter
over medium heat and stir in the leeks, onions, parsnip and
thyme along with a hint of salt. Cook until the onions and
leeks become translucent.
In a large pan add the chicken broth and 2-1/2
cups water, along with the leeks and onion mixture. Simmer,
stirring occasionally for about 35 minutes. Slice the mushrooms.
Meanwhile melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the sliced
mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Then
add the mushrooms and shallots to the soup mixture and add
the fresh parsley and let cool for about 10 more minutes.
Then let cool slightly and coarsely blend in a blender, and
reheat and serve with a fried sprig of parsley adorned on
top.
Fried Parsley Garnish
| 1 small
bunch curly parsley |
|
Oil for frying |
| Plain white
flour |
Rinse and dry the parsley. Coat in flour. Heat
the oil in a small frying pan. Put a few flour coated parsley
sprigs at a time in the oil for about 3 minutes. When sprigs
are crisp and brittle drain on a paper towel. |
Rosewater
Pound Cake |
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| 1 cup butter,
softened |
|
2-3/4 cups sugar |
| 6 large
eggs |
| 1 tbl. Rose
flower water |
| 1 tsp. Vanilla
extract |
| 3 cups flour |
| 1/4 tsp.
Salt |
| 1/4 tsp.
Baking soda |
| 1 cup sour
cream |
| zest from
1 lemon |
Optional garnishes: Powdered sugar, bittersweet
chocolate, red roses, rose geranium leaves.
Preheat oven to 300F. Oil and dust with flour
a 10” tube pan. Cream butter with sugar until light.
Add eggs one at a time, then rosewater and extracts. Sift
flour, salt and soda 3 times. Add alternately with the sour
cream to the butter mix. Add the lemon zest last. Pour into
prepared pan and bake for about 1-1/2 hour, or until golden
and firm. Loosen cake edges with a knife and let stand for
about 15 minutes in the pan, then invert on a wire rack to
cool. Glaze or dust with powdered sugar. Drizzle with melted
bittersweet chocolate. Garnish with roses and rose geranium
leaves.
This is a wonderful cake to serve for guests,
or just for a romantic evening for two |
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Our
concern for health is inseparable from our pursuit of beauty.
What is it that makes us want to squeeze or slather or pat
on our outsides the things that cause us to feel good on our
insides? This impulse isn't all that illogical. The oldest
cosmetic formulas offer advice on the virtues of fruits, vegetables
and herbs in enhancing and preserving our appearance. |
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