Carolee's Herb Farm

Carolee's Herb Farm

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Carolee’s August E-Newsletter 2011

It’s hard to believe that August is nearly over!  Schools are back in session; football teams are taking the field and a hint of autumn sifts through the air on hazy mornings and cooler evenings.  Since we’ve talked last, we’ve had a busy schedule, with more to come in the weeks ahead. 
     Right after the farm closed for the season, I attended the International Herb Association conference in Michigan.  See more about that in the articles below.  Shortly after that, our family that lives in Germany came home for a jam-packed visit.  Later, I visited greenhouses and herb farms in Michigan (see below) and also a Hoosier hidden treasure, the Forks of the Wabash (see below.)  We made a quick trip to southern Indiana for a big family gathering and visits with friends, and then hurried home so I could attend the Wabash HerbFest.  Now, I’m packing for the Garden Writers of America conference!  I really don’t have time to run a business, so it’s a good thing we made the decision to close for the summer for the first time in over thirty years.
     I have been testing lots of recipes for the new book with the bounty from the Cook’s Garden.  You’ll find one of our new favorite desserts below.  I’ve spent lots of time watering, propagating lavenders and other herbs, and weeding, of course.  The artemisia has been cut and hung, lots of packets of seeds have been stored away for next spring, and containers of pesto have been put in the freezer for winter pastas.

IHA conference
     I was privileged to give a presentation at the International Herb Association conference, held this year in Midland, MI.  This area, too, has been deprived of rain, so I couldn’t complain when a strong thunderstorm took out the power mid-way through my talk. We carried on, the back-up generators kicked in, and we all waded through the lake in the parking lot afterwards with smiles.  A new addition to the conference this year was “Your favorite herb dish in 10 minutes or less”.  Several well-known culinary herbalists such as Susan Belsinger, Pat Crocker, Jim Long, and Donna Frawley took the stage.  My demonstration was the “Quick Clam Sauce” that I make whenever I’m in a rush and have fresh basil on hand. 
     The line-up of presentations was impressive.  The keynote address was by our own Hoosier, Maggie Oster, author of many herbal books and recipes. The gardens we visited on the bus tours were inspirational.  The Dow Gardens in Midland (home of Dow Chemical Co.) are surprising in that they use few, if any chemicals.  We visited historic sites and private gardens that provided a wealth of planting ideas. 
     The IHA conference is always so informative, educational, and renewing.  I recharge my batteries just being around fellow herb-lovers and always come home with lots of new ideas and projects.  Next year’s conference is in upstate New York.

Salt…It’s not just Morton’s anymore!
     At the IHA conference, I attended a very interesting workshop given by Stephen Lee, author and chef from Louisville, KY.  Cooking with gourmet salts is one of the hottest new trends, and we were able to experience some of the best.  Stephen showed us how to preserve basil leaves in salt, cook a salmon fillet on a bed of salt, and we were able to taste many different kinds of salt, such as Himalayan pink, French Gray, Applewood smoked salt (Smoked salt is really a hot trend!), lavender salt from France, and others.  And we each made an herbal salt to take home.
     Stephen explained the difference between mined salts and sea salts.  Did you know the largest salt mine in the world is under the city of Cleveland and the second largest is in Kansas, where they are going to build a “Disney” like theme park based on salt and the salt mine?
    He also explained phrases like “not worth his salt” and the tradition of tossing salt over your shoulder.  He listed the different grades of salt, and told how they are harvested by scrapings.  The finest is Fleur de Sault from northern France.
     I was amazed that the flavor of different salts could really be discerned, and I came home so excited that I immediately called my daughter in St. Petersburg, FL.  We had visited a shop in Sarasota that had an entire wall of various salts, but I wasn’t that interested at the time.  Like many people, I thought salt was salt.  My daughter visited the shop and purchased all the varieties on my list.  Now, I’m having great fun experimenting!  Thank you, Stephen Lee, for opening up a whole new world of taste!

Cilantro
     One of the herbs that often prompts a lengthy discussion is cilantro, the leafy green herb that resembles parsley but has a distinctive scent and flavor.  It seems to be one of those plants that people either love or hate.  It is essential in salsas, Thai salads, and many other exotic dishes.  Many visitors to my booth at the recent Wabash HerbFest were looking for the plant, and I had to launch into my explanation that cilantro is a day-length sensitive plant.  When the days are long, cilantro bolts and uses its energy to produce seeds, not leaves.  It’s easy to have a great crop of cilantro in the short days of spring and late autumn, but practically impossible during the long, hot days of mid-summer.  It grows easily from seed in any sunny or lightly shaded location in average soil.  It is an annual, growing to about 18” in height.
     The herb has a long history of use.  The green leaves, called cilantro, are used in a variety of Mexican and Asian dishes.  The roots are essential in many Thai dishes, and the seeds, called coriander, are used in many baked goods, especially in northern Europe.
     At the Herb Society of America conference, Rex Talbert gave an intriguing presentation of the chemistry of cilantro’s flavor.  He compared it to culantro, a relative of sea holly with spiny leaves and surprisingly, a flavor nearly identical to cilantro.  Even more surprising, the stinkbug is often used by native populations in Mexico because it, too, has the flavor of cilantro!  However, he cautions that if you want to substitute stinkbugs for cilantro in your next batch of salsa, you should not only behead them, but also sauté them first to eliminate possible internal parasites they may carry. 
     I’d often heard that cilantro got its name (coriandrum, from the Greek “koris”) because it smells like bedbugs.  Dr. Talbert assured me that the word does not necessarily mean bedbug, but just translates to “bug.”  Isn’t it interesting, though, that cilantro actually tastes like a specific bug?

Another sad tale……..
     On a lovely, perfect Saturday recently I drove toward Lansing to Grand Oak Herb Farm for its Bombastic Basil Festival.  I’ve been to this lovely farm several times.  In fact, many of you have gone with me on bus trips to enjoy the gardens, the pretty tea room, the large assortment of plants and the treasure-packed gift shop.  Grand Oak is one of the oldest and well-known herb farms in a state that is packed with herb farms.  I was grinning broadly in anticipation as I passed the big sign on the highway promoting their basil day.  The grin faded when I turned into the parking lot.  Mine was the only car there.
     Michigan’s economy is struggling, just as it is in most other states.  The effects show up first in small, independent businesses.  I’ll say this again….if you love a family-owned business, a small specialty shop, a local product, or an herb farm you MUST support it.  Just telling them you plan to visit, or that you love their place is not enough.  If you delay, when you finally get around to going, they just might not be there anymore!

Yucca
     In my Moonlight Garden, years ago I planted a “Bright Edge” Yucca. It’s a pretty plant with lots of creamy white variegation on its leaves and tall stalks of lovely white bells in June.  I didn’t pay much attention when a plain green seedling appeared on the opposite side of the garden. In fact, I just left it there for a couple of years, enjoying its white flowers.  However, my negligence resulted in a growing clump of ordinary yuccas that were crowding out plants I liked more.  So, early this summer I dug out the offending clump, which took quite a bit of effort since it had a root system the size of a bushel basket!  I didn’t have time to haul in soil to fill up the resulting hole, so I just left if for several days.  When I returned, there were dozens of baby yuccas emerging, so I dug out all of the fleshy canna-like corms that I could find.  This time, I purposely left the hole empty just in case I’d missed any.  Sure enough a couple of weeks later, more yuccas appeared.  No wonder this plant is able to take over entire hillsides!  The root system is amazing!  The plant grows almost everywhere in the U.S.  It likes sun, but I’ve seen it survive in fairly shaded locations, too, and it will thrive in the poorest soils in even drought conditions. 
     Yuccas were used by native populations for the fibers in the leaves that became thread, and as a food plant.  I’ve often tossed the flower petals into salads or turned them into fritters, but it appears I could use them in many more ways.  A Google search for “yucca recipes” results in 622,000 items!  Those pesky, fleshy roots are apparently very tasty and versatile in recipes, too.  I guess I shouldn’t have tossed them!
     I’ll keep my “Bright Edge” yucca, but in the future, I think I’ll be more diligent in harvesting those flowers so errant seedlings won’t pop up in the garden.

Forks of the Wabash in Huntington
     I’m always surprised, being a native Hoosier, at the wonderful historical sites and gardens hidden away in our state that I’ve never seen.  This month I went with a group of friends to the “Forks of the Wabash” in Huntington, IN.  This wonderful, educational museum is the result of the efforts of many volunteers and supporters.  Its primary focus is on the Miami Indians, the native tribe in the area.  In fact, the Chief’s House (Chief LaFontaine) was moved to the property by a group of far-sighted locals years ago.  It has wonderful furnishings, original woodwork and windows.  Other historic buildings (the Nuck log house, a school house, trading post) have been added to the property, which also contains part of the old Erie Canal, the second part of the educational focus.  Around the canal and buildings, gardens have been added, including one of native plants, a large flower garden, and an herb garden. 
     Inside the museum lots of displays about life in the Miami tribe, photographs, and artifacts abound.  In another large room, information and models of canal boats join maps and diagrams that explain how the Erie Canal aided in the population explosion of the Midwest and provided transportation for the crops the pioneers produced.  There’s also a delightful gift shop that contains educational children’s items, pretty jewelry, historical books, rocks, and lots more at amazingly low prices.
     For a schedule of events, directions, and more go to www.http://historicforks.org.

Lavender-Apricot Tart
Prepare a 9” baking pan by spraying it with oil.  Cut a piece of parchment paper that is 1 ½” wider all around than the pan.  Cut 1” deep slits 1” apart all around the edge of the paper.  Fit paper into the pan firmly, pressing the bottom inside edge and sides well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
     Mix together:  1 ¼ c. all purpose flour, 1 stick softened butter, 2 T. plain yoghurt and 1 tsp. lightly ground dried lavender flowers until it forms a dough.  Press evenly in pan, building up sides about 1”.  Bake 12-15 min., just until crust is lightly browned on the edges.  Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.
     Meanwhile mix together:  ¾ c. yoghurt, ¾ c. sugar, 3 egg yolks, ¼ c. flour and 1 tsp. lavender flowers.  Wash 9 apricots.  Slice in half and remove seeds.
     When crust is ready, place apricots cut-side down evenly over the crust.  Pour batter over the top and place in center of oven.  Bake until filling is set, about 45 min. 
     Melt 3 T. apricot jam or lavender jelly in the microwave.  Spread gently over tart.  Allow to cool.
(Note:  Make this tart with other fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, or peaches.  Use the same fruit-flavored yoghurt in stead of plain yoghurt, but reduce the sugar in the filling to ½ c.  Glaze with the same fruit jam or jelly, or use melted apple jelly or lavender jelly!)

     It’s been fun to have the farm to myself the last few weeks, listening to songbirds and cicadas, watching butterflies land on my shoulders, and spending a bit more time with friends and family.  I’m off to the Garden Writers of America conference, where I’ll see the newest introductions in plants and garden tools.  You’ll hear all about it in the September newsletter.  Until then, I hope you’re getting some rain and enjoying the last of the garden season. 

Herbal blessings, Carolee