Herb...not just a name for a guy

Since I try to limit our salt intake, I rely on herbs to give my dishes a real kick.  So, springtime planting is an exciting time for this grannie.  Every year I try to add some new herbs to my garden.

This year I have added to my repertoire: spicy Mexican oregano, apple mint  & Greek basil.   I saw Bay leaf at one of the nurseries...but it didn't look too great, so I will search for it elsewhere.  Fresh bay leaves would be awesome.  And that's one of the perks of growing your own herbs...you can use them fresh, or dry them for winter use.


Pictured on the right is my patch of Greek oregano.  This is the 4th year that it has come up....really, it never dies back.  In winter, I sometimes will flick the snow away, and pick some of it.  It's extremely hardy, and wonderful to dry.

One key for a good herb garden is to of course, plant it near your kitchen.  Another thing to remember, is to pinch the flower heads off the plants...otherwise, all the energy will go to the flower, and it will stop producing the leaf that we all want to pick.

 Whether it's in pots or the ground, you will be rewarded with, not only fresh herbs, but the most amazing smells every time you walk by the plants.  Actually, I started planting herbs for my granddaughter, Mia, who loves to pick leaves & smell them.  I plant pineapple sage every year, just so that we can pick a leaf every time we walk by.

 Just remember to label any plants that you're not sure of.  I'm doing it mainly to help the girls learn the different herbs.  With the right light & water, you too can enjoy fresh herbs.  Now, I need to go out and buy some more...I definitely need more basil.  Last year I planted 5 varieties.  This year, who know what I'll find...I already got Greek basil....maybe that will pair nicely with the Greek oregano.   Now, I just need some feta.

Frommage, anyone....anyone...anyone?

I'm the first one to admit that I'm a bit odd...but I've wanted to make cheese for a LONG time.  I once made butter...sort of by accident...but still, I made butter!

Anyways, the Chicago Tribune Food Eating section of the April 25th paper had an article on "Easy Cheese", so I thought that I'd give it a go.  And since a gallon of milk was on sale at Hyvee for under $2, it was well worth the risk.

The ingredients are basically staples...whole milk (we use 1%, so I was glad to get whole milk on sale), salt & white vinegar.  In my trusty Dutch Oven, I poured in half the gallon of milk, 3 Tablespoons of the white vinegar & 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Heat the mixture until it reaches 185F on the thermometer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.  This is what will start to happen as the milk heats up:

Once the mixture reaches 185 degrees, remove the pot from the burner, and let sit for @ 10 minutes so it curdles completely.


Meanwhile, line a colander with 5-6 layers of cheesecloth (which can be used over & over if you choose to become a cheese making genius) or an appropriate cloth, such as a handkerchief (do people still use those?), or perhaps a tea towel.  Be creative.  After the 10 minutes are up, set the colander over a bowl to collect the whey (which can be used in anything that you would use milk in, such as pancakes, or soups...just remember that it does have some vinegar in it).  The mixture will look something like this:

 Let it drain for 5-30 minutes, or you can gently squeeze the whey out of the curds.  You can use the cheese while it is still warm...over sliced tomato salad, bruschetta or pasta, or refrigerate for a couple of days.  Here's what I did with mine:

I used it as a topping for some lovely ravioli.  It had the texture of queso fresco, and a very bland taste.  It would be great on a salad (which I did the next night) with some olive oil and balsamic drizzled over it.


Would I make this cheese again?  Definitely, and I think that it would be fun to do with the grandkids.  Watching the curds form is somewhat entertaining, but I think that I'd add more salt to the mixture.  There are other techniques for doing this simple cheese, and you can go to YouTube to find demos.  I really want to try more complicated cheeses, so I need to source out rennet & other starters.   I'll let you know how that turns out!

Let's go Dutch

I have to admit that I'm kind of obsessed with recipes.  For over 40yrs., I have been clipping recipes out of magazines, books...and now, I can just download whatever I want.  Often in the past, I would see in the directions, "in a dutch oven...blah, blah, blah".  I have to say, I really didn't know exactly what a Dutch Oven was.  Until one day a few months back, Menard's....yes, Menard's, had a sale on Dutch Ovens.  Well, needless to say, I got myself over there, and for $20 I am now the proud owner of my David Burke Dutch Oven.  It sits prominently on my stove (mainly because I don't have anywhere else at the moment to store it).  Plus, it goes with the color scheme of my 'spice market' kitchen redo.  Also, it is handy, since I use it quite often.

I was surprised at first by it's weight.  Being cast iron, one gets a good workout heaving it in and out of the oven.  Thankfully, it has an enamel coating inside, so cleanup is super easy.  It does a wonderful job roasting chicken, making chili or soup, even Rice Crispy Treats.

So even this 60 yr. old grannie can learn new things, and I'm always on the lookout for "new" products, even if they have been around since the dawn of kitchens.

The Garden

Imperative to my cooking, is my veggie/herb garden.  Out of the almost 38 yrs. of marriage, I have had a garden for over 30 of those years.  My hubby just did an outstanding job of preparing our 30' X 20' plot, so today I will begin planting.  It will be a bit of a challenge, since it is windy today.  The soil is extremely dry, so there's a lot of dust in the air.  I'll start with onion plants & snow peas.  I picked several leeks that were left over from last fall.  My niece found a carrot in her garden...you just never know what you'll find!

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

A very simple recipe for a staple in my fridge

1 bulb garlic

1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

 

Clean & mince garlic.  If you have one of those handy choppers...good for you...here's your chance to use it!

In a small fry/omelet pan,  start heating the oil on low.  Add the minced garlic. You can adjust the amounts of oil & garlic to your liking.  For @ 30 mins. on the LOWEST heat possible, heat the oil & garlic mixture.  The oil should NOT be bubbling. If the oil gets too hot, take it off the heat for a minute.  If oil gets too hot, it will scorch the garlic (gross!) and start a fire(dangerous!)  Add a pinch of salt (optional) at the end.  Turn the heat off.  At this point, I use a spatula and separate the garlic from the oil.  They both go into separate small containers in the fridge, where they will last for several weeks.  The minced garlic is now sweeter, and you can add it to any dish that you want.  The garlic infused oil is terrific for sauteing, salads, garlic bread, whatever.  The oil does solidify in the fridge, but at room temp. goes back to it's liquid form. 

Some like to oven roast whole bulbs of garlic.  This has a similar result, except that it lasts longer in the fridge, and you can use the oil separately.

Grannie Annie's Kitchen

The kitchen is the heartbeat of the home.  Over the past 3 weeks, my daughter (visiting from the UK) shared some new culinary delights with me.  Over the past few months, I have been incorporating new ingredients in my menu.  I hope to share some of these with you, along with recipes to add to your repertoire.