Teatime

I finally get to make Blubharb jam! Awhile back, I froze a big bag of rhubarb, awaiting the day the blueberries were in season to make jam - I love the slight tartness of the rhubarb mixed with the berries and prefer to leave the berries whole (rather than pureeing in the food processor).
And a good excuse to eat bread and jam with tea this afternoon - here is the recipe I used (doubled, of course!) : http://sugarcrafter.net/2010/05/20/bluebarb-jam/

Dandy Dandelion Chai

*** If you like the bitter taste of dandelion roots, you can chop then roast them, and add them to spices to make Chai - to roast the roots, chop them finely, but not too finely, and place them on trays to toast in your oven. I put the oven at 250,which seemed too hot, so reduced it to 200 degrees, and left the oven door ajar to allow steam to escape. It took 1 and 1/2 hours to dry and toast the roots, and they needed to be stirred frequently. To 1 cup of dried dandelion roots, add: 6 Tbsp Fennel or Anise seed 36 green Cardamom pods 72 Cloves 6 Cinnamon sticks 1½ tsp black peppercorns 12 Bay leaves To make the chai, put 2 tsp. of the mixture into a small pot with 1 cup of water, add some fresh ginger slices at this point, if you like. Simmer for 5 minutes, steep for 10, then strain out the spices. Reheat in the pot with 1 Tb. honey or brown sugar, and 1 - 2 Tb. milk or cream The bags of Chai can make sweet Yule gifts, too.

Ten Thousand Joys

I love to grow herbs for tea - I finally got around to mixing all the herbs I had dried and kept stored in jars over the Summer. In this tea we have nettles, raspberry leaves, calendula flowers, rosemary, fennel seeds and leaves, and spearmint. I would have also added lemon balm,but have used it all up! It is nice with a little honey and lemon, or chilled with fresh spearmint, if you have some. Another nice addition would be rose hips and/or rose petals, lavender or borage flowers to add colour and flavour. Making herb tea is so enjoyable, as the mix is never the same. I am reminded of sunny August days in the garden with every sip ~ and the tea is very good for you, too.A nourishing tonic for body, mind, and soul. I named this tea "Ten Thousand Joys" for the bliss and joy that come from a Summertime garden.

fabulous fennel seeds

(image from downtoearthliving.com) I am blessed with an abundance of fennel seeds that grow in my yard, in my neighbourhood, and naturalized in woods in the area. Related to caraway, they are lovely in tea, breads, curries, soups,http://rouxbe.com/recipes/2284-roasted-carrot-and-fennel-soup-with-fennel-seed-oil/text salad dressings, http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2006/12/frisee-salad stir fries, sauces, and cookies http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1910,153185-248193,00.html My favourite is a bread recipe from an Italian bakery I worked at once that has fennel (or anise) seeds and black figs: 2 Tbl. yeast 2 cups warm water 2 Tbl. butter 1 Tbl. molasses 2 1/2 cups whole grain flour 2 cups unbleached white flour 1 Tbl. ground fennel or anise seeds 1 tsp. sea salt 1 cup chopped black mission figs. proof the yeast in the warm water, add the salt, butter and molasses, knead in the flours, add the figs. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, then punch down and shape into free-form loaves. If you have a proofing basket for shaping the loaves, lucky you! http://www.sfbi.com/baking_supplies.html Let rise for an hour or so, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until tapping on the bottom of the loaf produces a hollow sound. This bread makes the most wonderful toast, slathered with butter. I am currently tweaking a herbal tea mixture with herbs from my garden - it contains rosemary, spearmint, raspberry leaves, nettles, rose petals, calendula flowers, and fennel seeds. I love to make herbal mix-and-match teas - every pot has a unique blend. For the health benefits of fennel seed tea, read here:http://www.grandmas-wisdom.com/fennel-tea.html Fennel is a standard ingredient in some curries and Garam Masala spice blends: Garam Masala: Ingredients * 2 tablespoons coriander seeds * 1 tablespoon cumin seeds * 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds * 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns * 1 teaspoon fennel seed * 1 teaspoon mustard seed * 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves * 2 dried red chile peppers, seeds discarded * 2 tablespoons ground turmeric Directions 1. Combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, and red chile peppers in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 2. Grind the toasted spices in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill to a fine powder. Spoon in the turmeric, and process to combine. Use immediately, or store in a sealed jar for up to 1 month. You can add them to olives for gifts: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/olives-with-fennel-seeds-and-orange Here is a veggie pepperoni that has fennel seeds as an ingredient that I am planning to make soon! It is from allrecipes.com. Veggeroni Recipe Ingredients * 2 cups wheat gluten * 1/2 cup isolated protein powder * 1 tablespoon agar-agar powder * 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika * 1 teaspoon ground black pepper * 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes * 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper * 1 tablespoon fennel seed * 2 teaspoons garlic powder * 1 envelope dry onion soup mix * 1 envelope dry tomato soup mix * 1 1/2 cups water * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 2. Place gluten, protein powder, agar-agar, paprika, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, fennel seed, garlic powder, onion soup mix, and tomato soup mix into a blender. Grind for 2 to 3 minutes into a powder, then pour into a large mixing bowl. 3. Stir water, oil, and liquid smoke flavoring into the powdered mixture until moistened, then knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a 2 to 3 inch log, and wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet. 4. Bake vegeroni in preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool completely before slicing. and these scones look very good!: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Walnut-Golden-Raisin-and-Fennel-Seed-Scones-109368 As fennel self-seeds vigourously, I look forward to giving plants away in the Spring, and collecting lots of seeds for Winter use.

Raspberry Summer

Luscious raspberries grow like jewels dangling amongst the lime-green foliage. Summer is here when the raspberries are ready~the variety we grow doesn't keep well, so if not eating within a day of picking, or used in baking, they are frozen. This raspberry vinaigrette is good on a nutty or fruity salad: Toss a handful of cranberries, pine nuts or walnuts on your salad along with raspberry vinaigrette for a sweet treat.

• 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:

Add all ingredients, except oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add oil until well combined.

Luscious raspberries are also exceptionally good for you: this from Wikipedia: Raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments linked to potential health protection against several human diseases.^[6] The aggregate fruit structure contributes to its nutritional value, as it increases the proportion of dietary fiber, placing it among plant foods with the highest fiber contents known, up to 20% fiber per total weight. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, with 30 mg per serving of 1 cup (about 50% daily value), manganese (about 60% daily value) and dietary fiber (30% daily value). Contents of B vitamins 1-3, folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron are considerable in raspberries.^[7]

Raspberries rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of ellagic acid (from ellagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. Yellow raspberries and others with pale-colored fruits are lower in anthocyanins.

Due to their rich contents of antioxidant vitamin C and the polyphenols mentioned above, raspberries have an ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of about 4900 per 100 grams, including them among the top-ranked ORAC fruits.

The following anti-disease properties have been isolated in experimental models. Although there are no clinical studies to date proving these effects in humans, preliminary medical research shows likely benefit of regularly consuming raspberries against:

• inflammation
• pain
• cancer
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• allergies
• age-related cognitive decline
• degeneration of eyesight with aging

In the Greater Victoria area, you can find organic raspberries at Echo Valley Farm, Haliburton community organic farm, Kenyon Farm in Sydney, and Saanich Organics on Mt. Newton X Rd.

Raspberries love lots of water and compost and a well-drained soil. Pruning out old canes and spreading suckers is important to the health of the plants. See here for how and when to prune raspberries: http://gardening.about.com/od/berries/a/Prune_Raspberry.htm I also love raspberry leaf tea with a bit of lemon balm added - iced is very refreshing. Now I'm off to make a pie!

Salve!

Sage: Before Sage: After Sage (Salivia officinalis) is one of the herbs that grows year round in my garden - it is situated right under the eaves of the house against the wall and is sheltered there from strong winds and killing frosts. It's great to be able to go out and pick fresh sage for tea or seasoning any time. I like to add it to hearty salads such as this one which has asparagus and white beans, sundried tomatoes, and lentil sprouts. I add lots, because I love it so much. Here's the recipe:it's from myrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 7 dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• 3 tablespoons or more fresh chopped sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons drained capers
• 1 (5-ounce) bag gourmet mixed salad greens (or your own garden fresh greens!)
• 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese (leave out to make salad vegan)

Preparation

Snap off tough ends of asparagus; arrange asparagus and dried tomatoes in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 2 to 4 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Set tomatoes aside. Plunge asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and chill until ready to use. Chop tomatoes.

Whisk together garlic and next 8 ingredients in a medium bowl; add asparagus, tomatoes, beans, onion, and capers, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Serve asparagus mixture over salad greens; sprinkle with cheese.

I also added lentil sprouts and radishes.

Sage tea is excellent when you're getting a sore throat, have indigestion, and/or insomnia - have a sage-bath and a nice cup of sage tea to help you get to sleep. It can be combined with rosemary and peppermint for headaches. The Latin name for sage is Salvia, which means "health." it was an ingredient of "Four Thieves Vinegar, a blend of herbs which was supposed to ward off the plague. Sage can be propagated by cuttings from the end of April to September and older plants like to be rejuvenated by cutting back hard in Spring.

I know an older Italian woman, who sometimes greets me by saying "salve" (pronounced "salvay"). It's an old fashioned blessing for health and well being. May you be blessed with health and well being with your garden full of Sage.

The Joy of Dandelions

Sauteed dandelion greens and dandelion blossom tea is on the menu for tonight. I love any kind of bitter veggie - radicchio, arugula, and especially dandelions. Here's a recipe for dandelion blossom tea: Dandelion Flower Tea Recipe

Steep them in a cup of water for about 15-20 minutes.

Add a little sweetener of your choice and your cup of dandelion tea is ready.

One of the key benefits of dandelion tea is that it has a great detoxification effect on the liver

I know my liver could use some detoxification, so I'm going to sautee greens, too - with garlic and sesame seeds. Here's a recipe:

Dandelion Greens Saute 1 lb. dandelion greens 3 tablespoons olive oil 5 cloves garlic 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Wash and slice greens. Blanch in enough water to cover about 1 minute. Drain and saute in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, then add the sesame and garlic and saute for couple minutes more. Add the sesame oil and serve.

Dandelion is also known as Taraxacum officinale, lion's tooth, blowball, cankerwort, priest's crown, swine snout, and wild endive.

Dandelion has been used for its nutritional value as well as for water retention, regulation of blood glucose, upset stomach, urinary tract infections, kidney and bladder stones, liver and gallbladder complaints, and loss of appetite.

I leave you with this from Walt Whitman, and may your liver quiver with the joy of dandelions!

The First Dandelion Simple and fresh and fair from winter's close emerging, As if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever been, Forth from its sunny nook of shelter'd grass--innocent, golden, calm as the dawn, The spring's first dandelion shows its trustful face. Source: "Leaves of Grass," by Walt Whitman