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Chinese Scrambled Eggs With Garlic Chives

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 ounces garlic chives (to make 1/3 cup chopped)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce or up to 1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

Cooking Instructions

Wash and drain the garlic chives. Remove the hard ends and any wilted green leaves at the top and chop into 1-inch lengths until you have 1/3 cup (5 tablespoons). Lightly beat the eggs.

Add the soy sauce or salt, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and pepper.
Heat a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lifting the frying pan so that the oil covers the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chives. Stir-fry briefly, then add the beaten egg mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and gently scramble the eggs. Remove them from the heat when they are just done but still moist. Serve hot.

Thinly-sliced Chicken with Chives

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

6 chicken breasts
1 tomato
1 shallot
white wine
200 ml cream
chives
salt & pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. Slice the chicken thinly and lightly brown in butter or oil. Season, keep warm.
  2. Dice the tomato, slice the shallot and sauté them in butter, in another pan.
  3. Add the white wine and leave for a couple of minutes to reduce, add the cream and chives, season.
  4. Serve warm with wild rice. 

Colcannon: An Irish Potato and Kale Recipe

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1lb Potatoes
Half Pound of Kale
One sixth of a Cup of Chives
One sixth of a Cup of Milk

Cooking Instructions

  1. Cook and mash the potatoes.
  2. Remove the stems from the kale and chop finely.
  3. Cook the chopped kale in salted water for about 10 minutes and drain..
  4. Simmer the milk & chives together for a few minutes.
  5. Beat the milk & chive mixture into the mashed potatoes, then the kale.
  6. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve with butter.

Variations include substituting cabbage for the kale and leeks for the chives.

Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, chopped
50ml/2fl oz white wine
150ml/5fl oz hot chicken stock (vegetarians may subsitute vegetable stock)
50ml/2fl oz double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh chives, to garnish

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently for three minutes until they have softened.
  2. Add the garlic to the saucepan, stir and cook for one minute.
  3. Add the artichokes, white wine and stock and cook for eight minutes or until the artichoke has softened. Place the mixture into the bowl of a foodprocessor. Add the cream and blend the mixture until smooth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. To serve, spoon into a bowl and garnish with fresh chives.

Herbs - Tips

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Basil

Stir into chopped fresh tomatoes with a dash of olive oil for a delicious bruschetta topping.
Sprinkle over pizzas, roasted vegetables or tomato soup.
Add to tomato sauces for pasta.
Mix with olive oil, tomato purée and garlic to make a salad dressing.
Bake whole baby courgettes in olive oil, chopped tomato and Basil.

Chives

Add Chives to cooked dishes at the last minute to preserve their delicate flavour.
Stir into mashed potato with a little butter and grated cheese.
Stir into cheese sauce at the end of cooking for a delicate flavour.
Sprinkle onto scrambled eggs, omelettes, quiches and potato salad.
Sprinkle over salads and soups as a great garnish.
Stir into soured cream for a tasy dip.

Coriander

Stir into chopped tomatoes with a little lemon juice and garlic for a refreshing salsa.
Great in Mexican dishes such as chilli con carne.
For an Indian raita, stir chopped or grated cucumber, Coriander Leaf, salt and pepper into natural yoghurt.
For a Thai style dressing mix warm creamed coconut with lemon juice and stir in Coriander Leaf, Crushed Chillies and chopped spring onions.
Stir Coriander Leaf, Parsley, fresh green chillies, Garlic and onion into cooked rice to make Mexican arroz verde.
Add Coriander Leaf to breads, stuffings and sauces and sprinkle over spicy or creamy dishes at the end of cooking.

Dill

Stir into a white sauce before serving.
Sprinkle over fish with some lemon juice before grilling.
Stir through cooked new potatoes or carrots with a knob of butter.
Mix with olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey as a dressing for salmon.
Use Dill as a refreshing alternative to parsley in omelettes, quiches and salads.

Marjoram & Oregano

Add to cream, white wine, stock and chopped onion for a creamy herb sauce for chicken or pork.
Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice, salt and Marjoram over chicken or lamb before roasting or grilling.
Sprinkle onto roasted vegetables.

Mint

Mix with vinegar and a little sugar to make mint sauce for roast lamb.
Sprinkle onto peas and new potatoes, together with a knob of butter.
Stir into cooked couscous with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle Mint onto green salads.
Add to yoghurt with diced cucumber for a refreshing raita dip.

Parsley

Combine with breadcrumbs, grated cheese and garlic, then spoon into flat mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden.
Mix with butter and lemon juice, then stir into cooked vegetables and new potatoes.
Stir into white sauce just before serving.
Stir fry carrots in a little butter and add garlic and Parsley.
Delicious with fish.
Sauté mushrooms in butter, garlic and a good tablespoon of Parsley.

Rosemary

Sprinkle onto lamb or pork before roasting.
Sprinkle onto potatoes and parsnips before roasting.
Make a rich red wine, orange and Rosemary gravy for lamb or duck.
Sprinkle Rosemary over barbecue coals for an aromatic smoky flavour.
Rosemary makes a fresh and flavoursome marinade for meats and oily fish together with olive oil, Garlic and lemon juice.

Sage

Add to finely diced apple and minced pork for tasty meatballs.
Add to apple sauce for more flavour.
Mix with breadcrumbs, chopped onion and butter for a really tasty stuffing.
Sprinkle over pork or chicken before roasting.
Combine with grated cheese and breadcrumbs as a topping for grilled fish.
Add to sausage and leek casserole for extra flavour

Tarragon

Make quick sauces for chicken, fish or pasta by stirring into cream and white wine or into savoury white sauce.
Stir into creamy chicken or turkey soup.
Sprinkle over glazed carrots for a distinctive flavour.
Sprinkle into omelettes or salads.

Thyme

Combine with grated lemon zest, crushed garlic and butter, then spread over chicken breasts and wrap in Parma ham before cooking.
Add to casseroles and stews, such as Irish stew or Lancashire hotpot, for a warm, aromatic flavour.
Sprinkle over roasted vegetables or potatoes.
Marinate chicken or fish in olive oil, lemon juice and Thyme before grilling.

Pan-fried Chicken Breast with Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto & Roasted Vegetables

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

For the chicken
1 Label Anglaise chicken, legs removed
1 garlic bulb
1 handful fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 litres/3pt 10fl oz chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz slightly salted butter
For the risotto
250g/9oz risotto rice
300g/11oz Jerusalem artichokes, sliced thinly
50g/2oz butter
50ml/2fl oz double cream
4 tbsp parmesan, freshly grated
1 handful fresh chives, finely chopped
For the vegetables
200g/7oz baby carrots
200g/7oz baby turnips
1 handful fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 small punnet pea shoots

Method

  1. Method for chicken, place the garlic bulb and a several of the sprigs of thyme into the cavity of the chicken.
  2. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper then place it into a large lidded pan or stockpot. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cover the pan with a lid.
  3. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently poach the chicken for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the stock. Then remove the chicken from the pan and pat dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the chicken stock for later.
  5. Remove the breast from the chicken and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Heat a frying pan until hot. Add the olive oil and place the chicken breast in the pan, skin-side down.
  7. Fry the breast until the skin becomes golden brown then turn over onto the other side. Add the butter and fry until the chicken is completely cooked through.
  8. For the risotto, place 500ml/18fl oz of the chicken stock that the chicken was poached in, into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil.
  9. Add the risotto rice to the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the rice becomes slightly tender. Drain the excess stock from the rice, and allow the rice to cool in the saucepan.
  10. Place the artichokes and half the butter into a clean saucepan and heat at a low temperature until the artichokes become tender.
  11. Add the cream and 175ml/6fl oz of the poached chicken stock and bring to the boil.
  12. Pour the stock and the artichokes into the bowl of a food processor and blend the mixture until a purée is formed.
  13. Place the saucepan of rice back onto the heat and gradually add a ladle at a time of the remaining poached chicken stock to the pan (allow the rice to absorb the stock before adding each ladle of stock). Continue to add the stock to the rice until the rice is tender.
  14. Add a large spoonful of the artichoke purée, the remaining butter and the parmesan to the saucepan and stir until the ingredients have combined.
  15. Add the chives to the risotto and mix well.
  16. For the roasted vegetables, place the carrots, turnips, rosemary and two of the garlic cloves into a clean saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until the vegetables are covered. Season the vegetables with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring the pan to the boil. Drain the excess water from the vegetables.
  17. Heat a clean frying pan until it is smoking hot then add the olive oil, a little more rosemary and another garlic clove.
  18. Add the honey to the pan and deglaze with the sherry vinegar. Mix the ingredients well.
  19. To serve, spoon some of the risotto onto the side of a clean plate and place the chicken on top. Arrange the vegetables on the other side of the plate and place the pea shoots on top. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the plate.

Piquant Beetroot

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1 lb (675g) cooked beetroot
oz (15g) butter
5-6 fl oz (140-175ml) cream
1-2 tsp finely chopped chives
A generous sprinkling of sugar (if required)
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice or wine vinegar (optional)
Salt and (freshly ground) pepper

Cooking Instructions

Peel the beetroot (wear rubber gloves for this operation if you are vain!) then chop the beetroot flesh into cubes. Melt the butter in a non-stick saute pan and add the beetroot. Toss and add the lemon juice and cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Add the chives and season with salt, pepper and sugar. Add more lemon juice or sugar to taste.

Serve immediately.

Celeriac Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

¼ celeriac, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh herbs, including parsley, chervil and chives
120ml/4fl oz double cream
120ml/4fl oz hot vegetable stock
For the yoghurt
55g/2oz Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Cooking Instructions

  1. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and cook the celeriac for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Drain the celeriac and transfer to a food processor. Pulse the celeriac with the fresh herbs and cream to form a smooth liquid/purée.
  3. Pour in the hot vegetable stock to the blender and blend again until smooth and creamy.
  4. Return the soup to the pan and re-heat for a few minutes.
  5. Ladle the soup into a bowl to serve.
  6. Place the yoghurt, garlic and mint into a small bowl and mix together until combined.
  7. Serve a spoonful of the yoghurt on top of the soup.

How to Dry Herbs

Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 10:51AM
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Whether you grow your own herbs, or bought more from the market than you can use at one time,
drying herbs can be an easy and practical way to store them for later use.  

Below is a list of many common herbs that can be air dried using the following simple instructions.

Harvesting
There are a wide variety of herbs that can be dried, and of course they all have different recommended stages at which they should be harvested. To make it easy for you, a chart that shows this information is available by clicking on How to Harvest Herbs

Using a very sharp knife or garden scissors cut your stems.  Do not pick them as it will cause bruising on the stem and a place for decomposition to start.  Leave an extra inch or two at the bottom of your herbs for bundling. Harvest your herbs in the late morning when all the dew has had a chance to dry. This helps to prevent mildew. Visually inspect the herbs.  Remove any bugs or damaged leaves or flowers with your sharp knife before drying.

Bundling

Open Method
Using a rubber band near the cut end of the herbs, gather 5 to 7 stalks together and attach together. You want your bundled end to be very secure as stalks shrink during the drying process. Yet you want the other end loose enough to ensure air flow through out the bundle.
*Note:  Green Onions and Garlic are hung by the tops with the bulbs hanging down.  The tops can be braided together for hanging.

Anise
Basil
Bay Leaves
Celery Leaves
Chervil
Chili Peppers
Chives
Cumin
Dill
Fennel
File Powder (Sassafras)
Garlic
Green Onions
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme

Drying
Hang your herbs by the rubber band or string onto your drying rack. Drying times vary from a few days to a couple weeks.  You will know your herbs are dry when they crumble easily.

Locate your drying rack in a dark warm room, garage or walk in closet.  Or you may place your herbs in a covered porch or patio if herbs are bundled in paper bags even out side under a shade tree will work if you are willing to bring them inside every evening.  Your goal is to keep herbs out of direct sunlight yet in a place with good air circulation.

Your herbs are dry when the leave easily crumble.  

Seeds will be released during the drying process place newspaper under your drying rack to keep seeds off the floor and to make gathering easier for next years garden.  

If you dried your herbs by the bag method your seeds should be already collected for you in the bottom of the bag. Simply cut the sides off your bag where the wholes begin. Fold the bottom of your bag together.  Tape your bag closed and label your bag for easy storage and planting next spring.

Storing
Store your herbs in small glass jars with tight fitting lids.  Keep the jars out of the light, away from heat and out of your refrigerator.