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Cream Cheese and Beetroot Stack with Beetroot Salsa

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

For the cream cheese and beetroot stack
250g/9oz cream cheese
½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
25g/1oz dill, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cooked beetroots sliced into five ½cm-thick rounds

For the beetroot salsa

½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cooked beetroot, finely chopped
1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. To make the cream cheese and beetroot stack, place the cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion, dill and salt and freshly ground black pepper into a large bowl and mix together well.
  2. Place 1 beetroot round in the centre of a plate, place 2 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture on top, then place another beetroot round on top.
  3. Repeat this layering process three more times to create a stack.
  4. To make the salsa, place the lemon juice and olive oil into a bowl and whisk together. Add the beetroot, onion and herbs, season, to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix together.
  5. To serve, spoon the salsa around the stack.

Beetroot and Orange Wedges

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

1 beetroot, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1 tsp caster sugar
pinch of chilli flakes
30g/1oz unsalted butter
1 orange, peeled and segmented
fresh dill, to garnish

Cooking Instructions

  1. Place the beetroot into a glass bowl and add a splash of water.
  2. Add the caster sugar and chilli flakes and stir together.
  3. Cover the bowl with cling film and microwave on high for 5-6 minutes or until tender.
  4. Gently melt the butter in a pan and sauté the orange segments for two minutes.
  5. Remove the beetroot from the microwave and transfer to a serving dish.
  6. Sprinkle the orange segments over and garnish with dill to serve.

Beetroot and Red Wine Rissoto

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

Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
250 g/9 oz aborio rice
150 ml/5 fl oz gusty red wine
600 ml/1 pint hot vegetable or chicken tock
175 g/6 oz cooked beetroot (not pickled), diced
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Cooking Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and celery and cook gently for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oil.
  3. Add the red wine, bring to the boil and bubble for a couple of minutes, then reduce the heat and gradually add the hot stock: do this a ladleful at a time, allowing each ladleful to be completely absorbed before adding more.
  4. After 15 minutes stir in the beetroot and dill, than continue adding stock until the rice is tender ? the whole dish should take no more than 30 minutes to cook.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then stir in the extra virgin olive oil.
  6. Cover and leave for five minutes before serving straight from the pan, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. 

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.

Broad Bean & Pasta Salad

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

1 Bunch of watercress
2 Handfuls of broad beans blanched
150g of dried or fresh pasta boiled
1 Grated Carrot
Some toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing:

2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 Table spoon white wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon Whole-grain mustard
Fresh dill or parsley

Cooking Instructions

  1. Mix everything, except the dressing ingredients, together in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl add the oil and vinegar to the mustard and beat until thoroughly mixed and add the chopped herbs.
  3. Pour the dressing onto the salad and serve.

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.