Cherry Valley Herb Farm

BASIC HERBAL JELLY

Ingredients
1 cup of apple juice
2 cups of herbal infusion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups sugar
1 package pectin
6 fresh sprigs of herbs for the jars

Directions
Proceed with the jelly directions on the box of pectin. Place a fresh herb sprig or flower into each jar.

Infusion
To make an infusion, simply bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and take off the heat. Add a generous handful of herbs to the pan, put on the cover, and let cool to room temperature. Strain off the herbs and measure out 2 cups.

JELLIES FROM YOUR HERB GARDEN

by Susan M. Carpenter
Rhode Island Gourmet Guide
June/July 1997

Jams, jellies, conserves, preserves, marmalade and butters are fun to make and add a special touch to any meal. These popular spreads, put up in fancy jars or glasses with decorator lids, make excellent gifts. I like to make all of these with a variety of fruits: strawberry, plum, peach, grape and currant. And I have lots of cherished blends - nectarine almond conserve, strawberry pineapple, peach raisin cherry and many more.

But perhaps my favorite types of jellies to make are the herbal ones. Much of the pleasure comes in making these jellies using an ingredient as exotic as scented geranium leaves. Picking the heavily perfumed leaves from my stock plant that sits in a bow window and making a strong infusion with them is such delightful fun! And even the most reluctant person will be awed and surprised by the sweet and pleasant floral taste. The subtle flavors of the geranium jellies are best used on scones, muffins and dainty tea sandwiches.

There is no end to the numbers of combinations that you can make with your herbal harvest. Simply substitute juices, wine and other liquids for the water and apple juice, and match up your herbs to the liquid. Take advantage of a large crop of a particular herb, a great find at a farmer's market, or a gift of herbs from a friend's garden. Then start having an adventure!

I water bath my jams and jellies to preserve them and to have peace of mind that they will last until my family and friends will use them. It is not difficult to do, and involves using my "canner" - a large blue enamel pot with a rack that holds seven jars at a time. Fill it with water and bring to a boil. The filled and capped jars are lowered into the pot on the rack. After having been submerged in boiling water for five minutes, they are lifted out and set on tea towels to cool. They will then last for at least a year, or even more.

HERBAL JELLY COMBO'S

Just Use Your Imagination!
All of the following combinations use the named herbs to make 2 cups of infusion and are then blended with 1 cup of the stated liquid. Whenever possible, in addition to the sprig of herb leaves, I try to use the flowers. There is something so appealing about pineapple sage jelly adorned with little sprigs of pineapple sage leaves and flowers - a brilliant crimson. Now that's a gift! Lace doilies and pieces of pretty spring fabric tied with a ribbon can make these jars of jellies into festive gifts. And keep a few on hand to delight unexpected guests - it can make any occasion special. Unleash your imagination and come up with new combinations, and above all, have fun!

Rose Geranium using apple juice

Pineapple Sage using pineapple juice

Apple Mint using apple juice

Lavender using white grape juice

Grapefruit Tarragon using grapefruit juice

Orange Rosemary using orange juice

Chamomile Chablis using leftover wine

Lemon Verbena using apple juice

Lime Geranium using fresh lime juice

Lemon Thyme using apple juice

Below are a few of our all-time favorite herbal recipes. Print this page and enjoy!

YUMMY ROSEMARY POTATOES

2 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2-3 tbsp. minced shallots or green onions
1 tbsp. lemon juice
generous handful of rosemary sprigs
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. crushed dried red chile pepper
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 tbsp. melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a 10-12 inch cast-iron or heavy skillet with olive oil. Place potatoes in a single layer, overlapping slightly and lining the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with shallots and lemon juice. Tuck small sprigs of rosemary between potato slices, and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, red chili, salt and pepper. Cook for 50-55 minutes until lightly crisp and golden. Drizzle with melted butter and cook another 5 minutes. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Note: You can combine rosemary sprigs with sage, thyme and savory. If desired, generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of the butter before the last 5 minutes of cooking.

LEMON BALM BLUEBERRY TEA BREAD

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon balm, dried
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1–2 cups of blueberries
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9x5 loaf pan. Stir the topping ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, milk, butter and egg together until smooth. In another bowl, toss the flour with the baking powder and salt. Stir this into the wet ingredients, and then fold in the blueberries and lemon zest.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until the topping is deep golden and has formed a thick crust, about 50 minutes or so. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

There is no comparison between canned and fresh tomatoes, so make this soup during the sumer when ripe, local tomatoes are plentiful.

2 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 1 cup light cream or milk, heated
Chopped fresh herbs or croutons

Place the broth, tomatoes, onion, celery, rice, and sugar in a 3-quart saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft and the rice is done. Puree the mixture in small batches in a blender or food processor or press through a sieve. Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the hot cream or milk. Corerct the seasoning. Add more sugar or salt if necessary. Heat gently. Do not boil.

Serve hot, topped with croutons or chopped fresh dill, basil, or tarragon. Or serve chilled, topped with one of the herbs or with crisply cooked, crumbled bacon.

Note: The amount of cream or milk required depends on the flavor of the tomatoes. If they are very flavorful, you can use more cream.

Serves 6

CHEESE-CHIVE BISCUITS

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cheese and chives. Add the milk and stir with a fork just until the mixture forms a soft dough that pulls away from the bowl.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 24 biscuits.

HONEY-GLAZED MINT CARROTS

1 pound of carrots, peeled
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped mint

Slice carrots fairly thinly on the diagonal. Put into medium sized saucepan and boil gently for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain. Add butter and honey to saucepan and cook and stir over medium heat for several minutes. Add the carrots and then the mint. Cook for 2 minutes more. Enjoy!

CUCUMBER AND DILL PASTA SALAD

2 cups uncooked macaroni pasta
2 cups peeled and chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) carton light or non-fat sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoonn minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain,
and rinse in cold water. Transfer noodles to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream, milk, dill, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Set dressing aside. Mix cucumbers and tomatoes into the pasta. Pour in dressing, and mix thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. Stir just before serving. Makes 6 servings.

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD

1 cup softened butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups of flour
¼ cup fresh rosemary,
(or 2 Tbsp. dried)

Mix all ingredients well. Pat into 9" square pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Score and cut into bars. Enjoy!

HOT CRAB DIP

1 can crabmeat
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped dill

Mush ingredients together
Sprinkle with paprika
Bake at 350^o for 20-30 minutes until browned & bubbly
Serve with crackers and enjoy!