SUMMER TIME RECIPES

Here we are in south Texas where it's beautiful just to stay indoors with the a/c cranking and looking out the window at the bay and wondering when it will start to cool down. Gardening is out of the question with it being so hot and humid. Maybe a lazy day at the pool will make summer more tolerable. In the meantime, I've been thinking about some easy recipes for summer. Here are a few that might make your summer meals a little healthier and tasty!

CAROL’S SANGRIA
This recipe is my sister's wonderful sangria that is great with Tex-Mex on a hot summer night.

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
¼ cup brandy
½ cup orange juice
Orange slices
Lime slices
Strawberries
Bottle of either white wine or red wine
½ cup sparkling wine or sparkling water
Fresh mint springs

Mix together and put into a pitcher with ice. Serve in tall, frosted glasses if available. Add a few sprigs of fresh mint! 

BOUDRO'S FAMOUS GUACAMOLE

Boudro's is on the River Walk in San Antonio. They make this at your table, and it is the best guacamole I have ever tasted.

http://www.boudros.com/

Ingredients

Juice of 1/4 of an orange
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 avocado seeded and scooped out of skin
2 Tbs roasted and charred Roma tomatoes diced
1 ea Serrano pepper roasted seeded and diced
1 Tbs medium dice red onions
1 tsp chopped cilantro
coarse ground salt to taste (sea salt is better)

Squeeze juices into bowl. Add avocado and coarsely chop. Add onions, roasted tomato, Serrano and cilantro fold into avocado mixture. Add salt (more is better). Result should be crudely chopped not mashed. That’s it.

Note: I found this comment online. "This is by far the best guacamole I've ever had. I asked our waiter about it and he said for the roasted tomatoes + Serrano peppers, you chop up 10 tomatoes to 1 Serrano pepper and roast it over a fire. Then use that mixture for the 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes in the recipe. Alternatively, I assume you could use 1 tomato and 1/10 pepper...if you want to figure out what that is."

BEAN & CORN SALSA

This is great when served with a brisket and chips!
 

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed, can use black beans, pinto beans, or a mix
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, cooked
3 firm tomatoes diced (if you prefer you can also peel and seed, but I prefer not too)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 to 4 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped (if you prefer you can also seed the peppers)
½ cup chopped onion, either a sweet yellow such as 1015 or purple onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and diced

Combine all ingredients except for the avocadoes, cover and chill for a few hours. Before serving, toss in the avocadoes. Be sure not to cut up the avocadoes until right before you get ready to serve the salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.

LINDA’S GOURMET DEVILED EGGS
This is a new spin on an old recipe.

Ingredients

6 to 8 eggs, hard-boiled
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Ranch Dressing or mix of both of these
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon stone ground Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, black or white or both
Paprika

Options:
-Add 3 to 4 pieces fried bacon crumbled. Add some to mixture and saving a little to top on the eggs.
-Add 3 or 4 green onions finely chopped. Add some to mixture and saving a little to top on the eggs.
-Add a little black caviar on top. 

Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks; mash yolks with remaining ingredients. Refill into egg whites and sprinkle with paprika. Chill and serve.

BARBRA'S CAULIFLOWER SALAD
My neighbor and friend, Barbra Fox, made this for one of our Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group's meetings. Very good! Great dish to take to a pot-luck dinner!

http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

Ingredients

Sauce:

6 heaping tablespoons of Hellman's Mayonnaise

2 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of horseradish

Vegetables:

1 head of cauliflower

1 red bell pepper

1 bunch of bulb onions

3 ribs of celery

1 can of black olives, thinly sliced

20 green olives, thinly sliced

*3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

Mix together all ingredients except for tomatoes and put into a large plastic bag and refrigerate at least overnight. Right before serving, *add 3 Roma tomatoes.

Additions and/or variations for the salad. Here are just a few suggestions. 

• Finely chopped red onion

• Broccoli

• shredded cabbage

• Any color bell pepper

• Hot peppers (capsicums) for more heat

• Shredded or thinly sliced cucumbers

• Shredded or thinly sliced carrots

• sliced green onions

• roasted peanuts

• Bean sprouts

• Fresh herbs, any that you like

We were discussing that you can use just the sauce for coleslaw. And I was thinking that you could make it as an oriental salad by substituting the horseradish for wasabi (possibly using less depending on your heat level) with a little soy sauce and pouring it over some oriental vegetables such as parboiled sugar snap peas, parboiled snow peas, shredded or thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded or thinly sliced carrots, sliced green onions, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, etc.

CHILLED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH GINGER DRESSING 

This is a great dish to take to pot luck dinners or serve as an appetizer.  Everyone loves it!

Dressing:

¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1 teaspoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/8 teaspoon wasabi

½ cup canola oil

Blend all ingredients except oil in a food process; with machine running slowly add oil.  Cover and refrigerate.

Asparagus:

2 pounds fresh trimmed asparagus (can use either green or white or a combination of the two.)

Blanch the asparagus by placing them into boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your asparagus.  Remove them and immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and chill in the refrigerator.

Or steam the asparagus until it is tender crispy.   Remove them and immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and chill in the refrigerator.

Large lettuce leaves or fresh field greens, tomatoes, avocados.

Serving:

Black & white sesame seeds, toasted for just a minute or so to release the oils

Lettuce and/or wild greens

Arrange the lettuce on a good size chilled platter, then put the wild greens on top of the lettuce, then arrange the asparagus on top and drizzle with the dressing.  Sprinkle with both the roasted black and white sesame seeds.  Add a little ginger to the plate for garnish.  You can also add some cherry tomatoes for color and/or sliced avocados. 

SPINACH, DILL & STRAWBERRY SALAD

Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon onion powder

Whisk oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, dry mustard and onion powder until blended, and then cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Salad:

2 pounds fresh spinach, torn & coarse stems discarded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Toss spinach, green onions, almonds, strawberries and dill in a salad bowl and just before serving pour dressing over salad and toss. 

*More recipes for quina.
TOASTED ALMOND AND CITRUS QUINOA

People who aren’t crazy about the texture of whole grains may delight in quinoa. Its tiny round grains have a slight flavor that can be described as “vegetable caviar.” Quinoa has a bland but pleasant flavor that is enhanced by the addition of flavorful broth or other ingredients. One half-cup serving contains 3.5 g of fiber.

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold, fresh water, broth, or stock
1/4 teaspoon salt (if unsalted broth is used)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 teaspoon organic lemon zest
1 teaspoon organic orange zest
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
3 chopped scallions, including green tops
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds with skin

Rinse the quinoa in cold water until it’s no longer sudsy. Drain well through a strainer. (Depending on whether you buy your quinoa packaged or in bulk, it may have been pre-rinsed, but it’s best to rinse anyway, because unless the bitter saponin that coats the grain has been thoroughly removed, your recipe will be ruined.)

In a 1-quart pan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the quinoa and salt. Reduce the heat to low/medium; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and quickly boil off any remaining liquid. Scrape the grain into a serving dish.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and zests and stir in the remaining ingredients. Add the mixture to the cooled quinoa, stir, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

ASIAN CHICKEN AND ORZO SALAD

I served this cold for a wedding shower, and everyone loved it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_33888_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (9-ounce) package frozen sugar snap peas
• 1 (16-ounce) package orzo, cooked and drained (can substitute with rice)
• 1 cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken (store-cooked rotisserie chicken is good)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 (2-ounce) package slivered almonds, toasted (1/2 cup)

Cook sugar snap peas according to package directions; drain well.

In a large bowl, combine sugar snap peas, orzo, water chestnuts, chicken, green onion, and red bell pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Pour over orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat. Stir in toasted almonds. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Options:

• Used both fresh sugar snap peas and fresh snow peas; can add celery, carrots, asparagus, edamame, fresh spinach, 8 oz of mushrooms, etc.
• Doubled the green onions.
• Added two cloves of minced garlic.
• Added spicy stir fry sauce along with the hoisin sauce in equal amounts.
• Doubled the dressing recipe and added 1 tablespoon each of sesame oil and chili oil; substitute mayo for the oil
• Grated ginger and red pepper flakes
• Substituted unsalted peanuts for the almonds.
• Added finely chopped jalapeño to the dish.
• Added freshly chopped cilantro right before serving.
• Cucumber instead of water chestnuts
• Can substitute rice or quinoa for orzo.

* More recipes for quinoa:  http://www.marthastewart.com/921782/quinoa-recipes and
http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/quinoa-recipes

Also when I made the above quino, I added fresh oranges and a balsamic vinaigrette for more flavor!

Rose, Herb of the Year 2012

The International Herb Association has named Rose (Rosa species) Herb of the Year™ 2012.  Lots of people do not realize that roses are herbs too! The website Ageless provides some good information for rose herbal uses. 

Roses (Rosa rugosa or R. gallica officinalis) - Flavors depend on type, color, and soil conditions. Flavor reminiscent of strawberries and green apples. Sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. All roses are edible, with the flavor being more pronounced in the darker varieties. In miniature varieties can garnish ice cream and desserts, or larger petals can be sprinkled on desserts or salads. Freeze them in ice cubes and float them in punches also. Petals used in syrups, jellies, perfumed butters and sweet spreads. NOTE: Be sure to remove the bitter white portion of the petals. 

The above is courtesy of website: Edible flowers are the new rage in haute cuisine.

Drop Scones with Rose Petals and Pistachios
by Susan Belsinger

Makes about 2 dozen scones

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 to 3 pinches cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted, and coarsely ground
• 1 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• A good handful of rose petals
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon rose jelly or 1 tablespoon red currant jelly mixed
• with about 1/2 teaspoon rose water
• 2 to 3 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 425° F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the pistachios.

Stir the cream together with the rose water. Rinse the rose petals and pat them dry. Cut them into a chiffonade; there should be about 2 tablespoons. Stir them into the cream and add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir to form a soft dough. Drop the dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Prepare the icing while the scones are baking.

Combine the confectioner's sugar, jelly, and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add another teaspoon water if icing seems too thick--it will melt a little if the scones are warm.

Remove the scones to a baking rack to cool slightly before drizzling them with icing. They are best served warm, right after baking.

If you want to prepare them in advance, cool them completely without icing and store them in an airtight container. Wrap them in foil and gently reheat in a 325° F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle the icing over them while they are warm.

The above recipe is courtsey of website: Drop Scones with Rose Petals and Pistachios

Gemini Rose in my yard! 
 

July Program

July 11 - Sesame Seeds by Lois Atwood at 10:00 am at 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport. For more information call 729-6037

Here is the program list for the rest of the year. Always the second Wednesday at 10:00 located at ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas. 

Monthly Programs for Meetings

June - Rose Beads by Cindy Meredith

July - Sesame Seeds by Lois Atwood

Aug - Peppers by Barb McSpadden

Sep - More on Remarkable Trees of Texas by Ruth Hoese

Oct - Garlic by Barb McSpadden

Nov - Potpourri & Other Smelly Stuff!! by Mary Ann Davis and Cindy Meredith

Dec - Christmas Luncheon at Barb McSpadden's

Importance of Nitrogen Compound in Gardening

Cindy posted this on Facebook, and since it has a lot of good information, I'm posting it here on our Rockport Herbies Blog!  Enjoy!

Because of the great volatility of the nitrogen compound it’s very easy for it to lose great amounts of it within a short time. It can easily escape through the air but also more commonly is lost during the watering of plants or too much rainfall.

To continue reading the site, click on: Importance of Nitrogen Compound in Gardening.

Rose Emporium to close its S.A. store

I just read about this.  This is sad news! 

The Northeast Side nursery has operated in San Antonio 14 years, attracting gardeners in search of old roses and other hardy plants and hosting everything from garden group meetings and seminars to weddings.

Business has been good here, says owner Mike Shoup, but he is going to consolidate and focus on his operation in Independence, near Brenham, and the mail-order and wholesale side of the Antique Rose Emporium.

Once a property appraisal is complete, Shoup said, he will list the 21-acre site for sale. About half the property lies in the Cibolo Creek flood plain. He will continue to maintain the property until it's sold, but the business will close in mid-July.

For more information, read the following website: Rose Emporium to close

Monthly Programs for Meetings

June - Rose Beads by Cindy Meredith

July - Sesame Seeds by Lois Atwood

Aug - Peppers by Barb McSpadden

Sep - More on Remarkable Trees of Texas by Ruth Hoese

Oct - Garlic by Barb McSpadden

Nov - Pot Pourri & Other Smelly Stuff!!  by Mary Ann Davis and Cindy Meredith

Dec - Christmas Luncheon at Barb McSpadden's

June Program- Rose Beads

We had fun making rose beads- that's making beads from Rose Petals which have been either dried, ground and made into a paste. Or, another way, cooking fresh rose petals over a 3-day period until they have become a mash-like consistency.

I'm making the rose mash now from some beautiful, fragrant pink roses Pat Baugh brought to the meeting. She collected them from the Dairy Queen in Rockport. Thanks, Pat!!

I'll let you know how the new method works out! 

For now, here are the recipes:

From Herb Companion Magazine:

Fragrant Herbal Beads
February/March 1993

http://www.herbcompanion.com/Projects/Fragrant-Herbal-Beads.aspx

By Kate Carter Frederick

There's a primitive satisfaction to making beads from natural materials and forming colorful strands of assorted shapes and textures. Little has changed since our distant ancestors fashioned beads from wood, nutshells, seashells, stone, bone, seeds, clay, and berries.

Beads of all kinds have served people since ancient times as adornment, talismans, symbols of wealth or class, and spiritual identification. The word “bead” can be traced back to the Old English word for “prayer,” but the object itself goes back farther still.

Aromatic beads are nothing new, either; many of our great-grandmothers had rose beads tucked away in a dresser drawer or Sunday purse. Back then, these scented mementos might have been produced in a convent, to which bride would send the roses from their wedding bouquets to be made into rosaries.

Besides rose petals, any fragrant plant material that can be reduced to a fine powder or puree—herbs, flowers, spices—can be fashioned easily into beads. I’ve tried lavender, lemon verbena, sage, lemon balm, peppermint, and rose.

The differences in hue and scent among these materials lend the beads a great deal of earthy charm. Herb beads can be strung alone or in combination with whole spices such as cardamom, star anise, tonka bean, nutmeg, or cinnamon; adding a few drops of essential oil will enhance and prolong their aromatic life.

What You'll Need

Strongly aromatic plants and high-quality essential oils make the best beads.
1/2 cup herb leaves or flowers, fresh or dried
Water (if using dried material)
All-purpose flour
15 drops essential oil to match or complement the herb

How To Do It

Strip off leaves or petals and discard stems and other coarse or nonaromatic parts. Puree fresh plant material in a food processor, blender, or old-fashioned meat grinder. A food processor breaks down herbs faster than any other method and can be used to finish blending the dough as well. You can finely mince the herbs with a sharp knife instead, but the finished beads will be coarser than those made from a puree or powder.

Process dried herb leaves or flower petals in a blender or spice mill, or rub the leaves across the bottom of a fine-mesh wire sieve until you have a fairly uniform powder.
Unless plant material is processed into a fine powder or smooth pulp, coarse beads will result.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour to the plant material, and enough water, starting with 1 tablespoon (if using dried herbs) to make a smooth dough. These are approximate amounts; you’ll need more flour if you’re starting with a soupy puree and more water if the herb powder is very dry. When blended, the dough should be the consistency of children’s craft
clay. If it seems too soft, add flour in small amounts to improve it; if too stiff, add a little water; if too coarse or crumbly, try adding both flour and water until the dough is workable.

Don’t add essential oil yet: it evaporates too quickly during blending.

Pinch off bits of dough and roll them into beads between your palms, or roll a long “snake” (this always brings back memories of my childhood) and slice off uniform lengths, then shape them into beads. Work with a light touch and keep your hands clean to prevent the dough from sticking to them.

Essential oil can be added at this point, or after the beads
are dry. When sizing the beads, remember that they will shrink a bit as they dry.

TO MAKE FROM FRESH PETALS:

Materials:
dark red rose petals
blender
cast iron pot
water
rose oil
Styrofoam
tooth picks
soft cloth
jewelry elastic or jewelry wire
clasp

Tips: Dark red rose petals are recommended because they tend to be more fragrant, although you can use any fresh rose petals that you can acquire. Through the centuries the rose beads have been cooked in black cast iron pots, which give the rose beads a deep and almost black color. If you do not own a cast iron pot or skillet, an enamel pot will work. The enamel pot will make the beads a very deep red color. So you can choose the option that works best for you. Aluminum pots should not be used!

Directions:
You can use fresh rose petals from your garden or purchase them from a floral shop. You will need approximately, a grocery bag full of rose petals. This is enough to create 60 rose beads, which will make a long necklace. If you don't have access to that many roses or to save money, you can make a shorter necklace or a choker instead. Pluck the rose petals off of the rose as this is the only part you will need. Discard any rose petals that are unhealthy looking.

Place the rose petals into the blender to chop them into small pieces. If you don't have access to a blender you can snip the roses into small pieces (right into the pot) with a pair of garden snips. This will just take a little longer.

Now you will need to add water to the roses. For every cup of rose petals you use, you will need to add 1/4 cup of water. Place the burner on low (just enough to simmer the contents) and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool overnight.

The following day, simmer the rose petals for another hour, adding a little more water if needed. Again let the roses cool overnight. On the third day repeat the process one last time. Let the pot of cooked petals sit for two or three days or until they are the consistency of wet clay.

Once the mixture is similar to wet clay, you can begin making the rose beads. Grab a pinch of the rose mixture and roll the mixture in your hands to form the shape of the rose beads. They should be about the size of a marble (as the beads dry, they will shrink to half that size!). Tip:To make your beads the same size every time, use a measuring spoon to measure the amount of mixture you use for each bead.

Set the beads on a tray lined with paper towels and let them dry for a day or two. They should be slightly firm. Now pierce the beads in the center with a tooth pick, all the way through the bead. Push the tooth picks with the beads on them, into a piece of Styrofoam. Allow the beads to dry, making sure to rotate them often. Allow them to dry for at least a week or until thoroughly dry.

Remove the beads and polish each of them with a soft cloth. String the rose beads onto your choice of necklace material.