Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2000
The Black Swamp Herb Socity, with Gardens at the Wood County Historical Center
Reports From Various Fronts
Flash! Gardens in bloom (sort of)
A March 14 visual check of the herb gardens revealed many hopeful signs of life. There is green everywhere, some, such as the yarrow are almost threatening in lushness. The chives are a dazzling green, and the tulips along the path are in full striped-leaf promise. The violets in the fragrance garden were a bit bedraggled, but in BLOOM. The other blooms were tiny for-get-me-not like blue clusters gracing an unknown weed in the culinary garden.
Chicken Coop is Clucking Along
The money has been approved for main renovations, but the Historical Society Board is prudently seeking a second bid. The specifications called for a treated wood floor. Working on chromium arsenic flooring (technically harmless – but you ought to read Organic Gardening on this subject!) didn’t seem to fit our image. The new specifications call for redwood and better floor bracing. There is a possibility our organization will pick up any cost differential.
We are seeking a Chairperson for an ad hoc committee to plan and design the interior furnishings. If interested call Frances. This could be fun and we do have a budget! The electrical outlets will be done at waist height as in a kitchen or bathroom.
Cooking with Herbs
Baked Fish with Oatmeal – Herb Crust
A simple low fat main course. Try with a fruit salsa.
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless fish fillets, such as whitefish, perch, sole
1 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs, such as tarragon, chervil, fennel, parsley, thyme, basil, or chives, alone or in combination
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Place fillets in a single layer in a dish. In a small bowl whisk together oil, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon herbs. Pour over fish and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a blender combine oats and remaining herbs. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Dip the fillets in the oatmeal mixture and place on baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
Yield: 4 servings.
Cal. 222; Prot.33; Fat 6g; Carb.7.5mg; Fiber 1.2g; Chol. 82mg; Sodium 410mg
Adapted from: Herbal Palate Cookbook
Herbed fish in a Packet
Best with fresh herbs, cut herb amounts in half with dried herbs – use what “sprigs ” are available in winter.
4 firm fish fillets, such as scrod, salmon, haddock, tuna (5 to 6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons cropped fresh thyme, rosemary, tarragon or dill
dash of salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tomato, thickly sliced
4 lemon slices, or 8 lime slices
4 sprigs of thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil or dill
4 teaspoons capers
Rinse fish and set aside. Preheat oven to 450
For each fillet, fold a 12 x 15 inch piece of cooking parchment in half to form a 12 x 7 1/2 inch rectangle and trim the corners to form a half heart shape. Open the parchment and place a fish fillet to one side of the center fold. Top the fillet with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped basil, 1/2 of second herb of choice, sprinkle with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Cover with a slice of tomato, one lemon or two lime slices, sprig of herb, sprinkle on a teaspoon of capers. Fold the parchment over the fish and then, starting at one end and working around to the other end, carefully fold the cut edges two or three times to form a sealed packet.
Place the packets on an unoiled baking sheet and bake 15 -20 minutes – slightly longer for thick fillets. Avoid steam as you open packet to check the fish – it is done when fish flakes easily.
Place an open packet before each diner and serve with couscous or rice.
Yield: 4 servings
Cal. 172; Prot.33.6g; Fat,1.8g; Carb.3.7g; Chol. 135 mg. Sodium; 135 mg.
Adapted from: Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites
New to our library
FROM SEED TO BLOOM: How to Grow over 500 Annuals, Perennials & Herbs By Eileen Powell
From the Publisher:
We had tried to start some Rose Campion for our perennial beds with no luck, until we read in this book that we needed to pre-chill the seeds which would then take 21-30 days to germinate. Problem solved!
If you plan to start your flowers and herbs from seed, it is definitely worth the investment to purchase a good germination book. We were thrilled to find one that covered so many varieties since the information is often difficult to find. In her book, Powell provides basic instructions for starting seeds indoors and out, but the real meat is the plant-by plant alphabetical (by Latin name) guide of 500 flowers md herbs. Each half-page listing of this large format book includes: plant hardiness, zone, flowering season, description, a line drawing, when and where to sow, planting depth, germination time, special requirements (chipping, soaking, or prechilling), when to transplant seedlings outdoors, spacing, light and soil requirements, and care and propagation tips for established plants. These factors are all absolutely crucial to successful propagation.
A handy common name /Latin genus index for all 500 plants is located at the back. Karen Storman, who’s in charge of testing all our seed, keeps this reference by her side.
Watch for a new book to be brought to the library each month. Members are encouraged to check out and remember to return the books, which are on many herbal topics.
Cooking tips and romantic legends
From Book of Rosemary by Jackie French
Rosemary Bridal Drink
2 cups lime juice
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves
2 cups sliced strawberries
6 cups ginger ale (traditionally ginger wine)
Sugar and water to taste
Mix all ingredients. Don’t leave the rosemary leaves in for more than 20 minutes or the taste will be too strong. Scoop out the rosemary before serving.
If a maiden placed a plate of flour under a rosemary bush on midsummer night’s eve, her future husband’s initials would be written in it.
To see your true love in a dream, slip a piece of rosemary under the pillow.
A rosemary wreath on a grave promises faithfulness beyond death.
A bride would place three rosemary leaves in the “Song of Solomon” passage: ‘let him always kiss her with the kisses of his mouth, ’ and place the Bible under her husband’s pillow.
Marinated Olives
Choose some good black olives and place them in a jar with a little rosemary, a few cloves of garlic and a strip of lemon peel.
Fill the remaining space in the jar with olive oil. Leave the olives to marinate for at least a week before eating.
Marinated Cauliflower
Steam a very white cauliflower till almost tender. (You can either leave it whole, which can look spectacular, or cut it into ‘flowers.’). Plunge it into cold water.
Marinate the cauliflower in a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, a little chopped rosemaiy, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, black pepper and 2 chopped dried tomatoes. Leave the cauliflower in the marinade for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.
The scent of burning rosemary renews one’s energy.
Greek students wore garlands of rosemary in their hair.
Rosemary is said to grow only in the gardens of the righteous.
Napoleon, on request from Josephine, bathed in rosemary water.
Rosemary tea was traditionally drunk to improve memory. Recent research says – maybe true.
Rosemary Honey
Heat 1 cup of honey with 1 cup rosemary leaves for 5 minutes. Strain and place in a jar. Leave 2 weeks then heat and strain again.
Baked Apples with Rosemary
Place 4 Granny Smith apples in a pan with skins lightly scored. Cover with a glaze of red wine, a few rosemary leaves and lots of brown sugar. Bake until soft.
Serve with whipped cream.
Rosemary is a plant of great service in afflictions of the Head and Nerves, helping the apoplexy, palsy and all kinds of convulsions..it strengthen the sight and the memory. J. Miller, 1732
Plant Auction
With gardens starting to green it is time to start thinking of spreading your botanical bounty through our annual plant auction. The auction is a good fund raiser, but even more important it gives gardeners a chance to try some new things, get advice from other members and is a good recruiting tool. Our gardens keep expanding, so must our memerships. Bring along a friend, who is free to contribute plants and to bid along with the rest of us.
Plants may be potted, or even dug up that day and housed in plastic bags. (This works for fast faders like ferns.) LABELING is essential.
Chives are nice in salad.
To cheese, they give a zest,
Are very good in scrambled eggs.
But I think I like them best growing as fringe in the garden.
A trimming for flower beds
Like rows of little rushes
With dusty pinkish beads.
– L. Young Correthers, These Blooming Herbs
Does everything go with rosemary?
The possibilities of Rosemary, Herb of the Year, will be explored at the next BSHS meeting, March 27. Marjory Kinney will lead the program, but audience participation is urged.
Bring copies of successful recipes, concoctions, potions, sayings, literary quotes. Everything goes, except, perhaps, Rosemary’s Baby.
We will also be starting a seed exchange – that means extra seeds you have bought commercially, or seeds you have collected from your garden or the wild. Don’t have any seeds to exchange? OK. Someone might have something you want, and a token donation is welcome. Chris MacDonald is in charge of our first exchange, which will continue all spring.
Almost time to check the lavender for green shoots and to prune the plants back.
neighborhoodlink.com/bg
BSHS has gotten on the bandwagon. The Utilities Department of the City of BG has purchased a web site service that can up used by the HTML illiterate. The idea is to have a true community web site that serves local government, organizations and citizens. It is a wonderful idea. There are limitations, and we are trying to find a way to incorporate the work of our volunteer designer. We can be found by putting in the above address. Then click on MORE under clubs. Then click on the SEARCH button on the page that comes up – and there we are, with several pages to visit. We are working with the neighborhoodlink people in Colorado, trying to get a graphic on the home page. In theory we can, in reality we can’t.
Old Home Christmas
Work has already begun on things like aprons, catnip mice and Aro-mawraps. See Harriet for ideas and discussion.
Welcome to Roscoe Village
(The following is included here for historical purposes.)
The Warehouse
400 N. Whitewoman Street
Coshocton, Ohio
Saturday, May 13, 2000
9:00 AM Registration and Welcome
9:30 AM Creative Use of Herbs in the New Century – Lynn Russell looks at new ways of making herbs part of our sensory world.
10:30 AM Walk-About among the Herbs
Explore the village plantings with Carolyn Hayes, Director of Landscaping for Historic Roscoe Village
Noon – A Roscoe Village Lunch
1:00 PM Rosemary and Friends Linda Turner, Western Reserve Unit Accomplished cook and experienced herbalist demonstrates culinary magic 2:00 PM An open-ended discussion to share ideas, concerns and problem solving.
Come away with a bag full of new ideas and many new herb Mends.
Please make your reservation before April 28, 2000.
As a group we haven’t traveled about much. It is time to refresh our sprnts and recharge our pruning batteries – get additional ideas and make some new friends. Those who have travelled as guests with the Maumee Valley group on their annual excursion always come back invigorated.
Frances Brent and Sandy Hayden are planning on making reservations for the meeting ($30 for members, $35 for nonmembers.) They will drive down the night of May 12, staying at the Roscoe Village Inn. Special rates have been negotiated. Call Frances for more information or if you plan to go.
Pizza garden ideas
“Winter savory is used commercially as a seasoning in salami. Winter savory was prized by the Romans as a disinfectant herb and was strew liberally on floor or burned in fires. In the garden, winter savory is good for creating knot designs.”
We are seriously thinking of developing our newly dug up garden into a Pizza Garden, i.e.. Children’s Garden. Some planting possibilities were noted in the last issue, and we are looking for CREATIVE ideas. Note Winter Savory as an ingredient in salami. We can’t grow a pig for sausage and pepperoni, but we do have a charming cement pig ready to put in place, and we even have a molded pineapple for those who like Hawaiian Pizza. Ideas, please!
Basil
Native to Asia, Africa, and South America, basils come in a great number of shapes, sizes, and flavors.
Common sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) grows about 24 to 36 inches tall with 2-3 inch, smooth, bright green leaves. One of the best-flavored varieties of common basil is variously labelled as Perfume, Genoa, or Genovese. It has compact growth and dark, glossy green leaves. Lettuce leaf basil (O. frutescens) has foliage up to 6 inches long.
Dwarf, or bush basil (O. basilicum ‘minimum’) has tiny 1/2 inch leaves on plants 8 to 12 inches tall. The variety ‘Spicy Globe’ forms very rounded drawf plants. There is also a dwarf variety with purple leaves (O. basilicum ‘Purpurascens’) and dark opal basil (O. purpurem). These have purple flowers as well. The varieties ‘Purple Ruffles’ and ‘Green Ruffles’ have leaves that are very puckered. Sweet-fine basil (O. compactus) has small, fruit-scented leaves on 18 inch plants.
Dorthy Golden is our culinary gardener this year. Let’s see how many kinds of basil she plants in her garden.
