Date: January 6th 2009

January 6, 2009

Dear Folks,

These are random notes, either responding to questions or related to any
of the usual and unusual cooking herbs or edible flowers and other
edibles, many found at Farmers Markets.* References to growing
conditions are for Sunset Zone 13, USDA 9b. All other information on
use is applicable anywhere you wish to enjoy herbs!

*Please support your local farmers at these markets (locally owned,
locally grown, locally produced). To locate farmers markets in your area
the USDA maintains a site - click on the state and a pdf file comes up
with markets listed by city.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

For Arizona only Farmers Markets here is a special link:

http://www.foodconnect.org/farmers_markets/locator.asp

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Dear Folks,

Happy New Year!

And for those celebrating the Epiphany, Merry Christmas!

If you are not subscribed to my blog, yesterday I posted the last of the
12 Days of Christmas, so check it out for some gardening (still timely
and appropriate) and recipes.

http://www.edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com

Subscribe to receive my blog each time I post something (usually about
1-3 times every two weeks) by clicking on the link below:

http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2176965&a
mp;loc=en_US

Or there is a "subscribe" box on the blog.

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WEATHER

Normal temp range for January: Low 36 to 80

So far this winter we have not had a lot of frosty nights, but we are not
out of the danger zone yet. Keep the sheets and blankets ready for
anytime the overnight forecast is for 40 or lower.

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Dear Folks,

The beauty of living in the desert is the ability to actively garden in the
winter time, while gardeners in other areas can only day dream over seed
catalogs!

Here you can go up to ski country one day and be digging in the garden
down here in the valley the next. How neat is that?

I just finished my tradition of planting potatoes on January 1st, and you
can still get your potatoes in right now. I prefer to plant in a modified
raised bed (the frame merely keeps the leaf compost in), where the good
base soil is scratched up and leveled, the potatoes placed 6 inches apart
and covered with leaf compost or dried leaves. Add more
leaves/compost as the plants grow up until the compost is level with the
top of the frame. Old tires and chicken wire cages can be used in the
same way -- you want about 6-8 inches of leaf cover in all to keep the
sun from the sprouting spuds.

The reason for the raised bed set up? Easier to reach down and pull
'taters in April/May when they are ready for harvesting, and you don't
damage them because you don't need a pitchfork or spade to dig them
up.

WHAT TO PLANT THROUGH FEBRUARY: all the hardy perennials and
fruiting trees (example: oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, marjoram,
savory, etc.)

RIGHT NOW: plant dill, cilantro, parsley, fennel, anise, caraway and
other cool weather herbs -- choose locations where they will have
afternoon shade by March and you will extend harvesting time.

FLOWERS: the cool weather flowers such as pansies, violets, stock,
dianthus, calendula, borage etc. will do well into the heat. Multi-tasking
flowers like sweet alyssum will grow year round in full sun.

For nasturtiums, nick each seed (careful, don't invade the interior) soak
the seeds overnight, and plant with soil cover - they require darkness to
germinate.

BARE ROOT: asparagus, strawberries, roses, grapes and other berry
plants should go in by the end of January for optimal success.

HEAT LOVERS: like basil, epazote and moss rose should be started inside
to give you a jump up if you like. Get them in the ground when all
danger of frost is gone, or have protection ready for the odd frost night.

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FRUIT TREE SELECTION

Choosing desert-adapted varieties of stone fruits for success is based on
an understanding of chill hours. My booklet "What's A Chill Hour..."
helps. Check it out - available as a download to store in your computer
or as a print copy.

http://www.lulu.com/herbs2u
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RECIPES:

Are you or anyone in your family gulten intolerant?

Deane's son is and for sometime I have been wanting to try making some
scratch whatevers to let him try them after he said the commercial GF
breads left a lot to be desired (actually he described them as 'hard-tack'
quality).

I love biscotti so I decided to try that first. My initial research on using
GF flours was a little daunting because Trav would like to try some on
his own once I got the initial experiement out of the way. The many
recipes use a lot of components to try and get a better consistency -- the
challenge is things like xantha gum and tapioca flour and other even
more exotic ingredients, which may not always be available, so I settled
on two factors 1) I wanted the flours to be a little more generally
available, and 2) I didn't want to use flours trying to compensate for the
lack of gluten.

Extra eggs was the tip I read for the later factor.

So here is my recipe - which turned out so well my Deane was trying to
snatch more from the Travis box, so that I had to verbally smack his
hand!

Cranberries are an herb - of sorts - the berries have all those wonderful
healthy benefits, so do the pistachios.

GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup each: white cornmeal, brown rice flour and soy flour (3 cups
total)**
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 jumbo eggs*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, halved or rough chopped (leave in large
pieces)
1 package dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place cranberries in boiling water and let
stand until cranberries are plump about 15 minutes, drain and set aside.

Sift flours, baking powder and salt together.

Place chocolate chips in top of double boiler or on very low setting on
stovetop to melt - you want them melted when the cookies are ready for
dipping.

Prepare two large cookie sheets - one sprayed with vegetable spray for
baking and one lined with aluminum foil or syran wrap for chilling the
dipped cookies. Set aside.

In an electric mixer beat butter and sugar together very well. Add eggs
and mix in very well, add vanilla, mix well. Begin adding dry ingredients
a little at a time until all are incorporated together. Stir in nuts and
cranberries. This dough will be more like a very thick batter.

On the sprayed cookie sheet, spread the batter into two long rows about
2 inches wide, pat or tap into place so they are evenly thick all over - use
flowered hands.

Bake for 18-20 minutes but watch carefully so they do not burn.
Remove from oven and let cool until you can hold them for cutting.
When cool enough slice each loaf into 3/4 to 1 inch wide pieces and
arrange back on the cookie sheet cut side down. Return to over for
about 8 minutes - watch carefully. The cookies should just brown lightly
on the exposed edges.

Remove from oven and get the foil prepared cookie sheet. When the
cookies are cool enough to handle, dip the bottom of each in the melted
chocolate and place on cookie sheet, and put in the freezer for 15
minutes or the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up the chocolate.

Enjoy with a glass of milk hot chocolate, tea or coffee or with a dessert
wine as they do in Italy.

Once completely cooled and firmed up, store in a paper towel lined box
(to absorb any moisture). Will keep at room temperature for about a
week, longer in the frig (if that last that long).

*EGGS -- eggs are part of the moisture in baking, so you need to keep
the total liquid level within a reasonable range. We keep commercial
jumbo eggs on hand when I don't have my friend Kathy's wonderful free-
range eggs. Here is the comparison for measuring.
Jumbo eggs are 63 grams each
Extra Large are 56
Large are 50
Medium are 44
Small are 38

Approx 4 med to extra large equal 3 jumbos and 5 small equal 3 jumbo
approx.

**About the cornmeal and flours. This combination of grains and
legumes is far higher in total protein than wheat flour alone. 3 cups of
all-purpose wheat flour has 38 grams of protein -- the combination in this
gluten free blend has 51 to 71 grams of protein (depending on whether
you use regular or defatter soy flour) - a little extra nutrition for a dessert.


MORE RECIPES at:

My recipe book "101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady"

http://books.google.com/books?id=27dG_KCwjBAC

And my blog where you can also subscribe to receive the blog posts via
email:

http://www.edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com

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My Schedule and FARMERS MARKET
I am at the Friday market on Center in Mesa.

Over the next month or so I will be helping a relative with a serious
operation looming. I expect to still be posting to my blog and available
as usual via email, however I won't be able to make the market after this
Friday until my cousin's health issue is resolved -- about 3 weeks or so.

My class scheduled at the Desert Botanical Garden beginning in February
is going forward (although they had to change the date of the first
session due to facility conflicts) Now beginning February 22nd check the
site:

http://www.dbg.org

Or call:

480/481-8164
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LOCAVORE
Are you a locavore? Simply put a locavore is someone who makes
the conscious decision to purchase goods and produce grown, made or
produced within 100 miles of their home.

More Information:

Edible Phoenix is a print magazine, produced quarterly and is part of the
edible communities organization.

Find the current issue at your local farmers market or go on line to:

http://www.ediblephoenix.com

. . .

BUY LOCAL

Superstition Farm on Hawes between Guadalupe and Elliott -- the
Superstition Farm Dairy has its own farm store. Call (480) 986-7781 for
store hours and other events at the farm.

http://www.superstitionfarmtours.com


http://www.localfirstaz.com

Here is the place to start when looking for locally owned businesses.
Begun as "Arizona Chain Reaction" to focus on locally owned
businesses, this non-profit group encourages support of your neighbors
and friends who own businesses in Arizona. Check out their site.

. . .

Queen Creek Olive Mill is the only olive mill in Arizona, producing
traditional and flavored extra virgin olive oils -- the blood orange olive oil
mentioned above is created in a single cold press where they put the
oranges right in with olives for pressing (they also have a lemon EVOO
which is also excellent).

Super offerings and now they have a lovely little patio area with nice
snack/lunch options.

http://www.queencreekolivemill.com

. .

Personalized branding iron for grilling. 480-330-3619

http://www.tbonebrands.com

. .

San Dominique Winery, Arizona's oldest continuously operated family
winery, is also home to garlic paradise. 602/549-9787.

http://www.garlicparadise.com/

. . .

Another great locally owned Arizona farmer is Kathy Marshall and her
goats' milk lotions and soaps made with the milk of her dairy goat herd.
Fresh eggs too!

NEW: For those of you in the East Valley, Kathy has taken her skills as a
dog groomer and is now offering grooming at her home in Apache
Junction. Her fees are more than reasonable and she has a real
understanding of dogs and their fears.

http://www.dbgoatsmilk.com

. . .

A source for finding other local sources of food is Local Harvest. They
have teamed up with the Slow Foods folks.

http://www.localharvest.org

Home schoolers and other parents of young children...

Jodi Freeman is the author of children books. Her activity coloring book
on the some of native peoples of Arizona is a great learning and teaching
tool as well as a fun coloring book for your children. "My Coloring Book
on The Old Ones" is available as print or download, see more information
at this link:

http://www.lulu.com/content/2201352

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CLASSES/EVENTS:

"Good Looks, Good Scents, Good Eats" -- grow your own dinner!

My 3-part Class series is coming up at the Desert Botanical Garden,
beginning February 22, 2009. www.dbg.org for more information on
registration, or call 480/481-8164.


GOOGLE BOOK SEARCH:
Copy whole link into your browser (or click on it) and then you can
search for words or phrases in box provided.

"101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady"

http://books.google.com/books?id=27dG_KCwjBAC

"Edible Landscaping in the Desert Southwest: Wheelbarrow to Plate"

http://books.google.com/books?id=uDio8-sC2wMC

My short booklet on choosing fruit trees like peach and apricot is now
available -- choose print or download:

"What a Chill Hour"?

http://www.lulu.com/content/2185385

View the last newsletter and see prior ones at:

http://www.herbs2u.net/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/herbs%32unl/newe
st