Helena Civic TV

She brought us another “Cooking Show”!  Here are her newest recipes! 

Cookin With Susan Slow Food Montana Style

December 2010 – Great food gifts come in small packages

With Christmas and New Year’s fast on our heels you always have need for a simple gift to give to your neighbors or friends. These recipes are great for any occasion where you want to have a quick but nice gift to give!

 Whip up these great recipes:

Spiced Peaches

Homemade Cranberry Relish

Ginger Mustard Glaze

Paneer (Indian cheese) with Jalapeno Jelly

Holiday Pantonne (Italian Holiday Yeast Bread)

Susan’s White Christmas – A great holiday drink

Spiced Peaches

Recipe by Nigella Lawson (my favorite domestic goddess!)

1 or 2 cans of peach halves in syrup

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks – broken into smaller lengths

1 to 2 slices of fresh ginger

½ teaspoon crushed dried chili flakes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

Open cans and empty into saucepan with the syrup. Add vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, pepper flakes, salt and peppercorns and cloves.  Bring to a boil and let boil for a minute and then turn off heat and let sit in pan to keep warm. Place peaches in jars or sterilize jars to keep for long time.  Can also serve peaches with ham.

Cranberry Relish

1 bag fresh cranberries

½ cup sugar

1 cup orange juice/prepared juice or fresh juice

Zest of one orange

In saucepan put cup of orange juice and bag of fresh cranberries. Cook until cranberries start to pop. Then add ½ cup sugar and cook until mixture thickens. Once mixture is thick then add in orange zest and if you like add in ¼ cup grand mariner.

Spoon in sterile jars – process in water bath for 30 minutes or by pressure cooker.                     

Ginger Mustard Glaze

1 cup Ginger preserves

½ cup Ginger ale

2 tablespoons stone ground prepared mustard

½ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cloves

 I made my own ginger preserves by peeling and slicing one pound of fresh ginger. Place sliced ginger in bowl of cold water and let sit for one hour. Drain water and add enough water to cover ginger to saucepan. Cook fresh ginger until tender. Once ginger is fork tender then drain off water. Add in 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups water to saucepan and cooked ginger. Cook until sugar boils and starts to turn a light golden color. Remove from heat and put in sterile jars. Can by hot water bath method or keep in refrigerator.  Once you have your own ginger preserves or buy them in a store. Mix all ingredients together and spoon into containers.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to use. Make a wonderful glaze for chicken breasts or ham. Ginger and sugar will become nice candied nuggets on your chicken or ham. Watch and make sure that it does not burn. If you have to, cover lightly with foil.

Paneer – Indian Cheese

4 cups of whole milk

1 container of plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

Cheese cloth and colander

Add milk to saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat and gently add in salt, yogurt. Stir lightly. Then add in lemon juice. Milk solids will separate. Pour into cheese cloth lined sieve. Let set and drain for about 30 minutes. After draining then squeeze out liquid. Fold cheese cloth over cheese and weight down with plate and cans. Refrigerate and unwrap and cover. Place cheese on decorative plate. Serve with jalapeno jelly warmed up – red and green make it ready for Christmas and crackers.

Holiday Panettone

One store bought Panettone

2 – 8oz. packages of softened cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

Chopped pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds

Chopped maraschino cherries

1 to 1 ½ cups of mini-chocolate chips

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cut top off top of bread and hollow bread out. Mix up cream cheese, sugar, nuts, cherries, chips and extract together. Place in hollowed out bread – seal with top of bread. Wrap in foil and refrigerate. When ready to give – unwrap and place on plate with clear wrap. Tie pretty knife to ribbon. To serve, slice like a cake to showcase yummy filling.

Susan’s White Christmas

1 package white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 cups of milk (you may want to add more milk so that pudding is not so thick!)

Malibu rum – to your taste

½ teaspoon of vanilla

Chill and serve in martini or holiday glass – sprinkle with coconut flakes and grated nutmeg and place candy cane in glass as stir stick. Great with coconut white chocolate bar! Place in bottle with extra coconut in small bag and/or attach small whole nutmeg and grater on side of bottle.

Here are some other great recipes for gift giving!

Mulled Pears

Bourbon vanilla

Sugar pecans

 

Mulled Pears

1 to 2 cans of pears halves in syrup

2 cinnamon sticks broken into smaller pieces

½ teaspoon of allspice

½ teaspoon ginger

3 whole cloves

1 bottle of red wine (any kind) cabernet or merlot, do not use expensive wine for this.

Open cans of pear halves with syrup into saucepan. Add enough red wine to cover pears. Add in all spices to saucepan and heat to simmer. Simmer about 5 to 10 minutes until wine and spices are heated through pears.  Remove pears once they take on color of the wine. Be careful not to over-cook the pears. Remove pears from pan and continue to cook the liquid until it is reduced and thickens to syrup consistency. Place pears in sterilized jars and pour syrup on top- keep in refrigerator. Serve warmed with vanilla ice cream.

Bourbon Vanilla

In bottle pour bourbon and split vanilla bean down the middle. Add the vanilla bean to the bottle of bourbon.  Let it sit for at least a week before using. The longer you let it sit the better it will get! As you use you can add more bourbon to the bottle.

Sugar Spiced Pecans

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice

½ cup water

4 cups pecan halves

Combine first six ingredients in casserole. Mix well and microwave for 4 minutes. Stir well and then microwave for another 2 minutes.  Add pecans and mix until pecans are well coated. Be sure to continue to stir until the sugar becomes a thick frosted consistency on the pecans. Once this happens to the sugar then spread pecans on waxed paper.  Separate with fork or leave in clusters. Place in containers or cellophane bags. Keep dry and away from moisture.

Older Recipes:

Garden Harvest

It’s the Garden Harvest and it’s time to try out some vegetarian dishes! What a great time of year when it gets cooler out, fall is in the air and we enjoy the “fruits and vegetables” of our labor!

Embrace the field to table vision that is the essence of the Slow Food movement! Grow your own and champion your local farmers and growers! 

Vegetarian dishes are great ways to celebrate your harvest – cutting out meat altogether or limiting it to experience maybe at least one meal a week that is vegetarian is not only great for you but can add some new life to the old standard fair. 

What does it mean to be vegetarian or vegan???

Hope I got this right!!

Vegetarians: Do not eat meat, fish or poultry but may eat dairy, cheese, eggs, yogurt or milk. And there are a wide variety of types of vegetarians as to whether or not they eat such products. People can do so for a moral or dietary choice.

Vegans:  Same with vegans but most do not eat dairy, eggs etc. as it relates to animals being exploited by man. Vegans have a little stronger take on the ways in which animals are treated and used.

Whether or not you have a take on any of these beliefs, today’s menu offers some great dishes for your table with or without meat!

Today’s dishes feature:

Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and squash – grown by my husband Richard

Fresh apples from the Tarner’s Apple tree

Vegetables, (eggplant and cucumbers) are all from local Helena growers

 

MENU:

Ratatouille (The famous version from the movie/no rats included)

Georgia caviar

Succotash

Easy Onion-Potato Tart

Fresh Apple Cake with Apple Butter Frosting

Cucumber Rosemary Gin and Tonic, (as we try and hang onto the last bits of summer)

Ratatouille (the look of the movie version) – Ratatouille means – stewed

Yellow squash

Zucchini

Tomatoes

Eggplant

One can of tomato sauce

Basil

Oregano

Cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Buttered or well oiled – I used olive oil /casserole dish

Mix the tomato sauce, basil, oregano and cumin in a saucepan to heated through. Pour half the sauce in the bottom of the oiled casserole dish.  Save the remaining sauce on stove top at simmer remaining sauce with reduce down. Serve the remaining sauce on the side or pour on top of casserole.

Slice uniformly the vegetables – can use a mandolin /arranging the slices by color in a circular arrangement in the casserole.  Place a layer of parchment paper or foil over the top of the casserole in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve with reduced tomato sauce on the side.

Georgia Caviar

2 cans Black eyed peas – canned easier /dried or fresh cooked- I used dried /follow the package directions.

1 cup Italian style salad dressing

½ cup diced jalapeno pepper (I’m using fresh), be careful handling peppers (around 2 to 3 peppers or to taste)

1 cup onion finely chopped

1 jar drained pimento peppers- chopped or sliced

1 TBS minced garlic

1 or ½ cup diced green bell pepper

Salt and pepper to taste – with canned peas you don’t need as much salt

If you use dried peas – place in saucepan with enough water to cover – bring to boil cooking for 90 minutes until peas are tender. Wait to salt until last 30 minutes of cooking so that you do not stop the cooking process.

In large bowl add drained peas, and cover with Italian dressing. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill for 8 hours of overnight… I never can wait that long!!  Serve with tortilla chips or bread.

Succotash

1 cup butter or use shortening or olive oil

2 cups lima beans (I’m using canned )

½ tsp salt

4 fresh tomatoes – peeled and chopped

2 tsp white sugar

4 ears of fresh corn – kernels cut from cob – using my fresh /now frozen corn

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat – Add tomatoes and cook then add in lima beans and salt cook, add in corn and cook for about 10 minutes. Serve!

Easy Onion-Potato Tart

1 prepared pastry or puff pastry crust

1 medium potato – depending on size, slice thinly.

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

Butter or olive oil

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter or oil a baking dish well. Layer slices onions in the dish – Cover with sliced potatoes and sprinkle on seasonings. Cut puff pastry crust to fit baking dish. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Heat balsamic vinegar and sugar and reduce to a syrup mixture on low to medium heat /watch so does not burn. Remove from oven – invert onto warm plate and drizzle with syrup.

Fresh Apple Cake with Apple Butter frosting (Vegetarian Only for those who eat eggs and animal by-products)

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

½ cup butter melted

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 large apples, peeled cut into chunks – 6 small Tarner Apples

Preheat oven 350 degrees- toast the pecans in small frying pan don’t burn.

Stir together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla

Combine flour, cinnamon, soda and salt – stir in apples and the pecans – flour coats apples so that apples will not all sink to the bottom of your pan! Add in butter mixture and mix. Batter is thick! Spread batter into greased 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes – Spread on frosting and sprinkle with pecans. This cake is dense and has a caramel crunch to it.

Apple Butter Frosting

½ cup softened stick of butter

2 cups powdered sugar

¼  cup apple butter (any kind you like) I used my homemade Apple Butter

Mix well – frost cooled cake.

Cucumber Rosemary Gin and Tonic

In a glass of your choice, place two to three cucumber slices at the bottom of the glass. Squeeze in lime juice and slightly muddle the cucumber. Add a sprig of rosemary and fill the glass with ice. Add in 2 oz. of gin (can buy cucumber gin by Hendricks), 5 oz. of tonic water and finish off with a splash of soda water. If you want it less sweet – reduce the tonic water and add more soda water.

Mix and enjoy!

Try new dishes, new ways of eating, new vegetables and fruits! Always support your local growers and establishments in town that support those efforts as well!

Grab a little piece of earth and grow your own! Take care, eat well and be happy!

Susan

has a monthly show here at HCTV. Tune in and take a listen as Brian LaMoure interviews a guest from St. Peter’s Hospital.    You will see this program on Channel 11 at 5 pm every Monday.

Soon, you will see video from the recent taping at HCTV!  You will enjoy their efforts!  Stay tuned!

is HCTV’s newest member.  Tune in for their program every Saturday at 9:30 am and Wednesday at 6:30 pm  Welcome aboard!

HCTV members Sundi West and Patrick Marsolek produce this excellent “Tango” dance show.  You will see this show every Sat night at 9:30 pm

Her recipes are on this web-site, now how about you watch the program! Tune in for her very well done cooking show at Well done Susan! Hey, let us know if you try some of her new recipes?

Cookin with Susan, Slow Food Montana Style –
It’s all about Herbs
We’re going to learn some ways to store our herbs, and what flowers we can use in our recipes. We will be making some appetizers today for a light meal or entertaining with an Italian feel.
Herbs have played a major role in our lives for centuries. They are the basis of our medicines and healing still to this day. They were and still are used in preserving food and flavoring food. When you think about it herbs and spices are in all aspects of our lives. Let’s start with some ways to harvest and keep our herbs – we all know our store bought herbs in jars but there is nothing like fresh!
Different ways to store fresh herbs: Short term storage and long term storage
Short term -
1) Zip lock bags and damp paper towels in refrigerator ( salad crisper section)
2) Glass with cool water – cut stems in water – set on counter top or by stove for easy access
Long term –
1) Drying /air or microwave – layer between two paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Check and see if dry – it not continue with 30 second blasts until herbs are dry – once dry crumble into zip lock bag or jar. Keep in dark and dry place.
2) Salt – Layer salt between layer of herbs in mason /canning jars – use herbs that mingle well with salt such as oregano, rosemary and basil.
3) Vinegar – use bottle to place herbs such as chives (with blossoms) into bottle and fill with white vinegar. Use tarragon or thyme!! Keep on counter top or in the refrigerator – use to make salad dressings.
4) Freezing herbs in ice cube trays!! Even just in a bag- chop up herbs and freeze in tart pans or ice cube tray. Add water or chicken stock. Once frozen pop out and place in freezer bags for easy access.
5) Oiling leaves – freezing sage leaves or other large leaf herbs such as basil. Lightly oil leaves and place between two sheets of wax paper. Fold up and freeze.
Bouquet garni – these you can just pull together –for use in stocks or stews or even tuck in around your roasting meat. Tied bundles of YUM!
Beef – scallion, parsley, and celery leaves, rosemary, sage, bag leaves, rind of orange
Chicken-parsley, tarragon, scallion with a carrot and piece of fennel
Pork-Universal garni for meat – parsnip, garlic clove, carrot, lots of parsley, oregano, thyme, and lovage.
Fish- tarragon and thyme parsley celery leaves, lemon rind, for hot add half a chili pepper.
Herbs sauces-
Pesto – Can make as little or as much as you’d like!
4 cups of Basil leaves
4 cloves of garlic
½ cup of Pine nuts or you can use walnuts
½ tsp salt
½ cup of Parmesan cheese (grated)
Pour in Olive oil – up to 5/8 cup
Use blender, mortar or food processer. Add in salt and peeled garlic cloves and mix up. Add in basil leaves and process. Then add in nuts and cheese. While processer is on add a steady stream of olive oil until mixture is thick paste.
Store in tightly covered container – in refrigerator for a week or best in freezer and thaw slightly to use.
Aioli -
6 Roasted garlic cloves –
To roast garlic cut a whole garlic head in half. In a baking dish or garlic roaster place cut garlic. Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Cover tightly with foil or roaster cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Check garlic cloves for doneness with point of sharp knife. If need to cook for 10 minutes more or until cloves are a caramel color but not burnt. You should be able to squeeze the cloves out of the pockets. Spread roasted garlic on bread, steaks before grilling or add to sauces for a wonderful mellow garlic flavor.
½ tsp sea salt
1 egg yolk (can use ¼ cup of egg beaters instead to be safer) be careful serving raw egg products to people with health issues.
1 cup Olive oil
Squeeze of Lemon juice (water as needed)
Use blender, mortar or food processer. Add salt and roasted garlic cloves and mix up. Add in egg yolk and oil. Mix until nice paste – color will be light yellow to white.

Herb Butters – soften butter (salted or unsalted)
Maitre D’hôtel Butter – butter, parsley, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper
Rip it up Butter – butter, cayenne pepper, garlic, lime, cilantro (use on corn on grill)
Make butter roll – put on waxed paper – roll back and forth to form log. Use in ice trays or ramekins, freeze butter or refrigerate– cut into slices – use as finishing butter with grilled steaks or veggies.
Olive Fritte
Fried olives -
2 cups black olives or green
3 TBS Olive oil
3 Garlic Cloves- sliced
2 -3 sprigs Oregano- chopped
2 TBS lemon juice
6 TBS white wine
Pepper to taste
1 tsp salt
Drain and can rinse olives – paper towel dry so they do not pop in hot oil. Place oil in frying pan with sliced garlic. Sweat garlic (do not let burn) on medium heat. Add olives to garlic and hot oil stirring regularly. Add in oregano, lemon juice and white wine and cook until liquid is reduced. Pepper and salt to taste. Serve with added oregano if desired.
Fried Basil and Sage leaves
Batter recipe – Great for onion rings too!
3/8 cup flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp salt
2 TBS water (or beer)
1 egg
Oil for frying – use fryer for consistent temperature! Be careful with hot oil!!!
Dip washed and dried basil and sage leaves into batter. Fry until lightly browned. Serve with really bold red wine and herb cheeses and crackers!

Edible flowers and greens in salad
Vinaigrette – 2 TBS wine vinaigrette, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and 6 TBS olive oil. Whisk until combined. Serve over salad greens and any of your favorite edible flowers!

Edible flowers – Be careful – either grow your own or buy in grocery store section where you find herbs so you know they are safe.
Dip violets, pansies or rose petals in lightly whisked egg white. Cover with fine sugar. Let air dry well so that they are really dry!! Store the sugar flowers in an air tight container in dry, dark place. Decorate desserts for a fresh and pretty finish.
1) Marigolds- great with dill and chives
2) Violets
3) Pansy – viola
4) Begonias –“sour balls” when coated with sugar
5) Wild roses – petals and hips
6) Chrysanthemums
7) Lavender
Nasturtium

Try arranging grape leaves on a platter to present your herb cheeses – (add to cream cheese your favorite chopped herbs for great spreads as well) add your flavored butters, and sauces, salad, and fried herbs and olives for a great appetizer or light meal for your next get together or for a special night with your special someone.

Throw in a plate of fresh flower decorated desserts and finish with a great bold red wine, Italian Chianti or Ten Spoon Montana wine! For you non-drinkers or for the kids serve ice tea with mint!

I hope you enjoyed this show and I look forward to sharing more fun recipes with you on Cookin with Susan, Slow Food Montana Style.

Eat Well and Be Happy Helena!

tune in every Sunday at 5 pm to listen to the sermon presented by one of the Pastor’s from this church.  For those who are unable to attend church, you will hear good teaching.  Tune in!

She did it again folks! Here are the current show recipes:

Jump into Spring with Cookin with Lemons and Lavender

Hope you enjoyed my show, Lemons and Lavender! Now let’s get to the recipes!

Susan’s Version of Julia Childs Lemon Chicken
3 ½ pound chicken – whole or cut up (try boneless filets)
Salt and pepper
Herbs de Provence
1 large lemon cut into slices
2 TBS unsalted butter
** Can add carrots and onions**

Set your oven to 425 degrees – place chicken in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower oven to 350 degrees. Roast chicken and baste. Bake for one hour /after 30 minutes if you want to, add carrots and onions.
Small chicken should take about 1 ¼ hours – Large chicken should take about 1 ½ hours.
Wash chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in roaster pan, salt and pepper chicken. “Massage” unsalted butter into chicken-cover well with the butter for even browning. Sprinkle with Herb de Provence and layer lemon slices in and around the chicken and squeeze lemon juice onto chicken as you arrange the lemon slices.
Make sure that chicken is cooked well – no pink and juices run clear when you prick chicken with a knife.

Salad greens with Lemon Dressing

1 shallot minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBS lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
½ cup lemon oil/Meyers lemon oil/Lemon flavored oil or plain extra virgin olive oil

Mince shallot and add to bowl. Add mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper to bowl. With a whisk add a slow stream of oil to the mixture in the bowl, whisking until the mixture thickens. Serve over salad greens, Spring mix or baby leaf lettuces. Toss and serve immediately!

Herbs de Provence Potatoes
I use one potatoe per person. Rise potatoes off with cool water and dry with paper towel or towel. Dice, slice, and cut up your potatoes anyway you like them! For the show I made “French fries”. Pour olive oil on surface of cookie sheet with sides. Layer potatoes on cookie sheet and pour olive oil over the top of potatoes. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence and sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 25 minutes – or broil until nicely brown.

I think I forgot to tell you the recipe for Herbs de Provence, so here it is!

Herbs de Provence
1 TBS thyme
1 TBS rosemary
1 TBS savory
1 tsp. lavender
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. chervil
1 tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. oregano
*Can add ½ tsp. fennel seeds
*Can add ½ tsp. sage
*Can add ½ tsp. basil

Lemon Fluff – Another family favorite from my Mama Jane

1 package lemon jello gelatin
1 ¾ cup boiling water
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 can of evaporated milk / frozen until slushy
Vanilla wafers crushed – about ½ box
¼ cup melted butter

Combine lemon gelatin, boiling water, lemon juice, sugar and lemon rind to bowl. Mix and let cool until slightly thicken. If you need to speed up the cooling process then place bowl in refrigerator. In a mixer bowl (or use hand mixer) whip slightly frozen evaporated milk until soft peaks form. Add to whipped milk the lemon gelatin mixture and mix until well combined. In a square glass or metal pan add crushed vanilla wafers. Pour in melted butter on top of crushed wafers and mix in pan. Then smooth out to cover bottom of pan. Pour milk and gelatin mixture over crush wafers. Top with additional crushed wafers. Put pan into freezer. Freeze lemon fluff until firm, for a few hours or overnight. To serve, thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares and enjoy a wonderful dessert! (Not just for the bridge club or garden club anymore! HAHA!)

strong>Lavender Sugar Cookies

1 egg
1 cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
5 TBS confectionary sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp dried lavender (use ½ tsp more if desired for more lavender flavor)
¼ tsp. salt

Mix butter until creamy and add in egg. Mix well then add in sugars until blended. Add lavender to flour and add in salt as well. Then spoon in flour mixture to butter and sugars one spoonful at a time. Mix until dough forms a ball in the bowl. Dough will be sticky so chill for about 15 minutes until it can be handled. Once dough is chilled, lay dough on a sheet of press in seal or wrap covered with a light dusting of sugar. Roll dough back and forth until dough forms a log. Cover dough with wrap and seal edges. Freeze dough until ready to bake. When ready to bake, unwrap and slice dough into circles. Lay dough slices on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove to container or plate – you can frost with light glaze of confectionary sugar mixed with cream and add a few loose lavender buds to the top of each cookie.

Lemon and Lavender Lemonade

1 quart lemonade – frozen, powered or even Crystal light
1 TBS dried lavender
1 cup boiling water

Mix up your favorite lemonade per directions. Boil 1 cup water and then remove from the heat. Add to water 1 TBS of dried lavender and let steep for 20 minutes to overnight. Cool lavender water then strain into the lemonade. Mix and add lemon slices. Add ice to glasses and pour wonderful lemonade over!! ENJOY!!!

Susan’s Purple Haze Margarita

Use any style glass you like! Serve over ice or strained in cocktail shaker.
Rim glass with lemon rind or juice from lemon slice – chop ½ tsp of dried lavender and add ½ tsp. of lemon zest to sea salt on plate. Turn glass over and rim glass with this mixture!
To glass or shaker add – 2 shots of tequila, one shot or lavender triple sec (see recipe below), 1 ½ shot of lemon juice. Shake or stir. Adjust to your taste! Add more tequila or more lemon juice and triple sec or less. Add slice of lemon and stalk of lavender to drink to decorate.
YUM!!
Lavender Triple Sec: Add to small sauce pan, one cup cold water, 1 cup sugar and heat. Dissolve sugar in water and let simmer. Once water is heated add in 1 to 2 TBS of dried lavender. Cover and let steep overnight. Pour into jar and keep in dark dry place.

FOOD TRENDS to TRY~ Don’t forget that Lamb has been named the food trend of 2010! Since we are in Lamb Country give this special meat a try and enjoy! Don’t forget to try Lamb with figs – fig preserves are wonderful as a glaze over lamb.
Another great trend is salt plates, platters and bricks! Use salt blocks to grate salt for seasoning, to cook food on the stove top or use as a serving dish chilled. The lack of porosity of the salt block means that the surface area touching the food is minimal so it does not make your food salty. If cooking on a salt block do so on the grill or direct stove top but NOT in the oven as the salt block can explode. Be sure to heat them up slowly.

Sea Salt retains trace minerals and is richer in flavors that depend on where the salt is harvested. You can use about two-thirds LESS of the amount of regular table salt.

Be sure to buy organic and or culinary lavender – any health food store should carry this grade of lavender. Buy Angustifolia variety and NOT intermedia variety. You can grow your own as well – be sure to get the correct variety. Beautiful plants can be bought at any garden center for around $5.00 to $8.00 dollars a plant. Make sure to harvest lavender buds that are not fully opened. You can order from the Purple Haze farm in Washington State or from Hummingbird farms/The Lavender Chick in Texas – great websites!

Take care and contact me at tarners@live.com to make comments or suggestions! Enjoy all the recipes and eat well and be happy Helena!

St. Peter’s Hospital offers valuable information each month to our viewers.  Tune in every Monday at 5 pm to see what topic they share with us!