With all our herbs and other edibles coming along, I thought I had best get some ideas of what to do with all that we hope for... Before trying the herb teas etc do a search online on the leaves and find out if you should take them... some have "do not drink if..." warnings... these recipes are for my benefit as I know I can have them ;-) On this subject though, on reading about herb teas I never realised I had so many medicines in my garden!
Blackberry... well the berries, I doubt I will get too many to the kitchen this year... they will go straight into mouths! The leaves however are a resource not too many think about...
Dry the leaves... steep 2 Tablespoons in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Raspberry... as with the Blackberries I do not think I will get many Raspberries into the kitchen but again the leaves can be dried and then steep 1 Tablespoon in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Strawberries... Strawberries are likely to not make it to the kitchen either hehe... which is a good thing, my kids eat well and healthy :-)
Strawberry leaf tea - strawberry leaves must be used either fresh or all the way dried - NOT in between as these can cause stomach upsets! 2/3 Tablespoons fresh leaves or 1 Tablespoon dried leaves in a cup of water... add cream (or NOT in my case) and raw honey to taste.
Basil Mint... took some searching but recipes and care instructions at Mountain Herb Estate .
Now my Basil Mint is going great... we used a little in the "mint peas" that the kids devoured... flavouring potato salad... hmmm maybe... maybe not. Chicken stuffing... well the kids would kill me as the only "real" stuffing is "Mum's sage and onion bread stuffing." Boiling leaves with cabbage... now that we might try for something different. According to the above website we can use it in pesto, flavouring fruit and tomato salads and making flavoured water. I am assuming the "diet water" that I keep seeing on Facebook...
For tea - fresh or dried. 5cm sprig in a cup of water or more... I think we might need to try this one to find out if we need raw honey or stevia.
Chocolate Mint... IF we are allowed to pick leaves... Hot chocolate can be infused with this or simply drop the leaves in a cup with hot water then add some milk (or soy) and sweeten to taste... preferably NOT with white sugar ;-) . Preserve in vodka - oh wait I guess that would be FLAVOUR vodka... stick leaves in vodka... leave for 3 weeks... strain and drink... Ok maybe I wont do this one... lol.
Blend with ice-cream or with milk, this will give choc-mint ice-cream or milkshake... without the added fat/calories... although we might need to sweeten. I can steep the leaves in hot water and allow to cool then add them to our Dairy free cake recipe to make choc mint cake... that's one worth remembering.
Peppermint, spearmint, common mint... lots of info here http://wellnessmama.com/5267/herb-profile-peppermint/ Leaves can be used in a bath or a tea used on an upset scalp. Peppermint tea is good for digestion and liver too :-) Mint leaves fresh or dried, hot water & sweetener - either raw honey or stevia. Mix with milk, ice-cream, cream - strain if needed for minty yumminess. Mix some strained mint-tea with icing sugar for mint icing.
Mint sauce! I need to make this - we ran out!
3/4 cup-ish of mint - chop until teeny tiny! (Blender if time pressed)
2 Tbl Sugar.
1/4 cup of boiling water - put the kettle on!
1/2 cup white WINE vinegar - not white vinegar ;-) Otherwise very bitey!
Bottle or jar - sterilise with boiling water/ cheap vinegar or both!
Right dead easy... take chopped mint and sugar... in the big jug... heat tolerant. Add the boiling water (enjoy the smell!) and stir (still enjoying the smell). Add the vinegar and mix some more ;-) then pour into the bottle or jar - mind your hands - use a sterilised funnel if you need to ;-) . Allow to cool and use... or seal and stick it in the fridge. I read this can last 6 months however I doubt it will last in our house. :-)
Ok I have a lot more work to do but this is a start... thats it from me tonight... *hugs* Sarah
Blackberry... well the berries, I doubt I will get too many to the kitchen this year... they will go straight into mouths! The leaves however are a resource not too many think about...
Dry the leaves... steep 2 Tablespoons in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Raspberry... as with the Blackberries I do not think I will get many Raspberries into the kitchen but again the leaves can be dried and then steep 1 Tablespoon in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes.
Strawberries... Strawberries are likely to not make it to the kitchen either hehe... which is a good thing, my kids eat well and healthy :-)
Strawberry leaf tea - strawberry leaves must be used either fresh or all the way dried - NOT in between as these can cause stomach upsets! 2/3 Tablespoons fresh leaves or 1 Tablespoon dried leaves in a cup of water... add cream (or NOT in my case) and raw honey to taste.
Basil Mint... took some searching but recipes and care instructions at Mountain Herb Estate .
Now my Basil Mint is going great... we used a little in the "mint peas" that the kids devoured... flavouring potato salad... hmmm maybe... maybe not. Chicken stuffing... well the kids would kill me as the only "real" stuffing is "Mum's sage and onion bread stuffing." Boiling leaves with cabbage... now that we might try for something different. According to the above website we can use it in pesto, flavouring fruit and tomato salads and making flavoured water. I am assuming the "diet water" that I keep seeing on Facebook...
For tea - fresh or dried. 5cm sprig in a cup of water or more... I think we might need to try this one to find out if we need raw honey or stevia.
Chocolate Mint... IF we are allowed to pick leaves... Hot chocolate can be infused with this or simply drop the leaves in a cup with hot water then add some milk (or soy) and sweeten to taste... preferably NOT with white sugar ;-) . Preserve in vodka - oh wait I guess that would be FLAVOUR vodka... stick leaves in vodka... leave for 3 weeks... strain and drink... Ok maybe I wont do this one... lol.
Blend with ice-cream or with milk, this will give choc-mint ice-cream or milkshake... without the added fat/calories... although we might need to sweeten. I can steep the leaves in hot water and allow to cool then add them to our Dairy free cake recipe to make choc mint cake... that's one worth remembering.
Peppermint, spearmint, common mint... lots of info here http://wellnessmama.com/5267/herb-profile-peppermint/ Leaves can be used in a bath or a tea used on an upset scalp. Peppermint tea is good for digestion and liver too :-) Mint leaves fresh or dried, hot water & sweetener - either raw honey or stevia. Mix with milk, ice-cream, cream - strain if needed for minty yumminess. Mix some strained mint-tea with icing sugar for mint icing.
Mint sauce! I need to make this - we ran out!
3/4 cup-ish of mint - chop until teeny tiny! (Blender if time pressed)
2 Tbl Sugar.
1/4 cup of boiling water - put the kettle on!
1/2 cup white WINE vinegar - not white vinegar ;-) Otherwise very bitey!
Bottle or jar - sterilise with boiling water/ cheap vinegar or both!
Right dead easy... take chopped mint and sugar... in the big jug... heat tolerant. Add the boiling water (enjoy the smell!) and stir (still enjoying the smell). Add the vinegar and mix some more ;-) then pour into the bottle or jar - mind your hands - use a sterilised funnel if you need to ;-) . Allow to cool and use... or seal and stick it in the fridge. I read this can last 6 months however I doubt it will last in our house. :-)
Ok I have a lot more work to do but this is a start... thats it from me tonight... *hugs* Sarah
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