We moved our blog! The Lebanon Daily News picked up our blog so catch up with us there:
http://blogs.ldnews.com/herbpeasant/

Peace and health my friends,
Kelly
theherbalpeasant.com

Website: theherbalpeasant.com   Email: theherbalpeasant@yahoo.com


Eating our way through week 3/12/12


St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. In the garden, that is!! Spring like weather is very early this year and I couldn't be happier about that! The hellebores, daffodils and pansies keep a watchful eye on me as I start the spring cleaning in the garden. The cauliflower, bok choy, mustard greens, collards, brussel sprouts, kale, beets, and swiss chard tenderlings are planted. The peas, beans and letuces seeds are sown. The mulching has been started and the debris clean up is half finished. Pictures of our gardens from last year:

It is misty today so I think we will catch up on computer time.


Our WoWs of the week - we finally have a website, again! I enrolled in a website design class at our local community college in the mid '90's when I owned an herb business called Herbal Heaven. In 1993 it was only educational based classes; enlightening the public on the use of herbs through growing, harvesting, cooking, crafts and natural body care products, in my home. The attendance grew quickly and in 15 months time I had enough customer base to open a herb shop. The business lasted for 6 years. I made many, many fabulous friends and met a lot of wonderful people, enjoyed experiences I would never have dreamed about. With the added benefit of my mom and daughter in tow.
So, this is my third website since then. It took a day's time but was worth it. It makes life so much simplier for you because everything is in one spot. Tell me what you think, please  theherbalpeasant.com


Another WoW (as in finally), pretty cool looking business cards were ordered. Pictures of herbs and spices are on the cards. Below are pics:

FYI - pics of The Herbal Peasant classroom, we are located in

Wernersville, Berks County PA:

The classroom overlooks our peaceful and serene gardens as pictured above.

It is a herbal class week. We make an entree, side and a dessert and create a natural body care project and a craft - all using herbs, of course!

This week's menu: Crispy Eggplant Hoagies, Duchess Cauliflower and an Apple Blueberry Galette. Lavender Lotion and Eye Soothing Pillow.

To make a wasabi spread; mash cannellini beans, water and wasabi powder.

Saute peppers, onions and garlic.



Beat an egg or for vegans dip into a little olive oil. On a separate dish add almond meal, gluten free flour, or bread crumbs, add a dash of oregano and a pinch of basil.



Give a quick saute, 30 seconds each side, to the eggplant, drain on paper towels while you start to build your sandwich.
To a whole grain roll, we used millet, add the wasabi spread, a layer of greens and the eggplant.

You can see the difference between the almond meal on the left and the gf flour on the right.

Add the sauteed veggies. A sandwich fit for a healthy appetite; grains, protein,  fiber,
and veggies = antioxident boost.  

For the Duchess Cauliflower start with steamimg or simmering cauliflower until very soft.

Add cheese, we used Daiya - great for vegans, chives, oregano
and turmeric = anti-inflammatory.

Shape into mounds or nests.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Fill with sauteed veggies.

Decorate with greens and tomatoes.

Apple Blueberry Galette: Peel apples (we love the peels but for this dessert peeling is better - don't waste - have a snack), remove seeds, thinly slice. For the crust we used: GF all purpose flour, raw sugar, baking soda, baking powder xanthan gum, orange zest, cinnamon, coconut oil, oat milk, vinegar and flax egg sub.
Form into a crust.
Pile the apples onto the dough, leaving the edges free of apples. Fold the crust onto the apples but keep the middle open. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Top with blueberries, add a fresh sprig of mint and a viola from your spring garden.

Lavender Lotion: we used  fresh aloe leaves, remove the pulp and set aside, leaves go into the composter.

This is from one leaf.



When using fresh aloe the gel is really sticky and firm. It must be heated to break it down to use in a lotion. In the pan towards the front notice how it foams. The pan in the back is the result of a couple minutes exposed to heat.



We added a little melted coconut oil for its added skin softening quality. Allow to cool and add lavender essential oil.

On to the Eye Soothing Pillow: fill a ziplock bag half way with any small grain
or as we used, split peas. 

To a muslin bag add your favorite fragrant herbs.
We used peppermint, lavender and lemon verbena.

Unless you love to sew, use a napkin or tea towel for the pillow.
Place the 2 bags in the middle.

Fold one of the long ends over the middle, fold the opposite end over the middle
and tuck under the excess material.

Add ribbon to each end to secure bags.



Try on for size :)




Finished project. Quick, useful, soothing and fragrant.



Proof we can set up a kitchen anywhere! This is at The African Shop in Sinking Spring, next to the JOY bookstore. Angie, the owner, supplied the tables and chairs, we bring the rest.

Peace and health, my friends. Until next week...

theherbalpeasant.com  theherbalpeasant@yahoo.com

Eating our way through week 3/5/12

theherbalpeasant.com

Eating our way through week 3/5/12
When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. Laiko Bahrs

The quote is a perfect example of how our program works. It is kind of a whisper down the alley. I say to the first cook "add a smidge of cinnamon, unless you love cinnamon, then add a dash". The message gets passed along. Who knows what the fellow at the end hears LOL. But that is OK, I'm standing right next to the poor chap. However, when we bake it goes more like this "only add a pinch of baking soda, if you add more, well, you are the one eating it!"

One of our WoWs of the week: we were contacted by a local publication (Kapp Advertising The Merchandiser) and requested an interview for an article on The Herbal Peasant culinary program.
Who would turn down free advertising? It is a great way to help "Change the world, one bite at a time".
We will post it when written.

Another WoW - we "hired" an intern. Brittany Fisher is her name. We met in 2010 when I was hired as a healthy cooking trainer at a MR/MH agency. The staff and the folks they care for participated in the program. Brittany was a new hire and during the healthy cooking segment in the orientation class I noticed she had a purse with a peace sign on it. I told her we were going to get along just fine.
After a year, the program expired and we kept in touch. Fast forward a year, she's our herbie intern.
Yea! Welcome my friend.

This week's menu: Fennel Crudités,  French Onion Soup,  Asian Pear Salad, Stuffed Peppers, Cinnamon and Spice Smashed Sweet Potatoes, and  Crispy Rice Cups with Fresh Fruit.

Let us start with the appetizer: sprout or cook a 1/4 cup any small grain such as quinoa or amaranth. Finely chop the inner layers of a fennel bulb, finely chop sundried tomatoes, onion and carrot. Scoop into a bowl.

Add lemon juice, zest, olive oil and dill.

Add the grain.

Garnishes of chia seeds and radish slices are added.
Use squares of red pepper and extra fennel bulb slices for crudités.

French Onion Soup: slice 4 button mushrooms, saute. Set aside. Saute 6 thinly sliced sweet onions until caramelized. Add vegetable broth, white wine, powdered bay leaf, rosemary, and mashed garlic. Simmer. Preheat broiler. Ladel soup into broiler safe bowls. top with a slice of healthy bread such as Food for Life brand. Place slices of mushrooms on top, top with provolone or a faux cheese such as Daiya brand (made from tapioca starch)  mozarella .
Place under the broiler until chesse is melted.

Asian Pear Salad: we need our greens! Try watercress, Romaine or dandelion. Chop radicchio, dried or fresh apricots and onion. Slice an Asian pear or sub an apple, pear or something crazy like jicama (if you have not tried the Asian pear it tastes like an apple and pear combo and has an excellent crunch. The jicama is a good crunchy substitute).  

Place prettily on a plate, garnish with heart healthy walnuts and breath freshening parsley.

Add oranges and thinly sliced raw cheddar cheese or a faux cheese. Or try a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
For the dressing simply squeeze the juice from an orange and a drizzle of oil such as sesame, walnut or olive. 

Stuffed Peppers: Finely chop sundried tomatoes (or raw tomatoes), for raw sprout chickpeas (48 hours earlier, for directions go to sproutpeople.com) or open a can, drain/rinse.
Chop greens such as arugala, mushrooms try shitake, and onion.

Roast or grill peppers, of course for raw skip this step.

For non-raw - saute. Near the end of the cooking time, add corn fresh off the cob for raw, or use thawed frozen corn. Toss in parsley and give it a stir. Remove from heat.
 Dice an avocado, make the dressing by adding to a bowl; olive oil, vinegar and basil.

Stuff the pepper. Top with the avocado and drizzle with dressing.

Cinnamon and Spice Smashed Sweet Potatoes: thinly slice a sweet potato.

Steam, bake, grill or simmer until soft.

Mash and add butter or as we did Earth Balance (a vegan's substitute). Add a bit of agave or raw sugar cane, orange zest and cinnamon, grated frozen ginger (love freezing ginger), cloves, nutmeg and or 5 spice.

Spoon into a casserole dish, top with sliced almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut.

Or try the savory version; omit the sugar and add sauteed onion, celery, garlic. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot. The almonds and coconut get a little toasty and tastes wonderful paired with the sweet potatoes.

What is this concoction? Crispy Rice Cups with Fresh Fruit. We started by melting the better chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life brand (only 3 ingredients to make the chocolate!) Add a nut or seed butter - we used almond - crispy rice cereal, we used Nature's Path brand, the only ingredient is puffed brown rice. Add  a liquid sweetener such as agave, flaxmeal for more fiber and omega 3s, and ground oats to whisk away cholesterol. Stir only enough to coat the crisp rice. Form into cups. Place in refrigerator until hardened.

Chop fresh luscious mango, add kiwi for a beautiful complement of color, a pinch of  unsweetened shreded coconut and melt a little more chocolate. Fill the cups with the fruit. Drizzle that sweet, wonderful chocolate nectar over the fruit and allow to run down the sides and puddle on the plate.

To register for a culinary class:
theherbalpeasant.com
or theherbalpeasant@yahoo.net


Peace and health, my friends.