Posted on

Homemade Mixes, Sauces, Salsas, Dips and Dressings

First of all, let me state for the record that I am a die-hard, back-to-basics kind of a cook in my own kitchen. I prefer everything homemade, and I’m not opposed to spending a lot of time on the creation of certain meals. I am not a fan of prepared meals or processed food, and normally I avoid ‘mixes’, at least commercial mixes. But I am also not willing to spend inordinate amounts of time or inconvenience if there is a homemade alternative that promises to shorten my kitchen time without compromising nutrition. Enter in all sorts of mixes, dressings and sauces to make my life easier.

Let me share some of my favourites that I think you’ll enjoy. Each recipe closes with my suggestions on: how to use it in a dish, how to store it, and how to use it up (when you have leftovers that you’re trying to use up). I hate wasting things.

I’m all about using FRESH foods in season, but will use preserved foods as long as nutritional value isn’t compromised. For this reason, I often use FREEZE DRIED options when I can. This serves three purposes:
a) I ALWAYS have it on hand as it is very shelf stable having a shelf life of 25 years. With proper rotation, I can always count on it.
b) Freeze dried produce is highly nutritious and I have found a company who’s standards are so close to my own, it was a natural fit. Thrive Life has a 40+ step process of ensuring the highest quality, and only after completing those 40 steps, do they put their iconic NUTRILOCK symbol on that item. They call that the NUTRILOCK guarantee. You’ll do well to remember this term.
c) Freeze Dried food is exceptionally easy to handle, easy to refresh and delicious. I often refer to it as FRESHER than FRESH because it is picked ripe and flash frozen within 2-4 hours of harvest.

DRY MIXES

PANCAKE MIX
a basic pancake mix generally contains flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, egg and oil. The types of flour, sugar, milk, eggs and oil are up to you, but for the purpose of a shelf stable mix in my pantry I use certain ones.
Flour – if making from scratch, I always prefer freshly ground whole wheat flour, but whole wheat flour has wheat germ oil in it and is best if used fresh. So for a pancake mix I use UNBLEACHED flour. Actually I only ever buy unbleached flour – as opposed to all purpose flour which is ‘bleached’. All purpose flour goes through a chemical process to make it white, and that alone is enough for me to not use it. Yes I know it’s cheaper, and more common, in fact sometimes I can’t find unbleached flour, but the few dollars more and the inconvenience of looking for it is worth it to me.
Baking powder – is a leavening agent, and it’s the secret to fluffy pancakes.
Sugar – just a tablespoon of sugar is all you’ll need for subtly sweet pancakes.
Salt – a pinch will always enhance the flavour
Milk – as opposed to water or juice, adds moisture and richness to pancakes.
Eggs – add more moisture, richness and helps bind the batter together.
Butter or Oil – adds richness, moisture and produces a lighter, more flavourful result

Mix:
15 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup + 2 T baking powder
2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 T salt
1 1/2 cup Thrive Life Scrambled Egg Mix
3 cups Thrive Life Instant Milk powder

Store mix in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Should be shelf stable for up to a year.

to prepare pancakes:
2 cups mix
1 + 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
mix oil and water, pour into dry mix and stir only till moistened.
Makes 10 – 4 inch pancakes

BISCUIT MIX

6 cups flour (you do you, but I always use unbleached flour for mixes)
1 cup shortening powder or butter powder
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 T salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream powder
Whisk all together till thoroughly combined.

Store mix in a large air tight container in a cool dry place for up to 4 months. This is because of the shortening powder. If you use the butter powder, you can extend that up to 6 months.

to prepare biscuits:
3 cups mix
1 cup milk
Stir only till moistened. Roll lightly on floured board till 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or knife.
Bake 425 F oven 8-10 minutes

CORNBREAD MIX
recipe makes 2 gallon sized cans (#10 cans)
6 cups cornmeal
3 cups Thrive Instant Milk (yes, it really IS better than any other milk powder you can buy)
8 cups flour (I always used unbleached)
1/2 cup baking powder
1 Tablespoon salt
3 cups sugar
* 1 cup sour cream powder (not necessary, but adding it makes it nicer and more cake like)
1 cup Thrive Scrambled Egg Mix (freeze dried eggs, and yes, this brand is the BEST tasting eggs out there. I am inserting a video below of my brother and sister who could not tell the difference between it and FRESH eggs gathered the morning of)
Whisk all these powders together completely and store in a marked jar in your pantry.

To use for a batch . . . . preheat oven to 350 degrees F
4 cups mix
1 + 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Add oil to water and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir to moisten all. Set aside for 3-5 minutes to moisten cornmeal. If you need to add a little more water, do so to get the consistency you prefer. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for approximately 40 or until center bounces back when touched. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into it.
* We really like cornbread waffles. Pour 1 cup batter into HOT and slightly oiled waffle iron. Cook for 4-5 minutes before removing. Perfect to serve alongside a bowl of chili or taco soup, or homemade tomato soup.


HOMEMADE INSTANT OATMEAL PACKS
This almost seems blasphemous to me, because nothing is as wholesome as a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal, but there are times (like when you’re camping) that the kids would like instant oatmeal. I confess that I buy instant oats for lots of other things, and there IS a convenience that I appreciate. I just don’t like all the sugar in the commercially boughten packs, so when I make them up for the kids, (another confession), I add 1/4 cup regular quick oats to their bowl. They don’t seem to notice and it makes me happier.
Instant oatmeal is also a great after school snack – nutritious and satisfying. So buy yourself a bunch of small 1/2 pint jars and make some up.
in each jar layer:
1/2 cup quick oats
2-3 T Instant Milk powder (Thrive Life is the BEST)
1 T brown sugar or honey granules or your choice of whatever you use
*optional: your favourite ‘additive’ – raisins, freeze dried peaches, apples, mangoes, apricots, or blueberries, crumbled cranberries raspberries, blackberries, or whatever you like. Or nothing at all.

Store them in little baggies, or jars. That’s it! To make your oatmeal, pour each package into a bowl, add 1 cup boiling water and stir. Give it a couple of minutes to thicken up and ENJOY.
* Consider: mixing up a whole quart of instant oatmeal with quick oats, powdered milk and brown sugar. When you want to make a bowl, shake up the jar (as the milk and sweetener may have settled), and scoop out 3/4 cup. Add your own fruit if you want, then boiling water. How does it get any easier? STORE in your pantry for 6 months to a year – depending on whatever fruit you may have added.

BASIC WHITE SAUCE or CREAM SOUP BASE

2 cups Thrive Life Instant Milk powder (you’ll be disappointed if you use any other brand of powdered milk because not a one tastes as good as Thrive Life’s – just sayin’)
1 cup Thrive Life Sour Cream Powder
1 heaping Tablespoon of Thrive Life’s Chef Choice Seasoning or your favourite seasoning
2 cups Cornstarch
1/3 cup Thrive Chicken Bouillon (or your favourite powdered Chicken bouillon)
1/2 cup Thrive Life freeze dried Chopped Onions. You cannot substitute dehydrated onions, unless you powdered them first in a blender
1 teaspoon black pepper

Sift together all dry ingredients till completely mixed and store in a air tight container.
I double the recipe and Store in 3 glass quart sealing jars for about a year.

To use for white sauce:
Whisk 1/2 cup into 2 cups water. Bring to a boil whisking all the time to prevent lumping. Reduce heat and simmer gently 3-5 minutes till nicely thickened.
To use for base of cream soup:
I prepare the same way, and just slowly whisk into your soup.

I love to make cream soups by preparing the white sauce, adding milk or broth and then adding freeze dried vegetable crumbles or powder. Lightly simmer for a few minutes to soften the vegetables and till you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Cream of Tomato Soup – whisk in a Thrive Life Tomato Powder (approx 1 T per cup of soup)
Cream of Mushroom Soup – saute some fresh mushrooms in butter (mmm), then add to the prepared sauce. OR add some Thrive Life freeze dried Mushroom pieces and some mushroom powder from the bottom of the can.
Cream of Celery Soup – add some finely diced fresh celery and simmer long enough for them to become tender to the fork and share their flavour. OR add some Thrive Life freeze dried chopped celery. I crush these pieces up in my hand because I like smaller pieces. If there is any powder at the bottom of the can, throw that in too – its loaded with flavour.
Cream of Chicken Soup – add Thrive Life freeze dried Chopped Chicken and some powder from the bottom of the can.
Cream of Asparagus Soup – add Thrive Life freeze dried Asparagus and some powdered asparagus from the bottom of the can.
Cream of Broccoli Soup – add Thrive Life freeze dried Broccoli and some broccoli powder from the bottom of the can. Maybe add some shredded cheddar if you want.
The list goes on – you can make whatever cream soup you want.
recipe link

CURRY COCONUT CHICKEN
This recipe is very similar to traditional “Butter Chicken”, a chicken curry dish that is so popular outside of India, it is sometimes mistakenly believed to be a western invention. It was however, originally created by the chef at Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in 1947. Although it’s name Murgh Makhani translates to “chicken butter”, its name has less to do with butter and more to do with how much yogurt and butter are used in its original recipe.
There are probably as many variations as there are Indian moms or restaurants, but this one uses coconut milk and is a favourite in our house. When you use freeze dried produce, it takes less than 10 minutes to put together.

Dry Seasoning Combination:
1 t garam masala
2 t chicken bouillon powder
1 t black pepper
1 t cumin
1 t ginger powder
1 t paprika
1 T curry powder
1 T turmeric
* 1 t cayenne powder IF you like it a little spicy
3 T tomato powder (OR substitute in 1/4 cup tomato paste when making up the recipe)
1 T brown sugar
layer seasoning in small (1 cup size) jar. Put the lid on tight, label with recipe name, and set aside to have ready.



Recipe for Curry Chicken (using freeze dried vegetables OR substitute fresh):
1 1/2 cup freeze dried chicken pieces OR equal amount cooked chopped chicken
2 cups water (OR if using regular chicken, only 1 cup water)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freeze dried sliced onions
2 T freeze dried garlic OR 2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup freeze dried peas
1/4 cup freeze dried diced green chilis
1/2 cup freeze dried green peppers
1/2 cup freeze dried red peppers
1/2 cup freeze dried zucchini
spice mixture above
2 cans coconut milk
– cooked rice to serve it over –

Directions:
Cover freeze dried chicken in 2 cups warm water and set aside to refresh for about 15 minutes.
Cook rice, set aside.
In the meantime, prepare everything else – having it ready to add one right after the other.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic till aromatic, stirring all the time to prevent scorching. Add chicken and remaining water, continuing to stir. Add vegetables one at a time, stirring all the while. Add seasoning mix and stir to completely blend in. Add coconut milk and stir to completely till all is blended perfectly.
Let simmer till all is heated through.
Serve over rice.

FRESH MAYO and Salad Dressings

FRESH MAYO
Not only is fresh mayo a great alternative if you run out of the more ‘shelf stable’ mayonnaise from the store, but it can be a game changer in terms of flavour and texture. And its so easy to whip up (in 5 minutes) you may wonder why were so dependent on the store bought version all your life. You can expect it to last about two weeks in the fridge.

In its basic form, mayonnaise is an “emulsification” oil into other ingredients, but it helps to understand the process. Emulsification happens when two substances that don’t want to mix are forced to mix. In the case of mayo, oil is emulsified into a mixture of lemon juice or vinegar, mustard, egg, and salt by whisking it in drop-by-drop at the very beginning—and vigorously. The droplets of oil become tiny enough, and evenly suspended in the liquid creating a creamy, almost fluffy texture.

There is much opportunity for slight flavour variations in mayonnaise.
1) ACID – You choose the type of acid you want: lemon/lime juice or whatever vinegar you prefer (white, apple cider, herb infused vinegars . . . ). You will get different flavoured mayo in the end. It doesn’t take much acid, so you can be brave and experiment with different kinds to find different flavours. Perhaps in the beginning while you’re still getting the ‘hang of it’, stick to a plain white vinegar or lemon juice, and then go from there.

2) OIL is what make mayonnaise – MAYONNAISE, but you get to choose what kind. For a neutral flavoured mayo use neutral flavoured oils like canola or vegetable. For a richer, more flavoured mayo, use olive oil. Or use another oil if you have a favourite, or use a combination.

3) SEASONING is not necessary but nice. Use it or not. I like pepper, but if you want a pure white mayo then use white pepper. You can also use dried chiles, ginger,  paprika, garlic, chives, a dash of sesame oil, . . . no end to the possibilities. For a standard all purpose mayonnaise, I just use pepper, but a little more than you might. If you use a lot of mashed garlic, your mayo becomes something wonderful called AIOLI.

recipe:
1 large egg
1 T lemon juice or vinegar (your choice – remember)
1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 cups oil
Combine the first five ingredients in a blender, turn on high and begin adding oil SLOWLY in a steady steam, turning off blender to scrape down sides once or twice if necessary during the process. Stop blending as soon as mixture is fully emulsified and thick. Makes just over 1 cup mayonnaise. Store in refrigerator. Personally, if I’m going to go to the trouble, of washing my blender, I’m going to double this recipe and end up with about 2 1/2 cups mayo, especially if I know I see dishes like potato salad, tuna sandwiches, or toasted pesto mayo tomato sandwiches in my immediate future.
Store – You can expect it to last about 2 weeks in the fridge so plan accordingly.
link to recipe

HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSINGS

Yes there’s something to be said about the convenience of store bought salad dressings, but really – try buying a few different vinegars instead and make your own. It is SO easy to make your own salad dressings at home – you’ll wonder why you ever thought you needed to buy them. The benefits are taste, and control over all the ingredients – simple, whole food. That’s what its about. Nothing you can’t pronounce. Make them as you go and then they’re always fresh. 🙂

ASIAN SALAD DRESSING
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 T sesame oil
2 T honey
3 T rice vinegar
2 t freshly grated ginger root
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 T lime juice
sprinkle sesame seeds over top the salad
can Store in fridge for a week

SESAME GINGER SALAD DRESSING
3 cloves garlic minced
1 3inch piece of fresh ginger root (peeled and grated)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
salt and pepper
Toss dressing into salad. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.
can Store in fridge for a week
Salad:
1/2 small cabbage finely sliced or chopped
about half as much fresh kale finely chopped
4-6 small Persian cucumbers coarsely chopped or 1 large English cucumber
1 or 2 peppers (your choice of colour) coarsely chopped

TACO SALAD DRESSING
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup tomato salsa
1/2 t chili powder
Stir with a spoon and chill till ready to serve on top of Taco Salad.
can Store in fridge for a week
Salad: romaine lettuce – large chunks of tomatoes and cucumbers – black beans – taco flavoured ground beef – shredded cheddar – tortilla chips

RED RASPBERRY POPPYSEED DRESSING
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 T sugar
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard
1/4 cup water
1/2 onion finely chopped (I use 1/4 cup Thrive freeze dried chopped onions)
2 T honey
Blend all ingredients EXCEPT RASPBERRIES AND POPPY SEEDS in blender. Pour into serving container.
Add 1 cup fresh raspberries (I used 1 cup Thrive freeze dried raspberries)
1 t poppy seeds. Gently stir to blend berries and seeds throughout and serve.
can Store in fridge for a week.

Homemade BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
(I love the powerful taste of dark balsamic vinegar – it stands alone)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
juice of one lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 T honey
salt and pepper
Put all ingredients except salt and pepper into a pint mason jar with a lid. Shake well till honey dissolves. Taste, then decide if you want to put in about 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Shake again. Taste again.
This makes about a cup, but will Store in the fridge for a week or two so make a bigger batch if you want. Just shake it up when you want to use it again.

Substitute the olive oil for TAHINI to make it creamy and rich. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of water if it’s too thick.

Tahini is ground toasted sesame seeds similar in texture to peanut butter, in fact, it is sometimes used as a substitute for peanut butter. Rich is protein and trace minerals it is a healthy addition to add to your salad dressings.

CURRY TAHINI DRESSING
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup water
1 T honey
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 teaspoons curry powder (start with lesser amount then taste test before adding more)
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ginger (start with lesser amount then taste test before adding more)

Whisk in pint bottle till honey is dissolved.

RHUBARB SALAD DRESSING
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil – your favourite
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh garlic chives – or regular fresh chives if you don’t have them
1 cup finely chopped rhubarb
Whisk the vinegar, honey and oil together to totally dissolve the honey. Add chives and garlic and mix well. Set aside for at least an hour to combine flavours. Stir as you serve to keep garlic and chives incorporated throughout.
can Store in fridge for a week

BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING
1 cup buttermilk*
2/3 cup mayo
2/3 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic minced
1 T minced onion or Thrive freeze dried chopped onion
1 T chopped fresh chives
1 T fresh or frozen dill greens
1 T chopped fresh parsley or half that dried parsley crumbled
1/2 t each: salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients and let sit 30 minutes before serving.
Reduce buttermilk to 2/3 cup to make ranch dip.
Store in the fridge for up to a week.

*making buttermilk from Thrive Instant milk powder is easy.
1/4 cup Thrive Instant milk powder
3 Tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup water
Mix well and let stand for 5 minutes. Use in a recipe as you would buttermilk.

AVOCADO LIME DRESSING
1 avocado
1/2 cup sour cream (I use Thrive sour cream powder)
2 T mayo
2 T lime juice or 1 T limeade powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup water
Add everything to the blender
Dressing perfect for salad or for Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
can Store in fridge for a week

CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 clove garlic minced
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mayo
1/4 t salt
1 T Thrive freeze dried chopped onions OR 1/2 t onion powder
juice of 1 lime
Puree in blender. Chill till ready to serve.
can Store in fridge for a week

LIME VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup cilantro
3 T olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 large lime
1/2 t each: salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper
1 lg clove garlic
1 T tomato powder
Puree in blender till smooth. Chill till ready to serve.
can Store in fridge for a week

Savoury Sauces, Salsas, Dips and Spreads

TERIYAKI SAUCE
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T honey
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 garlic clove minced OR 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 T cornstarch mixed into a slurry with 1/4 cup cold water and set aside

Combine everything except cornstarch slurry into a small sauce pan. Bring to medium heat and whisk ingredients till thoroughly combined. Slowly add cornstarch slurry whisking constantly till its thickened to desired consistency. Use as you would any other teriyaki sauce. Make ahead and Store in a glass jar in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

HOISIN SAUCE
Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark, fragrant sauce commonly used in Chinese cooking, in a stir fry, or as dipping sauce for Asian dumplings. Lots of different recipes – give this one a try.
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T dark molasses
2 T honey
1 T toasted sesame oil (darker and more flavourful than regular sesame oil)
2 T rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cloves garlic finely minced
2 T sriracha sauce or your favourite hot chili sauce
1/2 t black pepper
1 T miso paste
1/4 cup water with 1 T cornstarch made into a slurry

Directions: In a small saucepan over medium high heat, whisk together everything except cornstarch slurry. When sauce is bubbling, whisk in cornstarch slurry continuing to stir and simmer till it begins to thicken. When it is the desired consistency, remove from heat. Makes almost 2 cups. Pour into a pint jar and allow to cool.
STORE in fridge for 4-6 weeks.
Use it to glaze salmon, ribs, chicken, shrimp – a little goes a long way as it is highly concentrated.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
Sweet and sour sauce is a exactly what its name suggests: sweet AND sour. Many people use a splash of red food colouring to give it it’s signature red colour. Don’t do that! Use my secret ingredient to get a full bodied flavour, and an all natural, gorgeous red colour.

I grew up on sweet and sour meatballs or short ribs – complete with food colouring. It was the way of things in those day. You could go out and buy a bottle if you crave that food colouring, but it’s SO easy to whip up your own. It tastes better. is free of all those nasty “unpronounce-ables”, and it’s cheap.
Great to use as a Dipping sauce for ribs, egg rolls, and dumplings.
Great to serve your meatballs in, or to even add to your pulled pork dish.
Great to use in your stir fried vegetables and chicken over rice.
Great to use as a glaze when grilling chicken pieces, hamburgers or porkchops.
Great to even use as a pizza sauce for an Asian twist. Be creative.

In small saucepan, dissolve 1/2 cup brown sugar
in 1 cup pineapple juice
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
Create a cornstarch slurry with
1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons water.
Pour into the pineapple juice and stir while it simmers and begins to thicken.
Add 3 Tablespoons of *TOMATO POWDER* and continue stirring to completely dissolve.
Add 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
and 1/2 cup rice vinegar, continuing to stir.
When its the perfect consistency, turn the heat off and serve!

Pour into a pint jar and allow to cool. Makes almost 2 cups.
STORE in fridge for 2-4 weeks.

TZATZIKI
Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip made from simple ingredients including thick yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and fresh herbs. It is primarily used as a dip or a topping.
Traditionally of course, fresh cucumbers are used, but I most often use freeze dried cucumber dices. Makes it so much easier! If you’re using fresh cucumber it needs to be grated and strained so get to that right away.
* 1 medium cucumber finely shredded, tossed in 1/2 t salt. Set in colander to drain about 30 minutes. Squeeze excess moisture out as much as you can. Set aside.
I skip this step entirely because I use Thrive Life freeze dried diced Cucumbers.
Start with 1/2 cup and add more as desired one T at a time so you don’t add too much.

1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or another nice thick plain yogurt)
1 T lemon juice or 1/2 t Thrive lemonade powder
2-4 T fresh dill chopped (I freeze fresh chopped dill in the summer and use all winter long)
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* if you’re not using the fresh salted, strained cucumbers, add 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T olive oil
Mix everything except cucumbers. Add at the end and gently toss cucumbers in.
Set in the fridge for an hour or so to blend flavours.
Can Store in the fridge for several days; if you’re using freeze dried cucumbers, it will keep up to a week.

HOMEMADE KETCHUP
It’s ironic that in most cases, condiments were homemade at first, and then commercially reproduced to taste as close to homemade as possible. Not really possible – but we become so accustomed to it that we now try to make the homemade version taste like commercial. How backwards is that? The homemade version is all about natural flavours and ingredients. Super easy, and tastes so much better than commercial if FRESH tasting is important to you.

1 c. *Tomato Powder
3 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. honey or sugar – your choice
1/2 c. Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp. THRIVE freeze dried Chopped Onions
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. black Pepper
1/2 tsp. dry Mustard
1/8 tsp. ground Allspice

directions:
In a medium sized pot combine all the ingredients. Stir to mix and bring to a boil, continuing to stir frequently.
Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently till ketchup reaches the perfect consistency for you. Expect that to be about 45 minutes – depending on thickness desired. Pour into glass jar and refrigerate. , continuing to stir frequently.
Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently till ketchup reaches the perfect consistency for you. Expect that to be about 45 minutes – depending on thickness desired. Pour into glass jar and refrigerate. Mine yielded 2 pint jars. Best to let it sit for a day to allow flavours to fully blend. STORE 2 – 3 weeks in the fridge.
Use as you would normally use regular ketchup.

PLUM SAUCE
1 1/2 pounds fresh plums, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 T grated fresh ginger or 1-2 teaspoons ginger powder
1/2 t red pepper flakes (optional)
Put all together in medium sauce pan, bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes till sauce is thickened slightly. Puree if desired (I don’t. I prefer the chunky texture but I know some like it smooth)
Store: without canning, it will be good in your fridge for about a week.
I highly recommend multiplying the amount if you have a good source of plums, and canning in pint jars. Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath for pints.
Once canned, label and date the jars; Store for about a year.

CHEESY BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
I could never figure out what made hot chicken wings “buffalo chicken wings”. Didn’t make any sense. I kept thinking there’s gotta be a good reason, but in the end, it’s stupidly simple. The hot sauce  gets its name from it’s origin: the Anchor Bar in, you guessed it – Buffalo, New York. So why don’t they call it Anchor Sauce? Who knows?
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I use Freeze Dried chopped chicken refreshed)
3/4 cup of your favourite hot sauce
2 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese, cubed
1 cup ranch dressing (I use 1 cup Thrive Life Sour Cream powder with 1/2 cup water)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (I use the same amount of Freeze Dried Cheddar refreshed)

Skillet method: In large skillet over medium heat, pour hot sauce and add chicken. Stir to coat evenly and heat through. Add cream cheese cubes and ranch dressing. Cook to melt cheese, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and cook till hot and bubbly.
Slow cooker method: Add all the ingredients into slow cooker set on medium. Stir occasionally to keep from scorching until all is blended, cheese is melted and sauce is hot and bubbly – aprox 45 minutes.
Serve with a loaf of crusty sour dough bread or fresh vegetable wedges.
Can Store in fridge for a week.

SPINACH DIP
Personally, I choose NOT to add any seasoning to this dip because I don’t want it to over power the subtle taste of spinach (which I love). But you do you. If you have a favourite seasoning, then go ahead and use it.
2 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup sour cream (I use 1 cup Thrive Life sour cream powder + 1/3 cup water)
1 cup mayonnaise
optional – 1/2 cup freeze dried chopped onions (you won’t see the onions but you’ll get their wonderful taste) OR 2-4 chopped green onions
lots of Spinach slight steamed and wilted, then chopped and strained (make sure you get all the liquid out of it). I used Freeze Dried Spinach straight from the can. A LOT easier and more nutritious than store bought spinach.

Blend the cream cheese with hand mixer till smooth and creamy. Add sour cream continuing to blend till completely mixed. Add mayonnaise, mixing the whole time till completely combined and smooth.
I add spinach a cup at a time, mixing with a spoon. The steamed chopped spinach will be wet of course, the freeze dried spinach (my preference by far) will be dry. I add as much spinach as I can, judging by texture, colour and personal preference. I don’t want it to get too dry, but if I’ve added too much FD spinach, I simply add a little water to moisten.
Can Store in fridge for a week.

PEANUT SAUCE (for Spring Rolls)
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup T rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup liquid honey
2 T sesame oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 – 1/3 cup water (start with 1/4 cup and add a little more if needed
Whisk together to make creamy but dip-able sauce.
Can Store in fridge for a week.

*I use this sauce to pour over or as a dip for Spring Rolls, but the truth is – I could eat it by the spoon its so good. I may have done that from time to time.
Spring rolls can seem intimidating, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly and be a pro in no time. It’s kinda like folding a burrito but tighter. The first few won’t be perfect, but don’t stress out – you’re just gonna eat ’em anyway.
*BONUS – Spring Roll recipe
filling: thin rice noodles, finely shredded: lettuce, cabbage, carrot; long thin cucumber wedges; chopped green onions, fresh cilantro and fresh mint. Small amount of sesame oil and little bit of salt.
Cook noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Test. DON’T over-cook. Drain and rinse immediately in cold water. Drain again. OR soak them in warm water (not cold, not hot) for 10-15 minutes till softened. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Toss 2 T sesame oil over top and 1 t. salt to keep from sticking together. Set aside.
*hint: have everything ready to go so that you can focus on the rice paper and folding.
wrapper: Rice Paper Sheets
building the rolls
1- lay a round rice paper sheet one at a time in a pie plate of cool water – 10-20 seconds till pliable. Lay on a clean tea towel and place a few pieces of lettuce about one-third from the bottom of the wrapper. You want to leave a couple inches open on the two sides for wrapping.
2 – Add remaining ingredients in whatever order you prefer, but I like to do – lettuce, cabbage, carrots, green onions, topped with a couple wedges of cucumber and then sprinkled with the chopped herbs . Leave the top third of the wrapper open for wrapping.
3 – Gently pull the bottom of the wrapper up and over the filling. Try to keep the filling as tight as you can as you roll upwards, until the filling is enveloped. Pull the sides over to enclose the filling completely. Continue rolling till fully wrapped.
The more you do, the tighter they’ll get. You may have to eat the first one to get rid of the evidence of it.

Salsas and PESTOS

MANGO CUCUMBER SALSA with LIME
2 cups Thrive Life freeze dried mangoes OR fresh mango diced
2 cups Thrive Life freeze dried cucumbers OR fresh cucumber diced
1 cup Thrive Life freeze dried red bell peppers OR fresh pepper diced
1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried chopped onions OR 1/2 medium red onion diced finely
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water if using freeze dried OR 1/4 cup water if using fresh
1 T Thrive Life Limeade powder OR juice of one lime (don’t be afraid to add more LIME)
1 1/2 T Thrive Life honey crystals OR 2 T honey
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all produce. Prepare dressing on the side and drizzle over top. Let sit for a few minute before serving.
When you’re using freeze dried ingredients you can prepare this ahead in a jar, all except for the liquids. When you’re ready, just pour into a bowl, add water and oil, stir to combine and presto! You’re done. You’ll have to forego the fresh cilantro, or add it later.
This is wonderful for me because I can have ‘fresher-than-fresh’ mango salsa any time it appeals to me.
recipe link
Mix can Store in a sealed jar for 6 months to a year. Prepared, it can Store in fridge for a week

FRESH RHUBARB SUMMER SALSA
click link for recipe
I call this ‘summer salsa’ because of the many other ingredients that are plentiful in a summer garden, but not so plentiful in the spring as early as rhubarb is ready. This combination is terrific, delicious all by itself. Who said rhubarb has to be sweet? When you use it as a vegetable, you’re a little more willing to use less sugar. Only 1 tablespoon of brown sugar with over 8 cups vegetables.

FRESH RHUBARB CHUTNEY
click link for recipe
I love the sweet spicy smell that fills the house with this gorgeous spiced rhubarb chutney. So delicious, you can eat it straight. Personally I wouldn’t can it, simply because I’d prefer not to cook it that long, but you can always freeze the fresh rhubarb so that you can make this a few times in the off season. So quick and easy, and the bonus is that your house will smell GREAT! Lovely served over pork roast, beef or chicken – or wherever you use chutney.

PESTO
I am a huge fan of PESTO – in fact, many PESTOS. I grow a lotta Basil for the sake of Pesto, but don’t limit yourself to just basil. You can use many different green herbs, or a combination of some of them. A whole new world of pesto awaits. I have a few different Pesto recipes elsewhere on this site, so instead of pasting them all here – I’m including the links.
basil pesto
oregano pesto
nasturtium pesto
radish green pesto
I hope you’ll go check them out, and even make up a batch or two in the summer when all is fresh and green.

SOMETHING SWEET

CONDENSED MILK or EVAPORATED MILK
This is the milk my mother’s generation prepared baby formula out of. My mom and all my aunts diluted it with boiled water and put it into baby bottles. It was the opinion of the time that enlightened western women did not need to breast feed anymore, as it was “quite inconvenient” and cows milk was just as good, in fact some considered it better. Evaporated milk was the first food of every child I knew – certainly myself, my siblings, and my cousins. That generation of western women was fully indoctrinated that bottle feeding and cow’s milk was better, and it took a lot of convincing to turn the tide back around. Not an easy sell. I was one of the few young moms of my peers who chose breastfeeding against the better judgement and advice of most older women I knew – including nurses on the maternity floor. My in-laws considered it quite a radical move, but they were becoming accustomed to my ‘radical’ ways and just rolled their eyes.

Nevertheless, there is a place for condensed/evaporated milk, and from a food storage perspective it can be a good resource – ie: a substitution for half and half cream in recipes. Yes, you can use ‘fresh’ milk and reduce it over heat – but you don’t need me for that. You can find a recipe for that online. However, making it from your shelf stable INSTANT Milk powder is super convenient since you already have everything on hand.
1 cup Thrive Instant Milk
1 1/4 cup water.
Blend thoroughly in blender or with whisk. Makes 12 ounces Evaporated milk. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (not to be confused with ‘Condensed’ milk or ‘Evaporated milk’)
An alternative to spending $4.99 – $5.99 for a 10 oz (300 ml) can of sweetened condensed milk, this takes less than 5 minutes and costs pennies.
You can even make *Dulce de Leche from it, the same way you would regular canned Sweetened Condensed Milk.

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup HOT water
1 cup Thrive Instant Milk powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Put your butter in the blender and add your HOT water. Blend on low, gradually adding 1 cup white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Continuing beating till completely incorporated, scraping down sides as necessary. Makes 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk.
Pour into a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate till needed. Mixture will thicken a little as it cools. May be Stored for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Personally, I don’t use sweetened condensed milk a whole lot. Maybe once a year if that. But when I do, I don’t want to have to run out to buy some, and I don’t use it enough to justify having it in my food storage. But since I have the milk and sugar on hand all the time, this is my best option.

*what is Dulce de Leche?
Also called: caramelized milk or milk candy, it is a popular confection in Latin America, France, Poland and the Philippines – prepared by slow boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. The resulting substance is a sweet, gooey caramel coloured, spreadable, thick sauce (hence the name caramelized milk). Use as a spread in layered cake or buttery sandwich cookies, a filling for dessert crepes (topped with whipped cream to add to the calories lol), in homemade cheese cake filling, or as a topping for classic cheese cake, to sweetened home made eggnog, or in any number of sweet and delicious ways.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE DIP
for fruit, graham crackers, sugar cookies, bagel wedges or apple wedges

8 oz package cream cheese softened
2 T honey
2 T milk
2 cups freeze dried strawberries
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, honey and milk until smooth. Add strawberries and continue to beat another minute or two – until strawberries are broken up and dip is a beautiful strawberry colour and taste. If it appears dip is getting a little dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk (one at a time to test texture).
Let sit for ten minutes to completely refresh the strawberries.
Can Store in the fridge for up to a week.

WHY MAKE YOUR OWN?

The biggest advantage of making your own mixes is that you know exactly what’s in them. It allows you to control salt, eliminate MSG and every other artificial or harmful ingredient. Consequently the storage time will be shorter, but in most cases, they’re so quick to make up – using ingredients that are common in most kitchens, that you can whip them up in minutes.

The other advantage is that I don’t have to run to the grocery store for common things we’ve become accustomed to using. Once we get over the fact that we’re also “accustomed” to store bought taste, we can replace that – and get used to – the natural homemade goodness of FRESH.

The video I promised to include about Thrive Scrambled Egg Mix (freeze dried eggs). And yes, they really are better than other ‘powdered eggs’. Much better!

Really? No, I mean REALLY? How is this possible? You can take my word for it. They taste THAT good.

*What is Tomato Powder?
Made from dehydrated tomatoes, ground into powder, tomato is exactly what it purports to be. It adds the gentle acid of tomatoes to the full bodied, concentrated flavour of a tomatoes in all your favourite dishes. You can make your own – you go girl! – or buy it from a good natural source. My favourite is from THRIVE LIFE.

ENJOY.

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

6 easy steps for putting your garden to bed + 2 bonus tips

Face it – by the end of August, we cannot deny the inevitable any longer. Growth has slowed down, fruit and vegetables are ripening, plants are drying out and going to seed. They’re all doing what nature intends for us all to do at certain times – get ready for bed.

In the spring, we’re all excited about our gardens, but tucking our gardens in for the winter is an important step that is often missed entirely. When the weather gets colder and things stop growing, we lose interest in being in the garden, but missing this final seasonal detail is a mistake. It’s tempting to be a bit lazy, and I get it. Its dark earlier, weather isn’t great, dead and dying perennials are kinda hard to get excited about. But don’t fall for it. Your garden NEEDS you. Putting your garden to bed is an important step in it’s health next spring. Come on, give yourself one more final push, then you can both rest in the winter – guilt free.

There have been years I’ve tried extending the season by planting things like spinach at the end of August hoping for a late crop. There have been years I’ve tried to extend the season by heating the greenhouse into the fall. But the simple truth is, we don’t have the sun for it in Alberta. In September, we have the same amount of sun as we do in March. No matter how many nights you heat the greenhouse in September, you cannot fake the sun during the day, and plants need sun. You’d have more success extending the season by planting earlier in the season than you would extending the season in the fall. Winter has its purpose, it isn’t the great enemy of gardeners that we sometimes make it out to be. My opinion? Give it up. Let fall be fall. And get on with your life. BUT. Put your garden to bed first! So you can both rest comfortably.

late summer bouquet

What to get rid of and what not to get rid of? That is the question.

By September, there are always a bunch of dead and dying plants, some that seem to be coming into their own, and of course lots of weeds going to seed. Some gardeners follow the philosophy of clearing everything out and leaving a nice tidy garden bed. I don’t have anything quite so tidy as a “garden bed” in my yard. I have lots of planted space but its not all together. I have perennial flower beds on all four sides of the house, sunny flower beds, shady flower beds, some flower beds under trees, some tucked into shady corners. I have repurposed horse troughs, a currant patch, rhubarb patch, raspberry patch, grapes, fruit trees dispersed throughout, a dedicated herb garden and three raised beds for edibles, with edibles planted here and there among flowers and herbs. There are still tomatoes trying to ripen and root vegetables that are doing just fine where they are for now. Every garden has its own needs. But there are some rules of thumb that I apply to all.

1. Clean up

There is plenty of debate in this area ranging all the way from getting rid of everything to leaving it all for spring clean up, and everywhere in between. I’ve listened to much of it, applied the counsel that made sense to me, and in the end, I’ve come up with my own pattern that I’m happy with. Truth is however, that sometimes life gets in the way, and you simply don’t ‘get to it’ in time. Don’t beat yourself up when that happens; there will be other years to do it better. But for now, here’s the ‘general’ plan. Keep in mind that life is about compromise and there are exceptions to every rule.

First of all get rid of the dead stuff. That’s a natural. For the most part: if its dead pull it out.
Throw it into the compost.
exceptions:
If some of the weeds have roots or seeds or perhaps a plant has a disease – you don’t want to risk taking that into next year by putting them into your backyard compost, so either get rid of them in *the garbage or *Burn them! Otherwise, into the compost they go. (for more information on backyard composting click here)
If it’s a perennial that has died back, cut it off at the ground.

Annuals are easy. Just pull them out and throw them into the compost. Most of the time, I throw big piles of compostables on the lawn. We mow them up and throw them into the compost, or into some of the beds that could use them. When I say ‘we’, I mean of course ‘Dan’. Getting rid of dead plants and other debris removes winter shelter for pests, preventing future problems next spring. There are some diseases that can overwinter. You don’t want that lingering over into a fresh new start in the spring time; if there is disease – get it outta there. Getting rid of weeds at the end of the season gets rid of their seeds and roots, reducing their annoyance next spring. Yes I know they’re no longer visibly causing a problem, but they’re going to seed or developing strong root systems (sneaky little jerks), so get rid of them.

RULE:
*Healthy plants – even weeds – compost them. In my books there are good weeds and bad weeds. Good weeds to me, are weeds that we eat and that I don’t mind propagating next year, like chickweed and lambs quarters. (see Making Friends with your Weeds)
Bad weeds are stupid weeds like Trailing Bellflower (devil-weed), or rooty weeds like dandelions, horse radish, and thistle – those I do not compost. Or other weeds that make a lotta seeds. Yes I know that compost may take care of most of these problems . . . but I usually don’t risk it. There are very few plants I feel the need to eradicate, so I’m not gonna waste time feeling guilty about them. They should feel guilty for disappointing me so much.
*Unhealthy plants – get rid of them. No exceptions. And not into your compost.

Remove tender summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias and store them in your cold room or garage for planting next season. I personally have never brought my dahlias in for the winter, I just buy more in the spring, but this year I am in love with the dahlias I grew, so I’m gonna give it a try. Besides, I figure since I fuss for my geraniums, it can’t be much different. (see below for the geraniums)

But what about the plants that are not dead? I cannot bear to kill things that want to live so much that they thrive in the inhospitable dryness, reduced light and chilly nights of early fall. Those are the things I don’t get rid of. I still water them when needed and in return, they do what they do best – gladden my heart. They will die on their own when the cold of late October makes it impossible for them to do otherwise. I leave them where they are because they will trap snow which will protect all around them, and help with needed moisture when the snow melts in the spring.

There are also good bugs that need shelter in the winter, like lady bugs and their friends. So don’t clear everything out, find some balance.

RULE:
get rid of the uglies – keep the beautiful;
get rid of the sick and dead – keep the healthy and strong

2. Fall Planting

Fall planting is a way of taking advantage of the earliest that spring has to offer.
SPINACH: Planting spinach in the fall before the snow flies, should give you an early yield. Select a spot that is protected, but that will get good sun in April and May. Lightly sow a patch of spinach. Throughout the winter, ensure it has a good covering of snow. When the warmth of April days melts the snow in some nice sunny spots, your spinach seed will sprout. They are not afraid of cold. They’ll just patiently wait till conditions are better and then start growing again.

DILL, POPPIES, CALENDULA and other herb and flower seeds can be sown at the time of harvest to pop up in the earliest days of May. Simply broadcast them in your desire spots and let nature do what she does best. The seeds need a winter, and protective snow.

Some plants that inadvertently get left in the garden, may resurrect in the spring. My rule of thumb is to let most things that want to grow – grow. You may have a sage plant that comes back, lemon balm, parsley, even kale. You may have volunteer lettuce plants start to grow because something went to seed last fall.

GARLIC: Plant your garlic before the ground freezes to harvest at the end of next summer.

Spring Bulbs. Yes I know fall is the time to plant daffodils and more tulips etc for spring blooms. I’m sorry. I’ve got nothing to offer here. I aspire to plant more bulbs in the fall, but its just one thing that I rarely find time for.

3. Bring them in

Some plants might be healthy enough to bring indoors. I always bring in some geraniums (see below), and often bring in a rosemary plant. I’ve tried lots of other herbs, but I simply don’t have the sun for them. If you have a beautiful sunny window, I strongly encourage giving them a try indoor. Prune down to about 1/2 its original size, trimming off everything brown. Shake the old soil off to get rid of any unwelcome hitch hikers, and maybe even rinse the roots off. Then replant in fresh soil, water well and set in your sunniest window.

GERANIUMS. I love geraniums, and they love me back. Red ones. Only red ones. I’ve tried other colours, but I kept coming back to red, and now I don’t bother with any other colour when I know that it’s red I really want. Their bright vibrant flowers cheer me all spring and summer long. At the end of it, I cannot bear to kill them, or let them them die while they’re still trying so hard to make the world a better place. So I bring them inside. In actual fact, though we think of them as annuals, geraniums are actually ‘tender’ perennials, and will tolerate temperatures down to about 7°C while still actively growing.  That is truly heroic. Another reason I love them. I’ll bring two or three into the house and let them live in a sunny window all winter long. Their favourite temperature is between 12°- 18°C, which is ideal for in-house if you’ve got enough light. However, I find that in the winter even though I have a south facing bay window, winter sun is just not very impressive and they stop flowering shortly after they get moved inside.  And by about January they start to get quite ‘leggy’. I just trim them as needed to try to keep them content. Its the least I could do for all the joy they bring me outside for five months.

geraniums at season’s end, still being beautiful

But I cannot invite all my geraniums into the living room, so I do something else.
I put my three wooden window boxes in the garage. Ours is a heated garage though its usually pretty chilly out there. We only turn the furnace on when Dan’s working on a project, but apparently it fine for geraniums. Before a killer frost (so sometime mid to late September), I will hard prune the plants by about one third to one half, removing any dead, damaged or unhealthy parts. I check for stupid aphids (I hate aphids) or other problem critters or disease. I water deeply, then I put them up on a shelf in the garage, kinda out of the way but not so much out of the way that I forget they’re there.

I give them a drink of water a few times – maybe every 4-6 weeks. If they’re too outta sight, I’ll forget to water them, and even though they’re mostly dormant, they still need a little moisture now and again. By about March they start responding to the little bit of light they get from a frosted window and miraculously they start to green up. I am always amazed that they do this, and I regard it as one of nature’s miracles. It’s still cold outside, with snow and ice, but they start being true to their calling in life. March has about the same amount of sun as September. I take this new growth as a sign to give them more to drink. By mid April, I can start letting them sit outside on nice days, giving them more water. This gradually gets them used to outdoor light and regular watering. I don’t put them outside permanently till after May 1, and even after that I put a cloth over top if I expect freezing night time temperatures. I can’t risk losing them that late in the game.

I trim them back as needed, give them some healthy mulch and all purpose fertilizer, and we go right back to being old friends. They’re grateful to be back in their rightful place, and I’m grateful to have them. They resume bringing me joy, and I resume my supportive role as their care-giver.

Some garden herbs:
I’ve tried pretty much all herbs in the house for winter and I just don’t have enough light, even with my south facing bay window. Yes, I know I can use grow lights, but most of my plants are in the living room, and I don’t want grow lights in there all winter long. There are some though, that seem to do better than others.

*ROSEMARY: I often bring a rosemary plant indoors. In fact for several years I’ve kept one in a pot that I moved in and out, but eventually I lost it by letting it dry out. It’s surprising how much water herbs require in the dry climate of a house in winter. If you have a particularly happy healthy rosemary plant, go ahead and dig it up. Trim it down by about half, remove the soil and gently rinse off the plant and roots. Be sure the pot is clean, and you’re using fresh soil, then transplant into its new home and bring it inside. Keep it in the sunniest spot and water when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. 

*BAY LAUREL: I have a bay laurel plant I bring in and out and in and out, for about 8 years now. I am very invested in keeping this plant safe. I had a couple near misses this last year with it, but we weathered the storm together. I keep it in the same pot, so I’m not digging it up, but this year I was particularly careful about cleaning it. I trimmed all the ‘iffy’ branches or leaves (anything that wasn’t pristine), removed it from its pot, removed all the soil, gently rinsed the roots of all old soil and washed the pot. Then I transplanted it back into its original but cleaned up pot, and brought it back inside. It’s very happy.

*CUBAN OREGANO: Unlike regular oregano cuban oregano won’t survive our winter, so its best suited in a pot where it can come inside for the winter. Give it a sunny spot and it’s an easy-to-grow house plant that will be your friend for years with just a little care and attention. A member of the mint family, and often referred to as Mexican mint, it has characteristic thick, fuzzy leaves with a strong pleasing odor. Water when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. 

4. gleaning – the final harvest

It’s true that in Sept and October, late fruits and vegetables are ready to harvest. Root crops like carrots, beets and potatoes; fruits like apples, plums and grapes. Some apples and plums may be ready in August, others in September or October. Generally, the grapes we grow in the Edmonton area are ready in September after the weather cools a little.

*BUT – There are hidden harvests that often get missed. Just open your eyes.

Gardens don’t cease to bless your lives just because its autumn.

dill seed ready to harvest

If you grew DILL this year, you probably have some that has gone to seed. Go get it. Pull the plant out of the ground, cut the head off and put it in a bowl. Shake or brush the seeds off the plant into the bowl. Broadcast a handful where you want dill next year, and gather the rest to save for more deliberate planting in the spring. Yes, there are many ways to use it in the kitchen if you have enough.
I’ll admit it, I rarely allow my dill to go to seed, except for a few delegated plants off to the side. I do this because aphids usually accompany dill when it goes to seed, and I hate aphids. But this year, I had a ton of dill – way way way over planted. I picked all the green ferny dill weed that I could use, gave plenty away, and still had too many dill plants all going to seed at the same time. I watched for aphids but didn’t see anything excessive. I let them ripen, ever watchful, but I never saw a problem, so I proceeded. Lucky me, I got lots of dill seed to grow next year, and lots to bring into the house.
Store your seed in a paper envelop, labelled and dated.

POPPIES. If you’re not growing poppies you’re missing out on one of nature’s loveliest offerings. Beautiful before they flower. Gorgeous iconic papery flowers. And just as beautiful in the late summer after they’ve gone to seed. You’ll know the seed is ripe when you can hear it rattle inside the seed pod. At that point, pull the plant out of the ground and turn upside down into a bowl. Shake the seeds out. Broadcast the seed from two or three heads at most (that’s a LOT of poppies) where you want them to grow next year, and save the rest for poppy seed bread, muffins, cake, cookies and salad dressing.
BEANS and peas that didn’t get picked in time, are ripening and drying. When they’re fully developed, pick them and store them for seed next year, in a marked and dated paper envelop or lunch bag.
CHIVES and GARLIC CHIVES have gone to seed, producing thousands of little black seeds. You can let them fall and have a million little chive plants growing everywhere next year, or you can harvest the seed to sprinkle on bread or over top other dishes. *hint: they’re entirely edible, but don’t expect too much in the way of flavour.
GARLIC. Mid September is the time to harvest garlic, and to plant more.
KALE is planted in various places throughout my yard. In the vegetable garden, in the rhubarb patch, the asparagus patch, and interspersed among perineal flowers and herbs. A few here and a few there. One or two act as a trap crop for annoying pests – thank you for your sacrifice. They’ll get eaten by chickens (who bytheway enjoy annoying pests).
Don’t worry, I’ve got others. Kale is hardy, and even in September, it’s on stage doing a full encore. Beautiful. How can you not love kale? I pick it every few days to add to dinner, and if I pick more than we need, I dehydrate it. Super simple. Just strip leaves off the stems, wash and chop to put in the dehydrator. When dry, store in a jar to use all winter long.
This spring I had an unexpected surprise. A kale plant over wintered and started producing harvestable kale by mid May. I let it do its own thing and as time when on, it began to flower and go to seed. So by September I have a lot of beautiful ripe kale seed in pods. A gift.
NASTURTIUMS have been giving all season long. But as much as I used their greens and flowers, some flowers always get left behind to go to seed. This is good, as I am all about collecting seed right now.
SWEET PEAS are annual climbing flowers, that are so bright and cheerful, and hardy that they can be friends with everyone. I’ve always thought they should be spring or at least early summer flowers, but they do best, as summer progresses into August. They’ll go to seed if you let the last few flowers ripen. Easy to collect. I highly recommend starting them in-doors well ahead of growing season. This year (2022) is the first year I’ve let mine go to seed so that I can plant inside next April. The pods look very similar to pea pods (who’d suspected right? lol), and as they ripen the seeds are so perfect that it would have been a shame not to collect them. Having said that, if you wait to long, they’ll open and drop their seeds, but I have yet to have had one survive the winter and volunteer in the spring.
SUNFLOWERS are ripening. Cut the smaller flowers for kitchen bouquets, but let the bigger ones ripen. If the seeds are still immature (white), but a nice size, bring them in, they’re delicious in salads and stir fries as a vegetable. If they’re big heads, share some with the birds over the winter. I leave them face up in several different places throughout the yard where wild birds like to hang out when its cold. Our favourite place is just outside our kitchen window where we can enjoy watching them all winter long. Its a win-win.

Lots of herbs are still doing beautifully, but its time to cut them down for the last time and bring them in for winter use. Sage, rosemary, tarragon, stevia, mint of course, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, parsley, lemon verbena, . . .
My lavender gave me some late sprigs to add to what has already been harvested. Thank you Lavender.

Look around you – there is more bounty than you may have expected.

5. Mulch and other ‘protection‘

Everybody likes a comfy blanket. In gardens we call it ‘mulch’.

homemade patchwork quilt

My mom, throwing an additional blanket over top of me in bed on a cold winter’s night, is a comforting childhood memory. It provided a little weight, and that weight provided warmth.

Our gardens would appreciate an additional insulating blanket against the harshness of winter too. Some plants might be a little sensitive to the bitter cold of some winters that we have no control over and cannot always predict, but sometimes its simply a matter of protecting the bare soil and friendly critters in it. What kind of blanket? Nice clean fallen leaves that are so plentiful in the fall, is a perfect mulch. Between one to three inches is recommended. In the absence of leaves, the final mowing of dried grass would be good, or chopped/mowed up straw. Don’t use wood chips in the garden; they detract from the soil long before they can possibly add to it.

In addition to protecting the soil and plants in it, mulch slowly adds nutrients and humus. Humus is the Latin world for ‘earth’ or ‘ground. It refers to that dark organic matter in soil which comes from the decomposition of plants and animal matter. That a good thing because it improves soil structure, aeration, and water holding capabilities. Aeration reduces the compaction of soil, allowing roots to take up nutrients and spread out healthily.

Leaves or straw won’t magically disappear over the winter, miraculously becoming humus. Some of it will still be quite identifiable as leaves and straw in the spring, but some (the bottom layer) has begun to decompose. I simply rake off the identifiables and mow them up with the first mowings of spring to be used to as a top layer in an area I want to amend, as mulch between rows, or the beginning of this year’s compost. A good winter’s mulch is a beautiful start in prepping your soil for spring. Just sayin’ . . . . .

winter protection from foraging animals

Most urban yards don’t suffer too much from animals like deer foraging over the winter, but rabbits can be a problem. They ate the bark from my daughter’s lilac tree a few winters ago, and killed it. If you live in an area where rabbits might be an issue for you, wrap the bottom three or four feet loosely with chicken wire. Why so high? When the snow is deep and the rabbit is sitting on top of the snow, that is where they’ll be nibbling.

tips to remember
1. Disease is not something you want to add to your compost. Get rid of those plants. Either burn them or garbage them.
2. Roots like trailing bell flower, horse radish and dandelion, and seeds like thistle are not things you want in your compost. Get rid of them.
Either burn them or garbage them.
3. Its helpful to mow up your bigger pieces before putting them into your compost. This speeds up the process of breaking down, a good thing.

6. Watering trees in late autumn keeps them healthy and strong

clockwise from upper left: Red Elderberry, Spruce, Honeycrisp Apple, Evans Sour Cherry

While your trees are dropping their leaves, or just after, they would appreciate a good long drink. Give both evergreen and deciduous trees a long, slow, deep watering. This is important, but the timing is particular. Too early might signal the tree toward new growth and may slow the onset of dormancy. Dormancy is not a light switch, it is a progressive stage allowing trees to prepare for colder weather and eventual freeze up. Too late (after the ground freezes) prevents the water from seeping into the soil and reaching the feeder roots. How will you know when the time is right? Look to your trees. Deciduous (leafy) trees will tell you the time is right when their leaves have fallen. This will also be your hint to water their neighbours, the evergreen trees. Because evergreens don’t go into full dormancy, they will actively use water throughout the year, except for when its really cold, so its even more important that they get a good watering in the fall.

Don’t water mature trees right up near the trunk, as the roots that need water will be further out – closer to where the canopy of the tree extends. The exception to this rule is newly planted trees who’s roots might still be close to the initial root ball.

Put your hose on the ground and water slowly so that the water doesn’t puddle on the surface. You’re looking to moisten the top foot of soil around the perimeter of the ‘drip line’ (distance from the trunk to as far as the outside branches reach). “Moisten” does not mean “soggy”. Testing the moisture level is easy – insert a wooden stick or a metal rod into the soil. Where the soil is moist, the stake should slide in easily. When it meets with resistance, that signifies to you that the soil is dry. You’re looking for about a foot of moistened soil. Anything deeper is of no value and is wasted.

Watering earlier in the day gives the roots time to absorb the moisture before the temperature drops at night.

Bonus tip 1. Protect your garden tools and equipment

Hold on! You’re not done yet. I know its tempting to just go inside when the cold hits and shut the door, but pay attention to your tools. They deserve it. Whether you have a garden shed or space in the garage, or box in the basement – use it. Don’t leave your clippers or spade outside to rust.

Tools: Clean them and put them in a box.
Seed trays and pots: Wash them and store them where they’ll be easy to retrieve in the late winter or early spring when you’ll need them.
Maintenance: Now is the time to fix those annoying little things that have needed patching all summer long.

Bonus tip 2. Garden journal

Hopefully you’ve been keeping a garden journal all along, but if you haven’t right now would be a good time to start one. Record the dates you harvested this or that, and the general yield. Record the temperatures in these close out days for reference next year. Record the seeds you harvested. Make sure you store them in paper envelopes, labelled and dated. Record your successes and failures and your ideas for fixing them next year – while they’re still fresh in your mind. I promise you will not remember them otherwise. Record what varieties did well, and what did not, what you’ll be sure to repeat and what you will not. Maybe you are an avid journaler, maybe you’re more of a casual note taker, but whatever you are – DO SOMETHING. I promise you’ll be happy you did when you go to reference it next spring.

stand back and enjoy the immense satisfaction of a “job well done” . . .

In my case its a challenge to even know where to begin when its time to wrap things up for the season. I rarely have two or three days that I can devote to the work of putting my garden to bed, and my ‘gardens’ are all over the yard, full of perennials. I catch a few hours here and there to go out and work, but the job is pretty overwhelming when you’re doing it in pieces. I find the only way I can proceed with any feeling of accomplishment is if I start in one corner and proceed in a single direction. ‘Finishing a piece’ with no intention of coming back to it till spring, helps me systematically make it through the whole yard.

Standing back to admire what you’ve done once in awhile is satisfying.
Standing back when you’re ALL done, is immensely satisfying, but the truth is, there are seasons, that I never completely make it through the whole yard. Yes, I wish I had, but life simply gets busy and sometimes the snow comes before I am ready for it. Nothing to do in that case, but get on with my life, and try to do better next year.

*hint: don’t wait till its COLD and the job is horrible. On September 1, you KNOW cold days are coming. Start the job of putting your garden to bed while the weather is still pleasant – removing (or pruning back) those plants that have already given you everything they have to give, and deserve their rest.

Good Night Garden. Enjoy your rest. I’ll enjoy mine.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences about getting your garden ready for bed and tucking it in for the winter, as well as your comments on some of the things discussed here.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Common Herbs in your House and Yard: part 3 Garlic to Ginger

part 3 – Garlic, Garlic Chives, Ginger

GARLIC

– plant every fall for mid summer harvest.
Garlic is a staple in the kitchen of course but there many other benefits that earn it an honoured place in every herb garden. The bulbs grown in your backyard garden may be smaller, but stronger, hotter and in every way more potent than the ones you buy in the grocery store.  Use them in homemade salad dressings, pasta sauces, soups and in every other dish you might normally add onions to.  Garlic and onions are best friends in any dish. 

But medicinally, the key phytochemical in garlic is allicin which has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic and antioxidant properties.  It can also be anti-social. LOL
I know, it seems too good to be true, but after a lifetime of using it, I am convinced it really is the super food it boasts about being with all of these properties.  The thing to remember is that allicin is most potent when the garlic is consumed raw, and while some people swallow the clove whole, there is evidence to indicate that the allicin is best released when the fresh clove is chewed or crushed. But who wants to chew a clove of garlic right?  (see below) Mincing the garlic and putting it into a salad dressing is a great way to eat it. The longer you wait the stronger it gets so you might want to eat it right away before it over powers the dressing.

Heart health:
garlic reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke because it improves blood circulation and lowers harmful cholesterol.  Studies have shown that garlic helps reduce blood pressure allowing blood to flow more freely,

Arthritis:
Studies have shown that because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, garlic reduces the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.  

Boost to Immunity:
Garlic’s biggest benefit in my opinion is its ability to enhance natural immunity through its antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is a surprisingly good source of Vitamins C and B, as well as the minerals selenium and manganese – all of which strengthen the body’s defense mechanism in fighting infections.

Garlic is an excellent treatment – reducing the severity and shortening the duration of common colds, flues and other viruses, as well as chronic respiratory conditions.  Again it is the compound allicin that is responsible for this antiviral action. 

Fungal infections:
Garlic’s powerful antifungal properties make is an effective agent against fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot, and yeast infections such as thrush.

The answer of course is to include raw garlic in your diet.  But we all know that garlic has a powerful taste and cannot always be eaten fresh, no matter how much I desire these health benefits.  Especially when it should be eaten raw and ‘chewed’ or crushed to best release the allicin. 

When my kids were young and more trusting, I could entice them to chew a clove of garlic when they were suffering with a cold.  I would crush it and put it on a small piece of bread with peanut butter and honey, and sit beside them with a glass of apple juice to help wash it down.  But when they got bigger, it was not so easy to talk them into this course of action.  I couldn’t blame them.  We use it as much as we can in our diets, but it is not that easy.  In the case of garlic, I recommend using garlic oil (made from crushed cloves in olive oil), oil of garlic (essential oil), and high quality garlic supplements that you can buy in the health food store. Normally, I’m all about using what I grow in the garden exclusively, but sometimes garlic needs a helping hand, simply because it is so anti-social.

growing

Growing your own garlic is well worth the effort. 
A good time to plant in the Edmonton area is late September or early October. For mid season harvesting, you want them to have time to establish the beginning of a root system before winter, but not enough to sprout. I’ve also planted garlic in the early spring for harvest at the end of the season.

After your first year you can plant next year’s garlic with this year’s bulbs, but to start with, buy from a local garden centre instead of planting the garlic you buy in grocery stores. Select the largest bulbs with the plumpest cloves you can find. Make sure they are firm and clean looking, without any signs of mould or fungus. Break the garlic bulb into cloves. Do not peel them.  Each clove will grow into a bulb by the next year but it needs that protective papery covering.

Choose a sunny part of your garden with well-drained soil. Mark the area so you remember where the cloves are next spring. Don’t crowd them. Plant the cloves about 6 inches apart and about 2 inches deep, sprinkling a little bone-meal into each hole as you go.  Because you’re going to leave them for the winter, spread about 3 inches of nice clean, organic mulch over the area, chopped up leaves, wood shavings, straw, – to help insulate.

First thing in the spring, gently move the mulch over. You’ll soon see the tender green sprouts. Let nature take care of them, watering when necessary. Remember they don’t like a soggy spot, they need the soil to be well drained. Mid growing season the plant will develop curly tendrils of greenery that come up from the stalk. This is the plant wanting to flower and go to seed. Snip it.

harvesting

When the stalks start to die back, about the beginning of August, you know its almost time to harvest. Give it a week or so, then gently remove one plant to test. Its tempting to pull, but dig so you don’t risk breaking the stalk off. Garlic is ready when it looks like you think it should. Too early and the protective papery wrapping will be thin or non existent. In that case give it another week. When ready, gently dig them all with a fork and lay in a box out of the sun and rain for a couple of weeks to dry out. I like to braid them into a hanging, but you can also cut the stalks off at this point and store for winter.

* GARLIC CHIVES
– wonderful flat chives with more than a hint of garlic in the flavour.  Like chives, its root base is a clump of ‘bulbs’.  You can cut a handfull just like regular chives to use in the kitchen, and just like chives its root base is a clump of ‘bulbs’.  This is super convenient when you want a stronger garlic taste for your dish.  Pull up a few stocks from the base to gently separate some bulbs from the rest of the plant.  Presto! Garlic bulbs.  I have no idea if any of the medicinal properties of garlic are replicated, but the taste sure is. It is the perfect answer for midseason garlic while I’m waiting for my other garlic to ripen.

GINGER

fresh ginger root

Ginger – nearly everyone can identify its flavour in baking, which is where it is most often used in North American and European kitchens. But the last few years have opened up a whole lotta versatility as we adopt it as a savoury seasoning, not just for desserts. This is very good news.
Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, candied, juiced or even as an oil. Fresh Ginger root is readily available in the produce department of most grocery stores and is so easy to use. It deserves a place in your kitchen. You jut need to discover why, and then make friends with it.

Ginger ale, Gingerbread, Ginger Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Pies, pretty much any pumpkin dessert . . . Those are the ways we’re most familiar with, but open your mind, and make room for ginger. You’re about to fall in love.

Did you know it also has great health benefits? Ginger is often used to calm an upset stomach, indigestion, motion sickness and other forms of nausea including morning sickness! It stimulates digestive enzymes which is helpful in enhancing digestion, and relieving heartburn and indigestion. It’s an absolute must-have in the kitchen for those times that nothing else is working. 

Make yourself a soothing cup of fresh ginger tea by simply steeping a few slices in boiling water. How many slices? Well, that depends on how strong you like it. Start with one or two, and go from there. Chill it as a refreshing cold drink on a warm summer day. Drink it hot in your favourite mug on those cold winter days.

Grate it up to add to a salad dressing, a homemade teriyaki sauce, a curry recipe, or your favourite stir fried vegetables.

Yes, you can buy a bottle of ginger powder from the grocery store, but when you find out how easy it is to dry and powder your own, you’ll never go back to store bought powder again.

growing:

Not so easy to grow ginger in Alberta, but in the spring of 2020, I planted three pots of ginger root just for fun. I chose ginger roots with visible nodules and cut the root to ensure each piece had a few on it. I planted shallowly in a soil, just enough to cover, and kept them in sunny locations on my patio. I nurtured them along, and brought them into the house for the winter. The next spring I brought it back outside, but half way through the season, I kinda got tired of the plant which was interesting enough looking (a couple of tall spears), but not very spectacular. I decided to dig them up, but when I did, I saw that the root was significantly bigger than when I first planted it, so I put it back into the soil and took care of it. Eventually, I dug it up and used it. I was pretty happy to do so, but as fun as the experiment was, we are still dependent on store purchased ginger root in this country.

using:

Ginger honey:
I recently discovered something lovely. Ginger honey. It seemed like such a natural combination – good tasting, as well as a good way of benefitting from the wonderfulness of ginger. I made my very first batch this week and am anxious to taste it in the coming weeks as the ginger has a chance to infuse throughout the honey.

ginger honey

I began with one pint of honey and one tablespoon of home ground ginger powder. It seemed like a lot of ginger, but when I mixed it all in, the taste was surprisingly mild. I think to get the maximum benefit, I’ll probably add more ginger later (stay tuned for update if I do), but I’m gonna give it two weeks before I decide to do that. The reason I chose ginger powder as opposed to fresh ginger root, is shelf life. It stands to reason to me that fresh ginger being moist, it might eventually go bad, and I should probably refrigerate it. I might surprise myself to find out that the honey actually preserves the ginger . . . but then for how long? I just decided to be safe and go with powder for now.

I have creamy honey. I also have fairly solid honey. And I have liquid honey which is very old, given to me from my dad who has long since passed away. I chose to use the liquid because its easier to mix up. If you used a more solid form, I think you’d want to slowly heat it over boiling water to get it to the point that you could actually stir the ginger into it. Personally, I wouldn’t melt it in the microwave. Yes, its quicker and easier, but I think I’d choose a more gentle way of melting it – to keep ‘goodness’ the prime focus. I also chose to use a wide mouth jar, just to make stirring it up easier.

ingredients:
2 cups honey
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) ginger powder

directions:
Pour honey into a clean dry glass pint jar – half full. Add 2 teaspoons ginger powder and stir with the blade of a table knife or a chop stick. When fully infused, pour a little more honey into the jar and add another teaspoon of ginger. Stir again to fully emulsify. Top up with honey and stir once more to blend completely.
Put the lid on, label with date and set aside for two weeks.
Enjoy in every way you would use honey: on toast in the morning, in a cup of herbal tea, whatever.

Ginger Tea:
1. Pour hot water over a small slice of fresh ginger in a cup and let it steep 5 minutes. Add a little lemon juice just before drinking if you like.
2. In the absence of fresh ginger, add a small amount of powdered ginger to hot water with lemon juice.

Ginger water:
Add a few slices fresh ginger to a jug of water and leave to steep in the fridge. Sip throughout the day.

Ginger Lemonade:
Prepare your favourite lemonade recipe (using fresh lemons of course), and add grated fresh ginger. Let steep at least ten minutes before serving.

. . . . . more to come on ginger

. . . . .

Tell me about your experiences with these herbs. I’d love to learn from you too.

warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Common Herbs in your House and Yard: part 2 Dandelions to Feverfew

Part 2 – D,E,F

in this chapter: Dandelion, Dill, Echinacea, Fennel, and Feverfew
Some inside, some outside. Chapter continues to be a work in progress. I’d love to read your comments below.

DANDELION

– highly nutritious, containing vitamins C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese. Acts as a mild laxative that promotes digestion, stimulates appetite and balances the natural and beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

For the last two years, I have a set aside a special place in my garden called “the Protected Zone”. In it, I plant ‘weeds’. A weed refuge camp, where they are supposed to be safe. I’ve had differences of opinion from time to time with the people who matter most to me about ‘weeds’. I maintain that a weed is only a label for a plant that someone doesn’t find value in, that is growing in a place you don’t want it to grow. Call it whatever you want, but don’t be so narrow minded as to believe that the name means there is no value. Years ago I decided to let poppies, dill, lambs quarters and even chickweed grow in my garden. Because I found a use for them. I don’t let them grow everywhere. I am aware of the aesthetics of my garden, but there are places where they don’t harm others and where they can serve a useful purpose. Dandelions however, can be pretty bossy. They flower and seed and can take over easily so I don’t allow them free reign. But they have something to offer, so at long last – I’ve come up with a solution. A protected zone. Where they are free to grow and BE, so that I can partake of what they want to give me. They have like-minded neighbours that I’ll talk about later.

my daughter created this sign for me to help me protect the weeds in my “protected zone”

People with less vision try to help me out from time to time. They assume that I have missed this dandelion, or that plantain or heaven forbid, I did not know that chamomile was a ‘weed’, . . . . . and so they do me a favour and pull it out. I appreciate good intentions. Really I do! But I have tried to emphasize “That is my protected zone. Don’t touch anything that is in it” more times than I can number.

Why do dandelions have a protected spot in my garden?
Because from top to bottom, the dandelion is a highly nutritious plant, loaded with vitamins and minerals.

The name Dandelion comes from the French term dente de lion, meaning lion’s tooth, and referring to the jagged leaves. A common plant native to Europe, it grows wild almost everywhere in the world, and like so many others immigrated to North America inadvertently with European settlers centuries ago. Don’t get lost in its reputation as a weed, it has remarkable nutritional value. The leaves contain almost as much iron as spinach, and four times more Vitamin A. It contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sodium, Vitamin A and C, and is a power house of antioxidants.

The leaves are a little bitter for me, but their nutritional superiority is hard to ignore. When my kids were little, I would often gather some (from my own yard where I knew they were safe) to add to a summer salad of mixed greens. I made the mistake of doing that once in front of my twelve year old brother-in-law. He did not like the idea, and told on me. “Cindy made me eat ‘leaves’.” (I was glad he didn’t say weeds. His mother was a very plain cook and had a problem accepting me in the beginning as it was.) asked him recently (he’s now 50 and a little more adventurous in his eating) “Do you remember having a problem with that sorta thing at my house?”
YES! He sure does remember! LOL. I wanted to ask if he felt bad about the criticism I took, but I didn’t want to push my luck.

There are many health benefits in addition to nutrition that are attributed to dandelions.
Because of its high amounts of specific vitamins and minerals, dandelion is used for jaundice and other liver disorders, urinary disorders and anemia, as well as inflammation, blood sugar regulation, reducing cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. Research indicates that dandelion may also have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which supports your body’s ability to fight infection, making it an immune enhancing herb.

growing

Hahaha – I’m sure no one needs any help figuring out how to grow dandelions, but be sure that any you use are free from sprays intended to kill them. I would never pick a dandelion that didn’t come from my own yard, and sometimes not even then. Hence, the protected zone.

harvesting and using

*Leaves: are more tender and less bitter in the early spring. Simply snip the leaves from your protected plants, as you would any other garden green. Wash in warm water, and dry as you would leaf lettuce. Cut them up to add into a salad to distribute among the other greens. Studies indicate that bitter flavours are great for digestion and curbing sugar cravings. Eating more dandelion can be as simple as sprinkling a handful of chopped leaves into your next salad. Or use them in sandwiches like you would leaf lettuce.

The leaves can be sautéed in oil and added to casseroles or soups, or other dish of greens. Many people like the “earthy, nutty, pleasingly bitter flavour”, that has been compared to the taste of endive.

*Flowers: can be picked when they are nice and young. Remove all green from the underside, not because it’s bad for you, but because it doesn’t taste good. Toss into your salad whole. Some people batter the blossoms and deep fry them like a fritter.

Or make a dandelion iced tea. NOT kidding! It is quite delicious and refreshing. Pick lots of dandelion flower heads, wash them by gently swishing in cool water. You’ll be surprised how much dirt will settle in your water when you thought they were clean. Put them in a clean pot and pour boiling water over to cover and a few more inches. Let them steep for an hour or two till completely cooled. You can drink anywhere along the line, the only difference is gonna be whether its hot or cold, and the strength of the infusion of course. I’ve drunk it hot, room temperature and cold from the fridge. I like it all ways, but probably chilled is my favourite. Surprisingly it does not need any sweetener. I think it would be good with lemon, but I’ve never felt the need to add any.

*Roots: are good throughout the growing season. Some say they’re better in early spring, but I can’t say that I’ve noticed a difference. When digging, make sure you dig deep down to get as much of the root as possible. Cut them off the plant and soak them in water to loosen the dirt. Brush and rub together to clean, changing water as needed.

To make a coffee-like hot drink (decoction): chop into small pieces no more than 1/2 an inch. Heat your oven to 375° F, and place roots on a dry pan to toast for 20-30 minutes (depending on how many you have in the pan). I know it seems like a high temperature, but its okay – you can trust me, just don’t walk away and leave them alone. (If you’re worried about the temperature, reduce your heat to 350 degrees and expect to add a few more minutes.) Check every five minutes or so, and toss them around when they begin to toast to try to keep the toasting even. The pieces should smoke a little and give off a light chocolaty, earthy aroma while cooking. When most of them look like ‘chocolate’ pieces, and snap apart easily they are done. Allow them to cool, and then store them in an airtight jar out of sunlight.

to prepare your coffee

Use the toasted dandelion pieces as is (2 Tablespoons for 2 cups of water), bring the water to a boil and lightly brew/simmer for 10-15 minutes. Your water will reduce by about half so you’ll end up with one cup. – OR – Throw your toasted root bits into the blender and blend to a coarse crumble – (like cocoa nibs). To prepare your drink, pour boiling water over top of the nibs (1 Tablespoon to 1 cup of HOT water) and steep as you would a loose leaf herbal tea. Let it sit five minutes or longer, and test for strength and adjust your amounts according to taste. Strain, and enjoy.

For variety, consider adding a cinnamon stick or some cardamom seeds to your cup from time to time. A nice warming hot drink for a cold winter evening.

Dandelion root is often dried and consumed as a coffee substitute, but I’m told it can also be eaten in its whole form. I have never tried to eat it this way, that might be for another year. I’m just happy with what I’ve got now.

DILL

– hardy garden herb. Self seeds, but best to sow new seed every year if you want a nice dependable crop.

growing

I lightly broadcast seed once my garden beds are ready to plant.  If you have a bigger garden and can spare the room, grow dill in its own bed close together so that the stalks support each other.  I don’t have room to grow a bed of dill, so I broadcast it among other plants in my vegetable and even flower beds.  As it will grow about 3 feet tall, I like it interspersed with low plants like cucumbers. This also assists the plant with stability when the wind blows. It loves sun, and is a happy plant that is synonymous with ‘summer’ in my eyes.  Especially when its green.  For a continual harvest, sow repeatedly from early spring to early summer.  

harvesting and using

Once it starts to go to seed, it means the summer is over so I do everything I can to delay its seeding.  I pick as much of the green ferny leaves as I can throughout the growing season, trying to delay the inevitable, and using them almost daily in my meals. 

 I use most of my dill when it is green: the dill weed. I clip as much of the green leaves as I can find, coarsely chop on a board to add it to dishes at the last minute, preserving its wonderful but delicate flavour.  What I don’t use immediately, I freeze in a container to use all winter long simply by scraping out of the container with a fork and returning the remainder to the freezer.  Make the most of it with all summer produce like cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes, and in spreads, dips and sauces. It is classic with fish, eggs and potatoes.  One of my favourite summer recipes is fresh garden potatoes boiled with a creamy dill sauce poured over top.  Adding to potato salad makes all the difference, and put lots in a creamy cucumber salad dressing.   

recipe below

recipe: Buttermilk Dill Dressing
in blender, put aprox 2 cups fresh dill weed and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Puree.
Add 1/2 cup of chopped chives, garlic chives, green onion, or chopped onion. Your choice.
Puree again.
Add 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Puree again.
That’s it! Ready to pour over your fresh garden salad.
If you would a thicker creamier dressing, separate 1/2 cup dressing and stir in some plain yogurt or sour cream to it. To your desired consistency.
If you would like to make a vegetable dip:
4 oz cream cheese, softened. Beat with hand mixer till fluffy. Add dressing, a tablespoon at a time, beating between each addition. Continue until you are happy with the consistency and flavour. You might even want to add a little more chopped dill, for texture to your dip.

Although I do everything I can do to prevent my dill from going to seed, its gonna happen eventually.  The seed is very valuable in the kitchen too.  Use crushed or whole to flavour soups, sauces, breads and salad dressings. Steep the seeds in hot water to make a ‘tea’. 

Even the stem can be used and is delicious.  When small and tender, chop it up right along with the leaves.  When the plant is older and the stems are older, use them to flavour soup stock just like you’d use a bay leaf.  Add them to the cooking water of boiled potatoes.  The flowers too are edible and look beautiful in summer arrangements on my kitchen table.

Medicinal Benefits:
Seeds are steeped into a ‘tea’ to treat flatulence, digestive disorders and stomach pain.  For all these attributes it is often used to soothe colicky babies. Or a little essential oil in water would do the same thing.  Dill seeds act as breath-fresheners.

ECHINACEA (cone flower)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) is a perennial flowering plant native to North America (east of the Rocky Mountains), and a very popular home garden choice. It has a large center cone, surrounded by colourful petals and it brightens up the garden in mid-summer. While considered a perennial, a healthy echinacea plant can be expected to grow from 3 – 5 years in your garden. So if you thought you had a good thing going and one spring your echinacea didn’t come back, stop taking it so personally. If planted by seed, it may reseed itself to continue its presence in your garden, but depending on so many different factors it is impossible to count on it.

Echinacea was used medicinally by the native people of North America, and adopted by settlers. It became popular for household use up until the mid 1900’s when antibiotics became the miracle drug of the 20th century, but in the last few decades it is regaining its former rockstar status, and is now commonly purchased over-the-counter as an herbal remedy.

Studies have linked echinacea to reduced inflammation. It seems to activate chemicals in the body responsible for decreasing inflammation, and is purported to have immune enhancing properties. These attributes make it a popular herb when treating upper respiratory ailments and the flu. All parts: flower, leaves and roots are believed to stimulate the body’s immune system, and are used in tablets, tinctures, extracts and teas. I’ll tell you right now, it tastes awful, so keep that in mind. I’ve never been able to disguise its yucky taste, so be prepared to buck up and get it over with. My kids used to call it “yuck-i-necea”.

growing:

I have only ever purchased my plants from a garden center, but they are kind of a pricey plant and I’ve had the disappointment several times when they didn’t come back in the spring. Evidently one can take cuttings from happy plants, as Echinacea responds well to root divisions, so I think I’ll be trying that this summer (2020). Also, I have never done it but I understand that Echinacea Purpurea (the desirable choice for medicinal properties), grows readily from seed, so I’ll be looking for seeds from my plants at the end of this growing season to start indoors next spring.
The seeds are supposed to germinate in ten to twenty days, so for me, in zone 3 that means it is better to sow indoors in containers and then transplant outside later. This also avoids competition from weeds until the plants are strong and growing well.

I have my Echinacea Purpurea in well drained soil that gets a good amount of sun. Once they were established they do well with a normal amount of watering – this year the rain sufficed. Remember, they’re indigenous so they can tough out most natural drought conditions, but they’re not a cactus or a succulent so they’re gonna do better when you give them water. To give them every chance for success, keep the weeds from competing for sun and moisture. I have them in my herb garden around some pretty aggressive plants like St John’s Wort, Borage and Feverfew. I have to go in and referee once in awhile to keep the bullies down.

Leave the plants standing through winter to feed the birds, and trim back in the spring to encourage bushier plants that bloom longer into the season. Coneflowers are prolific bloomers that will keep blooming the whole summer. Each flower remains vibrant for several weeks. Deadheading in the key, and is the primary maintenance. Keeping the plants deadheaded will ensure you keep getting more flowers.

You can use the petal, leaves and roots, but it is generally believed that the roots contain the most active compounds.

harvesting:

roots: Best to harvest in the fall, after the flowers have gone to seed and after a couple of frosts. Cut only a portion of the root so that the plant will come back in the spring. Wash the root thoroughly and then cut it into small pieces about half-inch, lay loosely on a clean tea towel in a well ventilated area and out of direct sunlight. It could take a week or more for the pieces to dry so don’t rush it. If you have a dehydrator, you’ll shorten the time. When you are certain they are completely dry, store them in an airtight glass container out of the light.

flowers and leaves: Best to harvest when they are fresh and new, right after the flowers begin to bloom. Cut each stem just above the first set of leaves. Rinse to ensure they’re free of dust and hang upside down to dry or lay them flat on a clean tea towel or screen. If hanging, tie a paper bag around the flower, as the petals will drop. When the leaves and petals are completely dry, store them in a sealed glass jar. As always, keep the jar out of the light.

using:

An infusion (herbal tea) is the best way to use the leaves and flower petals. To infuse means to steep in liquid, usually hot or warm. It is a gentle preparation usually used to extract flavour, and is what we commonly refer to as ‘tea’ when not using true “tea leaves”. An ‘herbal tea’ is always an INFUSION. Keeping it covered during the steeping, ensures the aroma doesn’t escape in the air. It can be served hot, or cooled and served chilled. For echinacea, use about a tablespoon of dried leaves and flowers to each cup of water. Steep for 15-20 minutes, strain and serve.

A decoction (coffee is more of a decoction) is prepared a little more aggressively, and is generally used for roots. It is a longer process and requires continued heat, keeping the water gently boiling. It involves the extraction of substances that an infusion cannot accomplish. For echinacea decoction, use 2 Tablespoons of dried root in 3 cups of water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, strain and serve.

. . . . more to come

FENNEL

I’ll be honest. Fennel as an herb is relatively new to me. I’ve used fennel seeds in spaghetti sauce for years (my sister-in-law Pat shared her secret with me when we were both young married), but my son Zack recently taught me that toasting them in a hot skillet for a few minutes brings their flavour to a whole new level. I hope I am never tempted to skip this step in the future. Fennel seed has a unique herbal flavor, reminiscent to anise. Licorice-like but don’t let that turn you away if you’re not a licorice fan.

Toasting fennel seeds give off a wonderful aroma that is hard to describe – it is so wonderful. Fennel extraordinaire. Toasted, there is a nuttiness added to the flavour that they didn’t before. Zack spoke so highly about the whole “experience” that I went out and bought some seeds that very week to try it. Go ahead and do the same thing.

Fennel has a rich history. It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region where it was used anciently. Gradually it migrated east and north where it became popular in Northern Europe and the Far East. It is a main ingredient of the famous Chinese Five Spice mixture. It is used in toothpastes and as a breath freshener in India. (that does not appeal to me)
It is a member of the carrot family, and closer to parsley than it is to its very close-look-alike ‘dill’. Every part of the plant is edible and is used in very different ways.

One of my culinary and garden experiments this year (2020) is fennel. I planted only one fennel plant, but you can bet next year I will be planting a whole row next year. I’ve been using the ferny fennel fronds chopped in salads for a long time and I am looking forward to harvesting the bulb as a vegetable. This means I won’t be able to let it go to seed for harvest later, but I know I’ve got enough purchased seed on hand for now. I’ll plan to harvest seed next year.

growing:

Fennel is a poor companion in the vegetable garden and it will cross pollinate with dill so I try to keep them separate. As I broadcast dill freely, keeping them separate is a bit of a challenge. Since I am interested in fennel seed AND the bulb, and I cannot get the seed if I harvest the bulb before it seeds, it seems to me that planting it as a vegetable should be safe in my vegetable garden. Some gardeners say they grow fennel in raised beds close to vegetables as it encourages helpful predatory insects to the garden. Letting one or two of those plants go to seed so that I can harvest the seed should be sufficient for my needs. I have read as many pros to growing fennel with vegetables as I have read cautions, so I guess I’m just gonna have to learn from my own experience.

There is one rules that I will follow:
1. Dill and fennel are kissing cousins. As they are closely related, dill and fennel should not be planted near each other because they cross pollinate, and mixing will yield a very disappointing result with a bitter taste and lack of vibrancy to both.

*mature dill will stunt growth of carrots

using:

Leaves:
The feathery green leaves of fennel at first glance look like DILL, but once you see them in the garden together you’ll see that fennel is a lot more compact, and doesn’t go to seed as readily. (don’t use the word ‘together’ too literally, dill and fennel are NOT good garden companions. See above.) Clip the greenery throughout the season as needed and chop coarsely to add to salads, and other cold dishes. You can also make a lovely herbal tea with the leaves. While dill leaves lose their wonderful taste with drying, not so with fennel. So drying the leaves for winter teas is a good option.

Bulb:
I am told that you can sneak off a few outer layers of the bulb mid season without harvesting the whole plant, so you can continue to benefit from the greenery. But generally, like any root crop (although the bulb grows above ground), once you harvest the bulb – the plant is done.
Thinly slice the root bulb to use as a vegetable, fresh in salads or to lightly saute in stir fries, or to cook in other dishes.

Seeds:
Toasting the seeds brings out (and magnifies) their natural scent and flavour.
Gently grind them in a mortar and pestle to release the oil (and therefore flavour).
Add them in everything to everything Italian.
Add them with curry powder, or where you would normally use curry powder.
Add them in or on your homemade bread.

How to toast fennel seeds?
You can store them in a tightly sealed jar, but I only toast what I am going to use right away. It only takes 5 minutes and it doesn’t dirty any dishes so its quick and easy.

Heat an ungreased skillet over high heat. Once its warm, place your fennel seeds on the surface and either use a wooden spoon to stir or shake the pan to keep seeds moving so they don’t burn. Some may even ‘pop’ a little. Don’t walk away, it will only take three or four minutes. When they’ve become a nice toasty colour and are starting to become noticeably fragrant, remove from heat. Pour onto clean plate to cool. Best to remove the seeds from your skillet to prevent scorching.

as an herb
Fennel is most known for helping with digestion, probably more specifically in dealing with INdigestion, and related problems like heartburn, bloating, and colic in infants.

If you are prone to these digestive ailments, you might want to add more fennel to your diet to head them off before they occur. Having cold fennel water in the fridge to sip during the day will not only give you the benefit of fennel, but also the great benefit of adding more water to your diet – which will help immensely.

Bring 3-4 cups water to a boil, add 2 Tablespoons of fennel seed, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Drink as a hot tea, or cool and sip as a cold drink throughout the day.
Giving a colicky infant a tablespoon or two of fennel water will help ease stomach upset and gas.
Alternatively, try steeping fennel seeds in water for a couple hours. This will give a pleasant flavour to the water and will be a refreshing drink throughout the day.
Chewing fennel seeds is also supposed to help, and many people recommend it, but this doesn’t appeal to me. I guess its all about what will work for you. Incorporate fennel into your diet in any way you can.

FEVERFEW

– Good for arthritis, fever, headaches, migraine headaches, and menstrual cramps.

My mother-in-law introduced me to Feverfew. (Not Geoff’s mom. I was lucky enough to have two mothers in law.) She was the first person I knew who grew it in her garden. She ate one leaf a day all summer long to prevent migraine headaches which she was predisposed to suffer from. She swore by it. For a couple of years, I worked in a health food store and came to know feverfew as an herbal supplement. It had good science behind it, and customers continually gave me good reviews when I asked about it. I have never had a migraine, but I have two sisters who suffered from them, and a son, so I decided to add it to my herb garden. I got my first starter plant from my mother-in-law’s garden, and its held an honoured spot there for almost three decades.

growing

Feverfew is a cheerful, ferny plant with lots of pretty small white daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers. It is adaptable and low maintenance. It loves full sun and well drained soil, but is agreeable to partial shade. When the flowers are mature / ripe, their yellow centers will begin to dry and brown into seeds. I usually take two or three of these seed heads and sprinkle them among my entire garden. That will give me hundreds of volunteer pop-up plants for next summer. They are a biennial which means they flower and go to seed in their second year. They don’t come back the next spring, but lots of little feverfew babies do. Like Charlotte in E.B. White’s classic children’s tale CHARLOTTE’S WEB.

In its second year, in a favourable spot it can grow to up to 20 inches. A nice bushy, ferny plant. Feverfew is easy to remove where you don’t want it, and its easy to transplant too. Its just an easy going friend, who doesn’t take offense. I allow it to grow profusely in my herb garden, flower gardens and even a few in my vegetable garden. Just because we’re friends, and we get along well.

Feverfew is such a pretty plant, it brings me joy. The taste however, . . . it may have medicinal qualities, but it would never make it in the kitchen. That’s okay. You can’t be every thing to everybody. The taste is strong and bitter to me. My mother-in-law said she’d have to put it in a mouthful of something else to eat it. And that is exactly what I would have to do. Be creative. You only have to eat one leaf.

Feverfew is NOT a pain reliever, so don’t take it when you’re in the middle of a migraine. It is a preventative. I have never suffered from a migraine, and rarely get bad headaches, but those who take one pill a day, or one leaf a day as prevention, swear by it. It is effective in decreasing frequency and severity, and many people I have spoken to about it, say that their headaches are significantly fewer and more manageable.
It is also used to relieve chronic premenstrual cramping.

harvesting

So easy and straight forward. Best to clip from a second year plant when its in flower. If you are using feverfew fresh, it’s best to cut it as you need it. Just remove and leaf and chew it. Good luck. It taste terrible. Try doing what my mother-in-law suggested. Put it in your mouth with something better and get it over with quickly.

feverfew herb in the garden

For winter storage, cut only 1/3 of the plant to let it rejuvenate for a second same-season harvest. Cut the stems, leaving about 4 inches. Swish the stems in cool water to wash and flick off excess water. Lay the leaves flat out on a screen or clean tea towel to dry, tossing a couple of times a day till completely dry. Or if you prefer, tie feverfew branches in a bundle and allow to dry hanging upside down in a dark, ventilated and dry area.
You can also dry feverfew in a slow oven at 140 degrees F. ) or a dehydrator. Just keep an eye on it, because it won’t take as long as you might think.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these herbs and your experience or recipes for them.
Watch for sequel posts on other herbs in the garden or in the house.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle