An Ode to Drying Oregano...

It's the season for harvesting...yes, that's right, but we're talking herbs here.  My Oregano is getting ready to flower and I should have harvested earlier, but life gets busy. So I'm doing it now.   I try to harvest BEFORE it flowers, or I get so many new Oregano plants that they have become rather invasive.  Plus, it tastes better before the plant flowers.  So, trimming them back  is the way to produce more Oregano.  

You can purchase one of these plants at your local garden center or even Walmart has them in season.  Plant them and water well.  Give them lots of sun and let them go!  You'll love this plant and if you let it flower, the flowers are very nice too.  It's a great plant for the landscape.  Just make sure you don't plant it next to anything you may use toxic sprays on...or try not to use toxic sprays...??!!

I use Oregano for two different styles of cooking...these being Italian and Mexican.  I use it in my Italian Seasoning Mix and in my Taco Mix.  I find it adds a lot of great flavor to tacos and what-not.  Going back to the Italian side of the map, I love it on pizza and it figures greatly as the herb on them.

Harvest is simple.  Pick the uppermost tops of the plant and place them in your dehydrator trays to dry.  If you don't have one of these nifty appliances (this is my 3rd one and my favorite!) then tie the stalks by the bottoms, place them bottom side down in a paper bag and then hang the bag up until they dry.  You can also microwave dry them, see link here http://www.wikihow.com/Dry-Herbs-in-the-Microwave.

The dried stalks...

Strip the leaves gently by pulling the leaves from bottom to top.

I stripped all the Oregano leaves while reading a book on Kindle...:)

Once you are done, put your dried herb in its own container and put it in a dark cabinet to store as light can destroy its essential oils (aka: flavor.)  
I prefer Oregano dried as it's such a strong herb, but I DO use it fresh because it's handy to do so.  I also like to cook it along with dried beans to give them much more flavor.  All in all, I love this herb and I hope you do too!  Blessings!

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Quick Pix: Flowers Gone Wild...

Digitalis Purpurea, otherwise known as "Foxglove" is one flower I am always surprised at seeing this time of year.  It is a true biennial, needing two years to complete its growth and flowering cycle.  The first year it's only  small leafy plant, the second year it sends up tall stalks of these beautiful flowers.  This variety reseeds itself, so I never really know if and where the plants will show up.  This year, the flowers went "wild" by growing outside the flower bed, but close enough to the edge that the mower didn't catch them.

I love this flower, so happy in a cottage garden...who would have ever thought it came from northern Africa?  Well, it did, besides parts of Europe where they tamed it and put it in their Victorian gardens.  

With all its beauty, it has a deadly secret...it is extremely poisonous, that is, all parts of the plant.    So, if you have small children, you wouldn't want them playing in your yard and chewing on any part of this plant. But there is light to even this dark side; carefully refined extracts of this plant are used in medicine; natural and general to help out the heart muscle.  It helps to control the heart rate and to increase the ability of the heart to contract.  Not a bad thing for such a "wild" flower?

So, go ahead and plant this wild beauty as it only blooms a short time in late Spring and it is so worth the planting (I've grown mine while raising our two boys and they are still alive and kicking!)  But remember it's wild African roots and only look,...no chewing!!

Blessings!

Flower Bathing

Flower Bathing: the practice of immersing one's senses in botanical flora and experiencing all of its positive and healthful benefits.

Okay, maybe flower bathing isn't technically a true scientific practice, but the Japanese DID practice "forest bathing," spending time in green spaces/forest and received the benefits of de-stressing their lives from such an activity.  Check out a link here for more info...http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing

I personally think it's just common sense.  To be surrounded by nature, colors, perfume and to feel all the beautiful silky blossoms of the flowers; it's certainly going to feel like a mini-vacation and be refreshing to the mind and body.  I think plants and trees were created to bring us pleasure.  So with that in mind, I went to my favorite nursery for some much needed tomatoes, peppers and various flowers to fill out my collection at home.  

While I was there, I engaged in enveloping my senses in the explosion of colors and drinking in the beauty of the place.

A new petunia; very fun, may have to come back for this one.

This was tempting; but I went for the smaller ones...

My final purchases, veggies and some flowers for the window box.

I definitely felt refreshed after this visit and here's hoping you do too.  Now on to planting and creating more green spaces for more flower bathing...blessings!

Making Chive Blossom Vinegar...

Chives are some of the easiest herbs to grow.  I have a large pot of them next to my side door and also a large planting alongside the front of our house.  They come back year after year, AND even if you never use them, the flowers they put off are worth the growing.  But, did you know you can use these beautiful globes of onion-y goodness to make a super simple salad staple?

Remember those fancy herb vinegars which were so popular some years ago?  Well, they really are so easy to make and great to use as well.  I love to make my own salad dressings and by using an herbal vinegar, I get instant flavor for my dressings. I also use these as a marinade for chicken.  Plus, these make great gift giveaways as well...just remember to include a recipe!

Here's all you need...vinegar, preferably white wine or I'm using rice vinegar here.  Wine vinegar is not harsh like plain white vinegar and makes a far superior vinegar.  If you use white wine (as opposed to red wine) vinegar, you'll end up with a beautiful shade of pink. I actually used 2 and a half bottles of this size bottle of vinegar, it will vary depending on the size of your container. So worth it.  Save the red wine vinegar for basil, oregano and thyme. 

You'll also need a clean,dry and empty jar with a plastic, non-corrosive lid. The jar needs to be super dry or it can cause the vinegar to become cloudy if water is present.  If you only have a metal lid, make sure to place plastic wrap between the jar and lid.  You'll also need some kind of funnel as well.

Go to your chive flowers and pick the best ones; bees not included...

Wash your blossoms by a gentle rinse while still on the plant in early morning, then let sun dry.

Get your clean jar ready.  

 

Make sure all the blossoms are covered with vinegar

 

  Set in a sunny place for around three weeks.  

When you are satisfied with your vinegar, strain using a small mesh strainer or try a coffee filter and insert over a large pyrex glass measuring cup.  Find a clean dry and pretty jar you like and add a few fresh chive flowers to it before adding your vinegar.  Pour in vinegar with a funnel and you have yourself a delicious herbal vinegar! This vinegar should last for at least a year and doesn't need to be refrigerated (unless you make it into a dressing.)  Check out a basic vinaigrette recipe below...

¾ cup salad oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Kosher salt and ground white pepper (or freshly ground black pepper), to taste
Opt: Add about a 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard and 1/2-1  tsp of sugar to dressing and mix well.  The mustard helps to emulsify the dressing.


Blessings!

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Quick Pix: What's blooming now...Dwarf Korean Lilac

This one is planted right at the corner of our house...

     Dwarf Korean Lilac (Syringa Meyeri 'Palibin')..a super lilac in my book.  And never mind it's diminutive size, it packs a powerhouse of beautiful lilac perfume!  
     It's barely is five feet tall (and that's full height after a decade of growth) and almost as wide, it bloomed when it was still very small AND the overall color and scent make this a star in the landscape!
     If you're looking for a lilac that is very resistant to powdery mildew, can be planted close to a building, and is completely reliable, look no further, this is your lilac...and it's what's blooming now...

Photo Walk - Rhododendrons

    

Went on a walk along Lake Erie today; this is my most FAVORITE time of year!  This is  when the Rhododendrons are in bloom.  They are actually two weeks early, so I am super glad I caught them on this walk.  All of sudden our streets by the lake come alive with these softball sized blooms.  This climate and soil by the lake are perfect conditions for them to grow and grow they do.  I've seen them for so many years that I forget how uncommon they are in many other places in the area.  So, if you like them or any flowers in general, stay tuned and enjoy the walk...!

I see this pot of flowers by the road every year, so pretty!

Along the lake shore...

A quick glimpse of Lake Erie

A local artist's surprise creations...

What can be better than a rhododendron bush?  How about a tree?

Almost home...

Can you believe not ONE of these rhododendrons are mine?  Our yard is way too small for one and besides, all I have to do is to take a quick walk and get my fill of them.  Hope you enjoyed the flowers as much as we did!  Blessings!!