2016 HERB OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION

Celebrate the “2016 Herb of the Year” with a tasting party!

PEPPERS
TASTING MENU

SNACKS

Spiced Candied Walnuts: Blanch 4c walnuts in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Drain.  Combine 1 beaten egg with 1tsp water and toss with 4 c walnuts. Combine 1c confectioner’s sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1/2tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2tsp cinnamon and toss with nuts. Spread on greased cookie sheet & bake at 300 degrees for 20 mins. When cool, pack in an airtight container.

Sweet & Spicy Almonds: Roast 2 1/2c almonds at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then toss with 1 1/2Tbs melted butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 1 1/2tsp sugar, 1tsp salt and ½tsp chili powder.  Let cool before serving.

Crockpot Spicy Pecans: Melt 1/3c butter in a small crockpot, add 3Tbs Worcestershire sauce, 1/tsp garlic powder, 1/2tsp ginger, 1/4tsp dried mustard, 1/8tsp cayenne pepper and 1/4tsp black pepper and mix well.  Stir in 4c pecan halves and cover and cook on low for 2 hours.  Stir.  Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes.  Remove and cool, then store in airtight container in a cool, dark place.

SAVORIES

Stuffed Peppers: Combine 18oz semi-soft goat cheese (chevre) with 1/4c snipped fresh herbs (chives, basil, thyme, parsley).  Cut red, yellow, and orange mini sweet peppers in half and pipe the cheese mixture onto peppers.

Parmesan Onion Puffs: Stir together 1c finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/2c mayonnaise, 1Tbs minced onion, and 1/8tsp chili powder.  Cut out rounds from 10 bread slice using cookie cutter and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake toasts at 400 degrees until tops are crisp and just golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool slightly and then top each toast with a rounded 1/2 teaspoon cheese mixture, spreading to edge. Bake toasts until topping is puffed and golden, about 6 minutes.

Olive Cheese Balls: Combine 1c grated cheddar cheese, 2Tbs butter, 1/2c flour, 1/8tsp dried mustard and dash of cayenne pepper.  Put a small piece of dough in your hand and roll around 25 stuffed olives.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 mins, or until golden.  Serve hot.

Baked Chicken Nuggets: Cut 1 1/2lbs chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Add 1tsp paprika, 1/4tsp garlic powder and 1/4tsp onion powder to 1c crushed cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Add a few chicken pieces at a time to the bag and shake to coat. Place chicken on a lightly greased cooking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes.   Serve with Sweet Chilli Sauce.
Sweet Chilli Sauce: Combine 1c fresh chopped chilli peppers, 8 cloves of garlic and 2tsp salt in a saucepan.  Add 2c sugar and 2c vinegar and simmer 20 minutes.  Blend and store in a jar or bottle.

SWEETS

Tart Cherry and Pistachio Fudge: Melt 8oz semi-sweet baking chocolate and 3/4c sweetened condensed milk.  Stir in 1/2c salted pistachios, 1tsp vanilla and 1/2tsp cayenne pepper.  Spread in a foil-lined 8” square pan.  Melt 6oz white baking chocolate with remainder of a 14oz can sweetened condensed milk and spread over semi-sweet chocolate layer.  Sprinkle 1/2c chopped dried tart cherries over top and press lightly into fudge.  Refrigerate 2 hours then cut into 36 pieces.

Hot Cookie Crisps: Cream 1c butter and 2c brown sugar.  Add 1tsp vanilla and 2 eggs and mix well.  Mix 1 1/2c finely chopped cashews, 1 1/2c whole wheat flour, 1 1/2c unbleached flour, 1/2tsp habanero powder, 1/3tsp baking soda and 1tsp baking powder and stir into the creamed mixture.  Chill.  Shape into a log about 2" in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Slice, and bake at 325 degrees until golden.

“Do not forget to entertain strangers,

for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

I Corinthians 10:31

GARNISH HERBSCAPE

Garnishes have a way of transforming any meal into a work of art!  Garnishes can typically be made from ornamental vegetables, unique greens, herbs and edible flowers.  A garnish herbscape brings all the worlds together plus creates a beautiful and functional garden.  You can even decorate the entrance with an arbor covered with scarlet runner beans combining edible flowers and a unique veggie.  Choose any of the following as plants or grow from seed and make this garden a focal point that inspires you to entertain.

Vegetable Garnishes

Grate or thinly slice fresh veggies for a soup garnish or curl carrot strips in ice water, notch radishes into chrysanthemums and cut daisies from turnip slices. Keep raw vegetable garnishes in ice water until you decorate the plate.

Chioggia Beet – sweet flavor and unique concentric rings of red and white

Watermelon Radish – crispy and mild heirloom

‘Sweet Savour’  Pepper – compact cool pepper with fruity sweetness and a variety of colors

Green Garnishes

Line a serving platter with greens or combine with herbs and fruit for more color.

 'Bright Lights' Swiss Chard – a tasty veggie with colorful stalks and green leafy tops

Red Russian Kale – purple stems and huge ruffled oak leaves

Curly Kale – intense color and curly leaves make stunning garnish

‘Freckles’ Lettuce – heirloom romaine with bright flavor and green leaves splashed with burgundy speckles

Herb Garnishes

Match the herb to complement the flavor of the food then chop and sprinkle over the dish before serving.  Also, gather small bouquets to decorate a plate.

Purple Ruffles Basil – frilly and flavorful leaves add color and fragrance

Tri-Colored Sage – decorative and versatile plus can be fried

Chives & Garlic Chives – mild onion/garlic flavor that can garnish dishes before serving or wrap around a bundle of veggies before steaming

Lemon Grass – lemon-flavored leaves that can be wrapped around a whole fish before cooking

Curled Parsley – most common garnish and breath freshener

Flower Garnishes

Use only organic edible flowers to garnish both sweet and savory dishes.  My favorites include the following:
       Borage – brilliant blue blossoms with cucumber-like flavor for cold soups, salads or dessert
          Calendula – little flavor, but bright yellow to orange petals to add a splash of color
          Nasturtiums – spicy flavor and variety of hot colors
          Texas Tarragon (Mexican Mint Marigold) – petite yellow flowers with mild anise flavor  

“And God said, "See, I have given you every herb
that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth,
and every tree whose fruit yields seed;
to you it shall be for food.”
Genesis 1:29

TOP JANUARY RECIPES

I have fun each month creating a tablescape for my home and this year I am sharing them here along with the top recipes each month from the last five years of A Cup of Herbal Blessing.  Enjoy!

January's tablescape includes a primitive snowman with twig arms which was made by a Pennyslvania friend.  It is surrounded by our coastal decor which includes oyster shell votive holders, shell covered balls, driftwood spikes and starfish!

Here are the links to the top three January recipes plus some additional new recipes:

ChickenTea Sandwiches

PESTO CHICKEN: Combine 1/4c pesto, 1/2c mayonnaise, 1tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, and then add 4c cooked chicken and 1Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil.

 

AVOCADO CHICKEN: Combine 2c shredded chicken, 1 large chopped avocado, salt and pepper.

 

CHICKEN-EGG: Combine 2c cooked chicken, 2 diced hard boiled eggs, 1/2c diced celery, 1/4c sweet pickle relish, 1/2c mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste

Tea Time Soups

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-ROOIBOS SOUP: Roast butternut squash spread with olive oil and sprinkled with Rooibos tea, cinnamon and fresh thyme for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Brew 1tsp Rooibos in 4oz boiling water.  Puree squash and in a blender with skim milk and honey, then adjust thickness with brewed tea.

 

FRESH CORN & PEPPER SOUP: Combine 2c corn kernels with 1c prepared green tea and 1Tbs tamari soy sauce in a food processor or blender. Process for a minute or so until you get a somewhat chunky purée. Add 1 medium chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper, 2Tbs fresh parsley and 1c corn kernels and process for another thirty seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste, then process for another ten seconds or so to blend in the seasonings. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for one to two hours and serve chilled.
Variations: for a light meal add 1/4c cooked edamame to each bowl
                     for a little spice add a small jalapeno pepper with the bell pepper

JUST PEACHY SOUP: Place 3c fresh sliced peaches, 2Tbs maple syrup or honey, 2Tbs Greek yogurt, 1c prepared oolong tea and 1c fresh orange juice in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Chill for several hours.  Serve with an additional dollop of yogurt.

Chococlate Tea Cakes

Follow the directions for the Basic Tea Cakes with the following variations:

CHOCOLATE CHIP HONEY TEA CAKES: Combine a German Chocolate cake mix, 1tsp cinnamon, 1c coffee and 1/2c honey.  Add 1/2c mini chocolate chips.
ICING: drizzle softened chocolate chips on bottom of tea cakes then sprinkle with toasted pecans

PEPPERMINT MOCHA TEA CAKES: Combine a chocolate cake mix with 1c coffee and 1/2c plain yogurt.  Add 1Tbs peppermint and 1/2c chopped Andes mints.
ICING: drizzle with chocolate glaze and sprinkle with chopped Andes mints

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE TEA CAKES: Combine a chocolate cake mix with 1c coffee and 1/2c plain yogurt.  Once cakes are cooled completely, core out some of the middle and fill with caramel sauce.
ICING: spread with ganache and sprinkle with sea salt

"So whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"

I Corinthians 10:31

PEPPERS

Capsicum ssp

Peppers have been chosen “Herb of the Year” for 2016 by the International Herb Association. The IHA is a professional trade association providing educational, service and development opportunities for those involved in herbal endeavors. The Herb of the Year is chosen based on being outstanding in at least two of the three major categories: medicinal, culinary, or decorative.

Peppers belong to a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family which includes many other vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant.  The common name “pepper” is based on the similar flavor to black pepper although there is no botanical connection; however chile pepper has replaced black pepper as the world’s most important and most used condiment.  Native to the Americas and cultivated for thousands of years, Peru has the highest cultivated diversity, but India is the world’s largest producer.

There are over 20 species in the genus Capsicum, but nearly all the cultivated varieties belong to one of five species – C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens.  C. annuum is the most important species with more than a thousand named cultivars including the sweet bell peppers, paprika and most of the familiar hot chile peppers such as Anaheim, ancho, jalapeno and chipotle.  C. baccatum is the only pepper species with spots on the flower petals and most of the peppers grown and eaten in South America belong to this species.  C. chinense varieties are well known for their exceptional heat.  C. frutescens includes very few varieties of chillies but it does include that most famous pepper of all – cayenne pepper.  The C. pubescens species is quite different from all other domesticated species of peppers with its hairy leaves and a strong, peculiar pungency which results in it being the least cultivated.  The fruits of the genus Capsicum can vary tremendously in color, shape, and size both between and within species.

Commonly referred to as “sweet” or “hot,” some use piquant (spicy) - peppers that bite back are piquant and mild peppers are non-piquant.  Capsaicin is the ingredient that gives peppers their characteristic bite and varies among types, with the growing conditions and even between fruits on the same plant.  Ranked in Scoville Heat Units, bell peppers get a zero and the world's current hottest known pepper at over 2,200,000.  Most of the capsaicin is located in the interior tissue of the pepper, where the seeds are attached and can be rendered less piquant by slicing in half and scraping out the seeds and membranes with a spoon – be careful as capsaicin can burn the skin and irritate the eyes.

Peppers can be eaten raw or cooked and are particularly appreciated because they can enliven otherwise monotonous diets.  Varieties of C. annuum and C. frutescens are generally used in cooking, though a few others are used as well. They are suitable for stuffing with fillings, roasted whole or in pieces, chopped and incorporated into salsas or other sauces, of which they are often a main ingredient.  They can also be preserved in the form of a jam, or by drying, pickling, or freezing. Dried peppers may be reconstituted whole, or processed into flakes or powders. Pickled or marinated peppers are frequently added to sandwiches or salads. Frozen peppers are used in stews, soups, and salsas.

In addition to use as spices and vegetables, Capsicum species have other uses. Capsaicin aids digestion and appetite, seems to lower blood sugar and cholesterol and reduces blood clotting.  Topical applications are used as pain relievers. Concentrated pepper sprays are used as defensive repellents by mail carriers and police. Organic gardeners use pepper sprays to protect crops from rabbit and deer damage plus as a natural insecticide.

Baked Peppers Au Gratin: Cut 8 large bell peppers in various colors into 1/2 inch wide strips.  Coat a roasting pan with 1/3c olive oil.  Add the peppers, 1/2c breadcrumbs, 1/2c chopped fresh parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, 2Tbs parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and toss to coat in oil.  Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Red Pepper Hummus: Combine 1-15oz can drained chickpeas, 1c roasted red peppers, 2Tbs fresh lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic and 1/2c plain yogurt in a food processor until smooth. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Stuffed Pepper Soup: Brown 2lb ground beef with 2 chopped green peppers and 1 chopped onion, drain and place in crockpot.  Add 2 (29oz) diced tomatoes, 2 (14oz) beef broth, 1c uncooked white rice plus 2Tbs chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until rice is cooked and flavors are blended. 

Pepper Relish: Combine 8c chopped banana peppers, a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper and 4-6 jalapeno peppers and 2Tbs salt and let stand two hours and drain.  Combine 3c sugar, 3c cider vinegar, and 1tsp mustard seed in a large saucepot. Cut two slits in 2 additional jalapeno peppers and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and add chopped peppers, simmering 10 minutes.  Remove whole jalapeno peppers. Pack hot relish into sterilized jars and water process for 10 minutes in boiling water.

 

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers: Mix 2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1/4c finely chopped sundried tomatoes, 2Tbs chopped fresh cilantro and 1/2tsp coarse sea salt until well blended.  (Mixture can be frozen for up to 2 months)  Slice 12-24 large jalapeños lengthwise, being careful not to slice them in half. Then slice at the top along the width of the pepper just about a quarter inch below the base of the stem until you cut through the core, again being careful not to cut completely through the pepper.  Remove the seed webbing with a paring knife for a lot less heat.  Partially cook 1lb of bacon and set aside on paper towels to cool. Fill plastic bag with cream cheese mixture, cut a corner and fill each pepper then wrap with a strip of bacon and secure with toothpick.  Place on cookie sheet and place in 350 degree oven until bacon is crisp.  Let sit 5-10 mins and serve.

Sweet Corn Pepper Salsa: Cut the kernels from the 4 fresh corn ears. Mix with 1 diced red pepper, 1 minced jalapeno pepper, 1 chopped bunch of cilantro, 1 small chopped red onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2c fresh lime juice, 1/4c wine vinegar, 1/4c olive oil plus salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to develop the flavors.

Easy Oven Fajitas: Mix the fajita seasoning in a small bowl – 1Tbs chili powder, 2tsp paprika, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cumin, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 2tsp corn starch and set aside. Cut the 1 large onion and 2 medium bell peppers into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips and place them in a large 9×13 inch casserole dish. Slice 1lb chicken breast into very thin strips and add it to the vegetables, then sprinkle with the seasoning. Drizzle 2Tbs vegetable oil over everything and then toss until everything is well coated. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through. Squeeze the juice of a lime over top of the meat and vegetables after it comes out of the oven. Scoop mixture into the center of 8 tortillas and top with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole.

 

“And God said, "See, I have given you every herb
that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth,
and every tree whose fruit yields seed;
to you it shall be for food.”
Genesis 1:29