China Bayles' Book of Days (48 page)

—WILLIAM COLES, THE ART OF SIMPLING

AUGUST 19

Going Places: The Herbfarm, Woodinville, Washington

It all began with a wheelbarrow and a bunch of chives.

In 1974, Lola Zimmerman had a few extra chive plants in her garden. She put them in a wheelbarrow and parked them on the road in front of the old dairy farm that she and her husband Bill owned in the foothills of the Cascades. She put up a hand-lettered sign: HERBS FOR SALE. The chives went fast—and so did the other herbs that Lola began offering for sale. It was just one skip and a jump from the wheelbarrow to the nursery, and before long, the Zimmermans’ herb farm was a blooming business.

The next skip and a jump took the Herbfarm in a different direction. In 1986, the Zimmermans’ son Ron and daughter-in-law Carrie remodeled part of the home and garage into a charming little restaurant that seated just 24 diners—enthusiastic diners, as it turned out. The excellent herbal cookery got rave reviews, and there was never an empty seat. And when chef Jerry Traunfeld, noted for his innovative multi-course dinners, became the Herbfarm’s chef in 1990, the restaurant took another huge leap forward. An expert in culinary herbs, Jerry has been featured in the
New York Times Magazine
,
Food and Wine
,
Bon Appétit
,
Gourmet
, and many other publications. He has appeared on numerous television shows and is a regular guest on National Public Radio’s “The Splendid Table.” Under his guidance, The Herbfarm Restaurant was ranked fifteenth in the nation by
Gourmet
. Jerry is the author of
The Herbfarm Cookbook
, a must-have for every cook who would like to adventure into herbal gourmet cookery. You’ll know why when you’ve tried his recipe for stinging nettle, lovage, and mussel soup.

But the journey has not been without its disasters. In 1997 the Herbfarm burned to the ground. It took four years to reopen in a new site, and when it finally happened, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jerry returned to the kitchen, Hamlet the pig returned to the garden, and the Zimmermans’ old farm tractor went back to work. Want to drop in for dinner? Better make your reservation today. You might have to wait 8 or 9 months for a table.

And while you’re waiting, imagine what you might do with a wheelbarrow and a few extra herb plants.

Read more about The Herbfarm:

The Herbfarm Cookbook,
by Jerry Traunfeld

For directions and reservations and lots more, visit the Herbfarm’s web site:
www.theherbfarm.com

AUGUST 20

In some years, today is National Potato Day.

My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.

—OPHRA WINFREY

But It Doesn’t Have to Be Baked!

Baked potatoes are nice, especially with fresh snipped chives, minced cilantro, a generous dollop of garlic butter, and sour cream, of course. But if you’re not in the mood for baked, here are some delicious alternatives, made with herbs from your garden.

LILA JENNINGS’ GREATER GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Lila owns the Nueces Street Diner in Pecan Springs, where her Greater Garlic Mashed Potatoes are featured in a comfort-menu that includes fried okra, meat loaf, coleslaw, and apple pie.

16 cups peeled white potatoes, quartered
4 heads peeled garlic cloves (Lila says this is right.)
2 cups milk
½ pound butter
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with the butter. While the potatoes are cooking, simmer the garlic and milk in a saucepan until soft. Puree in a blender. Beat the puree into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Lila says this recipe makes enough for 16 people. If you’re feeding four, divide by four.

ROSEMARY-GARLIC POTATOES

China microwaves these potatoes on those Texas summer evenings when it’s hot enough to fry eggs on the patio and she doesn’t want to turn on the oven.

4-5 red potatoes, cut into eighths
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt, or Savory Blend (August 29)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Toss potatoes with oil, garlic, salt, pepper. Turn into a microwave baking dish and lay rosemary sprigs on top. Cover and microwave on high for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove rosemary. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Learn all about potato cookery:

Potato,
by Alex Barker

What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.

—A. A. MILNE, AUTHOR OF WINNIE-THE-POOH

AUGUST 21

Today is St. Stephen’s Day. On this day, Hungarians celebrate King Steven (born about 970) and the founding of the Hungarian state.

One of the Krautzenheimer granddaughters, costumed in a perky red skirt, suspenders, and embroidered Bavarian apron, danced over and took our orders: sauerbraten for McQuaid and a bowl of Hungarian goulash for me.

—DEAD MAN’S BONES: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY

Paprika

Without paprika, Hungarian goulash would be . . . well, plain old beef stew. Paprika is the mild, rich-tasting red pepper that gives the dish—and Hungarian cuisine—its distinctive flavor. Peppers didn’t arrive in Europe until Columbus got home. It was another two hundred years before the first peppers arrived in Hungary, probably brought by Balkan refugees fleeing from the invading Turks. (It’s amazing how many plants were borne on the winds of war.)

Paprika is the powder ground from dried ripe peppers, sweet or hot, depending on the peppers, and variously bright red or rusty brown. When you’re cooking with paprika, remember that it releases its flavor only when it’s heated; if it’s burned, it turns bitter. However, it’s often used as much to dress up food as for flavor. Who wants to eat a naked deviled egg?

The next time you visit Pecan Springs, drop in at the Krautzenheimer’s Restaurant, which is located on the square, next to the Sophie Briggs Historical Museum. The goulash is China’s favorite.

MRS. KRAUTZENHEIMER’S HUNGARIAN GOULASH

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut in 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons paprika (best: imported sweet Hungarian
paprika)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons shortening
4 cups water
2 carrots, scraped, sliced
2 potatoes, cubed
1 large ripe tomato, quartered and seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 bay leaves

Mix beef cubes with salt and paprika. Over medium heat, brown chopped onion in shortening. Add beef cubes and brown, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add water and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until vegetables are done and meat is tender. Remove bay leaves. Serve over hot noodles. Serves 6-8.

Learn about Eastern European cuisine:

All Along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria
, by Marina Polvay

AUGUST 22

Today or tomorrow, the Sun enters the sign of Virgo.

The sixth sign of the zodiac, the feminine sign Virgo (the Virgin) is ruled by Mercury. A mutable sign, Virgo is associated with altruistic service to others. It is an earth sign, suggesting that Virgo people are methodical, thoughtful, conservative, and concerned about matters of health and finance. They may also be highly self-critical and feel that they are unable to live up to their own high standards.

—RUBY WILCOX, “ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS”

Virgo Herbs

Virgo rules the sinuses, respiratory system, abdomen, digestive process, and lower intestinal tract. Herbs associated with Virgo often assist in digestion (as do Cancer herbs) and help to reduce flatulence.

• Fennel (
Foeniculum vulgare
). Fennel is an excellent stomach-settler and intestinal soother. It stimulates the digestion and relieves gas. A traditional remedy for flatulence: Steep 1-2 teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds to 1 cup of boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Fennel also has a reputation as a weight-reducer. The seeds and the plant are used in salads and cooked as a vegetable. High in calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

• Anise (
Pimpinella anisum
). John Gerard says that anise seed “wasteth and consumeth wide, and is good against belchings and upbraidings of the stomacke.” Its volatile oils ease intestinal cramps and gas. The seeds are featured in many breads, cookies, cakes, candies, and liqueurs. An aromatic tea of the seeds is said to break up bronchial mucus.

• Liquorice (
Glycyrrhiza glabra
). According to Nicholas Culpeper, “the root boiled in water with some Maidenhead and figs makes a good drink for those who have a dry cough.” It was traditionally used to treat constipation in children.

• Other Virgo herbs. Dill seeds are another traditional remedy for gas and intestinal cramps. Recent research suggests that the plant’s essential oils may inhibit cancer formation. Cranesbill is helpful in relieving diarrhea and dysentery. Oregano has long been used to treat indigestion and diarrhea; its oils have fungicidal and vermifugal properties.

The admirable Harmony of the Creation is herein seen, in the influence of Stars upon Herbs, and the Body of Man, how one part of the Creation is subservient to another and all for the use of Man.

—NICHOLAS CULPEPER

Read more about astrological herbalism:

Llewellyn’s Herbal Almanac
, published annually by Llewellyn publications

AUGUST 23

The Herb Society of America (HSA) was founded on this day in 1933.

“Something More Worthwhile . . .”

The Herb Society of America began because a small group of women wanted to do “something more worthwhile than the ordinary garden club.” In 1932, they began a serious study of herbs with Dr. Edgar Anderson, a botanist at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard. The group chose rosemary as their focus, and met each week, growing, drying, and mounting specimens for detailed microscopic examination and library research. When they were finished, they went on to horehound and other herbs. And in 1933, they began the challenging work of organizing an herb society, reaching out to people who shared a serious interest in plants that had served humankind through the centuries.

The first officers were elected at the September 1933 meeting in Wenham, Massachusetts. The members of the small group—ambitiously calling themselves the Herb Society of America—immediately set about making their influence felt by creating a public herb garden in Franklin Park, in Boston, and shortly after, a garden at the National Cathedral in Washington. Busy, dedicated ladies, they began a regular publication called
The Herbarist
, placed an exhibit called “A 17th Century Still Room” at the Boston Flower Show, and incorporated their organization on May 17, 1935. The New York and Pennsylvania Groups were created in 1936, and the organization continued to grow. By 1945, in spite of the difficulties created by the war, there were six units, and the growth made reorganization necessary.

From that time forward, like a well-tended garden, HSA continued to grow and flourish. It wielded the tussie-mussie power that blossomed into the National Herb Garden (see June 12) and established its national headquarters in an 1841 house adjacent to the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. Projects of the national organization and its units include gardens, plant collections, a members’ seed exchange, regional symposia, and an annual national conference.

At this writing, there are 45 units in 23 states, and a membership of 2,300. But the commitment expressed by the Society’s seven founders—those dedicated women who wanted to “do something more worthwhile”—remains the same: to promote the knowledge, use, and delight of herbs through educational programs, research, and shared experience. If you’re interested in becoming a member, contact The Herb Society of America, 9019 Kirtland Chardon Road, Kirtland, OH 44094 (440-256-0514), or visit the web site:
www.herbsociety.org
.

Read more about the Society’s history:

The Herb Society of America, 1933-1993
, by Dorothy G. Spencer

AUGUST 24

The true gardener, like an artist, is never satisfied.

—H. E. BATES

Pruning helps you grow.

—EMILIE BARNES

Making an Herb Topiary

We’re all familiar with the art of training plants: espaliering a vine or a tree against a wall or pruning a rowdy rose into a more congenial garden companion. Herbs—rosemary, lavender, santolina, and bay are good plants to start with—can be pruned into ornamental shapes, too, and it’s fun and easy to transform them into topiaries. What’s more, the trimmings can go into potpourri bowl or the soup pot!

A ROSEMARY TOPIARY

The simplest topiary is a single-stem “round-head standard,” which you can train in a single or a double pom-pom. To get started, collect a potted rosemary plant (an upright cultivar 12-18 inches tall, with good growth), an appropriate container with a drainage hole in the bottom, a bamboo or wooden stake, clippers, and raffia. Push the stake into the pot beside the main stem, then remove all the stems but that one and tie the stem to the stake. If the stem has grown crooked, gently straighten it as much as possible, tying it at several points to the stake.