HERE AT A GARDEN FOR THE HOUSE, I’m storing my home-grown produce for the long, cold months ahead. First up? A year’s supply of a culinary herbs. To best preserve the aromatic oils of the leaves, I rely on three easy, herb-specific freezing-techniques: Herbal “Cigars”. These are easy to make and convenient to use. This… Read more »
CUCUMBER & CHIVE SOUP — what a refreshing first course for a summer dinner party! It’s also a delicious way to use up the large cukes in your garden. If you have a food processor, you can make this vegetarian, no-cook puree in about 5 minutes: Cucumber and Chive Soup Ingredients for approximately 4 servings… Read more »
SHHH! It’s my partner’s birthday, and to mark the occasion I’ve cloaked a cake in deliciously-fragrant Rose-Geranium Icing. You can make this unusual glaze, too, by simply steeping a handful of scented leaves in a tiny amount of milk: Rose-Geranium Icing 10 fresh, medium-to-large Rose-Geranium leaves 1/3 cup milk 4 cups confectioner’s sugar Red and… Read more »
THE TROUBLE WITH TARRAGON is that we grow it, but rarely use it. Well, that was my great transgression, anyway, until I discovered Tarragon Mayonnaise. This rich, creamy, anise-flavored sauce turns ordinary potato salad into something extraordinarily chic: Tarragon Mayonnaise Ingredients for about 2 cups 1 large egg 2 egg yolks 1 tsp Dijon mustard… Read more »
IF YOU USE A LOT OF HERBS, why not design a small, formal garden in which to grow them? I did just that for my own array of aromatics, utilizing a sliver of land on the west side of the house. Here, in a 19×26-foot space outfitted with raised beds, gravel walks, and comfortable seating,… Read more »
EASY TO MAKE and refreshing to eat on a sweltering summer evening is a salmon fillet, dressed with fresh lemon verbena and briefly steamed in a fragrant bath of pinot grigio. You can prep this chic entree in about one minute; oven time is 20 minutes: Salmon with Lemon Verbena & Pinot GrigioIngredients for 4… Read more »
PICK A QUANTITY OF FRESH SAGE LEAVES, fry them briefly in oil, and what do you get? An appetizer that belongs at your next cocktail party. Fried sage leaves are light, crisp, and smokey-savory. They are also shamefully easy to make. Here’s the recipe, which takes seconds — not minutes — to prepare: Savory Fried… Read more »
