Don't Bogart that Herb, man.

I was asked about 3 specific herbs yesterday, here are a few things you can do with them.



Chive Butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Combine butter, sour cream and chives in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds, or until butter is melted. Drizzle onto hot rolls.

Lemon Chive tartar sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced sweet gherkins
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, chives, gherkins, and lemon zest. Mix well.
Salt and pepper to taste

Chive Dumplings makes about 20
2 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chives
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs

In medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, chives and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until blended. Bring your broth to a boil, (chicken is best) Drop in the dough 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with lid and simmer 20 minutes.

Cheese Ball (no, really)
1 glass Old English cheese
1 glass blue cheese
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
Chopped chives
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 onion, grated fine for juice
Garlic salt to taste
Chopped nuts

Mix cheeses by hand add remaining of ingredients except nuts and mix well. Place in refrigerator until set. Roll into ball. Roll in chopped nuts, wrap in wax paper. Keep chilled.



Oregano-Garlic Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1½ cups mild olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rub the oregano with your hands to warm it and release its oils or toast in a dry skillet for a minute or two. Whisk all the ingredients together.

Sage Tea
4 cups water
16 sage leaves, fresh or dried
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. sugar

Bring water to a boil. Add sage leaves and remove from heat. Let steep about 3 minutes, or longer for stronger tea. Strain and serve sweetened with sugar to taste.


Don't forget that your herbs can be dried and mixed in with toasted bread cubes to make stuffing later. Or use them to pre-make your dry ingredients for your canning recipes.

What's in now in Kansas? Clover

Red Clover Tea (you can use white as well)

1 cup red clover blossoms
2 tablespoons mint (spearmint or peppermint)
4 cups water
honey, to sweeten (or use sugar)

Inspect flowers and make sure there are no bugs. Also make sure the flowers have not been sprayed Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add clover blossoms and mint. Steep about 10 minutes. Strain. Add honey or sugar to taste

Clover Jelly
2 1/2 cups apple juice OR white wine
1 cup fresh rose petals or scented geranium flowers and leaves or clover blossoms
4 cups sugar
1/4 lemon juice
3 ounces of liquid pectin

Bring juice or wine to a boil and pour over petals. Cover and steep until
liquid has cooled, then strain out flowers leaving only liquid. Combine 2
cups of this flower infusion with sugar and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over high heat and as soon as the sugar has dissolved, stir
in the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, and boiling for exactly 1
minute. Remove the jelly from the heat and skim off any foam

ALASKAN HONEY

2 1/2 c. water
18 blossoms fireweed
30 blossoms red clover
30 blossoms white clover
1/2 tsp. alum
10 c. sugar

Bring to boil. Stir for 10 minutes. Strain. Bring to a boil. Add sugar
and alum. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes

Clover Honey
10 cups white sugar
3 cups water
36 white clover blossoms
18 red clover blossoms
3 pink roses (the petals)
1 teaspoon alum

In a medium pot, bring sugar and water to a boil for 6-7 minutes. Stir in alum Remove from heat and add blossoms. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth and bottle.