Archive for October, 2009
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Oh what an incredible and glorious fall it has been so far! Not only have the rains replenished our tanks, cattle and land but also perked all the gardens up and the fall blooms are abundant. The ‘Country Girl’ mums, the Mexican cosmos with their radiant orange flowers, the smellicious almond verbenas, the multi-colored zinnias and the ‘Ponderosa’ lemon weighing heavily with its abundant and heavy fruits are but a few enjoying the bounty of the rains. Butterflies still abound in the garden – especially on the various mistflowers, butterfly weeds, the zinnias, and the chaya. Caterpillars are busy munching away on the fennel and other plants in a hurry to metamorphose before the first frosts.
Speaking of Fall, now is the time to plant herbs and flowers. Culinary herbs such as dill (herb of 2010), fennel, parsley, caraway, coriander/cilantro, celery, chervil, and lovage. There are also many ornamentals such as bishop’s weed, Queen Anne’s lace, and laceflower. Vegetables such as carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips obviously belong here too. I also sprinkle in seeds of tri color swiss chard for their beautiful and edible foliage, sugar snap peas and baby lettuces for a quick harvest.There are also medicinal plants such as angelica – of which the Chinese variety (Angelica polymorpha var. sinensis) does best here (zone 9) - in part shade. It is biennial and can reach 8 to 10 feet when blooming! Angelica, by the way, is a historically important plant that was used to treat a variety of ailments and gives its characteristic flavor to the liqueur Benedictine. One member of this family which you should truly avoid growing is poison hemlock. It can be mistaken for parsley and is quite lethal – just ask Socrates if you don’t believe me. As a important and fun experience, most of these plants are great larval host plants for many butterfly species!Get on your gloves, get out your spade and get digging! The reward is far greater than the work involved….
Tags: culinary, gardens, Herbs, plants
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Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
A few friends gathered with me in the kitchen at the B&B to make Rosemary-Roselle Jelly for the Herb Society of America South Central District Gathering. It was a delicious (no pun intended!), fun day! We used rosemary, mint and hibiscus with pineapple juice for the jelly…….wonderful on toast, pancakes, pound cake, fresh fruit, added to whip cream and mousse.
Rosemary-Roselle Jelly
- 5 Tb. fresh rosemary leaves
- 5 Tb. fresh mint leaves
- 1 Tb. dried roselle (aka. red hibiscus and jamaica)
- 4 C. pineapple juice
- 5 c. sugar, white granulated
- 6 Tb. lemon juice
- 2 pouches liquid pectin
Combine herbs with pineapple juice in a large non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 10-15 minutes until very fragrant. Strain out herbs and add more pineapple juice to equal 4 cups. Place back in saucepan and add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil. Cook 10 minutes. Add pectin and bring back to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat nad stir gently to remove foam (skim if necessary). Immediately pour jelly into hot, sterilized 8 oz. jars and seal with hot lids. Let sit til jelly has set up. Yield: 6 – (8 oz. jars)
Tags: classes, Cooking, Food, Herbs, Jelly Making, Murski Homestead B&B, Recipes
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Monday, October 26th, 2009
First pomegranite of the season from my friends trees was harvested recently at her farm near Burton, Texas. Mary Jane, a great friend in my culinary unit, is also a wonderful artist and weaver. She and her husband built their home by hand and it is a intense mixture of color, whimsy, art and function. Her gardens are eclectic in form and by their very nature an extension of her artistic bent. While at her home recently for a meal, I snapped this photo of her in her kitchen with her pomegranite in hand! (TIP: While in Brenham, be sure to sign up for one of her weaving classes at Fibers!)
Not only great decorative tools, pomegranites are also edible and full of vitamins—–seed are used in salads, as garnishes, eaten out of hand fresh and juiced for their antioxidant properties being used in drinks from cocktails to punch!
Tags: art, culinary, Fibers!, fruit, gardens, Pomegranites, weaving
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Saturday, October 24th, 2009
October 10th was National Herb Day and the Pioneer Unit of the Herb Society of America put on herb day demonstrations & lectures at the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas. Talks on herbs, tastings of herbed products and demonstrations on using herbs were given. This free event, held every year in October, is a great way to learn hands on and experience the beauty of herbs in the setting of an incredible nursery. The members who put on this day are noted gardeners, horticulturalists and herbies, passionate about herbs and willing to share their wealth of knowledge to anyone willing to listen and learn. Be sure to put it on your calendar for next year as it is a day not be missed!
Tags: activities, antique rose emporium, Brenham, free, gardens, Herbs, National Herb Society of America, nursery, Pioneer Unit, plants, seminars
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Like the first taste of delicious nectar, a sun-kissed ripe persimmon can not be compared to a store bought one! I have harvested and enjoyed 4 in the last week and there are more to come….. Persimmon Cream Custard may be in the offering if I can resist the temptation to eat it straight off the tree (as I am want to do) before getting them into my kitchen! If you can find these are your local farmers market, snap them up! To pick them, make sure they are deep apricot orange in color and give slightly when pressure is applied. The Hispanic culture uses them green and eats them as you would an apple. I prefer them very ripe when they are at their peak in sugar content and melt in your mouth. Eat skin and all!
Lemon-Simmon Custard
- 1/2 c. of thin-skinned lemons, sliced paper thin and cut into quarters
- 1/2 c. of orange juice
- 2 c. sugar
- 4 eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1/2 c. persimmon puree (fresh ripe persimmons, skinned and pulp pureed)
Combine lemon, orange juice and sugar. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Stir beaten eggs into lemon-orange mixture. Pour into ramekins to within one inch of the top. Put 1/2 inch of persimmon puree on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile whip heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Top custard with whipped cream just prior to serving.
Tags: custard, Desserts, farmers market, fruit, gardens, persimmons, recipe, shopping
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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
You know it is Fall when pumpkins start to make their appearance……these beauties were spied on one of my recent Saturday morning trips to our local Brenham Farmers Market in downtown Brenham. Also available were fresh handmade soaps, delicious canned vegetables and fruits that looked so good you wanted to eat them straight from the jar, beautiful hand embroidered linens, handmade German noodles (of which I purchased 3 gallon baggies full!), fresh cucumbers, live plants, yummy homemade desserts and of course, fresh coffee from our local roastery, Independence Coffee, and much more…..
Tags: Brenham, shopping, Washington County
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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Fall is an incredible time of year to visit Brenham, Texas and Washington county. Not only is the weather perfect but festivals and fun abound. In evidence of this are the abundance of scarecrows on exhibit in downtown Brenham and surrounding towns. They arrive just in time to announce Autum Fest, Scarecrow Festival, the Scarecrow contests and the first hints of Fall in the air. The imagination of those who create these great scarecrow displays always amazes me and gets better with each passing year! Be sure to check them out, vote for your favorite and enjoy some fun at the festivals while in town…..
Tags: Autumn Fest, Brenham, Chappell Hill, Fall, festivals, Scarecrow Festival, scarecrows, Washington County
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Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Antiques Fairs are over for the Fall! Our guests came home with lots of great finds from jewelry to architectural elements! However, for those of you still wanting to shop there are lots of antique shops in our historic downtown and surrounding area towns. Next Antiques Fair will arrive again in 6 months: last full week in March through first weekend in April….Put it on your calendar and reserve your room now!
Tags: antique fairs, antiques, April, Fairs, March, Round Top, shopping
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Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Hello readers! A little bit of info on the writer/innkeeper…..my passions include cooking, herbs, gardening, books, pets, true friends, faith and family. Nothing better than sharing and having fun over a great meal and glass of wine or beer! My favorites are dark, microbrews and ales. Come explore the world through my eyes and spend some time at our restored family bed and breakfast ranch in Brenham Texas. Hope to see you soon!
Tags: author
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