Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)

I recently have found a new favorite way of using herbs fresh from the garden. Last year I wrote about making Herbal Sun Teas and how easy they are to make not to mention good to drink on a hot summer day. Several weeks ago I took that general idea a little step further and made it even simpler. I have been taking a sprig of mint (or lemon verbena), washing it off and then slightly bruising it by giving it a twist. I then place the bruised sprig in a class of fresh cold water. After sitting just a few minutes the water takes on a slight hint of the mint or herb being used. It is really very refreshing and oh so easy!

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

Herbs like mint and lemon verbena need consistent pinching back to prevent them from getting scraggly and overgrown. This is a great way to do just that. The other day I filled up my son’s water bottle and before giving it to him I placed two sprigs of peppermint in it. He later commented on how nice the peppermint was when he got hot from playing outside.

Orange Mint (Mentha x piperita x citrata)

So if you have mint (or any other herb for that matter) growing in your garden don’t forget to drop a sprig or two into your glass of water when you come inside to cool down from working in the garden. I’m sure you will agree that it is a simple yet refreshing way to enjoy some of your herbs never ending bounty.

A few days ago I went out to the garlic patch armed with a basket prepared to snap off all those garlic scapes that were twisting and turning in a strange way towards the sun. I knew exactly what I was going to do with them too.

While blog surfing one night I came across the most delicious sounding recipe using garlic scapes. I was incredibly excited too seeing that I had so many scapes to try and figure out what to do with. The recipe was for a super simple garlic scape pesto. I just used the recipe as a guide and pretty much did my own thing. You can find the original recipe at the always hunger provoking blog, In the Kitchen and on the Road with Dorie.

What I did was roughly chop a large handful of my freshly plucked garlic scapes- probably around 30 or so. They went into my food processor along with 1 cup of slivered almonds and roughly 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. I then turned on the food processor and let it chop up those three ingredients. Then I gradually added about 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil while the machine was still running. Once the olive oil was nice and mixed in I tossed the pesto with some just cooked and still hot pasta.

This was by far one of the best dishes I have made in awhile. Everyone devoured it and was sad to see it gone. My husband called it our once a year dinner and declared it extra special because the garlic scapes are here and then they are gone. They do not keep producing like tomatoes do. One must truly savor this dish as you will not see it again until next year.

Now that we have had our first official meal from the garden I cannot wait for the zucchinis, beans, tomatoes, corn….I am getting hungry as I type!

Prior to making the garlic scape pesto I had really only thought to use the scapes in stir fries or salads. This recipe really opened some doors for me when it comes to using them in dishes. Have you found any interesting uses for garlic scapes? If so I would love to hear about them.

It is so surprisingly simple to make. It makes you wonder why we even buy the packaged stuff. All you need is two ingredients: granulated white sugar and molasses. Karyn wrote in her post that you simply drizzle some molasses over the sugar and mix in, the amount being up to you. I decided to take note of how much molasses and sugar I used so I could duplicate my results next time. Plus, I just like to write down what I do for future reference. Relying on my memory alone has not always been the smartest thing for me to do.

I ended up mixing 4 Tablespoons molasses to 2 cups sugar. My kids were in love with the results! They kept trying to steal bites whenever my back was turned- including the 2 year old!

Now, you know what I just had to do after making something as yummy as homemade brown sugar? I took one look at that bowl of moist sweetness and thought, “This sugar is screaming out to be made into Brown Sugar Drop Cookies”.  Of course my kids did not protest this thought.

So, out came the mixing bowls, flour, and eggs. I have been making cookies for as long as I can remember. It is to the point now that I can throw some ingredients together and bet on them coming out pretty good. For these Brown Sugar Drop Cookies I sort of played off the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have been making for well… ever. The recipe I came up with is below for those that might like to try it themselves. (See, I wrote it down as I went so now I remember it.)

Brown Sugar Drop Cookies

Mix together with a wire whisk:

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Set aside.

Cream together:

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1¾ cups homemade brown sugar

To the butter/sugar mixture beat in:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until blended together. Place dough in the refrigerator and allow to chill for about 2 hours. Chilling the dough first helps the cookies not spread quite so much.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Drop dough by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.

Now enjoy that yummy homemade brown sugar goodness. I don’t even miss the chocolate chips!

One warning though, if you happen to make these with a two year old present, especially if this two year old happens to be a very independent and stubborn little cutie pie; you might want to watch your wooden spoon when you turn your back to check on the baking cookies. If you don’t she might just try to take over and you will never get that bowl of cookie dough away from her. Trust me, just see the photo below.

Thanks again to Karyn for posting the homemade brown sugar instructions. It was a huge hit with my kids (and me!).