Recipe Potpourri - Thanks for the great recipes everyone!

FRENCH VANILLA COFFEE MIX

3/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Combine first 3 ingredients in container of an electric blender or food processor; top with cover and process until powdered. Transfer mixture to an air-tight container. Add vanilla bean. Cover tightly, and store at least 5 days. Remove vanilla bean before serving.

To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon coffee mixture into a mug. Add 3/4 cup hot water, and stir well. Yield: 32 servings.

Fiddlehead Ferns

The trick to cooking them is to wash and rewash and rewash. Then steam them a bit to take the bitter out and saute them with a little butter, lemon juice and whatever else you wish to
add.

Dandelion Flower Fritters

1 c Whole-Wheat Flour
2 tb Olive Oil
2 ts Baking Powder
1 c Dandelion Flowers, clean and
Unsprayed
1 pn Salt
1 Egg
Nonstick Vegetable-Oil Spray
1/2 c Low-Fat Milk -or- Water

This variation on pancakes uses the yellow puffs of the dandelion, a good source of Vitamin A.

In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg, then mix with milk or water and olive oil. Combine with dry mixture. Stir in yellow flowers carefully, taking care not to crush them. Lightly spray a griddle or frying pan with vegetable oil. Heat until thoroughly
warmed. Pour batter onto griddle by spoonfuls and cook like pancakes.

Makes 10 fritters.

Source: Vegetarian Times, April 1993

Title: Velma's Lavender Meringues
Categories: Desserts, Herbs
Yield: 24 Meringues

3 tb Dried lavender flowers
3 tb Granulated sugar
1 7/8 c Confectioners' sugar
4 Egg whites
1 dr Lemon juice

MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
1/2 c Whipping cream
1 tb Dried lavender flowers;
-crushed
Confectioners' sugar;
-to taste

Preheat oven to 225F. Place the flowers and granulated sugar in a
blender container. Blend to a fine dust and sift it with the
confectioners' sugar into a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg
whites until stiff and then beat in a drop of lemon juice. Fold in
the sifted lavender sugar. Drop small spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet
lined with waxed paper or parchment paper. Bake for about three
hours, or until firm and golden. Cool on a rack.

Filling: Beat the whipping cream and dried lavender flowers until
stiff. Add confectioners' sugar if desired. Place spoonfuls of the
cream between pairs of cooled meringues, and serve the sandwiches
immediately.

The Herb Companion December/January 1994/1995 posted by Tiffany
Hall-Graham

Nancy's Wheatberry salad with apples and cashews

Recipe By : KC Star
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Salads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup Wheat berries
10 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon coriander -- ground
1/4 teaspoon caraway -- ground
2 Granny Smith apple -- cored and diced
2 tablespoons fresh mint -- finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cashews -- toasted

Place wheat berries and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 hour and 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain and transfer to large bowl.
Add oil, orange juice, vinegar, corriander, caraway seed, apples, mint and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well. Just before serving, add cashews and mix well. Serve immediately.

Lavender honey

Put 6 - 12 heads of lavender in a 1lb jar of runny honey (use a cheap mixed flower honey. Single flower varieties can be too dominant). Let it stand for a week or more...

Nasturtium Vinegar

Combine 12 rinsed and dried nasturtium flowers and 1 cup of white wine vinegar in a glass jar witho a screw-on lid (if lid is metal, line it with plastic wrap). Let flowers steep for 3 weeks to a month. Strain and rebottle in decorative bottle.

Sara, have you tried a few basil leaves in your lettuce salads....and any flavor basil in pesto is interesting.

Title: Ratatouille with Cinnamon Basil
Categories: Harned 1994, Herb/spice, Side dish, Vegetables
Yield: 4 servings

4 sm Eggplants
6 tb Lemon juice
1 md Onion; sliced
1 Garlic clove
1/4 c Olive oil
1 md Zucchini; coarsely chopped
2 tb Each fresh cinnamon and
-sweet basil; chopped
5 Plum tomatoes
1 Red pepper; chopped
1/4 c Fresh parsley; chopped

Cut a 1/2" slice along length of each eggplant. If using round variety, remove about one inch of the top. Carefully scoop out flesh, leaving 1/2" thick walls. Chop eggplant flesh, place in a medium sized bowl, and toss with 1 tb. lemon juice. Set aside. Using another tablespoon of lemon juice, brush inside of each eggplant shell.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in oil. Add chopped eggplants, zucchini and basil. Cook, stirring, until eggplants are tender. Add tomatoes and peppers to mixture; cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and remaining lemon juice. Divide ratatouille among eggplant shells. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Recipe developed by Ellen Ogden. In "The Cook's Garden" catalog. Vol. 8, No. 1, Spring/Summer 1991. Pg. 54. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.

Mint Sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine mint leaves,corn syrup, and vinegar in small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring until blended. Add to mint mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles, stirring constantly. Strain sauce, if desired.
Yield 1/2 cup

Sara's Apple salsa

Recipe By : A Basket of Apples by Val Archer
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Salsas Mc List

3/4 cup fresh celantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 Granny Smith apple -- peeled cored chopped
2 limes, juice and rind
2 cloves garlic -- peeled
1 green chile -- seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons light olive oil
salt -- to taste

Wash and dry the cilantro and mint. Place in a food process or with all lime rind and juice, garlic. chili and sugar; process until will chopped, gradually adding the olive oil. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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NOTES : This dish is good on grilled fish, swirled into soups or pasta, or stirred into cottage cheese to fill a baked potato. The bright green color will fade after a couple hours, though the salsa can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator. You could also use Empire, Jonagold, Braeburn, Gingergold, or Gala for the salsa.

Herb and Flower Cheese Terrine

1 pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
4 cloves garlic, minces
3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 pounds Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
at least 30 johnny jump-up flowers

Cream together the cream cheese, Asiago and butter. Add garlic, basil, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper and combine thoroughly. Add pine nuts and chopped parsley and mix well with hands.

Butter a bread or terrine pan. Line with waxed paper. Line bottom of pan with Provolone slices, then add a layer of cheese mixture and a sprinkling of johnny jump-ups. Continue alternating layers of cheese, cream cheese, and flowers. Try to get at least 5 layers.

Refrigerate overnight. Let stand at least 15 minutes out of the refrigerator before turning out. Remove paper and garnish with more johnny jump-ups and any other edible flowers you might have
laying around.