Home Farm Herbery

Cooking Brussels Sprouts the Correct Way Helps Fight Cancer@

By Arlene Wright-Correll

At Home Farm Herbery we grow Brussels Sprout Long Island Catskill Heirloom Seeds and this popular Brussels Sprout variety produces miniature cabbage-like heads which are extremely tasty and nutritious.  

However, Did you know that Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties? Although boiling reduces the level of the anti-cancer compounds, steaming, microwaving, and stirring we steam them al Dante or sauté them quickly.

It is amazing that just one little thing can change an item’s consistency so quickly.  When we sauté them we cut them in halves or quarters to allow them to cook quickly.

Brussels sprouts are rich in many valuable nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K. They are a very good source of numerous nutrients including folate, manganese, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, choline, copper, vitamin B1, potassium, phosphorus and omega-3 fatty acids.

Choline is not often referred to for its benefits yet; the primary criterion used to estimate the Adequate Intake (AI) for choline is the prevention of liver damage as assessed by measuring serum alanine aminotransferase levels. The AI for adults is 550 mg/day of choline for men and 425 mg/day for women.

So do yourself a big health favor and put Brussels Sprouts into your diet and cook them correctly.

May the Creative force be with you!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC

How to Sprout Broccoli, Sprouting - Di Cicco seeds

Add 2 tablespoons of broccoli sprouting seeds to a wide mouthed quart jar.

Cover with a few inches of filtered water and cap with the sprouting lid.

Store in a warm, dark place overnight.

I use a kitchen cabinet for this.

The next morning, drain the liquid off and rinse with fresh water. Be sure to drain all the water off.

Repeat this 3-4 times a day. Continue to store your seeds in a warm, dark place. After a few days, the seeds will start to break open and grow. The biology major in me is absolutely enamored with this process!

Eventually, the sprouts will be an inch or so long and have yellow leaves. Now you can move the sprouts out into the sunlight.

Continue to rinse them 3-4 times a day until the leaves are dark green. Now they are ready to eat!

This whole process will take about a week. Patience is key!

Once they are ready, replace the sprouting lid with a standard Mason jar lid and store inthe refrigerator.

Serve on top of salads, stirred into soups, or however strikes your fancy.

DID YOU KNOW?  Broccoli sprouts are 10x – 100 x higher in some cancer fighting compounds than the actual mature vegetable!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC

http://www.localharvest.org/broccoli-sprouting-di-cicco-seeds-non-hybrid-C24895

How to Grow and Use Lemongrass

Lemon Grass Seeds - 'Cymbopogon Citrates'

Lemongrass is a fragrant perennial plant that thrives in warm climates and offers a lemony flavoring to dishes. Lemongrass can grow up to 5 feet tall, either planted in pots and kept indoors in cooler climates or grown outdoors in subtropical or tropical regions. Lemongrass is easy to grow from seed, requiring no special pretreatment in order to germinate. Plant the seeds in late January to March.

Fill a seed tray with a 2- or 3-inch layer of a mixture of equal parts organic compost, sphagnum peat moss and coarse sand. Place the lemongrass seeds ¼ “deep about 1 inch apart.

Spread a thin layer of organic compost or vermiculite to just cover the lemongrass seeds. Gently water or mist the seeds to moisten the potting mixture.

Wrap the seed tray in clear plastic cling wrap or slide the seed tray into a sealed plastic bag. Keep the seed tray at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mist or gently water the seed tray daily to keep the seeds moist. Remove the plastic wrap or bag when the lemongrass seedlings sprout and place the tray in full sunlight. Seedling emerges in 14-28 days.

Home Farm Herbery offers the best heirloom Lemon Grass Seeds.

Once you have grown your lemon grass you can easily make Lemon Grass Tea and here is our recipe.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan.

Add the lemongrass and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for an additional 5 minutes.

Strain the stalks from the liquid. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator and pour over ice.

However, should you not have any inclination to grow your own lemon grass, Home Farm Herbery offers the best dried Lemon Grass and here is the link.  

Here is our Authentic Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Serves 2 people:

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

1 cup of shrimps

5 medium sized mushrooms

2 limes

1 tbsp. of lemon grass

3 kaffir lime leaves

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 ½ tsps of cilantro 

3 chili peppers

1 tablespoon of nam prig pow

Caution: if you have a sensitive stomach, cut down the chili content to say one or even half a chili.

Cooking Instructions:

Boil the water in a 2 quart pot.

Peel the shrimp

Put the lemon grass in the water and boil for 4 minutes.

Pour the fish sauce and 1 juice of lime into a serving bowl

Crush the chili into the same bowl.

Remove the stems from the kaffir leaves and add the leaves to the pot.

Dice the mushrooms to 1 inch portions and add to the pot.

Add the shrimps and switch off the heat.

Scoop out the shrimp into the serving bowl after 25 seconds.

Pour the broth into the serving bowls.

Add the nam prig pow and sprinkle in the cilantro and serve.

If the soup doesn’t have the required punch, add more fish sauce or lime juice depending to flavor.

We carefully select our produce varieties for excellent taste and quality. Our produce is grown without pesticides or herbicides resulting in highly nutritious food and healthy soil.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

Congratulations Gena Strategos!

You just won December Art Contest. 

Huck Nawaz

you are November Art Contest Winner

Why Drinking Tea is Good for You©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Here at Home Farm Herbery we blend many teas for our customers.  We blend herbal tea, Chai, Tisanes, Caffeine-Free and teas containing caffeine.

Matter of fact we offer over 79 different kinds of teas and they can be found either on our Home Farm Herbery page or on the page at our Etsy store. 

We grow most everything here except the tea that sometimes is the base of our teas.

We believe, after reading many scientific articles that tea can boost exercise endurance. Scientists have found that the catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract increase the body's ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance and that drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack.

The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a boatload of cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. But don’t rely solely on tea to keep a healthy body because tea is not a miracle cure, after all. While more studies than not suggest that teas have cancer-fighting benefits, the current research is mixed.

Tea helps fight free radicals. Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (“ORAC”), which is a fancy way of saying, that it helps destroy free radicals (which can damage DNA) in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective all by itself.

According to some reports regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the negative effects of smoking and might even lessen the risk of lung cancer.

I have read that Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics’ better process sugars.

Tea might be an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (think Alzheimer’s). While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.

Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.

Though most of the teas we make here are herbal teas, once in while we have to add a tea base which we buy from FREE Trade countries. 

Here are some of the teas that we use.

Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.

Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.

White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.

Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims.

Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol.

There are lots of health benefits to herbal teas and they are made from herbs, fruits, seeds, or roots steeped in hot water, herbal teas have lower concentrations of antioxidants than green, white, black, and oolong teas. Their chemical compositions vary widely depending on the plant used.

Some of the many herbs we use include ginger, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, hibiscus, jasmine, rosehip, mint, rooibos (red tea), chamomile, and Echinacea

We make Chamomile tea because we have read that its antioxidants may help prevent complications from diabetes, like loss of vision and nerve and kidney damage, and stunt the growth of cancer cells.

We use Echinacea as it is often touted as a way to fight the common cold, though the research on Echinacea has been inconclusive.

We like to use Hibiscus once we read a small study that found that drinking three cups of hibiscus tea daily lowered blood pressure in people with modestly elevated levels.

We often add Rooibos (red tea) to our blends. This is a South African herb that is fermented. Although it has flavonoids with cancer-fighting properties, medical studies have been limited.

We love the fact that Tea has the power to calm you down.

We things get tough take a moment and make some tea and take the time to sit down and drink it.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

Etsy Store

Bee Balm is an Important Seed to Plant In Your Garden©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Bee balm, also called monarda, is a perennial flowering herb (up to 4 ft.) with a long history as a medicinal and as a plant. American colonists used it to make tea, and Native Americans used it to treat colds and sore throats.

It has a pleasing scent that is used to make potpourri and sachets. The flowers are edible and sometimes added to summer salads.  It is not only beautiful, but makes superb tea.

Many of us do not realize it is famous for its beauty and its fragrance, Bee Balm, also know as Wild Bergamot, is an old flower garden favorite.

At Home Farm Herbery Bee Balm is one of the best attractors of beneficial butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.  All in all, Bee Balm is a “must” for any garden. AN IMPORTANT PLANT FOR ANY GARDEN!

Bee Balm needs good air circulation and won’t do well if crowded. Also, if the soil is allowed to dry out, it may develop powdery mildew. Make sure to choose a location that is kept fairly moist to avoid this problem. You should also avoid watering the leaves, making sure to only water the soil. If mildew does appear, cut it back, removing all of the infected stems. It should come back in better health next season.

You can use Bee Balm externally as a calming aromatherapy treatment. Place a handful of fresh leaves in a cheesecloth or piece of linen, tie into a bag, and place under hot water while running a bath; breathe the steam in deeply. This can help sooth cold symptoms, sore throat, fever, and congestion. Bee balm can also be used as an antiseptic and antibacterial by soaking a cloth in the tea and applying as a compress. It can be made into an ointment for use as a pain reliever and to speed the healing of minor wounds, insect bites/stings, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, and acne.

You can use it internally since like all members of the mint family it is good for improving digestive issues like general digestion, gas, poor appetite, colic, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. It has also been used to lessen menstrual cramps. Oswego tea can be used as a calming agent for the nerves or to relax one in preparation for sleep. It can be used solo or mixed with other herbs like chamomile and valerian.

It repels mosquitoes naturally since Bee balm’s scent is an effective mosquito repellent, but generally works best when its leaves are crushed to release the fragrant oils

You can also use as a soothing skin tonic for itchy, dry, or sunburned skin. To make the tonic, “boil 1 cup of bergamot leaves and flowers in 1 1/2 liters of water for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Use as a splash or spritz, or add to your bath.

NOTE* Those who have thyroid issues should use caution when ingesting bee balm; also, those who are pregnant should not take it internally. While rubbing the leaves of bee balm can be a repellant for insects – especially mosquitoes – for some people, this may cause sensitivity to the sun, so don’t use undiluted without testing on a small area of the skin. As with any new treatment, check with your healthcare provider before using.

The best thing I like is that it attracts natural predators such as birds, pollinating insects, and predatory insects. Bee balm attracts pollinating insects such as bees, and predatory insects such as beetles, centipedes, spiders, bees, and butterflies, which will eat the herbivorous insects and parasites that eat your plants. Butterflies and hummingbirds also love bee balm.  Hence planting this in your garden will attract many other creatures.

You can make Bee Balm Iced Tea by placing ¼ cup bee balm leaves and flowers in a teapot or glass bowl. Pour one quart of boiling water over them. Cover and steep until cool, about an hour. Strain and discard leaves and flowers. Sweeten as desired. Chill and serve over ice.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

 Cynthia MacDonald wins

October Art Contest

Once Upon a Catch a Fairy Tail Tea Story©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Once upon a time, many years ago, after a long day’s work at Home Farm Herbery, I decided to sit on the patio and have a cup of tea as the evening faded into darkness.

As I looked out over gardens and ponds I started to notice thousands and thousands of blinking light that at first I thought was fireflies. However, they did not seem to be fireflies. As I peered into the darkness my ears picked up a sound. Very subtle, but is almost sounded like thousands of muted voices. I could not imagine my ears or even what it was.

So being the pragmatist that I am, yet believing in different dimensions and planes I finally concluded it must be fairies! Yep, that’s right folks thousand and thousand of fairies crossing my domain. A true fairy tale!

Even though I have never had the opportunity to see them again I went right out and bought this sign and posted the garden area they were in. Perhaps I haven’t been out at the right time or haven’t been looking.

A few weeks later I decided to do more for these little folks and I concocted a tea blend which I called Catch a Fairy Tail Herbal Tea. 

I wanted something herbal, delightful and inspiring; a blend that would be full of flowers and fairy magic, with a little hint of mint. A delicious infusion could be enjoyed by fairies of all ages. Something that could be enjoyed all year long, hot or cold!

Looking around the herbery I found Calendula flowers, Red Clover herb, Spearmint leaf, Lavender flowers, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Oatstraw, Lemon peel, Skullcap, Chamomile flowers, Thyme, and Stevia and I decided these were stuff dreams were made of.

At this point you may have decided that I put away my witches broom and set my kettle up on a fire, chanting a few words and stirred up a batch.

“Close, but no cigar”, as the barker says. However, after many experiments I came up with the perfect mixture that after 3 or 4 minutes of brewing time gives you a delightful, refreshing, caffeine free light yellow cup of tea that can be sipped both hot and iced.

Yes, this is a true Fairy Tale story and at Home Farm Herbery there is a fairy crossing sign in one of our many gardens and we truly believe they sometimes come and visit us.

And…. Maybe while you are enjoying my Catch a Fairy Tail Herbal Tea, you may experience the visit of a lifetime.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

Dried Mushrooms are GREAT!  ©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery’s dried mushrooms are one of our greatest works of art. We call them works of art because they do wondrous things to our cooking.

Many years ago we used to cook with them raw until we stumbled upon drying them and realized that there was a whole world that we were missing out on?

Dried mushrooms are a thing and a thing that is INTENSE FLAVOR that is readily available to almost everyone.

Here at Home Farm Herbery dried mushrooms let you experience new and different mushroom varieties that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to try without traveling quite a distance.

Dried mushrooms range from your more traditional Shiitakes and Portabellas to our Wild Mushroom blend which has a number of gourmet mushrooms.

They also have different flavor profiles and textures including an earthy meatiness, an earthy sweetness and umami flavors. Umami is one of the five basic tastes along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter. This specific flavor is what you would call ‘savory’ and is experienced through your taste receptors that absorb glutamate. Umami flavors can be hard to describe, but come with a specific mouth feel that many people have experienced. This induces salivation and a feeling of furriness on the tongue. 

Did you know that possibly the best part of dried mushrooms is that they can last for up to several years in the proper storage conditions?

There are many types of Dried Mushrooms

Dried Porcini Mushrooms have a very meaty texture when reconstituted and also have a complex flavor. Porcini mushrooms are very versatile and can be substituted for fresh Porcinis when they are not in season. Porcini mushrooms are used in a variety of cuisines including Asian, Italian and other European cuisines. Porcini mushrooms are typically used in soups, stews, stocks and braising liquids. 

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms are one variety of mushrooms that cooks actually prefer in the dried form, as opposed to fresh. This is because the drying process brings out the umami flavor that the fresh mushrooms do not possess. In Japan, shiitake mushrooms are added to miso soup and added to simmered and steamed dishes, while in Chinese cuisine they are more likely to be sautéed in vegetarian dishes. We like to use Shiitake mushrooms to make gravy, pasta and rice.

Dried Morel Mushrooms are loved by mushroom aficionados who will tell you that their flavor cannot be beaten by any other type of fresh mushroom. Morel mushrooms are very easy to recognize by their honeycomb shaped cap. These mushrooms have a rich, smoky and earthy flavor and we like to use them in a variety of dishes. Some of our favorites include beef, chicken and seafood recipes. We also like to use them to make casseroles, gravy and pasta dishes.

Dried Lobster Mushrooms can be substituted in recipes that call for just about any other type of mushroom. Their flavor will be unique depending on the mushroom hosts, but they will almost always have a spicy, strong shrimp and shellfish aroma and a possible peppery taste if the host mushroom is a Lactifluus. We use Lobster mushrooms in an array of dishes such as scrambled eggs, baked pasta, gravies or any other mushroom dish that could also use some vibrant orange color.

Candy Cap Mushrooms are a mushroom that does not follow the typical pattern of being eaten as a vegetable. Candy cap mushrooms are unique because they can enhance the flavors in sweet and savory dishes. When dried, these mushrooms have an aroma that brings to mind maple syrup or butterscotch. Because of the sweet aspect of this mushroom, it is used as a flavoring in the way that saffron, truffles and vanilla would be. These mushrooms are used by innovative cooks to bring a surprising flavor to breads, cookies and ice cream. They are also delicious in savory dishes that include polenta, pork and quinoa. 

Our Magically Forest Dried Wild Mushroom Blend  is combination of our favorite mushrooms that includes Morels, Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Porcini, Lobsters, Sliced Shiitakes, and Boletes. We like to use our Wild Mushroom Blend to make dishes such as beef dishes, casseroles, stir fries, stuffing and soups.

Dried Black Trumpet Mushrooms  which are actually a very common variety of mushroom, but they are dark, small and grow in the forest so they are very hard to find thus making them the most expensive mushrooms we offer. We use these when we make our incredible Black Trumpet Mushroom Duck Salami or sausages.

We love their smoky, rich buttery and elegant flavor with a pleasant, fruity aroma and our Black Trumpet Mushrooms pair well with hearty stews, meat and chicken, rice dishes, egg dishes, soups and stir-fry and will give an added layer of depth to sauce and gravy.
At first you may think that dried mushrooms are a bit expensive, but top chefs and home cooks alike can tell you how much the drying process intensifies the flavor of the mushroom. They are also a good addition to any well stocked pantry and are perfect for months when wild mushrooms are not in season. 

May the Creative Force be with you

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery  

More Cooking with Chervil©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

We love cooking with our dried chervil and we love sharing our recipes. Here are two of our long time favorite recipes. The first one is very simple and the second one is deliciously elegant.

Roasted Pepper Frittata

Chervil has long been a favorite in egg dishes, but usually in the dried form. This recipe takes a nice helping of the fresh greens and adds it to a mix of colorful bell peppers. This recipe has long been a favorite of mine.

Makes 6 servings

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. dried chervil, 

Salt and pepper to taste

8 large eggs

3 tablespoons low-fat milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh chervil sprigs for garnish

Preheat broiler.

Cut all the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. Place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Broil until the skins blacken and blister. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, drape the peppers loosely with aluminum foil and let cool for 10 minutes. Using your fingers or a small knife, remove the pepper skins. Cut the peppers lengthwise into strips 1/4-inch wide.

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper strips, garlic, vinegar, chervil and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate un-refrigerated 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Parmesan until frothy. Add the pepper mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 10-inch ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and, when it starts to set, lift the edges of the frittata with a spatula so that some of the egg mixture runs underneath.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom is set but the top still is runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the eggs are set on top and golden brown on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove the frittata from the oven and loosen with a spatula. Invert the frittata onto a serving plate. Garnish with fresh chervil sprigs.

We adapted this recipe from Emeril LaGasse around 16 years ago.

Lobster Ravioli in a Fennel and Chervil-Infused Nage

Total Time: 1 hr 25 min Prep:15 min Cook:1 hr 10 min

Yield: 18 ravioli, serving 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (we like to use our Grains of Paradise)

¼ tsp dried thyme 

¼ tsp. dried parsley 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
2 live (1 1/2 to 2 pound) lobsters
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh fennel bulb, fronds and upper stems reserved
1 tablespoons dried chervil
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup minced dried onions 

½ teaspoon minced dried garlic

36 wonton or egg roll wrappers

Directions

In a large pot place 1 gallon of water and the celery, onion, carrot, lemon and orange juices, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, white wine and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, then add the lobsters and poach for 9 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the water with tongs and drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the lobster meat and claw meat from the shells, finely chop and set aside, reserving the shells.

Into a clean pot strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Add the lobster shells and bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half. Add the fronds and upper stems from the fennel bulb and reduce again by half (should be between 2 and 3 cups). Strain the liquid again into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the chervil, cream, 2 tablespoons butter and 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest to the pan and season to taste. Remove sauce from the heat and cover.

In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and sauté the fennel, shallots and garlic until soft. Add the chopped lobster meat and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and remaining lemon zest and butter to the pan and stir to incorporate, next pour onto a plate to cool.

On a flat surface spread out 18 won ton wrappers and spoon 1 tablespoon of lobster filling into the center of each. Brush a little water on the outer rim of the filled wrapper and top a wrapper. Press gently around the filling and the edges of the wrappers to seal.

(Ravioli may be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly, until ready to use, up to 2 hours.)

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the ravioli in batches and cook for 30 seconds. Drain thoroughly and place 3 ravioli in the center of each serving plate, and coat with the sauce.

May the Creative Force be with you

Arlene Wright-Correll 

Home Farm Herbery

September Art Contest

Winner is Valerie Cooper

How to Make All Kinds of Healthy Vegetable Chips©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

First off let’s talk about potato chips and what you can use to make them. You can use just about anything including string beans.

You need a one or two potatoes to serve four people as a side. (When using radishes, squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, Kale or baby spinach, just figure out how much you will need per person.) They make a totally great accompaniment to burgers—or a pan-roasted sirloin. I like them a little bit thicker than a standard potato chip. I also like to leave the skin on the potato. If you prefer, though, peel the potatoes before slicing. Slice them into thin rounds.

If you have the time, soak potatoes or sweet potatoes* in ice cold water for about an hour to leach out some of the starch. (Less starch = crispier chip) and if you don’t, put them in a colander or strainer and give them a good, long rinse under cold, running water. Shake them around under the water to get them good and wet. Pat them dry with paper towels. You want to get as much water off them as possible. (Water splatters when it hits hot oil, and nobody likes a grease burn.) *No soaking for other veggies.

Line a baking sheet with a few paper towels. Set a rack on top. Set it aside.

Put about 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Set it on the stove over high heat. Heat the oil to about 380 degrees, if you have a candy thermometer handy. If you don’t, heat the oil until the surface shimmers, then start testing it. Dip (carefully!) the edge of a potato slice into the hot oil. If bubbles start to form furiously and immediately, the oil is hot enough to fry. If not, wait a minute or two, and then test again.

When your oil is hot enough, add a handful of potato slices to the pot. Pull them out of the oil with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon when they’re light brown and crisp. This should take about 2 minutes, depending on how thick your chips are.

Transfer the hot chips to your prepared rack. Sprinkle with Home Farm Herbery’s Oriental Potato Chip Seasoning. Repeat with the rest of the potato slices until you’ve fried them all. Enjoy.

Next let’s talk a little about the oil you will use. Two of the healthiest oils that you can use are sunflower and olive oil. These oils have a high flash point, and they contain healthy unsaturated fats. However, peanut, safflower and canola oil are great contenders for making chips or just for deep frying.

Once you have deep fried whatever chips you have made then you are going to season them. You can just season them with salt or a salt and pepper mix.

We like a lot of oriental flavors, so at Home Farm Herbery we made a wonderful Oriental Chip Seasoning  that is not only great on the chips it is great on sirloin steak or burgers.

Another one we created that is a big hit is our Barbecue Chip Seasoning  and we also find that is seasoning is quite versatile as it complements sandwiches, burgers, soups and more.

If you are anti-deep frying here is the one way we do our sweet potato chips with either seasoning.

Begin sprinkling the potatoes with either seasoning making sure they all get the blend of seasoning. Reserve some of the seasoning.

To a lined baking sheet, or multiple baking sheets, begin laying down the potatoes.

Place in the oven and cook for about 14 minutes (depending on your oven), then remove them, and turn the potatoes over, cooking for about another 10 minutes, or so until they are nice and crisp, but not burnt.

Keep an eye on them after the flip because all ovens are different and if you do not keep an eye on them, they can begin to burn, of which will leave a slightly bitter taste. If some become crisper then others, simply remove them and place them in a serving bowl.

Once all of them are crisp, add the remaining seasoning, toss, and serve.

I offered these up to the family one Sunday afternoon while grilling burgers.

The entire family loved them! They were a huge success and as I was going to offer them up with the grilled burgers, they did not last! They were just that good. Simple, home made, and packed full of that sweet heat, it was a great introduction to something new and interesting that is always a success when feeding my kids.

This is a great event to make into a family fun night. Everyone gets a chore, peeling potatoes, cutting, washing the various veggies, picking their own choices and making them. We even made deep fried pickles one time. Lots of laughter, conversations, not to say anything about the kids learning how to cook!

Teaching kids healthy eating and cooking as opposed to buying a bag of some kind of chips from a factory some where is a good option.

In the meantime…

May the Creative Force be with you.

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

Himalayan Pink Salt vs. Table Salt©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

The other day, at Home Farm Herbery, http://www.localharvest.org/store/M48630

one of our many customers called and asked me the difference between Himalayan Pink Salt and American Table Salt.

Because we do not process salt here at the farm we order chemical-free salts from the best suppliers we can find and we sell them on Etsy.

We have many salts; however, for the Himalayan Pink Salt we have two kinds. The fine grain kind and course grain kind.

The course Himalayan Pink Salt can be found at this link.

The fine Himalayan Pink Salt can be found at this link.

For many years we have known the health benefits of using natural Himalayan Pink Salt and we want to share with you what they may include:

Controlling the water levels within the body, regulating them for proper functioning

Encouraging excellent blood sugar health

Promoting stable pH balance in the cells, including the brain.

Promoting cellular hydroelectric energy creation

Aiding in reducing the common signs of aging

Aiding vascular health

Promoting the increased absorption capacities of food elements within the intestinal tract

Lowering incidence of sinus problems, and promoting over-all sinus health

Increasing bone strength

Supporting healthy respiratory function

Creating a healthy libido

Reducing cramps

Promotes kidney and gallbladder health when compared to common chemically-treated salt

Naturally promoting healthy sleep patterns

Circulator support

So here we find just to list a few benefits and we have long ago learned that we tend to use less Himalayan Pink salt than regular table salt.

While many people are unaware that common table salt contains chemicals and even sugar!

Salt is necessary but can be dangerous if taken in this chemical form.

Table salt is composed of 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals like iodine and absorbents, and sugar.

Common salt is dried at more than 1,200° Fahrenheit, a process which zaps many of the natural chemical structures.

The table and cooking salt found in most homes, restaurants, and processed foods is void of nutritional value, lacking beneficial trace minerals.

Processing salt turns it into sodium chloride, an unnatural salt the human body actually sees as a toxic invader!

The body cannot dispose of it in a natural, healthy way which can lead to irritation of the tissues, water retention and high blood pressure.

Processed salt crystals are also energetically dead, as their crystals are completely isolated from one another. For the body to metabolize chemical table salt, it must waste tremendous amounts of energy to keep the body at optimum fluid balance. This creates a burden on the elimination systems in the body. Water is removed from other cells in attempt to neutralize the unnatural sodium chloride.

There are studies that show that for each gram of table salt your system cannot process, your body will use over twenty times the amount of cellular water to neutralize the sodium chloride in chemically-treated salt. This can lead to cellulite, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, as well as kidney and gallbladder stones. 

The average American consumes 5,000 mg of sodium chloride a day!

Is there any question which you should be using? Start taking care of your health today regardless of your age.

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Home Farm Herbery

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