Technique Tuesday: DIY Herbal Tea

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Technique Tuesday: DIY Herbal Tea

It always is the case that this time of year is when I finally start to think about drying and putting away some fresh herbs from the garden. Maybe it is because I am so busy using them fresh in the previous months, or I'm subconsciously trying to put them away as late as possible to have them fresher longer (or I procrastinate...). Regardless, it is not until the the temperatures flirt a little with the upper 30s (like it did last week!) (and which can be the kiss of death, literally, for basil and other more delicate herbs) do I seem to motivate to do anything long-term with them.

Along with the weather dipping lower, and Friday's first day of fall, I also start craving warm cups of tea, and, just as big marketing execs would want, start thinking ahead to the holidays. This project helps satisfy both categories.

Herbs at the Jean-Talon market in Montreal last month.

Giant, and criminally inexpensive, bunches of gorgeous, fragrant, vibrant herbs are still available in the farmers' markets, and until a frost, perhaps in your yard or garden. Drying an assortment will give you great building blocks for your own herbal tea. Endlessly customizable, and super-natural, will be far more flavorful than anything that has been sitting on a store shelf for months and months. And putting away more than you need will also give you the raw materials for a lovely on-the-fly holiday gift.

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Chew on this.

" To "put by" is an early nineteenth-century way of saying to save something you don't have to use now, against the time when you'll need it...Putting food by is prudence, and it's involvement. It's also a meaningful return to old simplicities and skills. Above all, it is deeply satisfying. We know what is added to food we put by for our families. And we have a direct return for effort--which has be become a luxury in these times of remote and deviously routed forces."

-Janet Greene, in Putting Food By, January 1973.

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Pitchfork Diaries joins Gojee.com!

How did you possibly live before the quite-brilliant food blog recipe site Gojee.com?? It serves as your online library/concierge/personal assistant/curator to help find new recipes from top food blogs, selected just for you and what you are craving, or better yet, what you have on hand at the moment.

Launched a few months ago, today they are adding their second batch of writers and blogs, and I could not be more proud to announce that that includes me and Pitchfork Diaries! It is a tremendous bunch of blogs and bloggers who they work with, many of whom have served as my inspiration and mentors for years, and it is such a thrill to be in their esteemed company.

The genius premise allows you to submit ingredients that you are craving or have in the pantry, and they then pull up recipes from a arsenal of diverse and talented food bloggers that fit your criteria, complete with full-screen mouth watering photos. You can even input ingredients you dislike and never want to see included in your searches, and they are happy to oblige. They also have a function where you can link your D'agostino's loyalty card number, (soon to be expanded to other food markets), and they will formulate a list of recipes based on your recent grocery purchases. Again, how did we live without this?

Thanks so much to the creative, super sharp, and innovative team over at gojee.com for including Pitchfork Diaries and for the great site!

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happytomatillomonday.

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Sweet Corn Crème Caramel

Corn this time of year is so sweet and full of natural sugar, that it lends itself to both sweet and savory preparations. (They don't call it "Butter and Sugar" for nothing.)

This recipe is part homage to Meredith Kurtzman, the pastry chef and queen of all things gelato, at New York City's Otto. In addition to her famous and irresistible olive oil gelato, Meredith also has a criminally delicious sweet corn gelato, that I first had at a master class she gave while I was in culinary school. Not too sweet, creamy and highlighting everything that is best about corn right now, it is perfect, and only available for the few weeks while the best fresh corn is in season.

Crème caramel, often called crème renversee, is a classic french custard dessert. Very similar in overall flavor to a crème brulee, but the difference being that in this case the caramelized sugar is first placed on the bottom of the ramekin baking dish and the custard baked on top of it. It is then removed from the dish to serve, and reversed, like an upside down cake, with the now top of the custard infused with the caramel. The magic trick of this recipe, is that also somehow in the cooking, some of the caramel first put in the bottom of the dish and hardened, permanently liquifies, making its own sauce at the same time. (For a crème brulee, the custard is baked on its own, topped with sugar just before serving, and then the sugar is burnt (bruleed) with either a torch or broiler, to make that crackly hard top.)

Anyway, custard + caramel= amazingly good. Caramel + corn=old time ballpark good. Two together? Yes, good.

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Catie Baumer Schwalb is a chef, food writer and photographer, who splits her life between the city and the country. Not too long ago Catie was a New York City based actress and playwright for more than a decade. She has her Master of Fine Arts from the National Theater Conservatory, and her Grand Diplôme in classic culinary arts from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. ... Read More ≫

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