GOOD THYMES
Publ. of The Fishing Creek Herb Guild
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2011 Vol. 22, No. 5
Thought of the month:
“Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together; drawing them
from their homes.”
November 17, 7 pm
Program: “Better than Martha for the Holidays, Part
2”, presented by John Shott and Guild members
Host/Hostesses: Nancy Gale
Herb of the Month: Cardamom
Herb Study Presenter: Joan Silver
December
8th, 6 pm
Annual Christmas Pot Luck Dinner and Gift Exchange
Please note that this is the 2nd Thursday of the month and at an
earlier time.
If there is bad weather, the party will be rescheduled for
the 3rd Thursday.
All members are asked to bring a covered dish to share with
the members. Drinks will be provided by the Christmas Party Committee. Please
remember to bring your own place setting and utensils.
Gift Exchange: Each member is asked to bring an
herbal-related or garden-related gift under $10 in value or the cost of raw
materials, [holiday-wrapped]. Please include your name with the gift. If the
gift is not generic, please indicate if it is specifically for a man or woman.
Please remember to check the Guild’s online webpage
[www.fishingcreekherbguild.org] or call an officer if you have a question if
there is bad weather on the day of the meeting.
Whew, WHAT A YEAR….
The double whammy of
devastation from Hurricane Irene and then Tropical Storm Lee has been serious
to many in the area—for our guild members, our neighbors and our friends. We
end this year with all of those affected in our thoughts, prayers and hearts.
Loss of property, devastation of homes, and short and long term recoveries are
sad. But people safe and we are thankful for that.
Needless to say,
while the town of Bloomsburg was cleaning up, the Fair was cancelled, as was
our September meeting. At the October meeting, the Town Park garden was
reported to have survived the flooding with little damage.
However,
Barton House Committee members reported that both the Barton house and the
garden were ravaged. Rebuilding the garden, an 11-year labor of love and hard
work, will take years. Lost in the flood and mud were all the garden resource
materials. Committee members are seeking donations of books on herbs and
vegetables, especially ones which detail or document heirloom plants of the 19th
century. Please contact Ruth Vaughan or Sharon Reichard if you have any items
to rebuild their resources.
Also—at
the November Herb Guild meeting, the Barton House Committee will be selling the
handmade lye soap, the fundraiser for the house and garden. A great gift idea
& a way to help!!!!
Thanks to Toni Farides for her October presentation
“Playing With Your Food”.
With minimal tools and obliging vegetables, she turned
celery into wispy flowers, apples into turkeys and onions into chrysanthemums.
Every table had a bucket with veggies to slice and dice along with Toni. We’re
sure her student helpers at school were as amazed and enchanted as we were.
Winterizing Your
Herb Garden
Annual herbs will be killed with the
first hard frost in the fall. Remove dead plants to minimize insects and
disease problems next year. After a severe winter, some outdoor plants, such as
rue, sage, thyme and southernwood may appear brown and dead. Scrape the bark of
a stem to determine damage; if the stem is green, delay pruning until new
growth appears.
Rosemary, lemon verbena and a few others
are not reliably winter hardy. Protect herbs such as French tarragon,
germander, English lavender, Roman chamomile and winter savory from winds by
covering with evergreen boughs. The more cold-sensitive herbs have a better
chance of surviving if grown in a protected location.
Avoid
heavy mulching before cold weather because it may keep the soil warmer and
actually decrease winter hardiness. After the first hard freeze, apply a 3 to 6
inch layer of material such as straw pine needles or chopped leaves. Remove
most of mulch in the spring.
Herbs
should not be fertilized after early August. Late summer applications of
nitrogen fertilizer will promote new growth and not have time to mature before
frost.
Avoid
significant pruning in August; that will stimulate new growth that will not
have time to mature before frost. Avoid severe pruning in late fall since
winter hardiness is reduced until cuts have healed. [4 to 6 weeks before first
severe frost].
[Just a short summary
from a handout from a member at October’s meeting]
Tip from the Herb of the
Month study—Horseradish—Dottie Moore
Always put your horseradish in a porcelain or glass dish; it
will tarnish metal.
Magazine Tip for the
Holidays: Frozen Citrus Slices
To keep drinks
cold while adding flavor, freeze lemon and lime slices. Line a sheet pan with
wax paper, place citrus slices in single layers between wax paper. Freeze the
slices, then drop frozen citrus in water tea, lemonade or cocktails. Cheers!
Recipes
from October’s Meeting…
Pear Salad ……….Rhyan Smith
Salad: 1 head lettuce 2-3 pears, chopped 5 oz blue or Gorgonzola cheese
1 avocado, diced ½
c sliced onion ¼ c
dried cranberries
Pecan topping: ¼
c sugar ½
c [or more] pecans
Dressing: 1/3 c olive oil 3 T red wine vinegar 1 ½ tsp sugar 1 ½ tsp mustard
1 clove garlic ½ tsp salt/pepper to taste
FOR
PECAN topping, in a skillet over medium heat, stir ¼ c sugar with pecans. STIR
’til sugar has melted and caramelized pecans. TRANSFER to waxed paper to cool,
and then break into pieces. MAKE dressing. IN A LARGE BOWL layer salad
ingredients, pour over dressing, and sprinkle with pecans.
Carrot Soup …..Emily Shultz
1
gal. strong chicken broth 8-10
carrots, sliced 1” thick 2 onions,
quartered
1 bay leaf 2
c. cream Pinch
thyme & tarragon
2-3 whole allspice 2-3
whole cloves Pinch of
cinnamon
BOIL all [except
cream] for ½ hr. COOL until manageable. STRAIN vegetables from broth. PUT
VEGETABLES through blender, mill or food processor. PUT BACK in stockpot. ADD 2
quarts stock back in. ADD 2 cups cream. SIMMER low, stirring occasionally for ½
hr. ADD more cream or stock to correct consistency.
In
The NEWS [Paper]-----just peachy
Herb Guild member, Susan
Brooke, shared two peach recipes
from the Press Enterprise
August 31st---
Peach Tart and Peach Tomato Salad!
Here’s the Peach Tart recipe!
Hulda Hoffman’s Peach Cake
2 c
all purpose flower
¼ c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
¾ c
chilled butter, cut in small pieces
1
egg
2 T rum
1
tsp lemon zest
4-5
medium size, ripe peaches
cinnamon
sugar
PREHEAT oven to 400
degrees. MIX together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. CUT IN
the butter pieces with a pastry blender until mixture is consistency of coarse
crumbs. BEAT the eggs with rum and lemon zest. MAKE A WELL in the center of the
flour and butter mixture and add the liquid. MIX with your fingers into smooth
stiff dough. USING YOUR FINGERS, press the dough evenly into the bottom of a 9
x 12 inch glass baking pan. FLUTE the edges. PEEL AND SLICE the peaches and
place them in overlapping rows over the dough. SPRINKLE lightly with cinnamon sugar. BAKE in a 400
degree oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. COOL on rack for 15 minutes.
Special
---New York City BUS TRIP
December 4-----$35
The
local Italian American Cultural Society is sponsoring a day trip to NYC with
dinner in the Portuguese restaurant section, Newark, NJ. The trip is open to
all and departs Bloomsburg at 7:30 am & arrives in NYC approximately 11 am
for time on your own. At 4 pm sharp, the bus leaves for Newark for a multitude
of Portuguese restaurant choices—fabulous food at unbelievably reasonable
prices! The price of $35 is for the bus only; all other costs are up to the
traveler. Adults: $35 per person, children $25 per child. This trip has
sold out every time we’ve done it, so please reserve your place ASAP. For more
info please call Janet Dalberto,
752-1614 or email jadalberto@verizon.net;
include your name & phone number.
MANY THANKS TO ALL OUR
OFFICERS this year and to all the committees and all members who worked
so hard to make this past year so interesting and fun.
Please consider running
for an office [or sharing an office] at the November meeting.
President—plans
and conducts the programs for the year, including opening and closing the church space. 2011:
John Shott.
Vice President---assists the President and presides in
his/her absence. 2011:
Bonnie Burke.
Treasurer---deposits and disburses the guild funds, collects
dues, prepares the annual budget and
prepares the membership list. 2011: Louise McCormick
Secretary---records the minutes of the meetings. 2011: Carol Fraind
Please sign up to chair or be a member of the
following committees:
Barton
House Garden---rebuild, plant and maintain the garden on the Bloomsburg Fair grounds. 2011 chair: Ruth Vaughn
Bloomsburg Fair --prepare the guild’s exhibit for the
September Fair. 2011:
Bonnie Burke, Joan Silver, Shirley Herb
Christmas Favors--make the annual wonderful Christmas tree
ornaments given to each member at
the Christmas party
Christmas Party--coordinate the annual party’s potluck and
gift distribution.
Cookbook—collect the monthly recipes, categorize by herbs
used and prepare them
for publication in the Guild’s third cookbook. 2011: Louise McCormick
Historian—house the archival boxes, collect and maintain the
monthly newsletters and compile
and collect photographs from members’ activities & the annual trip. 2011: Janet Dalberto.
Home Gardener’s School---take the newsletter and Guild
information to the event 2011: Nancy
Dennis
Library Gift--- select the book the guild donates to every
library in the towns represented by guild
members. 2011:
Nancy Gale
Newsletter [Good Thymes]—prepare 5 newsletters per year and
distribute by mail and Website. 2011: Janet Dalberto.
Nominating--- nominate officers for the year. 2011: Brenda Aucker
Town Park Garden---plant and maintain the garden in
Bloomsburg Town Park Picnic—coordinate the June picnic. 2011: Barton House Committee
Plant Auction---coordinate the bidding and payment of plants
grown and donated.
Scholarship/Memorial---select & award a student who is
interested in agriculture or plant-based curriculum. 2011: Bonnie Burke
Trip—select and plan the annual Guild overnight bus trip. 2011: JoAnne Fogelman
Yearbook---prepare the annual publication with all Guild
information. 2011:Carol
Fraind
Maybe a holiday book gift?
They
stabilize soil, they curb water loss, they repair landscapes, and they may be
used as food, fuel, medicines, dyes or building materials for birds or
humans. Consider the new book: Weeds:
In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants by Richard Mabey, Ecco/HarperCollins
Publisher. $25.99. As my cousin always
says when I complain, “Weeds are your friends, they will always grow”.
Holiday Ideas [not
quite “Better than Martha for the Holidays”]
For
Thanksgiving
Margaret’s
Turkey-Herb Baste
¼ tsp dry mustard ¼
tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp allspice 2 tsp
dried parsley
1 tsp sage 1
tsp fennel seed 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper
½ cup white wine [such as Chablis] 2 T lemon juice
USING a mortal and pestle grind all the herbs and spices
together. ADD to the wine and lemon juice and blend together. Before baking
BRUSH the inside and rub the outside of the turkey with the mixture. [STUFF
with your favorite dressing]. Use remaining mixture to baste the turkey as it
cooks.
For Christmas
Make
a Cinnamon Stick Hotplate
Make a fragrant
hotplate by gluing 3 inch cinnamon sticks onto a 6” x 6”, ¼” thin plywood base.
Sticks may be arranged in any design of your choice. Use glue that is
non-flammable and not affected by heat, such as Dow Corning Silicone Glue. One
design choice would be to make four squares, and alternate two squares of
horizontal cinnamon sticks with two squares of vertical cinnamon sticks.
Probably will smell yummy when something hot is placed on it.
Herbs in the Manger
In
the crèche’s straw, place herbs that are associated with the manager legends:
bedstraw, chamomile, horehound, lavender, rosemary, thyme and sweet woodruff.
Legend says that all of the herbs except for lavender and rosemary were mixed
with sweet grasses to make the manager ‘bed’ sweet and soft. And after Mary draped
her wash to dry over the lavender and rosemary plants, the lavender was
‘gifted’ with its lovely fragrance and the rosemary blossoms changed from white
to the blue of her cloak. What a lovely story, even if apocryphal. And your
crèche will smell heavenly! From
Phyllis Saudy, Herbal Treasures
Astrology
for Next Year’s Plantings
Many people plant by the
moon, but how about activities by the zodiac?
Aries: Favors tilling the
soil and planting garlic and onions.
Taurus: Plant root crops
Gemini: Cultivating and
weeding are appropriate
Cancer: Best for general
planting and transplanting
Leo: Suspend planting and
transplanting, attend to weeds.
Virgo: A good sign for
cultivating and weeding
Libra: Favors planting
flowers and crops harvested above ground.
Scorpio: Good time for
planting most crops
Sagittarius: A barren sign
Capricorn: Planting root
vegetables is appropriate
Aquarius: cultivate and weed
the garden rather than plant
Pisces: A good time for
planting bulbs and fruit in particular.
From
Roger Yepsen’s Newspaper, Pennies, Cardboard
This
is the last Good Thymes Newsletter of 2011. I would like someone new to
work with me in the coming year and then take over as editor.
Have a “good time” with Good Thymes. Thanks for reading
for 3 yrs. Janet.
Special Business Page: Herb Guild Members Business & Crafts for Sale
In the past
newsletter and at the October meeting members who have wares, crafts or
services that they sell were asked if they wished to list them in the
newsletter, where they may be purchased and, if wished, bring them to the
November meeting.
The Barton House
Committee will be selling bars of the handmade lye soap at the November
meeting. This is a fundraiser for the Barton house and garden.
Member: Louise McCormick
Product: Hand made felted wool mittens in varied colors
& sizes. Cost $20 to $25/ pair. Machine wash in cold water.
Available: At the November meeting
Member: Ruth Vaughn
Service: Vaughn’s Sharpening. Sharpens various items: saws,
knives, scissors, etc.
Where: 163 Poor House Rd, Catawissa [residence]
Contact: Tom Vaughn 799-0118, cell 317-3767
Member: Carol Fraind
Product: Garden art and portraits.
Where: 162 Valley Rd, Berwick, 759-1130
Available: At the November meeting
Member: Karen Musitano
Product: Mousie and Pet Rat Photos [Karen says: “adorable,
even if you don’t like mice, you will love mine and Mr. Whiskers, my rat”]
Call: Karen at 925-2839 or email kmus@epix.net
Member: Bonny Broadt
Products: Diamond Knife scissor sharpeners; Safe veggie
cleaner & soil conditioners; Floral arrangements
Where sold: At fairs and from home
Call: Bonny 784-1237, 204-5886
Available: At the Nov. meeting
Member: JoAnne Reichart
Products: Natural Cleaning Products, Natural skin care
products; Nutritional supplements
Where sold: from home and on line
Call: JoAnne 683-5703 or 204-0424
Available: at the Nov. meeting
If you have any ideas or suggestions for programs or persons to present
programs for next year, please bring them to November’s meeting! Let’s have a
great, interesting and fun next Guild Year!
