A Kitchen Garden Symposium at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

This weekend April 25th and 26th Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is hosting a Kitchen Garden Symposium. The speakers are William Alexander, author of The $64 Tomato; Jennifer R. Bartley, author of Designing the New Kitchen Garden; cookbook author Cynthia Finnemore Simonds,(that's me!) with a demo and tasting; and Russ Cohen, an expert on edible native plants and wildflowers. Amanda Beal, president of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) will provide opening remarks. It should be a day filled with humor, education and entertainment.
For me, spring is a time filled with inspiration. Everything is greening. Ideas also blossom when I imagine what to do with the little herbs poking up out of the garden soil. I have a kitchen garden filled with both perennials and annuals and try to alternate what I plant but some herbs are the same every year. Here are three recipes using fresh herbs. They are Delicious!

Cheese in Herbed Oil
This herb oil will strengthen as it sits and cheese will be more infused with the flavors.
2 cups olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 t red pepper flakes or 1 dried chili pepper
6 black peppercorns
6 coriander seeds
2 whole allspice
1 lb feta or other fresh soft cheese, chopped into bite size pieces
Put all ingredients in wide mouth jar with a lid. Keep refrigerated for 1-2 months. Delicious in salads or as an appetizer.

Kitchen Garden Herbed Cheese Spread
This creamy spread is wonderful on bagels, crusty bread, or on top of a warm piece of grilled steak. Herbed cheese is especially good when you pick the herbs fresh from your garden or from your local farm stand. One of the freshest cheeses we have here in Maine comes from the delectable chevre producers. Using this in combination with Neufchatel cheese produces a delicious lower fat spread- you’ll never miss those calories!
8 oz Neufchatel cheese or regular cream cheese
8 oz plain chevre- I love Appleton Creamery
1T chopped fresh rosemary
1⁄4 c fresh minced parsley
1⁄4 c fresh minced chives
1⁄2 t garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic minced
1⁄2 t white pepper
1⁄2 t salt
Blend all together until smooth. Chill. This is better the day after it’s made so the flavors can dance around a bit. If you have an herb garden and want to add oregano, thyme, marjoram, or sage, supplement the herbs to your taste.
Pack along a bottle of Winterport Winery’s Spring Fever or Dry Pear wine to whet your whistle.

Summer Herb Dressing
This dressing offers bright flavors that take you out to the garden. Use the freshest herbs you can find.
2 T Raye’s stone ground mustard
3⁄4 c white vinegar
1 shallot- minced
2 cloves garlic- use roasted garlic here if you have it
1 T sugar
1⁄2 t salt
1⁄2 t fresh ground black pepper
1⁄4 c chopped fresh basil
2 T chopped fresh sage
2 T chopped fresh thyme
3 T chopped fresh parsley
1 1⁄2 c olive oil
Whisk all of the ingredients but the oil together. Slowly drizzle the oil into the dressing, whisking constantly.
Serve chilled with your choice of greens.
Savor. Linger. Enjoy!
Cynthia Finnemore Simonds

savorlingerenjoy@gmail.com

Kitchen Gardens...art in your side yard leads to delicious salads

I spent some time at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens yesterday. Their newly designed kitchen garden will lend itself to a wonderful series of cooking lectures and demos by nationally known chefs. Their campus was teeming with landscapers and land shapers- I would love to have had a camera set up on the side of the buildings with a snapshot every 30 seconds or so. Sitting in their lovely cafe for my meeting allowed me a vantage point to witness the grounds changing before my eyes. These folks are serious! Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a place that invites inspiration. The education director Rebecca Jacobs gave me a tour of their upcoming programming. They are right on track for the summer. I can't wait to join them. We're scheduling times in July, August and September for me to come in and work with their staff to produce some demos/cooking classes for both adults and kids. What fun!
Here is a recipe for an Herbed Bread. Enjoy it alongside your favorite salad. I've taken to adding a few whisps of fresh herbs to my salad greens. It's a great way to get a little sprinkle of extra flavor into your veggie creations.
Savory Herb Bread
This loaf is made from a soft dough—a bit sticky—but it bakes up moist on the inside and crusty on the outside. The fresh herbs infuse the bread with a kitchen garden scent. Serve it warm alongside your favorite soup.
Serves 12
2 T yeast
1⁄2 c warm water
1 t Maine maple syrup
5 c King Arthur flour
11⁄2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 T fresh herbs of your choice- I like to use a combination of rosemary, sage, basil and thyme, finely chopped
2 c ricotta cheese
1⁄4 c Maine maple syrup
3 T chopped fresh chives
2 T chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs
2 T butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Let sit until it’s bubbling and frothy.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the herbs.
In another bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, 1⁄4 cup maple syrup, chives, parsley, eggs, and melted butter. Whisk in the yeast mixture and immediately pour all the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined.
Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface for 10 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add a Tablespoon of flour at a time until it is just firm enough to knead. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat. Place dough on the pan and form it into a long loaf. Let it rise until double in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let the bread cool on a wire rack. Slice to serve.