61 Franklin Street Community Garden

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

How To Get Through The Cold and Flu Season With Herbs with local Greenpointer and herbalist Maya Robinson!

Learn how to strengthen your immune system in this hands-on workshop, which will introduce you to the world of herbs from the familiar guys you often see in your kitchen to the not so familiar guys you might hear about for the first time, and how they can be our allies during this time of year. You will go home with some herbal remedies we will make in the workshop, as well as easy recipes that you will be able to start incorporating into your life right away that can not just help you, but your entire family. Please bring a couple of empty jars with lids. (Baby food jar is the best)

*Artwork by Jen Keenan

Monday, November 18, 2013

Fall cooking with a touch of garden herbs

It's that time of year again - the leaves are falling and root vegetables are the highlight of the farmer's market. We had a lot of yummy herbs in the garden this fall (think oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme... is anybody going to Scarborough Fair?) so we decided to pull some together and put them in a seasonal Roasted Root Vegetable dish. A hit at the 61 Franklin St. Garden fall potluck, this dish is easy, yummy, and seasonally fresh. Below is a version of the dish for a taste of how you can enjoy the garden's fresh herbs, too!

Roasted Root Vegetables: serves approx. 8 people, good as a side dish
3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
4 carrots, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and then cut into chunks
1 large loose red beet, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 large sweet onion, cut into rings
(add any other root vegetable you like!)

handfuls of oregano, thyme, ground black pepper, parsley, sage
(You can do this in sprigs, or cut some very finely and sprinkle over)

Toss all with olive oil, cover with tin foil (poke some holes in the top to let the heat out or the veggies might cook too quickly!) and then put in the oven at about 400 degrees until vegetables are soft and cooked through.

Enjoy them this way, or add a sauce to add over the vegetables. This works particularly well when eaten with a wild or yellow rice.

Bake vegetable with herbs the same way.
3 way equal parts: Orange juice, white wine, vegetable (or chicken stock)
pour over vegetables in 13x9 pan until vegetables are almost covered by liquid.
Put in oven and cook the same way, until vegetables are soft.
Pour excess liquid into a pot, and simmer, adding herbs or more liquid if necessary for taste. If you want a thicker sauce, stir some cornstarch with water and add the mixture to the sauce in pot.

When it has the consistency you like, pour it over the vegetables (and rice) and enjoy!