Take Advantage of the Final Days of Summer: Herbs for the Grill

August means we’re almost at the end of summer grilling season. With back-to-school upon us and Labor Day around the corner, now is the time to step out of your grilling comfort zone.

Here are some herbs we recommend for all of you grilling novices and masters add to your repertoire:

Basil: Goes well with chicken, halibut, lamb, salmon, and tuna, beef, pork and vegetables. Fresh basil is recommended to be added at the last minute so it doesn’t burn and lose some of its fresh flavor. Also, look for the different flavored basil such as lemon.

Rosemary: Goes well with chicken, most fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, pork and vegetables. One fun use for rosemary is growing the varieties that are upright and using the stems as skewers. Soak them first in water or olive oil. This is especially great with lamb basted with  a little lemon as it cooks. For looks on the plate as well as eating, grill a whole stem of rosemary and let it cook until crispy, but not heavily burnt. This adds great texture and taste to many dishes.

Thyme: Goes well with all poultry, most fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, pork, & vegetables. The Common Thyme, also known as English Thyme is an excellent choice, but ome other good varieties to use are Lemon and Lime Thymes. They both can give an extra zesty flavor.

Oregano: Goes well with chicken, most fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, and vegetables. Oregano can have a pungent flavor and aroma. This may require a bit more caution in its use, but still gives you that fabulous Mediterranean flavor.

French Tarragon: Goes well with all poultry, most fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, pork, and vegetables. Tarragon is widely used in classic French cooking for a variety of dishes including chicken, fish, and vegetables. Care need to be taken when using this herb because the flavor can dominate.

Sage: Goes well with chicken, halibut, sole, beef, lamb, pork, and vegetables. This herb is well-known for stuffing. So, if you are cooking a whole chicken or Cornish game hen, this would be the perfect herb for the stuffing.

COOKING TIPS:

  • When cooking with herbs on the grill, you don’t want them to burn, so control the heat and get creative on how you can apply the flavor of the herb.
  • Use marinades, (an easy quick marinade is chopping the herb up and mixing it with olive oil) stuff them under the skin, or use in a stuffing.
  • If you can actually cut whatever you are grilling and stuff the herb in, that will make a great way to permeate the flavor further.  
  • With fish, a nice way to cook it is in foil wrap, so the fish doesn’t dry out. You can add an extra amount of olive oil, parley, dill, along with other ingredients such onions, mushrooms, summer squash, lemons, and small cooked potatoes.

If a picture is worth a thousand words then a rose is worth two

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For hundreds of years, roses have been used to convey messages without words, as each color rose has its own significance. Admired for their timeless beauty and sweet aroma, there’s no better way to express oneself than with a striking bouquet of roses. Read on to find out which color to send in any situation.

Red Rose
If you are planning to gift the coveted red rose to your significant other, then you’re in luck. Red is the color of love and the classic red rose is the hallmark of romance.

Lavender Rose
The color of royalty, lavender roses are tied to desire. While red may represent romance, lavender holds the meaning of love at first sight, making the lavender rose the choice flower to gift in a budding relationship.  

White Rose
White carries with it the connotation of purity, spirituality and is symbolic of marriage. Representative of new starts, white roses make the perfect addition to a traditional wedding bouquet. If you’re thinking of popping the question, there’s no better way than with a shiny ring to adorn the stem of a single white rose.

Pink Rose
Pink is the traditional color of femininity, but the pink rose carries additional meanings according to its hue. While deep pink petals convey gratitude and appreciation, pale shades convey admiration and happiness, making them the flower to gift just because.

Yellow Rose
Yellow roses are handpicked for good friends. Sun-colored blossoms, expressing warmth and joy, will surely brighten the recipient’s day. A traditionally gender-neutral color and representative of good-health, yellow roses are a great pick for well wishes of good health to those who are expecting. 

Visit us at the nursery throughout the month of August to find roses of all colors and meanings on sale! 

What’s popular at The Lazy K House

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Have you been able to stop by The Lazy K House recently? Not only does the shop have beautiful home décor and gifts, but it also features fashionable jewelry, apothecary and novelty items. Furthermore, The Lazy K House loves to work with and feature local businesses and American-made products in the shop.

Here are a few of our favorite products currently residing on The Lazy K House shelves. We invite you to drop in and explore all of our many treasures.  

The Shine Project

An intern at an inner-city high school, Ashley LeMieux worked with and mentored students who didn’t feel that higher education was feasible. Determined to support these students, she began Threads by The Shine Project, a hand-made jewelry business, to raise college scholarship funds. Threads by The Shine Project employs inner-city students and 100% of donations go directly to the students. In total, The Shine Project has awarded over 40 scholarships since 2011.

 

Napa Soap Company

Committed to avoiding harsh and harmful ingredients in mass-produced soap, the owners of Napa Soap Company created all-natural soap from lavender and other botanicals planted in their personal garden. Now, Napa Soap Company has multiple lines of all-natural soaps in numerous scents and for any occasion. 

 

Alisha D. 

Alisha D. is an innovative and fashion-forward jewelry company on a mission to create bold and modern designs. The brand is passionate about creating versatile pieces that suits the needs of its customers while bringing a unique aesthetic to the industry. With a wide range of products for women of all ages, Alisha D. jewelry creates a lasting statement.

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Hors d’oeuvres From the Garden

We had an incredible morning last week at the Hors d’oeuvres From the Garden event with Chef Gayle Somers of home/made kitchen cafe & bakery. Thank you to all of the wonderful folks who were in attendance! If you missed it, keep reading for the recipes so you can recreate the event's culinary creations. 

Photo by E.A. Stewart

Photo by E.A. Stewart

Cucumber Avocado Soup Shots

Ingredients:

  • 3 large English cucumbers; peeled, seeded, chopped course
  • 1 large avocado; peeled, pitted, diced
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Blend all in blender/Vitamix
  2. Serve chilled with small chopped cherry tomatoes and avocado garnish

Photo by John Autry, Cooking Light

Photo by John Autry, Cooking Light

Zucchini and Pepper Gratin

Ingredients:

  • 3 large (about 1.5 lbs) zucchini with one of the zucchini finely diced and set aside
  • 1/4 cup evoo
  • 1/4 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 large tomato; peeled, seeded and finely diced
  • Piment d'Espelette or spicy/smoky paprika to taste
  • 1 tbsp. chopped mint
  • 1 tbsp. chopped oregano
  • 1 tbsp. chopped basil
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated Sbrinz cheese (can use Parmigiano Reggiano)
  • Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut each of the two whole zucchini into 12 half-inch slices, slicing diagonally, and season with salt. Place on rack for 30 min. Rinse and pat dry.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in large pan. Add onion and garlic and cook over low heat, until softened--about 4 minutes.
  3. Add tomato paste; cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
  4. Add red and yellow peppers, the diced zucchini and cook, stirring a bit until softened, but not browned—about 5-6 minutes.
  5. Add diced tomato, stir a bit and cook for 5 min.
  6. Season with salt and paprika. Stir in mint, oregano and basil.
  7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in large skillet.
  8. Season remaining zucchini slices with salt and paprika, add to skillet, cook over high heat, turning once, until browned in spots—about 4 minutes.
  9. Arrange zucchini in 9x13" baking dish in single layer and spoon pepper mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in upper third of oven for about 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.

Note: The gratin can be assembled up to 6 hours ahead. Keep at room temperature until ready to bake and serve.

Photo by Romulo Yanes, epicurious

Photo by Romulo Yanes, epicurious

Taleggio Truffle Flat Bread

Make flatbread as per your favorite recipe, or purchase a supple flatbread. Add chopped fresh rosemary, grated cheeses, truffles and drizzle with truffle oil.

Directions:

  1. Bake in preheated oven at 375-400 degrees F, just until cheese melts nicely, and bread is fragrant — about 3-5 minutes.
Photo by The Kiwi Cook

Photo by The Kiwi Cook

Lavender Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 quart heavy manufacturing cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped out
  • 2 tbsp. dried lavender
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 tbsp. + 1/4 tsp. powdered gelatin

Directions:

  1. Carefully and evenly sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
  2. Have approximately 8-10 soufflĂ© type ramekins (6-8oz in size) ready on a level sheet pan. Spray them very lightly with a pan coating spray—do not over do it.
  3. Warm cream, sugar, lavender, vanilla bean and seeds in saucepan until hot and steaming, just below a scald, but do not let it boil. Remove pot from heat and let mixture steep to infuse lavender—about 15 min.
  4. Strain a small amount of the warm cream into the gelatin and whisk in to blend, then pour entire mixture back into the pot. You only want cream hot enough to dissolve the sugar and then melt the gelatin. After you tempered the gelatin, then pour it back into the rest of the cream.
  5. Pour cream mixture into a stainless bowl, then set bowl into an ice/water bath. Stir until cool, but do not allow to set up or congeal; you just want it slightly cool, not cold; probably no more than 10 minutes in the ice bath.
  6. Dry bottom of bowl of Panna Cotta so water doesn't drip in while pouring. Easiest way to pour into ramekin is to pour into large measuring cup first, then pour into ramekins until they are 2/3 - 3/4 full.
  7. Once ramekins are filled, carefully place on sheet pan in refrigerator to chill. Best to chill overnight.

To serve: 

Have desired plate ready nearby, run thin small spatula around edge of panna cotta. Invert over plate and gently shake panna cotta out of ramekins and onto plate. Remember you cannot move the panna cotta once it is on the plate, especially with a spatula. You can gently tilt plate and shake a little to move it to the center of the plate. The dish is delicious served with a generous portion of strawberries, perhaps slightly sweetened if necessary, and then drizzled with a small amount of aged balsamic vinegar with a small short bread on the side.