All about herbs: Herbs for the holidays
All about herbs: Herbs for the holidays
By: Edna McCallion
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Posted by editor Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:39:33 PDT
Viewed 862 times
0 responses 0 comments The aroma of sage and thyme drift through the home where a traditional turkey and stuffing dinner is roasting. The smell of minted peas and carrots, herb bread and steaming soup stimulate appetites as guests await the feast. The scene is set with a fall herb bouquet on the entry door while scented herb sprigs tied with the colors of the season adorn drinking glasses. Herbs joined together on a “wire circle” surround the candleholders.
The serving platters are decorated with sprigs of the fresh herbs that season each dish.
The table centerpiece is made of two transparent plates with herb leaves and rose petals sandwiched between them. A large luminous candle sits jauntily in the center. Each place has a napkin that is tied with a dainty herb bundle that includes a bay leaf on which each person’s name is written. This is a gift bouquet for each guest to take as a reminder of this special time together. These fragrant herb accents present a visual and sensorial impression of what is to come. This is a meal we feel we have savored already because our sense of smell is so closely linked to that of taste.
Appetizers as well as herb martinis and May wine are served to guests as they arrive. The crab and cheese crackers, stuffed mushrooms, and other favorites are savored as new and old friends meet. The guests find their “bay leaf place card” and seat. Their appetites have been awakened with herby appetizers and drinks with sweet woodruff sprigs afloat. They are ready for the next delight filled course. Here come steaming bowls of pumpkin soup topped with fresh rosemary flowers, and miniature sage biscuits bobbing happily on top. How could the main attraction beat this?
Lofty sprigs of sage, parsley and thyme escort the platter carrying the delicately browned turkey. These herbs can be seen through the translucent skin where they have become one with the meat. Each succulent slice has its own herb crust! The giblet gravy has been seasoned with these same herbs and will impart their flavor to the fluffy mashed potatoes. The stuffing bowl is full and a flowering bundle of sage sits on top. The peas and carrots are adorned with fresh chopped mint to reinforce the flavor of the herb they were cooked in. The chopped leaves of savory and pineapple sage add color and piquancy to the rose hip sauce that is filling in for the traditional cranberries. The herb bread is served in a basket tied prettily with a bow and a bundle of herbs.
The traditional desserts of pumpkin, apple and mince pie are not alone today. A minted cake is one of the other sweets to be tasted. All the treats are topped with whipped cream. Ground cinnamon is sprinkled on the pie cream and chopped fresh mint on the cake topping. Mint leaves garnish all! Cider and other hot drinks are sipped as the day comes to an end.
To add to the wonder of the day the garden herbs we have enjoyed are growing and even blooming in our rather erratic Tehachapi weather. I have moved the tender herbs to the cold frame and some of the annuals have died back. All the others are still ready to serve. I hope these ideas and the following recipes will allow herbs to play a major role and add a happy note to your holiday gatherings. Let me know if you can’t find the herbs that you need. ‘Tis the season for sharing, and I have herbs aplenty!
Contact Edna at eamherb@csurfer.net or my Website at herbbasket.net or Tehachapinews.com. Enjoy an herbalicious month!
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