Butter Toffee Nuts

Went to the SWAP at the Coventry Farmers' Market today and what a delight it was.  I got a chance to see a few friends that I haven't seen since October.  Upon request, I brought some of our sea salts, our mixture of Herbes D Provence and I made some Butter Toffee Nut mix.  I found the recipe on oprah.com since it was one of her tasty homemade gifts list.

The first time I made the nut mix, was for a family holiday gathering in December and it was a hit.  I then made them for New Year's eve. I made a huge container full, approx. 18 cups worth (easily) and before the night was gone, alot of it was gone, as well.  If you chose to try making them, keep in mind that you need a good strong arm, as you continue to stir the mixture from a powdery state, to a glossy smooth texture.  I did leave some of the sugary state on the nuts, just to give it alittle different texture and flavor.  http://www.oprah.com/food/Butter-Toffee-Nuts-with-Sea-Salt .  I did change the recipe alittle and did not put the sea salt on the mixture, since I used raw sugar.  I wanted the taste of the molasses to come through.  I also continued to stir the sugary mixture until it was becoming thick and a nice light brown color, before adding the nuts.  Finished the cooling mixture with a touch of fresh grated nutmeg, before the mixture cooled completely.

My mixture consisted of pecans, walnuts, cashews and peanuts.  Looking through my photos, I thought I had a photo of one of the batches, but I guess not.  Anyway, enjoy.  Let me know what you added to the original recipe.  Did you add alittle heat to it?  Used your favorite sea salt?  Added alittle dark chocolate?

Have a great day!

How about a cup of tea?

Now that things have slowed down some, looks like I need to catch up on my knowledge of some of the teas we will be carrying this year.  Its been over a month since I drank coffee on a daily bases and drinking tea instead.  So here is one I would like to share with you.

This is a new one for me - Russian Caravan.  Its considered to be a specialty tea, combining orange pekoe teas from three different countries, India, China and Sri Lanka (from the regions of Assam, Fujian and Colombo).  The altitudes are 1700 ft., 1500 ft., and 5200 feet above sea level, which makes the harvested tea taste different due to their surroundings and amount of rainfall.  This tea has has some light toasty notes, with a hint of the smokey Lapsang.

The history of this tea originates from the 18th Century.   In the city of Xian in central China, there is a historical marker that is thought to be the beginning of the Silk Road trail (that lead to central Asia covering the Caucuses and the Black Sea areas).  One of the trade supplies that was taken along the Silk Road is tea, which was transported on camel trains. It would take atleast 6 months to make the six thousand mile journey from the borders of China to Russia.  The Lapsang Souchong gives it the hint of mystery, since the mysterious character of the tea was absorbed on the trail from the campfires during the evening or from the camels themselves.  Just imagine the starry nights on the plains of Asia on route with such a precious cargo of tea, enroute to the courts of St Petersburg.  You are hunkering down under your blanket, sipping tea that is fit for a king, while trying to keep warm from the cold night air.  As you drink this luxury black tea, just imagine, Now this is the Life! 

No worries here, having it transported by camels!!!!!!!  If you like the smokey taste of Lapsang, chances are you may like this tea as well.

Cheers!!!!!

2011 Reflectings

As we near the end of 2011, I look at the wonderful things that happened to us at Bayberry Meadow Herbs.

We have ventured into some different events that included going to Fort Niagara in upstate New York and was a vendor several times at the Coventry/Meriden Farmers' Markets.  There were also a couple of  food sampling events that allowed us to see how we can expand in our herbal blends.  We have a deli shop that is using one of our blends in their signature tuna salad and there will be another eatery looking to see what they can use for their signature fries.

Our tea colonial selection have been making their appearance, as we continue to educate the public on the historical backgrounds that go back several hundred plus years back.  Some are very similar to what was thrown into the Boston Harbor during the 18th century.  Its amazing how they knew then, that tea can keep the body healthy.

Our handmade herbal soaps continue to grow.  We have been working with some different herbal essential oils, not only for scent, but how to help improve the skin.  Our feedbacks keep us tweaking certain soaps, until we are happy with the results.  Our salves have kept us busy through the poison ivy season and the Bug-Away-Camp soap during our re-enactment season.

 

Herbal Garden at Fort Niagara, Youngstown, New York

But most of all, the friends/customers that believe in us, that keep us going and thinking of what's next, as we continue to evolve with the times.  Thank-you for being there!!!!!!

May the New Year bring you many blessings,
Rose

Looking for something different? How about joining a food swap group.

One thing I found in participating in the food swap at the Conventry Farmers' Market, was meeting  talented people, seeing creative and delicious items made from their kitchens and networking for recipes.  It also gives me the opportunity in trying foods/items that I would normally not make for myself like different types of jams, roasted red peppers, homemade yogurt, herbal butters, felted soap or swapping for a small felted handbag.  There are different themes whether its on Berries or a Whatever Goes, as long as it is handmade. 

One item I had made to swap was a Salsa Verde, which was something new that I have never made before.  At a Farmers' Markets I had attended, I saw some husk tomatoes and other ingredients that made it a perfect time to try it out.. It came out AWESOME and it has become a staple at our house, especially when I make my poached salmon for breakfast (yes, breakfast).  Other items I offered to swap were smoked/gourmet sea salts, herbal blends for cooking and a mulling spice blend that is great with apple cider, red wine or tea.  Some ideas I have been thinking about for my next food swap are chocolate covered Oreo cookies, chocolate covered pretzels with nuts, dried fruit or with crushed mint candy, and possibly chocolate bark (have this thing about making stuff with chocolate, lately).

Their up-coming food swap will take place on October 2nd and the theme is "Cosmetics Swap".  You don't have to bring items that are theme related, but anything that has been handcrafted, home grown or handcrafted.  Some ideas for this swap can be making lotions, sugar scrubs, lip balm, perfumes or moisturizes.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this swap, but hope to attend at least one more before the season is over.

 

 So if you are looking for something to do on a Sunday, bring the whole family.  Come early before the market opens and meet some wonderful people.  You just might get hooked.

http://cosmeticswap.eventbrite.com/

Have a wonderful week!

 

What's Cooking at Bayberry?: Eggplant Caponata

What's Cooking at Bayberry?: Eggplant Caponata

Eggplant Caponata

Wondering what to do with left over eggplants from your garden?  Thanks to a wonderful neighbor, I made some of this caponata.  Made it for the first time and I have to say, it is wonderful. It has a nice texture, with a slight sweet taste from the red roasted pepper, balsamic vinegar with the undertone of capers. 

1 medium globe eggplant peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon kosher salt (less if you are using table salt
1 red bell pepper, quartered, seeds removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 clove garlic minced

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.  Toss to coat and leave it over a bowl for an hour. 
Grill or broil the bell pepper until the skin is charred then wrap in foil until cool.  When the pepper is cool, peel the pepper and remove any excessively charred bits.  Slice into thin short strips.

When the eggplant is done salting, rinse in a bowl of cold water to remove excess salt.  Squeeze the eggplant with your hands to wring out as much moisture as you can.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and onions until they are translucent and just start turning brown around the edges.  Add the eggplant, bell pepper and thyme.  Salt and pepper to taste ( I did not add any salt when I made my batch).  Stir the eggplant until its very soft and it starts to loose its shape.

Add balsamic vinegar and capers and stir until there is no liquid left.  Take off  the heat and serve immediately with some crusty bread or refrigerate for a day.  It taste even better the next day.

 

Enjoy!!!!!!

Summer Is Coming To An End

Here it is, the end of August.  The sun is setting sooner and the nights are getting cooler.  Summer has passed too soon.  One good thing, great sleeping weather at night, especially if you are camping.

We will be starting up again soon at Meridens's Farmers' Market, with our Mulling Spice Blend, perfect timing with the arrival of Apple Cider.  Our Savory Garlic Blend has been a success.  We will start carrying the herbal cooking blend in a mason jar container.  As always, our Garden Blend and sea salts will be available.

Solid Lotion bars, freshly whipped shea butter and our sugar scrubs with whipped shea butter will make their appearance again.  Perfectly blended, to keep your skin nice and soft during the winter months.  Keep in mind, they make perfect gift items all year round.  We will even custom scent them to match the scent of our handmade soaps.

Speaking of handmade soaps, we make a number of them for every skin type and to please the senses.

Bay Rum with white clay - perfect for shaving or use as a bath soap.  Definitely the scent of the tropics, the scent of "Old Spice"

Clean Cotton - Yankee - smells like cotton sheets, hanging on a clothesline, blowing in the summer wind.

Orange Spice - the scent of sweet orange with the undertone of spice.  Pefrect for the Fall season.

Lemongrass - fresh lemon scent with LOTS of bubbles.  Makes you want to stay in the shower longer, just for the scent alone.

Four Thieves - sage, peppermint, rosemary and lavender.  Every time I smell the scent of the bar, it changes the scent.  Sometimes I smell the peppermint first, other times the sage and sometimes the lavender.  The other scents come to play after the main scent presents itself.  This is one of our latest soap we have made.

Herbal Mint - great during the summer to help cool your body, even better in the winter to soothe those achy muscles and help you relax.

Goat's Milk Soap - for those with very sensitive skin.  Has lots of lather to help soften extremely dry skin.

Bayberry Soap - our signature soap.  Has a wonderful fragrance that is nice throughout the year.  Makes a perfect hand soap in any guest bath.

And these are only a few.  At times, we carry as many as 23 different types of soap.

Teas with a bit of history.  We have the Lucky Dragon Hyson green tea, which is one of the British favorite teas.  The hyson tea is one that is similar to the one thrown into the Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party.  This type of tea was the most expensive tea available at the time (18th Century) and was taxed the highest.   The Litchee Congou and Superior Gunpowder teas were also available at the time as well and were types of teas that were also thrown into the harbor.  The congou tea is infused in litchee fruit, giving it a pleasant sweet scent that is nice to drink hot or iced.  The Superior Gunpowder tea has its leaves handrolled, so that they look like the grains of gunpowder.  When brewed, the leaves open up.  Our gunpowder tea is green tea.  We also have a Monk's tea, French Blend, Earl Grey, White Tea and a number of other teas.

So what's cooking at Bayberry Meadow Herbs? A bit of everything.  A little something to please anyone.

May our paths cross, soon.