Ladies Night

Hi everyone!

Well, my mom and I set up a table at the Ladies Night in Wayne, MI last night. Unfortunately, it was a very low turn out of people. However, we had fun anyway. Since Troy is generally the one at the markets, it was a great opportunity for me to meet other vendors and some of our regular customers. So, that made the evening fun for me.

This was before the event started. Vendors were coming in and setting up. That is our table in the right hand corner.

We need to figure out a way to keep our spare sign from curling up.

  I decided to take two of our sweet jellies and create a spread with them. I made one with Lemon Verbena & Rosemary Jelly and the Applemint Jelly. I used one jar of jelly and one block of softened cream cheese. I sampled them on Vanilla Wafers. Either one would be so good on a toasted bagel!

We ran out of ink in our printer so, I had to quickly make up handwritten signs. And if that wasn’t bad enough, in my rush to get the signs made, I misspelled one of our products! I didn’t even notice it until I got home and looked at the pictures!

We sampled Garlic Jelly and Jalapeno Jelly on crackers.

  I set up the table completely different than Troy’s usual Farmer’s Market table. That is the fun thing about being in an indoor venue. I never had the opportunity to demo the Salt Scrubs even though I was all set up to do so.

The Wayne Chamber of Commerce is having another event in November. I am still up in the air as to whether we will set up again. We had a lot of fun but, they need to have a lot more advertising and promotion of the event.

It really was fun to meet other vendors and some of our regular customers! I told Troy that I need to get out of the behind the scenes a little more and go out and play! LOL

Coupon

Click on this coupon to isolate the image, so you dont have to print all the background stuff. Then print it and redeem it at any of our shows or markets.

Join Me Thursday Night!

Hi everyone!

This Thursday (09/15/11) evening at the Wayne Community Center (Wayne, Michigan) from 5:30pm-8:00 will be Ladies Night!

The Wayne Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event.

Now this does not mean that gentlemen can not attend! It means that all the businesses that will be there will be LOCAL Women and their Home Based Business.

There will be lots of different products, merchandise and services being shown this evening!

As far as DTL Herbs goes, this is an opportunity to meet me, Diann, the “D” in DTL Herbs! I can’t wait to see y’all!

We are going to have a lot of fun! We are going to have LOTS of samples! I will have my handy dandy assistant (aka MOM) along to help keep all the yummy treats flowing!

Have you been wanting to try our jellies? This is going to be the night! Since I will be sampling the Jalapeno and the Garlic jellies, they will go fast! So find us quickly!

If you have never tried a savory jelly, stop by not only for a taste but, some ideas on yummy ideas on how to use them! And check out our other jellies.

And of course, we will have plenty of our Chive and Dill Vegi Dip to sample and buy!

If you are a local, you know that everyone is gearing up for hunting season to start. So, don’t forget to grab a package or two on our Hunter’s Blend Dry Rub! You will LOVE this on venison!! And several of regular customers tell us they love to use it on small game.

Not to mention, our two other dry rubs, Ranchers Blend (Red meat) and Farmer’s Blend (white Meat)!

And if you want some wonderful herb blends to keep handy, we have put them together for you! Try our:

• Poultry blend
• Mediterranean Blend
• All Purpose Blend

Before I forget, do you love those expensive restaurants where they start you off with bread and Herbed oil dips? Me too! That is why we HAD to develop our own Dipping Oil Herb Blend !! You will love it! So stop by and try it, buy it and then stop for some fresh bread on the way home!

And last but not least, come over and try our Salt Scrub! Cold harsh weather is on the way and you need to take care of those rough skin spots! Just a small amount scrubbed into your hands or troubled dry spots and then rinsed will do the trick! You have to try this one to see the amazing difference! You can pick up a supply from us that is a fraction of the cost of salons or specialty shops!

And as a special just for this one night event, watch our facebook page and print off a coupon for:

• 1 free Dipping Oil Herb Blend

                    OR

• 1 free Chive and Dill Vegi Dip

With every $10.00 purchase at DTL Herbs on September 15, 2011 at the Ladies Night event!

OR

Just stop by and tell me that you read this post and want your free dip with your $10.00 purchase!

I can’t wait to see you there!

A Quick Snack

Hi everyone!

I thought I would share another idea in which I use our Chive and Dill Vegi dip.

Soften up some cream cheese (I use this one a lot because of the lower calories but, still great taste).

I usually only make a half of the block of cream cheese at a time.

Once it is softened, add 1 Tablespoon of our Chive and Dill Vegi Dip and stir in completely.

Clean and cut up celery and cucumbers and spread with cream cheese mixture.

If you are making these for a party or get together, you could place the mixture into a plastic bag, snip the corner off and pipe it onto the veggies.

As you can see, I just made some up quickly for dinner.

Thank you for stopping by and we hope to see you at one of the markets! To check where we are, look on the sidebar on the right.

Pies and Herbs.

The Wyandotte Framers Market, here in Wyandotte Michigan holds a Cooking Contest each year. Entries must contain ingredients purchased at the farmers market. Winning this is a feather in any cook's cap, and providing the ingredients for a winning entry allows a vendor, among other things, bragging rights for the year.

Last year, I was excited when some of our basil was used in a winning Basil and Tomato Torte, and so this year, I was a bit disappointed when I first heard that the theme would be Pie.

You can read about it, and download an entry form here.

I was assured that savory pies were as welcome as sweet pies, and I know we have lots of ingredients that go well in savory pies. But face it, as a judge, if you have to choose between a double layered apple cherry pie with fresh honey or a chicken pot pie with sage, which one will get your vote?

I was a bit discouraged at first, but then I got to thinking.

When we think of pie, especially sweet pies, most people think of spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, to name a few.

But Herbs are also good in Pies.

Try some Sage, Rosemary or Thyme in your next apple pie.

Lemon Balm, or just a touch of Basil will add an extra kick to a cherry or berry pie.

Mint is always welcome in a chocolate pie.

Lemon Balm or Lemon Verbena add a touch of class and an exotic twist to a lemon or Key Lime Pie.

A quarter cup of fresh grated Horseradish gives an Apple Pie a new and unique twist sure to impress even the staunchest critic.

Sage gives a Home for the Holidays feel to peach pie.

Lemon and Basil combine to make a meringue pie that will leave everyone asking for one more piece.

Thyme and Blueberries make an excellent pie, while Thyme combines well with butter to add a little extra to any crust on any fruit pie.

Thyme and almonds turn a great strawberry pie into a masterpiece pie.

So, as you plan your pie for the cook off this year, dont forget to stop by our stand at the market and get some herbs. And remember, fresh Mint, Lemon Balm, Sage, Thyme, or other hebs also make a beautiful garnish on almost any pie. Presentation is such an important part of any cooking contest. Make your pie look and taste it's best with an addition of some herbs!

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

Hi everyone!

I am sure a lot of you make these quick pickled cucumber sliced. But, I thought I would share my recipe. These are kept in the fridge and the longer they are in there, the stronger they are.

Like I have said before, we get fresh produce at least 4 days a week from the vegetable vendors at the farmers markets.

Normally for a post, I would use a pretty canning jar or some other pretty jar. But folks, today we are keeping it real. I did not have a canning jar, rim and lid handy and I needed to deal with these cucumbers now. So, I improvised and used an emptied mayo jar for these.

Troy brought these 5 cucumbers home last night. I already have some for salads and I have a Ziploc bag filled with sliced cucumbers for munching. But, I hate to see anything go to waste, especially when someone is kind enough to give them to us!

So, a quick pickled jar of cucumbers is called for today!

Peel and slice up cucumbers and toss in jar.

Now normally I have onions to slice up and add to this jar but, I am all out today. I also like to chop up a jalapeño and add it. 

(Geez, didn’t even use a pretty ceramic mixing bowl. Oh no, just whipped out the old Tupperware!)

Your will need to adjust the measurements of things according to how much you are making. This is a large mayo jar and 5 smaller cucumbers.

Whisk together:

2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 Tablespoon of minced garlic (if you don’t have fresh, use powdered)

1 Tablespoon of onion powder

1/2 cup of Splenda (you can use sugar as well)

Occasionally to change things up a bit, I will add ground mustard to this mix. And you certainly can add some chopped dill as well.

Once all of this is all whisked, pour into jar of cucumbers. Use a table knife to kind of poke around in there so all the vinegar is mixed in with the cucumbers.

As you can see in the picture, I do not fill all the way to the top. Once you have the vinegar in, close the lid tightly and shake. Put into fridge. Every time I open the fridge, I shake the jar of cucumbers. 

You can start eating them after a few hours. The longer they are in the fridge, the stronger the flavor.

Quick, yummy, cheap and almost calorie free! What more could you ask for?

Using it up!

Hi everyone!

Since we are at the Farmers Markets almost everyday, we get a lot of fresh vegetables. And we take advantage of this time of the year to not only enjoy the fresh bounty available but, we also preserve a lot.

We can, dry and freeze as much fresh produce as we can. But, sometimes, we just can’t get to everything everyday.

Waste in this home is not an option!

When I have veggies that are starting to get a little limp and just not fresh enough to do other things with, they go into a pot of water!

If I am just using vegetables to make a vegetable stock to freeze, I will use a couple of teaspoons of our All Purpose Seasoning Blend to season them up.

If we had this for dinner….

The carcass is tossed into the pot of chopped up veggies to make a yummy rich stock to freeze.

I also add a couple of teaspoons of our Poultry Blend.

This is perfect because you don’t have to go searching through your dried herbs and spices to find the things you want to add!

And if you have leftover beef roast, I love adding our Rancher’s Blend Dry Rub to the roast when I cook it and any leftovers are used with veggies to make a rich beef stock. I will also add a couple of teaspoons of the Rancher’s Blend Dry Rub to the pot of stock.

Just chop up all the veggies you have that are getting a little to tender or you know you will not be using in the next couple of days and throw them into a pot of water. Add some of the Poultry Blend or All Purpose Blend. bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Just let it simmer until the water is reduced by almost one half. Cool and skim off any fat and then pour into a freezer safe bag or container, label and date.

Now you have some wonderful rich stock ready for future dishes. Great as a soup base, gravies or sauces!

Our Dipping Oil Herb Blend

Hi everyone!

I just thought I would share another favorite use for our Dipping Oil Herb Blend

I sliced a loaf of bread into 3 large slices and spread butter on each.

Then sprinkled about 1/3 of this package of Dipping Oil Herb Blend onto the buttered slices.

I said a 1/3 of the package because I used half of it in the above picture and it was to much. so, go lighter than I did.

Place on a foil covered baking sheet and into a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Just keep checking it until is is golden.

And enjoy!

Adding some shredded mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese would be awesome!  And maybe some sliced tomatoes.

I hope our local customers try our blends in different ways.

I will be posting more options for using our herb products soon!

They are Runnin’ Amuck!

Hi everyone!

Holy cow! Our herbs here at home are going crazy! I need to seriously find a good chunk of time to harvest them soon!

Barrels of Peppermint and Spearmint! I have never harvested the mint flowers. I think I am going to do that and play around with some recipes using them.

Time to cut and dry some dill and dill seeds! And in the background you can see a sage plant ready to be cut back and dried as well.

More dill. Some purple basil and oregano all need harvesting!

The lemon balm is just huge! And it needs to be harvested first because we dry and sell this one. It is a popular dried herb of ours because it is very difficult to find dried lemon balm. Customers are always asking for it.

Lemon Verbena, more purple basil and some thyme are so ready to be cut! 

This is about 1/3 of our herbs here at home. They are all doing amazing!  And I have said it before, but just walking near these herbs, the smells are so wonderful! If for no other reason, planting herbs just for the scent would be something I would do!

All of our plants are completely grown chemical free. We have had such great success growing all of our herbs naturally that I can’t even image using any chemicals! 

We have several neighbors who come over and ask to buy some for our fresh herbs here at home because they are making some recipe right then and there that requires certain herbs. They all know we have a lot of fresh herbs here. We tell them to just pick what they need. Then it never fails, a couple of hours later we end up with a bowl of whatever they just cooked/baked. LOL

I am also posting this on our DTL Herbs Blog .

Don’t forget you still have time to enter the Yoplait “Pink Lids” Prize Package giveaway!

Just click the picture above!

Is it an Herb or a Spice?

We grow our own herbs whenever possible, and enjoy the fresh herbs in season, as well as dried herbs throughout the year.

Growing herbs can be a fun and satisfying way to add a little extra to your cooking, as well as an addition to your garden.

Often at the markets we will have someone come to our table and ask for Cinnamon, or Cumin, or Nutmeg. They will look at our display and then ask if we have a spice blend for making chili.

When I do presentations, it is not uncommon to have several question arise about how to use one spice or the other.

Hardest of all for me, and the one that makes me bite my tongue, is when a family will walk past our stand at the market and I hear a child ask "What is this" and the parent replies, "Those are spices."

We really grow very few things that can be classified as a spice, although there are a few that are right on the border. To complicate things a bit, we do add a small amount of spices to some of our blends.

"So," I hear you asking, "What is the difference between an herb and a spice?"

Well, I'm glad you asked that question.

In a very broad sense, any plant is an herb, animals that eat plants are herbivores. But in a more specific sense, the dictionary defines Herb as a useful plant. And finally, we have the culinary distinction.

Ever since Colonel Sanders started using his secret recipe of '11 herbs and spices', the words 'herb' and 'spice' have become interchangeable in many minds.

But herbs and spices are actually very different.

The seasonings that we generally classify as HERBS are usually those that are derived from the leaf of a plant.

The seasonings we generally classify as SPICES are usually those derived from the bark and seeds of a plant.


Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (
Rodale Books, 2009) gives readers the following rules of thumb for telling spices and herbs apart:

• "Leaves, both fresh and dried, are normally called herbs, while seeds, roots, fruits, flowers or bark are spices.

• Herbs more frequently grow in temperate regions, while spices come from the tropics.

• Herbs are green and often have more subtle tastes; spices tend to be shades of brown, black or red, with dramatic pungent flavor."

Of course, even in this definition, there is wiggle room. Note use of the words 'normally', 'usually', 'frequently'. Take garlic, for example, a member of the onion family. The great Garlic Controversy over whether it is an herb or a spice is filled with self proclaimed experts who will tell you it is one, the other, both or neither. Which one is right is anybody's guess.

Horseradish, a plant that has very limited application for anything except the root, was designated the Herb Of The Year for 2011 by the International Herb Association. (Horseradish leaves are edible and can be used in salads when young and tender, but become tough, woody and stringy as they mature.)

So even the best rules of thumb are made to be broken.

But generally, if it comes from a part of a tree, the odds are pretty good that we don't grown it, or produce it here at DTL Herbs LTD. We are currently focusing on the low growing leafy plants most commonly referred to as herbs.

Allspice, basil, mace, thyme, peppercorn, anise, paprika, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom are examples of spices.

Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, tarragon, mint, cilantro, chervil, lavender, savory, and chives are some examples of herbs.

I hope that helps!

Guest Chef Stephanie from Peace Love, and Home

Hi everyone!

Today's Guest Chef is Stephanie, from Peace, Love and Home, with her recipe for: Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Rice Gratin w/ Fresh Herbs.
Stephanie cooks vegetarian food, with an emphasis on natural, organic and whole foods, so beside just being good, this dish is bound to be good for you!

Stephanie, feel free to add our Guest Chef badge to your sidebar.

Here is her post:


Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Rice Gratin w/ Fresh Herbs



I was concerned about my zucchini and squash plants in mid June when I first noticed some squash bugs hanging out on them. This is my third year growing vegetables. 2007, 2008, and this year. In 2008 I waged war on squash bugs and lost and I decided I wasn't going to put myself and the bugs through all that again. I just picked up the bugs and threw them into the woods. Anyway, I had decided that gardening is about the process, not the results. I enjoy digging in the dirt, listening to the birds and admiring nature.

I considered buying some organic pesticide, but I really didn't want to spend the money. Anyway, I couldn't sprinkle a bunch of poison around those plants. Organic or not it would kill bugs and the garden is well populated with really large beautiful garden spiders and many more innocent bugs. A few zucchini wouldn't be worth all that. I weeded, watered, mulched and just let things be.




I have one zucchini plant and one yellow crook neck squash. Both heirloom varieties from Uwharrie Heirlooms. These plants are awesome. They are strong and healthy and producing plenty of delicious fruit. There are still a few squash bugs but there are also still a bunch of spiders and other beneficial insects. The garden is in natural balance.

Yesterday, after harvesting basil, oregano, thyme, tomatoes, and zucchini I created this gratin for our dinner. It was really delicious. We had it with a salad which included homegrown green peppers, cucumbers, and more purple basil, along with homemade ranch dressing.



Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Rice Gratin w/ Fresh Herbs
adapted from this

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 ½ pounds zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick
5-6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound San Marzano tomatoes, sliced ¼ thick
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, oregano)
½ cup grated Italian Blend Cheese (mozzarella, provolone, asiago, parmesan, romano), divided


Toss zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking pan. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another baking pan.

Roast zucchini in upper third of oven and tomatoes in lower third at 450° F., turning vegetables once halfway through roasting, until tender and light golden, about 10 minutes for tomatoes; 20 minutes for zucchini. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet, until soft and translucent about 7- 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs.
Stir together onion mixture, cooked rice, eggs, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper. Spread half of rice mixture in a shallow 2-quart baking dish, then top with half of zucchini. Spread remaining rice mixture over zucchini, then top with remaining zucchini. Top with tomatoes and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle extra basil leaves on top.

Bake until set and golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Guest Chef Tara from Scarborough Seashells

Hi everyone!

Tara at Scarborough Seashells is making Pesto for us today! I love that fact that this can be froze to be enjoyed at a later time!

Thank you Tara for sharing this with us! I hope you all visit Tara’s wonderful blog. You should see the gorgeous jewelry she makes! Okay, on to this yummy recipe!

Basic Pesto

Ingredients:
(this makes 2 batches, so I only used half my ingredients at a time)
4 packed cups fresh basil leaves
2 cups fresh parsley
8 cloves of garlic
2/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
2 TBSP lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
This recipe is so simple:
Toast the pine nuts over medium high heat until oils begin to release and they become golden brown (about 3 minutes). Set them aside to cool while you prepare your other ingredients.

Add all ingredients -except parmesan cheese- to your blender and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil at a slow drizzle or a TBSP or 2 of water to thin out if necessary.



If you are eating fresh, pour into a bowl, stir in the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.



If you are planning to freeze, leave the cheese out until ready to thaw and use. Pour your mixture into an air tight container.
Drizzle a bit more olive oil on top of the pesto, place a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap directly on top of the sauce to keep the air out and then freeze for up to 3 months.


Enjoy!