CULINARY GROUP
A lovely recipe using herbs in a fresh way, and just in time for the holiday season, but great any day! The recipe was adapted by Terry W. from a recipe in Brys Stephens book The New Southern Table and served at a Culinary Study Group. Sweet Potato Gratin (above) was served with steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce, baked tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Maldon Salt flakes when removed from the over, and scallops, and
SWEET POTATO GRATIN
Serves 4
1 cup heavy cream
2 whole bay leaves
8 whole sage leaves
1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced (peel with edge of a spoon)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8” slices
Freshly grated black pepper corns
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Combine cream, 2 bay leaves, 4 of the sage leaves (keep the rest for a garnish), sliced ginger, cayenne and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 minute, remove heat and allow to steep, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain out the bay, sage leaves, and ginger slices.
Pour 1/3 of the prepared cream into the bottom of a medium-size baking dish. Arrange half the sweet potato slices, overlapping each slice by about half, on top of the cream. Then top with another 1/3 of the cream. Repeat this one more time, topping with the remaining 1/3 of the cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and gently press the sweet potatoes down to submerge them in the cream. Bake another 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the cream browned and bubby.
Garnish with 4 fresh sage leaves and a sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper.
Submitted by Terry W.
Adapted from a recipe by Brys Stephens (The New Southern Table).
SCALLOPS WITH LEMON, Thyme, Basil & Mint
Serves 4
2 pounds sea scallops, patted dry
Salt
Freshly grated black pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (use lemon that you grated and reserve additional wedges for garnish)
½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
½ cup chopped fresh basil and mint, for garnish
Lightly sprinkle scallops, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 3 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Place seasoned scallops in the pan in a single layer without touching (in batches if necessary, adding a little additional butter). Cook without moving until bottoms begin to brown on the edges, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn the scallops over and add another tablespoon of butter to the pan. Stir in garlic and thyme, cooking until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Put all scallops in the pan and add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir gently to cover all scallops.
Put scallops on a serving plate, sprinkle with crushed red pepper, basil, and mint. Transfer scallops to serving plates and sprinkle red-pepper flakes on top. Serve immediately.
Recipe submitted by: Terry W.
Recipe adapted from one found on www.cooking.nytimes.com
SWEET POTATO GRATIN
Serves 4
1 cup heavy cream
2 whole bay leaves
8 whole sage leaves
1 4-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced (peel with edge of a spoon)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8” slices
Freshly grated black pepper corns
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Combine cream, 2 bay leaves, 4 of the sage leaves (keep the rest for a garnish), sliced ginger, cayenne and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 minute, remove heat and allow to steep, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain out the bay, sage leaves, and ginger slices.
Pour 1/3 of the prepared cream into the bottom of a medium-size baking dish. Arrange half the sweet potato slices, overlapping each slice by about half, on top of the cream. Then top with another 1/3 of the cream. Repeat this one more time, topping with the remaining 1/3 of the cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and gently press the sweet potatoes down to submerge them in the cream. Bake another 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the cream browned and bubby.
Garnish with 4 fresh sage leaves and a sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper.
Submitted by Terry W.
Adapted from a recipe by Brys Stephens (The New Southern Table).
SCALLOPS WITH LEMON, Thyme, Basil & Mint
Serves 4
2 pounds sea scallops, patted dry
Salt
Freshly grated black pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (use lemon that you grated and reserve additional wedges for garnish)
½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
½ cup chopped fresh basil and mint, for garnish
Lightly sprinkle scallops, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 3 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Place seasoned scallops in the pan in a single layer without touching (in batches if necessary, adding a little additional butter). Cook without moving until bottoms begin to brown on the edges, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn the scallops over and add another tablespoon of butter to the pan. Stir in garlic and thyme, cooking until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
Put all scallops in the pan and add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir gently to cover all scallops.
Put scallops on a serving plate, sprinkle with crushed red pepper, basil, and mint. Transfer scallops to serving plates and sprinkle red-pepper flakes on top. Serve immediately.
Recipe submitted by: Terry W.
Recipe adapted from one found on www.cooking.nytimes.com
DRYING TARRAGON...THIS ONE IS TAGETES LUCIDA, MEXICAN TARRAGON
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It looks like we will have a frost in the next week, so this is the time to cut back your Tacetes lucida (Mexican tarragon) plants of you want to dry them. Mine were cut off close to the ground, washed lightly and allowed to quickly dry, dead leaves plucked from the stems. Then I tied them with jute and then to a jute line stretched across part of the kitchen. It gets light and air movement, but no direct sun.
If your house tends to be a little dusty, you can slip a brown paper lunch bag over each bundle (of 3-4 stems). Let it rest lightly over the stem, open at the bottom so plenty of air moves around the stems. Once COMPLETELY dry, strip the leaves from each stem. Package them in an airtight container (a glass jar with a lid works great). Do nut criush the leaves until you are ready to use them. Enjoy Tarragon Dressing through the winter and be creative, finding other uses...perhaps in a plain sugar cookie, in a veggie omelet, or in a glaze for salmon. Tagetes lucida is a bit sweeter than French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), though it lacks a little of the depth of flavor and hint of spiciness of French tarragon. Tagetes is also a larger plant, with stems typically 18" to 24" tall, and blooming in Fall with bright yellow flowers. It does well here with a least 6 hours of sun, but will tolerate a little less. It can take far more heat than French tarragon, but some moisture once in a while as it gets established will help. It is perennial in it's native Central and South America, but if you have a protected spot that is shelted from cold, drying winds and you cover with mulch, it may survive for you in this area (Piedmont, N.C.). WATCH for more photos as the stems dry! 
It took only 6 days + 1 extra to make sure they were completely dry, them I could strip the leaves from the stems. The original 8 bunches yielded about 2 quarts of leaves (above). They will be packaged shortly. EASY to do, makes the kitchen smell great, and they make lovely gifts when packaged.
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Cut stems after 24 hours. Still have about a week to go.
72 HOURS - not long to go, the leaves are almost completely dry throughout. This warm spell is working wonders!
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Edible Native Flowers on Art Tucker's Vegetable Omelet and herbal cookies