Prime Minister Mario Draghi blocked the proposed takeover in October, the second time he used the special “golden power” rules to ward off an undesired bid in a strategic industry. During 14 months in office, he has issued four vetoes.

At the time of the government’s decision, Italian agriculture lobby Coldiretti said Syngenta’s move would have shifted strategic control of seeds for vegetable and herb production to Asia.

Swiss-based Syngenta was bought by state-owned ChemChina for US$43 billion in 2017.

“We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” Syngenta said in a statement confirming what two sources close to the matter previously told Reuters.

“This decision does not impact Syngenta’s existing business in Italy, where Syngenta maintains local teams and has been working with Italian growers for many years,” the group added.

Sources have said the group had offered around 200 million euros (C$273.6 million) to buy Amsterdam-based Verisem from California private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners, its owners since 2015.

Verisem produces and packs vegetable and herb seeds at facilities in the Netherlands, Italy, France and the U.S.

— Reporting for Reuters by Giuseppe Fonte in Rome.

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I don’t even mind weeding (too much) because my vegetable and herb gardens are in elevated four-foot-wide by eight-foot-long garden boxes.

My garden beds are about three feet off the ground, so I don’t get dirty knees or a tired back when I am tending my plants.

My husband built the elevated gardens for me for Mother’s Day a couple of years ago. I admit the garden boxes were much better than the shirt I gave him that Father’s Day.

Thinking back, I gave him a fancy grill a few years ago, so I guess we are both happy with the long-term use of our gifts.

My herbs are doing especially well this year. I have basil, cilantro, parsley, chives and rosemary growing in part of a raised bed in a sunny spot.

Adding fresh herbs to your recipes is helpful beyond adding flavour. Basil has very small amounts of energy and nutrients, but it does provide a small amount of vitamin A. Basil flavours food without adding salt to recipes.

Recently, I was out of town a few days. When I checked my herbs after I returned, I noted my bushy basil plant was forming flowers. I removed the flowering heads, then I picked some basil. I wanted the plant’s energy to be used for making leaves, not flowers.

As I walked back to our house, I could smell the aroma of basil on my fingertips. It made me want to have a caprese salad or some fresh pesto.

A caprese salad with fresh basil is simple to make, especially when vine-ripened tomatoes are ready to pick. The caprese salad gets its name from the island of Capri, an island off Italy.

Besides ripe tomatoes, you need sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (available in many grocery stores), basil leaves and olive oil to make this famous salad. Layer the tomatoes and cheese with a basil leaf in between, then drizzle with olive oil and serve. Yes, it’s that simple.

Pesto, in case you never have made it, is prepared from fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt and pepper processed in a food processor. You can mix pesto with rice, pasta or vegetables, or add some pesto to mayonnaise to add a little variety to a tuna salad sandwich. Numerous recipes to make pesto are available online.

Ancient Greeks called basil the “royal herb” because of its rich aroma, which adds flavour to a variety of dishes. Depending on the variety of the basil, some people detect notes of clove, citrus, cinnamon or licorice.

I could pick basil out of a crowd of flavours with my eyes closed, I think.

Basil can be grown indoors or outdoors. If you don’t have a garden spot outdoors, you just need some nutrient-rich soil and a container with good drainage to grow it like a houseplant indoors. Be sure not to overwater basil.

To grow basil outdoors, be sure the soil has warmed sufficiently. Find a spot with plenty of sun, at least six hours a day, according to most horticulture experts.

Pick the leaves from basil plants regularly and they will flourish. However, don’t pick all the leaves or the plant may die. According to horticulture references, leave at least one-fourth of the leaves on the plant and remove the flower heads as soon as you see them.

Be sure to rinse fresh basil under running water, then pat it dry before using it. You can keep it a few days in your refrigerator, or you can freeze it.

To freeze basil, first remove the stems and blanch the leaves in boiling water for three seconds. Then dry the basil with a paper towel and separate leaves to put into a freezer-tight bag. Another way to freeze basil is to purée it and put it into an ice cube tray. Then cover the tray and freeze.

You also can dry fresh basil, but you will notice flavour changes as a result of drying. If you choose to dry basil, separate each leaf with the stems removed. If using a food dehydrator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Leaves are done when they are completely dry and crumbly. Once leaves are dry and cool, place them in an airtight container and store for up to one year.

As with any fresh herb, you will use two to three times the amount of fresh herb as you would the stronger-tasting dried herbs. In most recipes, add fresh herbs close to the end of cooking to preserve the herbs’ delicate flavour.

Be a little adventuresome with your indoor and outdoor plants. Add some basil to the mix.

Here’s a simple salad that adds colour and flavour to a backyard grilling menu.

Fresh Tomato, Basil and Avocado Salad

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 c. loosely packed fresh basil ribbons (or chopped basil)

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix tomato and avocado together while being careful not to mash the avocado too much. Add basil and drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Makes eight servings. Each serving has 160 calories, 14 grams (g) fat, 2 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre and 85 milligrams sodium.

The post Add fresh basil to your recipes appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Many herbs are easy to freeze and can be used to enhance cooked dishes, but are not useful as garnishes because like most plants, after being frozen, the herbs will be limp and relatively unattractive after they are thawed. When there are herbs growing in the garden, dill and parsley are easy to freeze. Simply wash the cuttings and snip off the leaves into bags and freeze them. Let dill self-seed in the garden and harvest relatively immature plants when they are at their best.

In the fall I sometimes dig up a parsley plant and pot it into a large pot; parsley has a huge root system and a big pot is necessary to accommodate the root ball. Alternately I sometimes seed a few parsley seeds in a pot in August and then choose the best plant and allow it to grow on after I remove the other plants. It will be of usable size by the time the snow comes. I think I get a better, more productive plant by using a seedling rather than by potting up a full-grown plant but either way, one parsley plant put under the grow lights of the light garden will provide all the parsley garnish needed during the winter. Frozen parsley is used for soups and stews and other cooked dishes.

Before freeze-up I also pot up a chives plant. I take a good-sized clump that fits into a deep six-inch pot (a so-called geranium pot will provide more room for the roots to spread and get nutrients). Chives continue to be green outdoors right up until winter, so I do this very late in the fall. I cut the top growth off and place the pot in front of a south-facing window in the sunroom. Chives don’t mind the relatively cool environment of the sunroom during the winter and soon new growth appears. This pot of greenery provides snippets of chives to add to dishes, and the clump continues to put forth new growth, as the cut-off stems are soon replaced with new ones. Because such herbs are grown in high light areas either in front of a sunny window or under the lights in a light garden, they will be in active growth all winter. This means that they will demand nutrients to perform well so they should be fertilized. I use a weak 20-20-20 soluble plant food every two or three weeks and this seems to keep them happy.

Other fresh herbs can be grown during the winter. Many of them are slow growing and must be seeded in the summer to establish good-size plants for the winter. I grow some fast-growing herbs in large containers — big in diameter but not necessarily that deep. I save a bunch of dill seed during the summer and scatter some of these seeds over the soil surface and cover them with a bit of the mix. Soon I have a pan of fresh dill to use in the kitchen. The container of dill will have a short life, as once the young plants are snipped off many of them do not produce new growth. However, a new container can be started before the current one is used up. Several containers will be planted over the course of the winter.

Another fast-growing and useful herb is basil. I always seed an eight-inch pot of basil in the fall which will provide all the leaves needed during the winter. I leave the strongest four or five plants and discard the rest, as this number will soon fill up the pot. During the winter I snip off the tallest stems for use and the plants simply put out more side branches and get bushier.

Besides demanding consistent moisture and some fertilizer, herbs are relatively easy-care plants to grow during the winter. Aphids can be a problem but diligent observation will nip any infestation in the bud and insect problems are no more likely to occur on herbs than on many other houseplants. Keeping the plants healthy and well groomed and practising careful observation will prevent any problems.

Pots of winter herbs will continue to meet your needs well into the early summer until some fresh herbs can be harvested from the outdoors. It will soon be time to plant seeds to obtain herb transplants for our summer gardens. Spring is coming!

The post Have a supply of herbs to use all winter appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

One such plant is thyme, which is often green when the snow melts and is already growing by early April. It is easy to dig up a few chunks and pot them up for use in containers. Cut off old foliage and take pieces that show new growth.

I use square containers that are about 10 cm square but any pots would do as long as they are not too small — you want the plants to have plenty of room to grow and develop roots and you don’t want pots to be too small or they will dry out too quickly. Plant each clump using soilless mix and then water it well. The pots can remain outside but if winter-like weather persists, taking them indoors during cold days will hasten growth of the plants. Thyme is very cold tolerant and will not be damaged even if there is a late-spring snowstorm.

Thyme has lovely finely textured foliage and is a prostrate plant meaning it hugs the surface of the soil. It gradually spreads and thus will tumble over the edge of a container if planted near the edge of the pot. The foliage is dark green, not shiny, and an added bonus is that the plant will have purple blooms in early summer. When they fade they should be sheared off the plants so that the spent bloom does not detract from the beauty of the container.

Another herb that makes a good container plant is orange oregano. Not really an oregano at all, it is actually a member of the mint (Lamiacea) plant family. It is often called Bergamont mint or orange mint. It has dark-green oval leaves and produces long stems which are quite prostrate and when grown in the ground will root at leaf axils as they spread across the soil surface. Orange oregano is a fast-growing plant and multiple stems will emerge from the centre of the plant; some will have a somewhat vertical growth habit and these will produce rather non-descript whitish flowers. They can be cut off after they lose their attractiveness. Orange oregano withstands pinching and cutting back so if the growth becomes too rampant for the container it can soon be clipped back to a manageable size.

Both thyme and orange oregano are very drought tolerant and actually do not like wet feet so it is best to pair them with plants that do not require the soil to be kept wet, such as geraniums, salvia, and sages. Both plants also like lots of sun, so choose companions that also like to bask in the sun. The plants will be happy with the fertility level of the soil and won’t object to it being a bit on the skimpy side. Good soilless mix will be adequate.

Thyme and orange oregano should both be planted near the edge of a container where they will soon creep over and begin to tumble down. The long stems of orange oregano will by midsummer reach the ground and you may have to do some pruning. Both plants will do a good job of covering the edge of the container — both being excellent spillers. Not only is their foliage attractive, but they are fast growing and produce bloom for part of the season. Their foliage is also aromatic so if the container is positioned where it will be touched or brushed by as it is passed, the plants will exude a pleasant fragrance. Neither will object to being underplanted beneath taller plants as they soon emerge from beneath the companion plants to tumble down the outside of the container. By starting pots of thyme and orange oregano early, you will have some good spillers for your outdoor containers when you are ready for them.

The post Using herbs as container garden ‘spillers’ appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The Trudeau government is on track for legalizing this recreational drug by that date, one of the highest-profile promises made during the last election campaign.

That’s likely a good thing. While any recreational drug, alcohol included, is a problem in excess, there’s evidence this prohibition causes more social harm than the drug itself. It’s much like the earlier alcohol prohibition where otherwise law-abiding buyers were forced by regulation to buy from organized criminals, funding and empowering them.

One group that’s less celebratory and more frustrated are the nation’s industrial hemp growers. They’ve been labouring, since the crop was legalized in the 1990s, under the heavy weight of government regulation and oversight. The intention was to ensure that nobody was using the legal plant as convincing cover to produce fields of the illegal ones.

At the time that approach made more sense, even if it did occasionally seem a bit heavy handed and out of sync with the realities of the agriculture industry.

Health Canada oversaw the program and those regulators were used to working on a calendar year, to cite just one example, while agriculture runs on the crop year. That meant farmers would have to apply for permit extensions by Jan. 1 just to keep the crop they’d finished harvesting down on the farm, among other annoyances.

Over time that has changed, to Health Canada’s credit, as officials have learned a bit more about the industry they suddenly found themselves regulating. It’s still not entirely in sync with the rest of the sector, but a least farmers now have until March 31 to renew their licences.

But they’re still required to meet some pretty stiff rules. A current criminal record check, for example, to prove no history of conviction for illicit drugs. As well, the rules about storing and selling the crop are very strict.

Growers are also required to provide, prior to planting, GPS co-ordinates for field corners. For irregularly shaped fields, that can be a real challenge, as can providing them ahead of time when Mother Nature doesn’t co-operate in the spring. Also forget about borrowing a little bin space from a neighbour.

The paperwork is daunting. The application form to become a grower, not including some supporting documentation, runs 11 pages. A renewal application is pared down a bit, to just eight pages.

Then there’s the hefty limitations on what producers can and can’t sell. Under the current laws, farmers growing industrial hemp are only allowed to harvest the seed and the stalk of the plant. The flowers and leaves must be left in the field to decay.

Hemp growers insist that’s becoming a very expensive bureaucratic bungle, because despite the fact these products look a whole lot like the illegal products, they contain only trace psychotropic ingredients. Call it the near beer of the marijuana world.

Expensive they say because it turns out those leaves and buds may contain some valuable compounds. The one of most interest is cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD. It’s being touted for benefits as varied as arthritis relief to epilepsy treatment and relief of some psychological conditions.

It should be noted that much of this research is still in its early days and may still come to nothing, though reputable researchers are finding some hopeful signs. But right now there is a market for these products, and it could grow in the future. Farmers should be able to capitalize on that, and burdensome outdated regulations shouldn’t prevent them.

The question that must be asked, in view of the pending legalization and the inevitable regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana, is whether this level of regulation makes any kind of sense anymore.

Fortunately Health Canada has recently given growers an opportunity to raise this very topic, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way. On Nov. 21 the agency announced a round of public consultations on cannabis regulation, with an eye to being prepared for the looming legalization deadline.

Until Jan. 20, 2018, Canadians have an opportunity to have their say via an online consultation. Health Canada has periodically revisited and consulted on its industrial hemp policies, but the most recent was in 2013, before cannabis legalization was a serious consideration.

With such profound implications on the horizon, hemp growers and processors should use this opportunity to make their voices heard. The government should listen.

The post Editorial: Green tape appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Luckily for us, tea herbs are easy to grow and require relatively little care. Most thrive in full sun in average, well-drained soil. They can be grown in a pot in a sunny window, a planter on a patio or in a flower or vegetable garden. Herbs can be harvested all summer long, with many herbs growing fuller and more luscious with regular pruning.

Did you know most garden herbs can be used for making tea? It’s true, even strong herbs like rosemary and oregano. While rosemary tea may be a little too intense for most people to enjoy regularly, the following six herbs make delicious-flavoured teas that everyone will enjoy.

Mint

There are hundreds of mint varieties each with an irresistible, intense flavour. My favourites include peppermint (a strong menthol flavour), spearmint (a milder mint flavour), chocolate mint (reminds me of After Eight), apple mint (mild flavour with just a hint of apple) and mojito mint (perfect for ice cold mojitos, not exactly a herbal tea!).

Mint grows very well in our Prairie climate — perhaps too well! To prevent its aggressive spreading, consider growing mint in containers. Placing containers in the ground will allow plants to overwinter while keeping the roots in check.

Giant hyssop

Giant hyssop is a Prairie native that is part of the mint family but is much less invasive. Hyssop adds a mild sweet licorice flavour that’s delicious on its own or in combination with other herbs. It grows two to three feet tall with gorgeous purple flowers. The flowers and leaves are used fresh or dried to brew a delicious tea that relieves stress and soothes the respiratory and digestive systems. It’s one of my absolute favourites.

German chamomile

A lacy medium-tall annual with small, daisy-like flowers that have a unique apple-like flavour. These delicate little flowers are an attractive addition to the garden and make a soothing tea often used to induce calm and sleep. Only the flowers are used to make tea, either on their own or in custom blends with other soothing ingredients like mint or ginger.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm has a refreshing lemony scent and flavour great on its own or in combination with other herbs or tea ingredients. But be aware, it is part of the mint family and likes to spread both by roots and seeds. Consider trimming back the flowers and growing in an isolated area or in a container. Cut repeatedly throughout the summer to enjoy in iced tea, lemonade or fruit punch. You’ll enjoy the lemony flavour and its ability to calm anxiety and promote sleep.

Lemon thyme

Thyme for tea? You bet. The lemony scent and flavour of this herb is very versatile — it works in any recipe calling for lemon including marinades, lemon herb seasonings, cookies or tea. In tea, it has a light lemony flavour that’s excellent when blended with other herbs or dried fruit.

Like other culinary thyme varieties, this is a woody perennial that grows low to the ground with tiny clusters of leaves along long slender stems. It makes an excellent ground cover without taking over the garden.

Borage

Borage is a self-seeding annual that grows into a large bushy plant about the size of a tomato plant. Its fuzzy, bristly leaves and stems are accentuated by stunning blue star flowers that bees adore. We enjoy borage flowers and young tender leaves in salads and iced teas where the beauty of the flowers can be enjoyed fully. Borage adds a cucumber-like flavour that’s perfect for fancy infused water just like you get at high-end spas.

Harvesting herbs for tea

For mint, hyssop, lemon balm and lemon thyme, prune from the top down on each stem. Follow the stem until you reach a set of growing leaves. Cut just above these leaves with sharp scissors for a clean cut. Within days, new shoots will start to grow just above the cut.

For borage, pick blossoms and leaves as needed. Harvest chamomile flowers at full bloom.

Brewing herbal tea

Herbal tea can be made using fresh or dried herbs. For best results, use boiling hot water, cover and steep for five minutes. While exact measurements vary, here are the general ratios.

• 500 ml (1 c.) boiling water

• 5-10 ml (1-2 tsp.) dried herbs or
30-45 ml (2-3 tbsp.) fresh herb

To make iced teas, brew as a hot tea first and let cool. Alternatively, muddle (smash, crush or bruise) fresh leaves and cover with cold water or other beverages to infuse flavour.

Making herbal tea blends

One of my favourite things about homegrown herbal teas is mixing and blending my own concoctions. Simply mix and match whatever flavours you love best or try to create an overall theme — fruity, floral, woodsy, refreshing, soothing, etc.

Combine different herbs with ingredients like dried fruit, dried edible blossoms (calendula, violets, lavender, lilac, hibiscus, nasturtiums, red clover, roses, etc.), cinnamon sticks, dried ginger, vanilla bean, citrus peel, cardamom seeds, star anise, etc. Use whole or bits of spices instead of powdered spices which are difficult to strain out and may leave a gritty sensation.

Consider the flavour and strength of each individual ingredient and add in amounts so that one won’t overpower the other. For example, mint and ginger are two strong flavours that work well together, whereas if you mix spearmint and apple mint, the apple flavour will likely get lost. The best way to discover what works is by testing and enjoying various batches. Once you discover something you like, write it down or make a big batch that you can store in a dark, airtight container and enjoy all winter long.

Here’s a fruity combination that has become one of our favourites.

Apple and rhubarb herbal tea blend

• 3 parts dried apple
• 1 part dried rhubarb
• 1 part dried lemon thyme
• 1/2 part dried lime or lemon balm
• 1/4 part dried lemon grass
• 1 stick cinnamon

Instructions

Mix all ingredients well, crumbling herbs well. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store for up to six months to a year for best flavour.

Brewing instructions

Use 1 to 2 tsp. of tea mix per cup of boiling water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes or longer for stronger flavour.

Recipe Source: www.gettystewart.com

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Eating weeds is not as crazy as it sounds, nor is it a new idea. Ask a few seniors and you may uncover recipes for purslane, wild sorrel or other wild greens. Perhaps you’ve already enjoyed a sip or two of dandelion wine. Or, if you’ve been to a fancy restaurant lately, you may have had dandelion greens in your salad or burdock root in your stir-fry.

Eating weeds makes perfect sense. They’re tasty, cheap, readily available and loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, protein, fibre and other nutrients. In fact, many weeds are more nutritious than the produce we grow or buy at the grocery store.

Just imagine how much fun you’ll have when your family learns the spinach cheese biscuits they gobbled up are actually stinging nettle biscuits!

Before you pick, be certain about which plants and which parts are edible. A great reference is the Guide to Useful Plants by botanist Laura Reeves of Prairie Shore Botanicals in Gardenton, Manitoba. In addition to identification and harvesting tips, her book gives information about medicinal uses of wild edibles and lists any cautionary notes associated with a particular plant.

Here are five common weeds to get you started. Try a small amount and gradually add more as you become accustomed to them. Be sure to pick from areas that are free of sprays, pets or other pollutants.

Chickweed

This low-growing, sprawling plant has tiny white flowers and tiny oval leaves. It’s one of the first plants to blossom every spring. Toss a handful of fresh leaves and flowers into a salad for added flavour, texture and colour. Some say the flavour tastes like alfalfa sprouts, some say it reminds them of baby corn ears. Try it and see what you think.

Dandelions

Every part of the dandelion is edible. The tender young leaves can be tossed in salads or used in place of spinach in hot dishes. Closed buds can be used for tasty fried fritters (recipe below). Roasted roots can be used to make a hot cocoa-like beverage while blossom petals, when pulled from their base, add lovely colour to green salads. Older leaves are edible as well, but the white sap makes them less appealing and more bitter.

Lamb’s quarters

Use the tender shoots and leaves of lamb’s quarters raw or cooked in place of spinach, its close relative. You’ll get more protein, calcium, fibre, vitamin A and potassium although slightly less iron. The seeds, similar to quinoa, are edible, but the difficulty preparing them is hardly worth the effort.

Purslane

You’re likely very familiar with this vigorous, low-growing succulent plant that defies efforts to control it with its endless seeds and ability to reroot from small plant pieces. Before it flowers, use raw leaves in salads and add stems to stir-fries. Portulaca, as it is commonly called, tastes a little like cucumber with a touch of lemony tartness. If you really want to go all out, use big stems to make dill-pickled purslane which is great on burgers.

Stinging nettle

Despite its stinging nature, this tasty, nutritional powerhouse is well worth donning a pair of gloves to harvest. Spring is the best time to harvest young shoots and leaves before the plant goes to seed. To disable the stinging mechanism, you must cook or dry stinging nettle — do not eat fresh! Once blanched, use stinging nettle in any cooked recipe that uses spinach. While just a little darker, it looks and tastes a lot like spinach. In fact, my family likes it better than spinach. Use dried stinging nettle to make a rejuvenating tea made even tastier when combined with hyssop or mint.

Wildflower fritters

• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. ground flax
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Dandelion, red clover or milkweed flowers

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix just until batter is smooth.

Dip flowers in batter and deep-fry in vegetable oil just above medium heat.

Remove fritters when they’ve turned a light brown. Place on paper towel to drain and enjoy.

Source: Laura Reeves, www.psbotanicals.com

Stinging nettle & potato soup

• 6 c. lightly packed stinging nettles
• 1/2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 5 c. soup stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. chopped dill

With rubber gloves, wash and rinse stinging nettle. Separate the leaves from the stems.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion to pan and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and potatoes to pan, cook for 5 minutes stirring every minute or so until potatoes begin to stick. Do not allow onion or garlic to brown.

Roughly chop stinging nettle stems and add to pan.

Add stock to pan, bring to boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes and nettle stems are soft.

Add nettle leaves and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Use an immersion blender to purée all ingredients into a smooth soup.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped dill.

Serves 4-6.

Source: www.gettystewart.com

Stinging nettle and cheese biscuit

• 3 c. loosely packed stinging nettle
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese (plus more for top)
• 1-1/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk (1 tbsp. lemon juice with milk to make 1-1/4 c.)

With rubber gloves, wash and rinse stinging nettle. Separate the leaves from the stems (use stems for tea). You should have about 2 cups of loosely packed leaves.

In saucepan, over medium heat add leaves and 1 tbsp. of water. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until leaves have wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Chop into small pieces and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in grated cheese. Add chopped nettle.

Make a well in the flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Stir just until moistened.

Using a tablespoon, drop dough onto greased baking sheet.

Optional: sprinkle more cheese on top of each biscuit.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Makes 8-10 biscuits.

Source: www.gettystewart.com

The post Eat your weeds appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

With their variety of shapes, blossoms and foliage, they also add interest and colour to gardens. And, when planted strategically, they’re effective at attracting beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and pollinators while repelling pests such as mosquitoes, rabbits and deer.

With so many things in their favour, it’s not surprising that most Manitobans have at least some herbs in their garden or on their patio. But while growing herbs is becoming increasingly popular, many people are still unsure how to best prune, use and preserve herbs. If that’s you, here are a few tips and recipes to try this summer.

Prune regularly

To get bushy, tasty herbs prune early and prune often. It may seem scary to cut the growing tip of your herb plant, but doing so encourages branching which leads to a fuller more luscious plant.

For basil, mint, lemon balm, hyssop, marjoram, oregano, catnip and the evergreen herbs (bay, rosemary, thyme, lavender, lemon verbena, sage) prune from the top down on each stem. Follow the stem until you reach a set of growing leaves. Cut just above these leaves with sharp scissors for a clean cut. Within days, you’ll see two new shoots growing out of the stem near your cut.

Herbs like parsley, sorrel, lovage, lemon grass, cilantro and chives don’t need to be pruned. They can be harvested throughout the season by picking the outer stems first, cutting near the bottom of the stem.

Woody stems, like on old growth of rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena, lavender and oregano, will not regrow new stems. Unless you want to completely remove a section of the plant, do not cut into the woody stems.

Remove blossoms

Herbs will lose flavour and will not grow as much once they have flowered. Removing blossoms on herbs like basil, dill and cilantro will extend the harvest and make them bushier.

To ensure continued good growth, never take more than one-third of the plant at a time. At the end of the season, harvest all your annuals and let your perennials overwinter with two-thirds of the plant still intact.

Fresh herbs are very aromatic, but when added to recipes, you need to add three to four times as much compared to their dried counterparts. And, you’ll need to add them at the end of the cooking process to retain their colour and flavour unlike dried herbs which should be added earlier in the cooking process.

Dry or freeze herbs for use all year.

Herbs can be preserved by drying or freezing. While both techniques will work with any herb, flavour and colour loss will occur more quickly in some than in others. The following shows which method is most ideal for which herb.

Drying:

• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage
• Savory
• Lemon verbena
• Lavender
• Lemon grass
• Oregano
• Mint*
• Basil*
• Lemon balm*

* Most susceptible to mould or colour loss

Freezing:

• Parsley
• Basil
• Chives
• Dill
• Tarragon
• Mint
• Sorrel
• Lemon balm

To dry herbs, gather small bundles and hang in a dry, dark, well-ventilated space. The larger and moister the leaf, the more susceptible to mould or colour loss, therefore it is best to dry these herbs quickly using a dehydrator or microwave.

When freezing herbs, the general rule of thumb is that the less surface area exposed to air, the longer the herbs last in the freezer. For that reason, you’ll find many recommendations for freezing herbs in oil or water. You can purée 2 cups of herbs with 1/4 cup of oil or simply place herbs in an ice cube tray and cover with oil or water.

This works well for herbs used in soups, stews or sauces. For sprinkling herbs on salads or other dishes, herbs can also be frozen chopped or whole without anything else. By drying herbs well and laying them in a single layer to freeze before packing in a freezer container, chopped frozen herbs can be easily accessed any time. This is my preferred method of freezing herbs.

Following these tips will help you freeze and dry herbs for use throughout the winter. The recipes below will help you enjoy them while they’re fresh.

Parsley and Barley Salad

Move parsley from garnish to main attraction with this barley salad that works equally well on the tractor or a fancy dinner party. A great make-ahead salad. Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw hulled barley
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 bunch chopped parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped (2 tsp. dried)
• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper

In large pot with tight-fitting lid, add barley and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 55 to 60 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain and cool.

In large bowl, toss together barley, parsley, tomatoes, green onions and mint.

In small jar with tight-fitting lid, combine canola oil, lemon juice, salt and ground pepper. Secure lid and shake well to blend thoroughly.

Pour dressing over salad and mix well.

Rest for one hour before serving to allow flavours to blend and parsley to soften somewhat.

Herb Butter

A quick and easy way to use fresh herbs and add incredible flavour to bread, pasta, veggies or meat. Use single herbs or your favourite herb combination.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped herbs (chives, garlic chives, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, dill, etc.)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper

In a small bowl or jar, mix all ingredients using a small spatula or butter knife.

Mix until well combined.

Use right away, keep in fridge for 7 days or freeze for several months.

To freeze, place butter on a large piece of parchment or wax paper or plastic wrap. Roll and shape into a log shape. Secure ends, place in freezer bag and freeze.

To use, allow butter log to soften in fridge overnight or on counter for 1 hour. Slice rounds from roll as desired. Refreeze any remaining butter.

Classic Basil Pesto

When the basil is plentiful, make pesto to go with pasta, pizza or any dish involving tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts or hazelnuts)
• 5 cloves fresh garlic
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Wash and gently dry basil leaves. Set aside.

In food processor, coarsely chop pine nuts and garlic.

Add basil leaves, Parmesan cheese and salt and process until well blended.

Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Do you prefer more salt, garlic or cheese?

With processor running pour oil into basil mix to create a paste.

Fill ice cube tray and freeze.

Once frozen, transfer cubes into a freezer bag and seal well.

Keep for 3 to 6 months in freezer.

The post Herbs can be a year-round pleasure appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

I have a problem with this for several reasons.

Firstly, when did unsightly plants become a problem within schoolgrounds that require poisons to eradicate? And to whom are they unsightly, the children? School board officials? Teachers?

How many schoolkids have complained about unsightly plants on the playground?

Do they not pick dandelions and other natural flowers and plants and examine and study them in their own ways? What child has not taken a dandelion seed ball and blown the head apart into the wind?

This is now a problem that requires poison to correct?

Have we looked at the beneficial aspects of the dandelion? Do we really remember what it is good for?

Dandelion’s leaves contain abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals. A cup of dandelion leaves contains 112 per cent daily recommendation of vitamin A, 32 per cent of vitamin C, and 535 per cent of vitamin K and 218 mg potassium, 103 mg calcium, and 1.7 mg of iron. Dandelions are also an excellent source of vitamin H, which is proven to aid in weight loss when ingested.

Dandelions, flowers, roots and leaves have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and medicinal teas, most notably for liver detoxification, as a natural diuretic and for inflammation reduction.

Years ago, clover was a prized inhabitant of many lawns, indeed viewed as a status symbol of a well-tended yard site. Then a chemical company discovered a product that could kill clover while leaving the rest of the lawn alone. Following a huge marketing campaign, clover fell into disfavour as a lawn ornament.

Let’s examine the labels of the proposed chemicals being suggested as necessary to eliminate these unsightly blights on our schoolgrounds.

Par III; contains 2,4-D DMA salt, mecoprop DMA salt and dicamba DMA salt.

Effects of Overexposure: May cause loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, general tenseness and muscular weakness.

Casoron G4; active ingredient 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile, dichlobenil. It is considered harmful to aquatic organisms, and may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Do not contaminate surface waters or ditches with chemical.

The EU has outlawed the use of products containing dichlobenil as of March 2010. Denmark banned its use in 1996 due to many reports of groundwater contamination and is still showing groundwater contamination from it to this day.

This is only a partial list of the products intended to be applied to our schoolyards and surrounding areas where our children and grandchildren play. I challenge people to research these products before blindly allowing them to be used in our public places.

Just because it is government approved does not make it safe. One level of government that we rely heavily on for excellent research work for our well-being just cut a whopping $2 million off its $500-billion budget by cancelling the Experimental Lakes Area program.

Many municipalities and cities are banning the cosmetic use of herbicides and pesticides for various reasons. Maybe our institutions of learning should take another look at this program and decide if the risks associated are worth the benefits they deem necessary.

I am personally angry that we have come to this point where we must poison virtually every corner of our planet to satisfy our esthetic principals as it were.

As a taxpayer I object to my money being frittered away in this manner.

Heck, if the various school divisions pooled the money they plan on spending on chemicals and sent it to help maintain the ELA program, we may get some real unbiased answers to what we are doing to our environment.

Please, let my children, grandchildren and others breathe freely without the stench and potential health hazards of chemicals being applied everywhere.

The post Dandelions versus pesticides on the playground appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Rosemary has been used in weddings, funerals and other ceremonies throughout the ages, and its lemony, pine-like aroma has been used to add fragrance to lotions. Although little research is available to prove its effectiveness, rosemary has a long history of use in complementary medicine.

For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, rosemary extracts have been used in complementary medicine to ease muscle and joint aches and treat alopecia (patchy baldness). The leaves have been used to treat indigestion.

More recently, some research has been conducted to explore the role of the rosemary scent in memory. The participants in the study didn’t eat the rosemary; they simply smelled the aroma of rosemary oil in various concentrations as they worked.

One group of researchers identified a chemical compound in rosemary that may enter the bloodstream through the lining of the nasal passages or lungs. They noted improvements in overall mental performance. The researchers proposed that a rosemary compound may prevent the breakdown of a chemical in our nervous system needed for brain function.

However, intriguing as these results are, a study or two doesn’t prove that rosemary aroma helps our memory.

Scientists note some precautions with the medicinal use of rosemary. Although rosemary supplements are available, their safety and effectiveness have not been well studied, and they may have interactions with prescription medications. Some people may have allergic reactions to rosemary, and high doses of rosemary supplements are linked to miscarriage. Be sure to visit with a medical professional before taking supplements.

Try some rosemary in your cooking, though. You can create some memorable meals with a delicious aroma by adding some rosemary and other herbs to your recipes.

The post Try rosemary to boost flavour appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.