Herbal Thymes June 2011


The Herbal Thymes
WNY Herb Study Group
June 2011

Ann R.
Herbal Thymes

Horseradish
2011 Herb of the Year

Basil

 Call to all
Meetings are held at
The Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
2655 South Park Ave. Buffalo, NY
See dates of meetings under
Summer /Fall Meeting Schedule




Committee members who have volunteered to help with the "Gala at the Gardens….Fragrant Herbs" to be held on September 24, 2011.
There will be a special meeting with Erin G. of the Gardens on June 8.
Yes, this is just prior to our WNY Herb Study Meeting. Erin will only take about 15 minutes to give us "Buds Up" on what she would like us to do. If you have any questions, or can not attend and still wish to participate just give me a call at my number or email me.


This will be a fun event for us and we will be helping the gardens!
Thank you.

Monthly Horseradish News:


Despite all the rain, if you are planting horseradish root in a container you may start seeing some foliage very soon. As noted in earlier articles, if you plant the root in the ground be pre-pared to have horseradish for years to share. Horseradish is a pervasive plant, similar to mint.

Mine is all planted in a half wine barrel I’ve had for years. The hardest part of the planting was removing the soil in order to move the barrel to the back of my yard. Now all I have to worry about is if my new neighbor, a huge raccoon likes horseradish root.
Here is another recipe to experiment with if you haven’t thought about using horseradish in potato pancakes.




Potato Pancakes
th at the Botanical Gardens at 6:30 PM. 3 baking potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated 1 medium onion, grated 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 Tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/4 cup chopped fresh chopped chives 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 6 Tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 2 Tablespoons butter
Toss grated potatoes, onions, and flour in a large bowl to mix well. Stir in eggs, horseradish, lemon zest,
 
Our May speaker, Michael B. shared his life story of studying under a Medicine Man to learn the Native American ways of re-specting and responding to and with nature. And as he and Elly S. who spoke on parsley said, everything in moderation and knowing what herbs and plants benefit our health is something that we need to learn. Many of our modern medications are based on the-se early uses of herbs. Hostesses/Hosts: Gail B., Holly K., Alice T., Sandy M., Janet S., Rosemarie G.
Plant Exchange:

Bring your herbs, perennials and houseplants to exchange with other members. Tag your plants with its name and general planting directions. Note if it requires sunny/shade location, wet/dry soil or if it’s invasive.

September 14, 2011

This is where we showcase recipes that use herbs. Seating is limited, members only activity.
Members bring their own plate and silverware along with a copy of your recipe.
October 12, 2011 Herbs in the Civil War
Tentative Mini Herb Talk: Gail B. will speak on Thyme
Gift Basket Raffle Donated by Sonia and Dan F.
Hostesses Diane N., Debbie M., Cathy P., Mary K., Marlene W., Elaine D.


November 9, 2011 Herb Craft Activity: Decorate a lighted glass block with herbs and ribbons

Mini Herb Talk Alice T. will speak on Cilantro

Gift Basket Raffle Donated by Mary D.
Hostesses Barabara P., Donna M., Nancy K., Doris Z., Virginia P., Linda F., Barabara M.
 
December 7, 2011 Annual Holiday Dinner will be at Curley’s Restaurant in Lackawanna, NY



Summer Field Trips

We will meet at 10:20 am at the Hatch Restaurant. There is plenty of free parking at the Marina. We will then have a guided tour of the gardens by Ann Marie M. a garden docent and horticulturalist. This garden includes the newest varieties of specialty annu-als from around the world and puts perennials to the test to find those that can endure Buffalo’s climate. I understand from Ann Marie that this year the gardens include over 150 varieties of dahlias alone. After the free garden tour, members are on their own to eat at the Hatch restaurant and continue the afternoon with a walk along the River to Canal Side , past the Naval Park and up to the Observation tower. There is also a new water taxi service that began Memorial Weekend. The 35-foot boat can hold 35 passengers. The water taxi, based at the Commercial Slip on Erie Canal Harbor, will ferry passen-gers between the city's inner and outer harbors, home to marinas, concerts and other summertime activities. One-way ferry tickers will cost $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for sen-iors. All-day tickets will be $12.00 for adults, $6.00 for seniors.


Wegmans Organic Farm and the NY Wine and Culinary Center, Canandaigua, NY We will board a bus at 7:45 a.m. and travel to the Wegmans Organic Farm in Canan-daigua. The 2-hour guided tour will begin at 10:00 A.M. We will return to Wegmans for lunch and an early afternoon wine and beer tasting at the NY Wine and Culinary Cen-ter. The cost of the Farm Tour and bus is $35.00. The tour only is $10.00. The cost of lunch and the tastings (tastings average $5.00) are your responsibility. You may bring or buy your lunch, and taste or just tour at the Wine and Culinary Center. The farm tour requires extensive walking, sturdy shoes or sneakers are a must. All-in-all, this day should be memorable. Full Payment is due at the June 8th Herb Study Meeting.

If you can’t join the members on either of these field trips, our area will be overflowing with Garden Walks this summer in just about every community. You can find many of the activities at www.nationalgardenfestival.com. Or check the Buffalo News on Friday nights along with Sally Cunningham’s weekly gardening article.

News from other Local Herb Organizations

Friends of Kenan Herb Club, Lockport, NY
They would like to see everyone at their annual plant sale on June 4th at the Kenan Center, 433 Locust St., Lockport, NY. It will be held from 10 AM to 3 PM. For sale will be herbs and perennial plants, gifts for your garden table, a garden basket raffle and door prizes. They will also have sample herb foods at the Tasting Table and speakers will present "Horseradish, Herb of the Year".


Herb Gardeners of the Niagara Frontier, Williamsville, NY
The members are having their annual plant auction at their June 6th meeting. On July 2nd they will be attending the Lavender Festival in Angelica, NY. On Aug. 21st attend the Scottish Festival. The members will be making and selling "tussie mussies".

As I mentioned last month, I lost my barn to this past winter’s weather. I had many things from when we had the greenhouse and store. So on June 10th, 11th, and 12th I will be having a "barn sale". Many of my painted things will be for sale, gourds, canvases and outdoor figurines. You can find the barn sale at 882 Mineral Springs Road in West Seneca. I am having an exclusive pre-sale only for Herb Study Members on June 5th from Noon until…

Till Next Thyme,
Elly



We now have 100 members


At the June meeting you can receive a sample of Osmocote Outdoor and Indoor plant food and a coupon for a $10.00 rebate. This is a real bargain as I bought the 3 lb. con-tainer (which you need to buy for the re-bate) for only $9.00 at Lowe's. We received 100 samples, so there are plenty for each member. Glass Block craft. At the November meeting will be our annual craft night. This year we will be decorating a lighted glass block. You will need to supply the decorations that you will be placing on the block. A couple of examples will be shown at the June meeting. During the summer you may want to dry some of your favor-ite flowers, or grow straw flowers or similar type flowers to use. Dried Artemisia will work well too. This is a "use your creative juices" craft. Typically the lighted glass block is used at Christmas time decorated to look like a present. But after seeing our samples at the June meeting, this craft can be much more than just a present.

Pineapple Crunch Cake Linda A. (served at the May meeting):

2 cups flour 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple with juice Icing:
1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup chopped walnuts 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup flaked
1 tsp. baking soda coconut
1/2 tsp. salt


In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in pineapple and walnuts. Pour into a greased 13x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.


For icing combine sugar, butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 mins. Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with coconut if desired.



Mini Herb Talk: Mary R. will speak on Scented Geranium, which there are many.


Gift Basket Raffle: Donated by Denise D., Linda K., Lucy P.




President’s Pot Pourri:
Well, someone sang "Rain Rain Go Away" because it has, and I’ll bet most of you are getting the rest of your gardens in.
If you are interested in helping Rosemary with the Gardens Gala Event on September 24th, please remember to attend the pre-meeting at 6:30 on June 8th. Here’s hoping that a lot of you will show up with support. We learn as individuals when participating in events like this, and at the same time we strengthen the Gardens and validate our record and worth as a viable group.
In May we spoke about forming an ad hoc committee to address some concerns. I was unable to schedule it dur-ing this three week interval so we will bring it up again at June’s meeting.

June’s meeting will take us back to the gardens of biblical times as Denise D. tells us of their secrets. I am so looking forward to her talk .....and to swapping plants. See you June 8th.

God’s blessings on you and your gardens, Donna. (PS Don't forget about Elly's barn sale June 4th.)
MEMBER NEWS
Welcome to our new members who joined at the May meeting:
Donna D., Barabara H., William R.
Ms. Elly’s Forget Me Knots
And some thoughts…. "If someone asks for help in the herb garden, you can certainly give Sage advice if you have Thyme."
TUESDAY AUGUST 9, 2011
Changes for Paid Activities. We all recognize we have to do more with less these days. That includes the Herb Club. At the Board meeting the following procedures were agreed to for any of the activities that require payment. It was necessary to make these changes because of the costs involved in securing buses, materials, dinners, etc. Most of the events in the past had a non-refundable clause placed on us. All events that require a payment for attendance or participation will now be non-refundable. That includes any deposit that has been made towards the activity. No exceptions will be made. If a person, after placing a deposit towards an activity can not attend, he or she will be responsible for finding an alternate for their place at the activity. The Herb Study Group is not responsible for any monetary exchange between the original partici-pant and the alternate. If no alternate can be found, any monies made in the form of a deposit or full payment will not be re-funded. It is the responsibility of the member who can not attend; to make the Chairperson of the Event aware that they are not at-tending or that they have found an alternate for their place. The Chairperson will require the name and phone number of the alternate.
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011 The Gardens at the Erie Basin Marina, Downtown Buffalo where the Buffalo River enters Lake Erie.
At each meeting we also have the 50/50 Split Club tickets Coordinated by Barb and Ed O., with the proceeds benefiting the Herb Study Group
Annual Herb Dinner
Members with last names beginning with:
A — I will bring Salad
J — Q will bring Main Entree
R — Z will bring Dessert
Summer /Fall 2011 Meetings June 8, 2011 Biblical Herbs and Oils Presented by member, Denise D.
Salt to taste chives, salt, and pepper until well-combined. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture into the hot oil for each cake. Fry about 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. (You will need to fry the potato pancakes in batches.) Season cakes with additional salt, if desired, and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Yield: 4 to 6 servings