Herb Cookery Booklet project 2007

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Deadline for recipes extended to end April 2007

Sophie Grigson, out President for this year has agreed to edit a recipe book that will include many recipes provided by Herb Society Members. The provisional title for this is book is, "The Herb Society's Favourite Recipes."

So, please can all you herbie cooks out there send us your very best recipes? We need these by the end of April 2007 (new deadline).

In this booklet, we are looking for food recipes only, be these starters, main courses, sweets, snacks, relishes or anything else. But we are not looking for herbal teas because these could form the basis of another book. Obviously, we are also not looking for recipes for medicines, ointments, cosmetics and the like.

We would really like to have a number of older recipes demonstrating the traditional use of herbs in regional British foods.

If you are a keen photographer, you could also send us a picture of your finished dish. We will select a few of the best pictures to use in the book.

Scroll down to see a sample recipe. This shows you how we would like you to set out your recipe.

Please understand that we will not be able to include all your recipes. The selection criteria will be include the requirements for a balance between types of recipe.

In addition to full recipes, we will also include some selected tips on using herbs in normal cooking. So, if you have any tips, let us know.

Please note that any items included will become the copyright of the Herb Society.

Email your recipes to us at email@herbsociety.org.uk. Include in the subject line of your email the words, "Cookery Booklet." Any attached pictures should be in the form of a jpeg of at least 2 megapixels.

Alternatively, you can send us your recipe in the normal mail along with a good quality photographic print of any picture. Send to

Cookery Booklet
The Herb Society
PO Box 626
Banbury, OX16 6EY

For more information, telephone the administrator on 01295 768899.

Sample recipe

Strawberry and Lemon Verbena Cheesecake

By Lynne Tann-Watson

A couple of comments on ingredients before I start:

The recipe calls for sweet biscuits and I use my own lavender biscuits for this purpose, which adds an extra herby aspect.
A useful hint when buying and chopping nuts for recipes, is to freeze them as soon as you buy them. Because of the high oil content in nuts, they can go rancid quite quickly, but if frozen, they stay fresh with the added bonus that they are far easier to chop. Just take the amount you need and whiz them in a coffee grinder.

I try and use as much locally grown or produced food as I can, so when I make it the butter is jersey butter from the farm at which I work and the cream comes from there too. The biscuits are home made from my own lavender. I picked the strawberries at a local pick-your-own farm. The strawberry jam is home made from the same strawberries and, of course, the lemon verbena is from my garden.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find local sources of any of the other ingredients….see what you can do!

Strawberry and Lemon Verbena Cheesecake

Quantities

50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz caster sugar
115g/4oz sweet biscuits, crumbed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tblspns hazelnuts, chopped
3 tblspns water
500g/1lb strawberries
3 tspns gelatine
500g/1lb cottage cheese
300 ml/ 1/2 pint double cream
2 tblspns strawberry jam
A large handful of lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped

Method

Melt butter and mix in biscuit crumbs and hazelnuts. Place in a 7 ½ " springform cake tin and spread evenly, pressing down firmly. Refrigerate.
Hull and halve 2/3 of the strawberries. Blend cream cheese, lemon verbena and sugar in a food processor until smooth and well combined.
Mix lemon juice and water, add gelatine and stir over a bowl of hot water until dissolved. Pour into cheese mixture and mix well.
Whip cream until thick and fold into cheese mixture. Place half in the tin. Line the edge of the tin with strawberry halves cut side outward. Put the rest of the strawberry halves on top and add the rest of the cheese mixture. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Slice the rest of the strawberries and arrange over the top. Dissolve the jam in a little hot water and brush over the top.
Unmould onto a plate and decorate with leaves and flowers. I used alpine strawberry flowers, scented geranium flowers and lemon verbena leaves.