[1] Turn your cupcake or muffin pan into a buffet of toppings for breakfast foods.

[2] Do the same for a green salad, here blue cheese, pears, pecans and raisins (here’s the recipe from Letty’s Kitchen).

Here, yummy ideas for breakfast, salads and desserts. Customizing one’s food is so very enjoyable.

Ready, set, garnish!
 
 
BREAKFAST GARNISHES

Many of us start the day with a bowl of oatmeal or Cheerios, yogurt or cottage cheese.

Here’s how to turn the everyday bowl into the “weekend special”:

Fill your cupcake or muffin pan with a “buffet” of toppings. In this pan, a choice of fresh and dried fruits and nuts:

 
You can also include:

 
The same concept works for dessert: ice cream, pudding, sorbet, etc.

If you’re having eggs for breakfast, you can use most of the green salad garnishes below.

Use the same idea for DIY salad garnishes:

 
You can adapt the same concept to toppings for baked potatoes, grains and vegetables.
 
We just love food ideas that are both delicious, nutritious and fun!

Thanks to Almond Breeze for a great idea.

Do you love to cook?

According to Flavor & The Menu, which advises professional chefs on culinary trends, there are five herbs you may not have tried that are waiting to become the next hot flavor trends.

Chervil, hyssop, lemon balm, lovage and nettles: Look for them the next time you’re at a farmer’s market or a specialty produce store.

The first four herbs are native to Europe. The fifth, nettles, originated in the Americas. All began as medicinal herbs before they made their way into the kitchen.

As a general definition:

 
In everyday cuisine:

 
Chervil, Anthriscus cerefolium is a member of the the Apiaceae family (also known as the carrot, celery and parsley family). It is native to the Caucasus, and was spread by the Romans through most of Europe.
 
 
2. HYSSOP

Hyssop (HIH-sup), Hyssopus officinalis, is native to Europe and is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Only the leaves are edible. They have a bitter, but intensely minty flavor. In addition to use in the spice blend za’atar, cooks are beginning to incorporate hyssop into kombucha, salads, seafood dishes, tartare and teas. The edible flowers are variously blue, pink and purple.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) a relative, is native to North America. It looks and tastes similar, but is of a different genus.

Both varieties are members of the Lamiaceae family, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or sage family. Other family members include basil, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, perilla (shisho), rosemary, sage, savory and thyme.

It’s not the Biblical hyssop. A plant called hyssop has been used antiquity and appears in the Exodus, Hebrews, John, Kings, Leviticus, Matthew, Mark and Numbers (more).

But researchers suggest that this mention refers not to modern hyssop, but rather to a different herb (source). Capers and marjoram are the leading contenders.

Hyssop was long a medicinal herb, used for digestive and intestinal problems, loss of appetite and respiratory problems.

For centuries now, a culinary herb, cooks use the fresh leaves like other delicate herbs, in pastas, salads and soups. The colorful flowers can be used for garnishes.

You’re more likely to find hyssop in dried form. Don’t use these rough dried herbs in pastas or salads, but to infuse flavor into sauces and soups (place them in a spice ball/tea ball).
 
 
3. LEMON BALM

[1] Chervil (photo © Herbal Table [website closed]).

[2] Hyssop leaves (photo © Herbs Unlimited).

[3] Lemon balm (photo © Burpee).

[4] Lovage (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[5] Nettles (photo © Good Eggs).

The herb is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae (as are hyssop and lovage). It is delicious in:

 
Lemon balm is also a popular scent in beauty products, and is frequently added to potpourri.

As a medicinal herb, lemon balm has mild sedative properties. It has long been used to reduce stress and anxiety, encourage sleep, improve appetite, and ease discomfort from indigestion.

Sources date the medicinal use of lemon balm back some 2000 years, with the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was introduced into Spain in the 7th century, and was subsequently planted throughout Europe.
 
 
4. LOVAGE

Levisticum officinale, a member of the the Apiaceae family (also known as the carrot, celery and parsley family), is native to Southern Europe and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean.

Little known in the U.S., lovage was standard in medieval herb gardens. As with the other herbs here, it was used medicinally before it moved into the kitchen.

Lovage dates back to ancient Greece, where the leaves were chewed to aid with digestion and gas (source).

As a culinary herb, lovage is sometimes called sea parsley for its slightly saline flavor. The leaves and stems have a refreshing vegetal flavor: They’re often described as a cross between celery and parsley. The seeds have a flavor similar to fennel. The flowers and roots are edible.

 
 
5. NETTLES

Nettles are slightly bitter green herbs that taste a bit like spinach with a cucumber accent.

Some species have stinging (prickly) hairs, in which case they are called stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)—and are the source of the word “nettlesome.”

They are plants in the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae (not surprisingly called the nettle family). One needs to pick them with gloves.

The word “urticate” derives from medieval Latin for “stung.” The chemicals in the stinging hairs are neutralized by soaking in water, blanching or cooking.

Indigenous to North America and a key ingredient in Native American cuisine and medicine, nettles grow wild and are foraged in the countryside.

 
Medicinally, stinging nettle has been used for to treat anemia, arthritis, eczema, gout, painful muscles and joints, and urinary problems.

Here’s more about nettles.
 
 
We hope you have the opportunity to get to know these herbs. Perhaps they’ll become as common in your repertoire as basil and parsley.

[1] Make this tasty side salad from scratch, or with leftover orzo or grains (all photos © DeLallo).

[2] It’s easy to mistake this bag of DeLallo orzo for some type of rice.

[3] Chickpeas, meaty legumes from the Mediterranean, are packed with protein and fiber. These premium chickpeas

are available from DeLallo.

[4] These pitted, seasoned Kalamata olives (DeLallo spells it Calamata) are available from DeLallo. The seasoning adds zing to the tartness.

Here’s a tasty idea from DeLallo to turn leftover orzo or grains into something much more appealing.

The producer of premium packaged foods adds color and flavor, including tart Kalamata olives and a golden/white balsamic vinegar-based (see below) vinaigrette. If you’re using darker grains, you can use a regular balsamic.

With a Greek flair, this combination of crunchy, sweet, and tart will make you want a larger portion than a side.
 
 
WHAT IS ORZO?

Orzo is a shape of pasta that is extruded (shaped through metal plates) to look like grains of rice, about 1/3-inch long (photos #1 and #2).

It is made of the same durum wheat as other Italian pasta. The durum is milled into semolina flour and then blended with spring water. The dough is then extruded and allowed to dry.

 
In addition to plain semolina orzo, varieties are available flavored with black bean, red chile, and sweet potato, among others.

Orzo is frequently used as a substitute for rice and can be used instead of, or combined with, rice to make pilafs and risottos. It is also used like rice or barley in soups, salads, and sides.

See more types of pasta in our Pasta Glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: GARDEN GREEK ORZO SALAD

Ingredients For 6-8 Sides
 
For The Dressing

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dressing: Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk together to incorporate. Introduce the oil in a steady stream while whisking. Set aside.

2. COMBINE the chickpeas, olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs in a large serving bowl. Toss with the orzo or grain.

3. ADD the dressing and mix well to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
 
 

WHAT IS WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR / GOLDEN BALSAMIC VINEGAR?

Golden or white balsamic vinegar is made in the balsamic style, with Trebbiano, a white grape, but without the dark grapes that contribute to the dark color of regular balsamic. It is blended with white wine vinegar.

In addition to vinaigrettes and sauces, use it to deglaze a pan and to dress roasted vegetables.

Although it was introduced as white balsamic, it has a golden color. More recently, producers have been calling it golden balsamic: It’s the same thing.

White/golden balsamic vinegar has a sweet-and-tart flavor profile like the conventional product, but it tends to be sweeter than conventional balsamic.

As with dark balsamic, the grape must (the freshly-crushed grape juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit) is simmered, but avoids the caramelization that turns the must dark. The result is also aged for less time, in oak or stainless steel barrels.

And as with traditional balsamics, there are all levels of quality and price, and “factory made” balsamics that are white vinegar doctored to look and taste like an authentically-produced balsamic.

Here’s more about balsamic vinegar.
 
 

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