1/4 c. olive oil
1 (5 to 6 lb.) roasting chicken, cut into 8 pieces, patted dry
1 1/2 lbs. new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch wide wedges
Salt and freshly ground pepper
7 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
12 lg. thyme sprigs
10 lg. rosemary sprigs
2 lemons, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
6 lemon wedges
Fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken in batches and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Mix lemon juice with vinegar. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Top with 12 thyme sprigs and 10 rosemary sprigs. Layer lemon slices over top. Bake until chicken and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Discard lemon slices and herbs. Halve chicken breasts lengthwise. Tranfer chicken and potatoes to platter, garnish with lemon wedges, thyme, and rosemary. Makes 6 servings.
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (2 1/2 lb) center cut beef tenderloin
nonstick cooking spray
Merlot Sauce
Combine sage through garlic; rub over roast. Heat, on medium-high heat, a large oven-proof skillet (no plastic handle) coated with spray. Add roast to pan and cook 6 minutes, browning all sides. Bake at 350° about 25 minutes until thermometer inserted in thickest site reads 140° (medium rare) or until done to your taste. Place roast on cutting board; cover loosely with foil; let stand 15 minutes before slicing.
Directions for Sauce
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh
In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat; stir to dissolve the sugar. Chill. Add the lemon juice, tarragon and lemon verbena. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
Reprinted from A Celebration of Herbs (available here)
1/2 cup sugar
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 cups green, black, or herbal tea brewed and cooled
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
Sparkling water
Combine the sugar and lemongrass with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove the lemongrass stalks and discard.
Stir together the iced tea and chopped mint and add enough of the sugar syrup to sweeten to taste. Fill tall glasses with ice and divide among them, leaving room at the top for sparkling water. Stir gently before serving.
May substitute 5-7 leaves fresh stevia for sugar as sweetener. Makes 8 servings.
1 Tbsp vegetable oil plus additional for cooking
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp finely chopped roasted pepper (packaged)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb fresh lump crab meat
1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs
Lemon wedges
Heat 1 Tbsp oil over low heat in a small pan and add celery and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. If they start to brown, add a teaspoon of water. Add cream and raise heat to simmer. Cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick. Set aside to cool.
When cream has cooled, stir in mustard, red pepper, tarragon, egg, and salt and pepper. Gently fold crab meat along with 1/3 of bread crumbs. Break up crab, leaving a few large chunks for texture. Shape the mixture into golf-ball sized patties. Pour the remaining bread crumbs into a shallow dish with more salt and pepper to taste. Gently roll the patties in the bread crumbs, coating evenly. Arrange the crab cakes on a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least half an hour, but up to 3 hours.
Remove the crab cakes from refrigerator and in large, non-stick pan heat about 2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the crab cakes in small batches and cook for 10 minutes, turning them with metal spatula halfway through, until evenly browned.
Keep warm on a baking sheet lined with paper towels in 200 degree oven while you cook the rest. Serve on a warm platter with lemon wedges on the side. Makes 25-30 crab cakes.