Saving Those Fresh Herbs

I can't recall the number of times I have experienced complete disappointment because my fresh herbs have gone to waste.  Frances has shared with many of us that in attempt to preserve her fresh herbs for later use, she freezes them in muffin tins.  I came across this article and thought I would pass it along to my fellow home chefs.  I ended up chopping up my leftover cilantro I used in a dish over the weekend and placing it in mini muffin tins with chicken stock.  They froze quite well.  I took them out of the tins and placed them in a plastic bag for later use.  So far so good!

Here is the link to the article, http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/5-tips-for-saving-fresh-herbs.htm

The Perfect Autumn Vegetable

Autumn has been a little shy this year so far in southern Indiana. It may be mid-October, but most of the trees have been modestly holding on to their summer green. Except for the sassafras. Those brazenly red sassafras trees have no shame.

Strahl Lake, Brown County State Park (Brown County, IN)

Anyway, I went to the Bloomington Farmers' Market this weekend to pick up some supplies for my favorite game: What is that Vegetable & How Do I Cook It? (In the past, I've discovered such gems as lemon cucumbers and this menacing horned melon which I absent-mindedly threw into my produce bag, failing to notice that it had gored the last of the August peaches until I felt their viscous juice dripping down my arm.) As I meandered through the farm stands, I picked up a butternut squash, some beets, some yellow squash, and a few late summer radishes. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Just as I was about to give up on finding something new (because that aforementioned squash was really heavy), I spotted something I'd never seen before. To my great joy, I discovered what just might be the Perfect Autumn Vegetable.

(drum roll, please)

Purple green beans!

Do you think they have extra vitamins because they're purple?

Yes, they really were that purple. The eggplant was shocked (but a little bit flattered) by their imitation.

Maybe you're thinking, "Ok, so they're purple. That's weird, but how could they possibly be in the running for the title of 'perfect autumn vegetable' when there are so many colorful roots to choose from? They're not even in the squash family!"

Well, here's why:

Wait for it . . .

They actually change color!

Ta da!

Ok, so maybe these beans kind of missed the memo and got it backwards. Instead of changing from green to purple as the temperatures got colder (like their non-edible vegetative brethren), they went from purple to green as soon as they hit the hot blanching water. But close enough.

Way to be festive, purple beans! You win.

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Purple Green Beans

• Purple green beans, ends snapped
• bacon
• garlic
• purple onion, thinly sliced
• salt & pepper, to taste

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the beans to blanch for a few minutes, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon over medium heat in a dutch oven. When crispy, remove bacon and set aside to drain, but leave the grease.
3. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (30 seconds). Add the onion and stir until soft (a couple minutes). Then add the no-longer-purple green beans and cook until desired level of tenderness is reached (five to seven-ish minutes).
4. Serve with crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese.

The Best Banana Bread Ever

• If I was stuck on a desert island this would be my food of choice. This banana bread never gets old. I love to eat a slice for breakfast with my morning coffee or after dinner with a cup of tea. Every fall/winter, I memorize the recipe and whip this bread up at least once a week. I buy bananas and wait for them to brown just to make this bread! 
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Cooking spray 
• 
  
• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until combined.
• 3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely. 
• Side Note: I don't even use an electric mixer. I just whip everything up with a spatula and it comes out just fine. I also use Greek yogurt and double the amount of bananas the recipe calls for. The extra bananas makes it even better! 
• From Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2010 ("Basic Banana Bread")