Potato Salad with Fresh Herb Dressing
6 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1 sprig rosemary 1 garlic clove, minced Dressing: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup green onion tops, chopped ½ cup chopped red and/or yellow bell peppers 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water. Add salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Cover and boil until just fork tender. Remove the garlic and rosemary. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Mix together oil, lemon juice, onion tops, bell peppers, oregano, and mint. Pour over potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

Spicy Nightshade Salsa
1 lb japanese (slender) eggplant, cut into ¼inch cubes olive oil spray ¼c rice vinegar 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 tbsp minced ginger 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sugar 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 firm Roma tomatoes, diced 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced zest of 1 lemon salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 450F. Mist a baking sheet with cooking oil. Spread the eggplant cubes on the baking sheet and roast until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, cool. Combine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sauce, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the roasted eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and lemon zest. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Nopales Salad (featured in Spanish Dagger)
2 pounds nopales (cactus pads), spines removed 2 quarts water 1 medium onion 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 cup sweet corn, drained 1 cup black beans, drained 2-3 Serrano or jalapeño peppers, chopped 2-3 sprigs cilantro, minced 1 cup shredded yellow cheese dressing
Bring water to a boil in a large pan. Add chopped nopales and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse, and chill. Place in salad bowl with chopped onion, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, and cilantro. Toss with dressing and cheese. Dressing: Mix ½ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

Ruby Wilcox's Hot Lips Cookie Crisps
1 cup soft shortening 2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1½ cup finely chopped cashews 1½ cups whole wheat flour 1½ cups unbleached flour ½ tsp soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp habanero powder
Preheat oven to 325F. Cream butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well. Mix the dry ingredients together with the nuts, and stir into the creamed mixture. Chill. Shape into a log about 2" in diameter, slice, and bake until golden.

The Edmond Family's Favorite Tomato Pie (from Bloodroot)
2 cups fine bread crumbs (5 slices of day-old bread, crumbed in a blender) 1 tsp dried basil ½ tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp dried thyme ¼ tsp garlic powder 6 large tomatoes, sliced thin and drained on paper toweling ¼ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped green onions 2 cups grated Cheddar or Swiss cheese, or a combination of both 3 eggs, beaten ¼ tsp nutmeg ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 5 slices lean bacon, diced (pre-cook for two minutes to remove fat, if you like)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the bread crumbs with the dried herbs and press half of the mixture on the bottom of a buttered 9" pie plate. Arrange half the drained tomato slices, overlapping them. Top with half of the fresh basil and green onions and half of the cheese. Repeat for a second layer. Drizzle the eggs over this layer and add the remaining bread crumbs. Mix nutmeg and parmesan and sprinkle over bread crumbs. Top with diced bacon. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bacon bits are crisp. Cool 15 minutes, slice and serve.

Yucca Soup
3 cups vegetable stock 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 small onion, chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 2 Tbsp green pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups yucca flowers, centers removed 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced 1 Tbsp sugar ½ cup peas 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Combine the soup stock, tomatoes, onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes. Add yucca, sugar, peas, and vinegar. simmer another 10 minutes. Serve. Caution: Yucca (Yucca sp.) is often confused with the cassava or manioc (Manihot esculenta), widely used in South American cookery. Cassava (the source of tapioca) is sometimes called yuca or yucca.

Baked Applesauce-Cinnamon Doughnuts
2 packages dry yeast ¼ cup warm water (105-115°) 5¾ cups all-purpose flour, divided 1¼ cups unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup margarine, melted 2 eggs ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt To coat before baking: 2 tablespoons melted margarine To coat after baking: ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons melted margarine
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour, applesauce, margarine, eggs, spices, and salt; beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to ½ inch thickness; cut with a lightly floured 2½ inch doughnut cutter. Combine doughnut holes and any remaining scraps of dough; reroll to ½ inch thickness and cut as before. Place doughnuts on baking sheets coated with cooking spray; brush 2 tablespoons melted margarine over doughnuts. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm, draft-free place for 40 minutes. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag, and set aside. Bake doughnuts at 425° for 8 minutes or until golden. Immediately brush remaining 2 tablespoons melted margarine over baked doughnuts; add doughnuts to plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat. Yield: 3 dozen doughnuts.

China's Jalapeno Cornbread
½ c. cornmeal ½ c. sifted flour ½ tsp. salt 1 tbsp. sugar ½ tbsp. baking powder 2½ c. milk ½ c. canola oil 3 eggs, beaten 1 onion, grated 1 c. cream style canned corn ½ c. chopped jalapeno peppers, fresh or canned 2 tablespoons chopped canned pimentos 1½ c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Mix dry ingredients. Add milk, oil, and eggs. Beat well. Add other ingredients. Pour into greased muffin tins, cornbread pan, or greased cast-iron skillet. Bake at 425 degrees about 25 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Pecans, Slowcooked 'N' Spicy
1/3 cup butter, melted ½ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. ginger ¼ tsp. dried mustard 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. black pepper 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 4 cups pecan halves
Melt butter in a 3-4 quarter slow cooker, add Worcestershire sauce and spices, mix well. Stir in pecans and mix very well. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir. Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes. Remove from slow cooker and cool. Store in airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Cinnamon Basil Honey
1 cup honey 2" cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces 1/8 teaspoon cloves 1 tablespoon brandy 3 sprigs cinnamon basil
In a saucepan, gently heat together honey, spices and brandy. Put the basil sprigs into a sterilized jar and pour the hot honey mixture over it. Cover and allow the flavor to mellow for about a week. Tasty on French toast, pancakes, and waffles. —from Indigo Dying, by Susan Wittig Albert

Peach Ginger Salsa
This great salsa recipe comes from Jim Long's book, Sensational Salsas from Apple to Zucchini, where you'll find a bushel of other super salsas. 1 cup fresh peaches, diced (or you can use frozen) 1 cup ripe tomato, seeded and diced 3 green onions, diced 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced or diced fine [I keep mine in the freezer and grate it, frozen—Susan] salt and pepper to taste, optional
Combine ingredients and chill before serving.

Creamy Basil Lasagna
12 oz lasagna noodles 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour salt, pepper pinch nutmeg 2 cups warm milk 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped ½ cup ricotta cheese ½ cup grated Parmesan 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water, a few at a time, until al dente. Remove carefully and drain between clean towels. Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in flour to make a roux. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste and cook over a gentle heat until flour begins to brown. Gradually stir in warm milk until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon basil, the ricotta, and half the Parmesan. In a greased baking dish, place layer of noodles, followed by a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle this with some Parmesan and basil, thyme, and parsley, mixed. Continue to layer, topping with the sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Gingery Daylily Buds with Rice
2 cups daylily buds 1 tablespoon oil 2 shallots, finely minced 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce 1 tablespoon water 2 cups cooked rice (a mix of wild and brown rice is nice) 1/3 cup slivered almonds
Steam buds until tender (10-15 minutes). In heavy skillet, heat the oil. Add shallots and sauté for about a minute. Add ginger and parsley and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add vinegar, tamari, and water. Stir to mix. Toss in daylily buds. Serve over hot rice, topped with slivered almonds. Serves 4.

Potato Leek Soup
3-4 leeks 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 3 cups chicken stock 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cup half-and-half (you can substitute milk) 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme Salt and pepper to taste Chopped parsley and chives for garnish
Slice the root ends from the leeks, and remove the fibrous dark green tops (save for vegetable stock). Slice lengthwise, wash, and chop the leeks. Heat the butter or olive oil in a medium-size stock pot. Add leeks and onion. Cover and cook over low heat until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes. Add thyme in the last 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Lightly mash the potatoes in the stock, using a masher or spoon. Stir in milk, and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives.

Easy Parsley Sauce
1 c. chopped parsley ¼ c. chopped green onion 2 tbsp. capers 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2/3 c. mayonnaise 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. lemon juice ½ tsp. prepared mustard
Put the first four ingredients into a blender. Blend until well mixed. Add the remaining ingredients, blend until thoroughly mixed, and chill. Makes about 1¼ cups sauce. Serve with cold shellfish, as a dip for veggies, and over potatoes. Also nice with Eggs Benedict as a change from the usual Hollandaise sauce.

Linguine and Chicken in Lemon Parsley Sauce
8 oz. linguine 1 tblsp. olive oil in a skillet, and add Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped 2 tsp. finely chopped candied ginger 1 tsp. sugar 1 c. chicken broth 2 tblsp. olive oil 2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned & cut in cubes 2 finely chopped green onions 2 c. stemmed parsley, finely minced
Cook linguine in 3 quarts boiling water. In a skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté lemon zest for 2-3 minutes, then add ginger and sugar and cook, stirring another 2-minutes. Do not scorch. Pour in chicken broth. Bring it to a quick boil and boil until it is reduced by half. In another, larger skillet, heat 2 tblsp olive oil. Sauté cubed chicken and green onions until chicken is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Then stir in the lemon sauce and minced parsley and cook 3-4 minutes longer. Drain the cooked pasta, toss with the sauce and chicken, and place in a casserole. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving, to let the flavors blend.

Parsley Potatoes a la Microwave
4 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ c. minced parsley 1 tblsp. vegetable oil ¼ c. water Salt and pepper to taste
Slice potatoes ¼inch thick. In microwave safe dish, combine onion, garlic, and oil. Microwave at high 2 to 3 minutes. Stir. Add potatoes and half the parsley and stir to coat. Spread evenly in microwavable serving dish, and add water. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-6 minutes. Add remaining parsley and stir. Microwave another 5-6 minutes, until tender.

Gremolata
3 tblsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves 1 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 large clove) 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest Salt and freshly ground black pepper
If you're tired of just plain parsley garnish, try this zesty Italian variation. It goes beautifully with fish, soup, potatoes, scrambled eggs—almost anything! Stir all ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Savory Herb Fritters
1 package yeast ¼ cup warm water 1 cup flour 1 cup lukewarm water 3 - 4 tbsp finely chopped mixed green herbs (parsley, dill, green onions, minced garlic) ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper oil for frying
In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water. Mix in flour, 1 cup water, finely chopped herbs, salt, pepper Cover and set in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour. Heat oil in large heavy skillet, about 1" deep. Drop batter by the spoonful into hot oil and fry, turning, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Drizzle with Sour Cream Sauce and serve in place of bread. Or serve as an appetizer, with sauce for dipping.
Sour Cream Sauce
2 tblsp. butter 1/8 cup finely minced onions 1 tsp. cider vinegar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper ¼ c. sour cream ½ tsp flour, made into a paste by adding a few drops water 1 tblsp lemon juice
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Saute the chopped onions. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar. Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat. Mix flour paste and sour cream. Add to sauted mixture. Cook and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Drizzle over fritters.

Chocolat
This recipe comes from Susan Belsinger, author of the book, Not Just Desserts: Sweet Herbal Recipes. Rich, dark, and smooth this hot chocolate is subtly uplifted with a hint of vanilla and the spice of ground chile. (Do not use chili powder—the mix of spices with cumin and oregano. Use pure ground red chile pepper like the rich pasilla, chile negro, or ancho.) The word chocolate comes from the Aztec and Mayan 'xocoatl' which translates as bitter drink. These Indians who believed it gave them power and energy mixed it with chiles, vanilla and spices. In the cafés in Europe, hot chocolate is usually prepared with melted chocolate rather than cocoa, and served with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Here, experience the best of both worlds. Try just 1/8 teaspoon of chile and then taste—and add more if desired—I like it with about ¼ to ½ teaspoon (depending on the heat of the chiles) so it warms the tongue. Serves 2.
2 cups half-and-half cream or 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup milk 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar 2 ounces semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces	2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 large pinch mace 1/8 to ½ teaspoon pasilla or ancho chile powder
In a heavy-bottomed non-reactive saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, chocolate pieces, and cocoa powder. Place over medium heat and stir with a whisk. Keep stirring with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the chocolate is melted; do not allow the hot chocolate to boil. Turn the heat to low and whisk so there is some froth on top. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, mace, and ground chile powder, let sit a minute or two. Whisk, taste for chile seasoning; adjust to taste. Serve hot with whipped cream if desired. The chocolate can be cooled and refrigerated and reheated the next day.

Rhubarb Streusel Pie
1 unbaked pie shell 1 ½ cup frozen rhubarb, diced 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 egg, beaten	½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons margarine
Mix rhubarb, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and egg. Pour into pie shell. Mix brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, spices, and margarine, and sprinkle it over the top. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then at 350F for 30 minutes longer. Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Carolee's Cranberry Cordial
1 lb cranberries 3 cups sugar 3 cups light rum	2 sprigs rosemary 2-3 rose-geranium leaves
Combine 1 pound cranberries, coarsely chopped with 3 cups sugar. Let sit for 1 hour and then add 3 cups light rum. Place in a jar with 2 sprigs rosemary and 2-3 rose-geranium leaves. Put on lid and shake, and then place in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar every couple of days. After 4-6 weeks, strain the liquid into a pretty bottle. Serve, or place in refrigerator for long-term storage. The cranberries make a great addition to nut breads, cookies, compotes, chicken salad, or over ice cream.

A Proper Pecan Pie
10" unbaked pie shell 3 eggs 2/3 cup dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla	dash salt ½ cup melted butter 1 cup Karo syrup (light) 2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
Beat eggs, add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add melted butter, syrup, and pecans. Stir until blended and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, just until center is set. (Pie will continue to "cook" as it cools.) Tip: if you microwave the butter in a heatproof measuring cup and use the same cup to measure the Karo, the syrup will come out of the cup without sticking.