What Is The World's Most Expensive Spice & WHY Reprinted from Herbal Lore & Legend - Click to sign up for free weekly herbal tips.

Saffron - Crocus sativus - The World's Most Expensive Spice Saffron is the world's most expensive spice, last check it was going around $3,000 per pound. You can pick the precious bright orange stigmas from your own garden each fall, dry them on absorbent paper in a dark place, and store in a tightly-sealed, dark container away from heat and light. Plant the corms in the fall in a well-marked spot in full sun and soil that drains well, 4 " deep and 4-6" apart. Once established the corms can be lifted and divided every few years to increase the harvest. One of the reasons it is so expensive is you have a limited time the crocus is open to remove the pestels/stigmas inside the flower, which is the saffron. In Europe a mass of people descend upon the crocus fields early a.m. with tweezers to pluck the delicate threads before the flower can close. Very labor intensive. In cooking with saffron, use only a pinch at a time and follow recipe instructions exactly, as a little is good but lots can be dreadful. Now go plant and make a fortune!! Herbally, Herbanite Bob p o box 1289, Wake Forest, NC 27588, USA

Using E.V.O.O. for Fresh Herb Storage

Olive Oil and Herbs Replace Olive Oyl and Popeye

Guess I'm showing my age but sounded like a spiffy title if you are of my generation that loved Popeye defending Olive Oyl from Bluto/Brutus* ( See note below on the two names )

Why do we blend fresh herbs with E.V. Olive Oil is often asked. Let me bullet point you some answers:

* EV ( Extra Virgin) Olive Oil has little flavor so you are not importing flavor to your already flavorful herb (s)
* EVOO is one of your healthier oils with little transfat
* EVOO acts as a preservative so you can enjoy the flavors of fresh herbs all year as the oils are retained within the olive oil
* EVOO is not cloudy so the colors, patterns of the herbs can be seen in a glass jar.

In many recipes most herbs are blended in the final steps of cooking so the time the oil is heated becomes very important. EVOO will not withstand long cooking with hot temperatures. EVOO breaks down in those situations so it is best for preservation if added as a final touch to the recipe. One of the best applications is to use the herbally infused EVOO with a mild red or wine vinegar in a simple salad dressing. Shave a few shreds of Parmesan over fresh spinach slightly sprinkled with the herbal salad dressing and enjoy a healthy delightful treat.


* Bluto was the original name given for the first two years of the cartoon character and after two years it was decided by Hanna Barbera that "Brutus" was more fitting. Bet you didn't know that!! (:)

** For more recipes simply type in "recipes" in the search box on our web site.

First OctoberFest - October 25, 2008

HerbFest and OctoberFest are becoming two of the primary contributors to the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment.

The first OctoberFest will be held and proceeds benefit the continued arts programming for the young adults in our community.

The OctoberFest will be held at Festival Park from noon to 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free to this family friendly event with games, storytelling and much more for the kids to enjoy, including the German Weeder Geese on display.

The German HarbourTowne Fest Band will perform for 5 hours with 18 performers and lively German/Austrian music and dance. HarbourTowne Fest Band is donating their time, energy and money to help promote the GJCAE.

West Street Band will perform for 2 hours.

Over 10 microbreweries on hand for free samples of their custom crafted micro brews, original German bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and much more provided by Chuck Walkley in exchange for the GJCAE helping one of his favorite charities, the Wake Forest Boys and Girls Club with a cultural arts program for the kids. This will be an acapella performance which is already booked and ready.

Come join us.

Severe Gardening - By Nature or Committee?

In the midst of a drought one has to wonder how reactionary we become to the drought conditions or to the reaction to the drought. This is a time to look at how we are reacting to the present situation here in the Southeastern U.S.

Most plants can survive well if some preplanning goes into where the plant goes and in what conditions. One of the best ways to insure a plant lives is to amend the soil with natural organic components. This can be turkey, cow manure or the ubiquitous fallen leaves that are in abundance. Any of these organic materials provide nutrients, hold down heat at the root level, and contain moisture. The simple step of good preparation upon planting is crucial to the viability of the plant's life under drought conditions.

Political processes also can exacerbate the drought by poor planning. Why would one mandate the planting of trees, bushes, greenery in conditions that insure the plant can not survive and will deplete the water supply of other plants? You do not have planning depts. insist on placement of trees 24 inches apart, along corridors knowing the tree will grow to have a span of 24 feet. The destiny of most of those trees is death or disease and deprivation and stress to the few that can survive under those conditions. We need trees, if nothing other than air filtration, erosion resistance and oxygen production, but we need healthy trees.

When plants are first planted they absolutely have to be watered. Initial planting is very stressful to plants and the watering helps minimize that stress. The first few weeks, months for some large specimens transplanted, are crucial to the survival of those plants. Legislative bodies need to show some common sense in insuring the survival of trees, greenery that is mandated yet destroyed by policies that insure the costly mandates will fail due to other legislative mandates. It just doesn't make sense. Take the time to examine the essence of the total legislative package and not allow isolation by dept. edict to counteract another mandate. The cost is to the citizen and our environment.

We need common sense integrated into all aspects of legislation by all those who have the power to create rules and regulations.

Daily Craft Tips For Herb Crafts

We are getting several requests to have our web site add on a web sign up form for crafting with herbs. One suggestion is to have a "daily craft tip" explaining how to craft herb scented papers, strewing herb recipes, or sleep herb sachets, etc.

We presently have, and functioning, "herb recipes" as well as "herbal lore & legend" and legend programs on the site.

We have now posted to our web site a sign up sheet for this new proposed free service of "daily herb crafting tips". You can access it here.

Herb Pots/Organic Vegetables

A lot of the food that is sold in the super markets today is laden with harmful chemicals that can cause some negative reactions in our bodies. According to studies, eating chemical laden food can cause different types of diseases including several types of cancer. To avoid eating too much chemically laden food, it would be a good idea for you to utilize what small space you have in your house and grow some vegetables and herb plants organically. Organically growing your own vegetables and herb will not only ensure you a steady supply of healthy food, it will also make your home look green and beautiful.

Using Pots For Your Herb Plants
If you only have a small space available for planting, it would be wise for you to use pots for your herb plants. Not only will this method free more space for you to plant more vegetables, it will also help you make your home more organized and less cluttered. Stacking pots with the use of some iron racks will help you produce more herb plants with just a small space. Furthermore, using pots will allow to you transfer your plants every now and then if you want to. Transferring your plants to different locations at specific times of the year will help you maximize the use of available sunlight.

Choose the colors and designs of your pots well when using pots to hold your herb plants. Using decorative pots to hold your plants can make your home look more attractive especially if you put your herb plants near the front door of your home. Small decorative pots stacked neatly on a decorative rack will make an interesting front door decoration. There is really nothing more beautiful than having some greens greeting your visitors every time they visit you.

Choosing The Right Herb Plants
Plant those types of herbs that you use in your daily cooking. If you have not been using many herbs in your cooking, try to imagine which types of herb plants would be more useful for you in the kitchen. Herb plants such as rosemary, basil, chives, lemon grass and others will make your cooking more delicious so you might want to invest in these types of herb plants. You may also add some exotic herbs and spices into your collection to add some variety. When it comes to herb plants, more choices are always better since this will give you a lot of room to experiment in your cooking.

This article copied from http://www.herb.suniloza.com/herb_plants.html.

We extend this to you considering this year HerbFest will introduce it's first organic vegetables and seeds.

New HerbFest Herbal Recipes

New Recipes posted on HerbFest today. Click here to acess.

1. Lemon Balm Loaf

2. Cinnamon Basil Cookies

3. Herbal Rolls

Use the herbal tips on storage and create summer fun in December with your saved/preserved herbs.