From Rosalind Creasy

Arrive at a party with this lovely treat or serve it as an appetizer with focaccia or as part of an antipasto. Once the cheese and tomatoes have marinated, use the richly flavored olive oil for dresings or serve it with rustic bread for dipping. These mozzarella balls will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

1 cup organic dried tomatoes
¾ lb fresh 1-in mozzarella balls
8 organic garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 teaspoon whole green peppercorns or capers, divided
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Approximately 1¼ cups organic extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dried tomatoes and let them sit for at least 15 minutes, or until they’re soft. Drain them and set them aside.

Remove the mozzarella balls from the brine and drain them.

In a quart jar with a lid, layer half the tomatoes on the bottom, then make a layer using half the garlic, herbs, and seasonings. Layer all the mozzarella balls next. Make a top layer of the remaining tomatoes, then the remaining garlic, herbs, and seasonings. Pour the olive oil over the final layer, making sure to cover all the ingredients. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 24 hours. Makes 1 quart.
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See also Rosalind’s Creating Bountiful Gardens with Organic Edible Landscaping
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Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping and many others.
Images Credit: Rosalind Creasy
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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From Rosalind Creasy (1985)
Edible Landscaping

The early Puritans left their mark on us in a number of ways, some of which make life a series of joyless tasks. Sometimes I think their devotees must write garden books. The tone of many of the how-to books reeks of rules, admonitions, and dicta. How about a garden that is programmed to give you joy, to take care of you? The cottage garden is an outright celebration of what a garden can do for every part of you: colors to see, textures to touch, fragrances to smell, bird calls to hear, and myriad tastes for the palate. And, of course, we can’t forget the most important part, your soul. You will experience the renewal of life, that primordial urge to believe in the future. You will put your fingers on the emerging carrot seedlings, anticipate the taste of the first tomato, and feel delight when the hummingbird visits the sage and the monarch butterfly sips from the dew collected by the nasturtium leaf.

I am suggesting that you plant a rather hedonistic variation of the traditional mixed border. Put it where you usually see a conventional shrub or flower border—along a fence line for instance, or along a walk or driveway, next to the patio, or along shallow hillsides. Fill it with joy, with colors, tastes, fragrances and even tactile pleasures—a swath of flowers and foliage.

The mixed border, sometimes called the perennial border since it usually includes a large number of perennially blooming plants, has been in fashion since the late nineteenth century. It has its roots in the English cottage garden, and, at its best, the border is a subtle work of form, texture, and color—all used to together to delight the soul. Properly planned, the border changes with the seasons.

Traditionally the staples in the mixed border were non-edible flowers, mostly perennials, with a sprinkling of annuals for quick color. Popular perennial flower choices for this type of ornamental border were iris, peony, phlox, dalia, dais, chrysanthemum, poppy, and the like. A new variation in today’s perennial border is the addition of beautiful edibles such as ruby chard and flowering kale; plus a number of savory and attractive herbs such as variegated sage and dill; edible flowers such as nasturtium and carnation for your salads and desserts; and, to add still another dimension, fragrance, choose sweet-smelling lavender and stock. For many more choices, see the lists of flowers and beautiful edibles below.

Think of the pleasure these gardens can give. Imagine having your barbecue on the back patio surrounded by bright borders of nasturtiums, violas, geraniums, and many herbs and edibles. You could reach over and pick a few leaves of spicy basil to put on your guest’s still-warm tomato slices. Then you could harvest some of the nasturtium and viola flowers to add zip to your salad. Throughout the meal the fragrance of alpine strawberries would hint of the dessert to come, and the light fragrance of peppermint geraniums and lavender would perfume the air.

Your cottage garden could be near the front walk to welcome guests with fragrance and color. Or if your space is limited, you could even plant your pleasure border in the strip between the street and the sidewalk.

In planning your pleasure border, keep in mind these simple guidelines:
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From Rosalind Creasy

A winter salad can inspire the palette in so many ways. The flavors are bold and the greens are packed with extra nutrition that help fortify us. Cabbages, endives, chard, spinach, kale, arugula, and many other greens are at their best in cool weather. Many gardeners now grow them to over winter in poly tunnels made of pipes covered with plastic sheeting. (For more information on winter growing see: Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman.) Many fruits that marry well with these assertive greens are available at this time as well. Look for pears, apples, and citrus in particular.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started on your own winter salad adventure:

Organic Rainbow Slaw
This slaw is fairly low in calories for a party dish and packed with nutrition. Serve it with grilled meats or as part of a buffet. The salad may be refrigerated for a few hours, but the dressing will separate and the red chard stems lose some of their color if it sits too long.

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 to 4 tablespoons organic frozen apple juice concentrate
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, celery seeds, oil, apple juice and pepper and stir until they are fairly well blended. Set aside.

Salad:
8 cups finely sliced organic green cabbage, 1 large
1 cup thinly sliced organic chard leaves
2 cups finely sliced organic carrots
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red chard stems

Place cabbage in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Creating a decorative pattern, arrange the sliced chard leaves, then the carrots, the onions and finely, the chard stems on top of the cabbage.

Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and serve.
Serves 8 to 10

Organic Endive Salad with Oranges and Pistachios
This salad is lovely on a buffet table or as part of a light luncheon.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Salad:
2 organic Belgian endives
1 cup young organic spinach leaves
2 organic oranges
1 cup organic red seedless grapes
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Pull endive leaves apart. Wash and spin them dry. Arrange the leaves in a concentric circle on a serving plate. Intersperse with the spinach leaves. Peel orange and cut it into slices. Arrange oranges on the endive and spinach leaves. Add grapes and sprinkle with pistachios. Drizzle dressing over the greens and grapes.
Serves 4

Organic Hearty Greens with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Chives
Serve this salad as a first course or expand the amounts by 50% and use it as the centerpiece of a luncheon menu.

Dressing:
1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 tablespoons minced chives
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl put yogurt, crumbled blue cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, curry powder, chives, honey, and salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning if needed. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Salad:
4 large handfuls of organic mixed salad greens to include: lettuces, spinach, mache, endive, and radicchio
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons water
2 ripe, medium, organic ‘Comice’, or ‘Bartlett’ pears
8 thin triangular slices of blue cheese
Garnish: chive leaves and blossoms

Just before serving, set out 4 large salad plates. Put a handful of greens on each plate. Into a small bowl pour the lemon juice and water. Cut each pear into 1/3 to 1/2″ thick slices and dip each one in the lemon water to prevent them from browning. Arrange 4 to 6 slices of pear on top of the greens. Place 2 slices of blue cheese on the side of each plate. Garnish with chives. Pour dressing in a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
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See also Organic Fennel Salad with Red Peppers
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Rosalind Creasy is author of Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes From The Garden: 200 Exciting Recipes from the Author of the Complete Book of Edible Landscaping and many others.
Image Credit: Rosalind Creasy
OrganicToBe.org | OrganicToGo.com
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