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Keeping It Reehl

By Georgiana Reehl

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Easter - Bunnies and Eggs!

Easter is a spring holiday and we all know it as a Christian celebration of the resurrection with Lent and Good Friday. But where did the eggs and the bunnies come from?
Well, let’s see… There is an old Latin proverb saying “omne vivium ex ovo”, which means that all life comes from an egg. Throughout all history there are myths and stories revolving around the egg and creation and birth. Eggs were symbols of life and fertility through the ages. In Christian times the egg was a symbol of new life, like the chick hatching from the egg. In Medieval Europe eggs were forbidden to be eaten during the 40 days of Lenten fast. It was tradition to use up all the eggs in the house before Lent began, and after the fast eggs were the mainstay of Easter meals. And there is a Christian myth that eggs that were laid on Good Friday and kept for a hundred years would turn their yolks into diamond. Wow! (Just imagine the pong if they cracked before that, though…yuck!!)
I came across a neat idea for Easter Egg hunts for visually impaired kids. They make eggs that are specially prepared and are called “beeping Easter eggs.” They make neat sounds like clicks and noises , high pitched sounds or melodies. Neat way for kids with seeing problems to enjoy Easter too.
And about the bunnies. The word Easter is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring. A festival honoring her was held in the vernal equinox every year. Her earthly symbol was the hare, or rabbit. She is a goddess of the dawn and the spring and her name derives from the words for dawn, the shining light arising from the East. Rabbits were symbols of new life and rebirth in ancient Egypt. To them the rabbit was a symbol of the moon, and the date of Easter is set as the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox.
There is another German legend of Easter that is interesting. The legend was that there was a poor woman decorating eggs for her children during a famine in the spring. And when her children found them they looked up to see a big bunny hopping away.
Hope you and your family have a delicious Easter meal together and that Spring brings joy
Sunshine and happiness to your home! ~ Georgiana

DILLED EGG SALAD:

Ingredients:
8 eggs, hard boiled
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise -- light or regular
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tsp. fresh dill, minced 1 tsp. paprika
1/2 red onion, finely minced Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel and chop the eggs. In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, dill, paprika, onion, salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork or wooden spoon.

Salt Spring Island Lamb is a delicacy that is flavorful enough on its own and it doesn’t need much seasoning. The lamb’s flavor is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any number of boldly flavored seasonings. Some additions you might consider that complement lamb well are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, garlic, and especially mint.
· Before seasoning the lamb, try trimming some of the excess fat if you like, in addition to any silver skin.
· Use chopped up herbs/seasonings as a rub evenly over the surface of the meat.
· You can also wrap the coated meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight for the best flavor.
Another popular way to season a lamb roast is to make small incisions in the surface of the meat pushing slivers of garlic and sprigs of herbs into the slits. You can do this right before you begin roasting, or even a day ahead of time for a more intense and delicious flavor.
Season the lamb however you like, apply salt at the end and remember to taste – try not to salt it before cooking, as salt can draw moisture out of the meat. My mother always told me, ”Salt makes the meat tough!” By golly gee – she was right.

My Kitchen Herb Garden

Nothing is more satisfying and delicious to me than using your own fresh herbs when you cook.
Well, my friends, Spring is in the air and I thought that maybe some ideas on growing your own herbs might be helpful.
You can start simply, with a pot of parsley on the kitchen windowsill, or rows of dill, chives, sage, mint and not forgetting cilantro (or coriander) and your favorite herbs in a planter box inside. Do you know that many of these herbs flourish with little care. Isn’t that amazing?
Rich and fertile soil is nice, but not really necessary. Most herbs seem to grow better in soil that is not too rich. The scent and flavor is concentrated and better when they are grown in slightly lean conditions. Try to avoid feeding them with supplemental fertilizer. Growing naturally without any soil additives and pesticides is always definitely advised.
Plants like basil, chives, lemongrass, parsley and thyme do best when you start them as seeds inside. Others, like rosemary, mint, tarragon and cilantro are better started from plants. As a rule, annual herbs are inexpensive and easy to start from seeds, while woody, perennial plants do better if you purchase started seedlings from the store. I find most annual herbs taste their best before they flower, and they can be pinched when they are 3-4 inches tall. Herbs do better when you pinch them and use them often. Yummm!!
Please make note of the germination requirements and ideal soil temperatures when starting seeds and when they germinate give them ample circulation, light and humidity. You can increase the humidity by misting them with a spray bottle. And for those of you who have read my article last year on “Hardening Plants”, don’t forget the invaluable lesson of hardening them, by gradually introducing them to the natural world outside slowly, over days of exposure.
With tender care and attention and lots of sunlight, you should be able to enjoy your own culinary delights spiced with your own herbs.
Here are a few simple ideas to try:
Basil leaves taste great when added to sun-warmed tomato slices in sandwiches Fresh mint leaves are nice in iced tea and fresh fruit salad with a twist of lime. Dill is excellent and compliments seafood nicely.
I use fresh herbs in my home potatoes and seafood at my breakfasts at Moby’s every day from 7AM to 11.
You may also find that chopped mixes of herbs like parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil are nice sprinkled over eggs or meat.
A nice touch is to liven up butter or mayonnaise with fresh minced herbs for herbal butters or seasoned mayonnaise for elegant sandwiches.
For more information please feel free to email me...I promise to reply as soon as I can. Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Wasn’t the day of sunshine stunning?...
And more to come. Have a great week my readers! ~ Georgiana

EGGS BENEDICT

One of my specialties that are very popular are my Eggs Benedict. I thought I would do some research for us and I found some interesting history on them. Did you know that National Eggs Benedict Day is on April 16, in the USA? The origin of this popular breakfast are not truly known, and there are 4 stories of its birth, and all of them originate in North America.
The most quoted one is this one. There was a retired Wall Street broker who claimed that in 1984, while suffering from a bad hangover, he ambled into the Waldorf Hotel and decided to try a cure for his suffering. He ordered buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon and hollandaise sauce. When the illustrious maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky heard about it, he added to the luncheon menu with the addition of a toasted English Muffin and ham in place of the bacon. And the Eggs Benedict was born, so they say.
Hollandaise sauce itself has an interesting history. As early as 1651, Francois Pierre La Varenne describes a sauce similar to Hollandaise sauce in his groundbreaking cookbook Le Cusinier François.
And the sauce using egg yolks and butter appeared in the 19th century.
It is always interesting tracking down the history and the beginnings of foods. Through the ages the effort, care and development of all the dishes we delight in and enjoy today shows the careful heritage and special importance of the foods we prepare for each other.
Here is a recipe for quick Hollandaise and Eggs Benedict, you may enjoy.
Heat up a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and two tablespoons of lemon juice in a small pan. Place them into the bowl of a food processor with 3 large egg yolks and a dash of salt. Mix the ingredients with the food processor.
Then melt 175 g of butter in a pan and very slowly trickle the butter into the food processor with the motor at medium low speed. Watch the sauce emulsify, and if it looks a little thick, add a splash of hot water to loosen it up. If it takes too long, be sure to keep it warm by placing the bowl over a pan of hot water.
Then grill or fry some strip bacon to your taste. I like it soft, but many prefer it crispy and a little overdone. The most common bacon is Canadian Back bacon/Ham.
Poach an egg in lots of boiling water, with a bit of vinegar added to the water. Then toast an English Muffin.
Putting it all together is quite simple and easy. Place the back bacon or strip bacon on the muffin, slide the egg on top and cover it with your hot Hollandaise sauce and serve immediately.
Or, try something different:
Salmon Lox (also known as Pacifica.) Using salmon instead of bacon.
Spinach-Florentine. Tomato with bacon strips.
And, Steak with tomato , poached eggs and Hollandaise. Yum!
So many interesting and delicious options to try. Make sure your food is always served piping hot, and as always prepared with TLC for the special people in your life. Thanks for listening and have a lovely breakfast! Looking forward to seeing you at Valentine’s Day Special @ Moby’s. ~ Georgiana

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HUMMINGBIRD HEROES

When winter closes in around us and the dark and cold days are upon us, most of us spend as much time as we can indoors. When those winter storms hit, with snow, ice and high winds and we are safe and snug in our abodes, I am truly amazed at those tiny little creatures that somehow live through all that bitter cold weather.
Anna’s Hummingbirds winter on Saltspring every year. I do not know how they do it. Little hummers are the smallest birds on the earth, and are only inches long. They have to maintain body temperatures of about 105-108 degrees, and their heart rate can range from 500 to 1260 beats per minute. They breathe up to 4 times a second, and can fly up to 60 miles an hour. They are the only bird whose wings rotate in a circle, so they can fly forwards, backwards, up, down sideways and hover in mid air. It is simply a miracle that such a tiny little ball of fluff can do so much and survive through the darkest and coldest winter nights.
Remember all this when you are thinking of bringing your hummingbird feeders in for the winter. Please keep them out. Sterilize them, and give them a good brushing at each refill. Black mould accumulates around the feeder holes and needs to be removed. Tend to them and make sure the nectar is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar and try to keep them from freezing. Those little creatures need all the help they can get. They are such a joy and their aerobatic antics are a joy to watch. Let’s take care of our little miracle balls of fluff that somehow, someway make it through to spring.
And when summer comes again, if you happen to discover a hummingbird nest, which is no bigger than a toonie, please leave well enough alone. The parents are probably watching you.
I hope everyone had a special and memorable Christmas and my wishes for the best of everything for all of you in the New Year.

FUN RECIPES:
Courtesy of Judy Clark
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Egg Drop Soup
Start with chicken stock. Bung chicken parts into a pot, fill with water to cover just a little over the chicken, bring to the boil and then turn down so the stock is not boiling vigorously. Once the Chicken is practically falling of the bones – pour it all into a strainer keeping the stock - strip the meat of the bones, return to the stock. Yum!
Ingredients:
· 4 cups prepared chicken stock, plus 2 tablespoons
· 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
· 1 tablespoon soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon cornstarch
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten
· 2 green onions, chopped, including ends
· Salt and white pepper, to taste
Bring stock, ginger and soy sauce to a boil. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of chicken stock and stir. Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring the stock, until thickened. Reduce heat to a simmer. Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. Take off heat. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with green onion. Serve immediately

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