Herbal Sugars for Baking

We love our herbs and use green as many times as we can in almost every recipe. Fresh herbs add flavor to any dish. If your herbs are potted, bring them inside when outdoor gardening season comes to an end. We dehydrate ours and make spice blends. (You will see the tiny jars sitting pretty in our pantry for sale at the bistro.)

Riley our resident baker sometimes referred to as “sugar daddy” just made something fabulous. A mint chocolate chip cookie. Not a mint flavored cookie, a made-from-scratch cookie with real mint. How did he do it? The key is mixing the fresh mint in when you cream the butter and sugar. (See photo)

High-end herbal salts have become a thing, so why not herbal sugars? Here are five herbs that can really add an extra boost to drinks, dishes and deserts.

1. Lavender buds

2. Peppermint leaf

3. Rose hips

4. Clove buds

5. Spearmint leaf

Choose from whole cane sugar, coconut sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar or granulated sugar when making your herbal sugar. They can be made with fresh or dried herbs. Store in an airtight container for up to two months. When substituting herbal sugar in baking, use the same amount of sugar the recipe calls for.

Enjoy!

Garden Green Pesto

We love a good classic basil pesto as the next person, but did you know a pesto can be any ingredients? That’s right, any fresh young green(s) can become a beautiful pesto - the combinations are endless really. So next time instead of just eating the vegetable and throwing the tops away, consider creating a small batch of your very own homemade pesto.

The basic proportions of pesto are nuts, greens, cheese and olive oil. You can go old-school and use a mortar and pestle, but a food processor works just as well. Add all ingredients to the bowl of the machine and puree until smooth; add more oil for consistency and season to taste with salt. Pesto can be used right away or stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Rasberrys Pesto Inspiration:

• Dill, Parsley, Lemon and Almonds

• Tarragon and Pistachios

• Cilantro with Peanuts and Sesame Oil

• Cilantro with Pecans and Jalapeno

• Basil with Lemon and Almonds

• Carrot Tops

• Spicy Mustard Greens

• Broccoli Leaf

• Beet Greens

Pro Tip: Use fresh grated cheese and toasted nuts, the flavor will be better.

Be Water Wise

Conservation is one of our core beliefs as both individuals and as business owners. This summer we have decided to do our part by only serving water upon request to dine-in patrons. We will gladly pour our filtered water for those who intend to drink it. We hope this step will spur others to review their own household’s consumption.

10 Ways to conserve water for the farmers growing our food:

1. Follow local landscape watering guidelines. In Ketchum, landscape watering is prohibited from 10 am to 5 pm, June 15th to September 1st.

2. Practice xeroscaping at your home when planning landscaping. The City fo Sun Valley, Idaho has created a list of drought tolerant species.

3. Install rain sensors on irrigation systems

4. Plant a rain garden for catching storm water runoff from your roof, driveway and other hard surfaces

5. Install a rain barrel for outdoor watering

6. Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load

7. Fix leaks

8. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth and shaving

9. Keep a bottle of drinking water in your refrigerator

10. Use water efficient household appliances