Summertime is the best time for relaxing and having fun in the sun. One of my favorite summertime activities is having a picnic.

Whether it’s a romantic afternoon date or just an afternoon with the girls, a picnic is classic; but picnic food is generally quick and can sometimes lack flavor. It’s time to spice up classic picnic dishes with a variety of herbs! Try these recipes from our July 2006 article Picnic Ideas and Recipes. Also try our Garlic Mayonnaise and our Herb Fried Chicken.

Iced Herb Gazpacho

This healthy, easy summer recipe is best when it’s made from garden-fresh ingredients. Chill for at least an hour or two before serving.

• 6 large tomatoes
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 sprigs basil leaves
• 3 sprigs cilantro leaves
• 3 sprigs parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

1. In a food-processor bowl, roughly purée the tomatoes, garlic, cucumber, red pepper flakes, vinegar and oil.

2. Add scallions and herbs, then pulse just until they’re chopped. (If you let the machine run, you’ll end up with a brownish mess.)

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. If possible, chill overnight before serving so the flavors can blend.

Photo by Norma Desmond/ Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dramaqueennorma/

Fresh Tarragon Potato Salad

Redolent with fresh garlic and tarragon, this unusual blend adds a touch of country French to an American picnic table. Substitute fresh dill or cilantro if you don’t like tarragon.

• 4 large russet potatoes
• Apple cider vinegar
• 1 batch Garlic Mayonnaise, or to taste
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup whole fresh tarragon leaves, stripped from stems
• 1 red onion or several scallions, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook and peel the potatoes. Dice them when they’re nearly cooled and douse them liberally with apple cider vinegar. (Pouring on vinegar while the potatoes are still warm allows the vinegar to soak in.)

2. Add Garlic Mayo, fresh tarragon, chopped onion and salt and pepper.

3. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate over-night to allow flavors to blend.

Chocolate-Peppermint Fudge

Peppermint is the only mint with enough oomph to stand up to chocolate. Use fresh-chopped peppermint leaves or, in a pinch, substitute store-bought peppermint extract. Making this in a small-capacity slow cooker is a foolproof way to melt the chocolate.

• 3 cups chocolate chips
• ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
• 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup fresh peppermint leaves, chopped

1. In the crock of a small slow cooker, melt chocolate, butter and condensed milk on the low setting. Check and stir from time to time until all chocolate is melted and smooth.

2. Gently stir in walnuts and peppermint leaves. (The peppermint must be completely dry when you drop it into the chocolate.)

3. Pour the mix into a 9-by-9-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the pan in the refrigerator until hard, then remove and pull fudge out by tugging gently on aluminum foil. Invert fudgeon a wooden cutting board or counter and gently peel off aluminum foil.

4. Cut the fudge using a 10-inch chef’s knife with blade heated under hot running water.

So grab a basket full of these goodies and head to your favorite park or beach for a tasty afternoon! Leave a comment and let me know what kinds of recipes you prepare for your picnic!

Although we all love the summertime feeling of freedom and warmth, we don’t always love what it does to our hair and skin. During the summer, we have to take extra care of ourselves to look our best. The chlorine and sun dry out our skin and our hair and sometimes it seems that we sweat all day long. A few of these recipes may prevent the summer from limiting our natural beauty.

If you’re having trouble staying clean because of your many hours spent having outdoor adventures, try the Rose Hip Mask:

This facial treatment of pureed rose hips and plain yogurt will leave your skin soft and smooth. Dried rose hips are available in many grocery and health-food stores. Simply soak them in some warm water for 15 to 20 minutes to rehydrate them and then follow the recipe as written.

• 10 fresh rose hips from unsprayed shrubs
• Water
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1. Remove the stalk and blossom ends of the rose hips. Rinse the hips, place them in a small saucepan, and cover them with water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, then pour the rose hips into a blender or food processor and puree. Let it cool, then mix with the yogurt.

2. Spread the mask on your face and neck. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for as long as 2 weeks.

Photo by Carmen Sotuela/ Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carmensotuela/

When the weather gets hot and humid, stay cool by smoothing on some Cooling Peppermint Body Powder:

The fresh, clean scent of peppermint is an instant energizer. Mixing the essential oil into cornstarch makes a refreshing body powder.

• ½ teaspoon peppermint oil
• 1 cup cornstarch

1. Place the peppermint oil and cornstarch in a plastic zip-close bag or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the container well to combine the ingredients. Store the scented powder in a clean container with a lid. A large saltshaker makes a good dispenser.

2. Shake the powder on clean, dry skin or apply it with a powder puff.

Humidity can really get your hair on the fritz; keep it in place with Summer Braid Gel:

The small, shiny brown seeds are the source of linseed oil. When soaked in water, they form a gel that gives hair extra body and lift.

• 3 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1 cup water

1. Mix the flaxseed and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Off heat, let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. Strain out the seeds and allow the jellylike liquid to cool completely. Pour the gel into a clean container and cap it. The mixture will continue to thicken if left uncovered.

2. Apply a small amount to wet or dry hair as you would any other styling gel.

How do you keep yourself clean and gorgeous during the summer heat? Leave me comments and let me know!

Growing up in Hawaii, I would camp on the shore, hike around volcanoes, relax at the beach, swim in waterfalls, kayak and bike down beautiful trails. (It was a rough life, but someone had to do it!)

Unfortunately, despite my previous experiences, I always seemed to return home with a pink glowing aura around my burnt body. The Hawaiian summer sun is relentless! Before I could even step out of the car, my mom would fill my ears with her endless speech on the benefits of using more sunscreen. She said I didn’t use enough sunscreen to start out with and that I had neglected to reapply. Nonetheless, the damage was done.

Once I got home the “ritualistic process” would begin: My mom would start a cool shower for her burnt, crispy daughter and then I would douse myself in aloe vera.

Aloe was my number one remedy as it would soothe my skin and cease the burning sensation. What more could you ask for when you feel like you’ve been deep-fried? The miracle plant also relieves thermal burned skin and it stimulates wounds to heal quicker.

There are a plethora of aloe plants throughout Hawaii and extracting the gel is as easy as snapping off a leaf. The aloe leaf is like a hallow tube and clear gel occupies the space. If you extract aloe for skin related purposes, make sure the gel is clear and not yellow. The yellow juice is found in the resin canal cells of the plant and acts as a laxative.

Even though I currently live in Denver, I still do many of the same activities I did in Hawaii. With the high elevation and the summer sun, I still manage to get burned (regardless of the amount of sunscreen I use). Fortunately, a bottle of aloe vera is always close by. 

Marguerite Dunne is a city girl and traveler. Visit her website at www.herbs-on-hudson.com or listen to her radio show, The Urban Herbalist, on www.wtbq.com. Marguerite was also the third place winner in The Herb Companion's essay contest, "Looking Forward to Herbs."

It's officially summertime. The fish are jumping, the catnip is high, the birds and the bees are busy gathering, the plants are busy growing and some herbalists are busy brewing up herbal recipes for skincare lotions and creams. But what about taking care of your skin from the inside?

In The Practicing Herbalist, master herbalist Margi Flint does an outstanding job of explaining Chinese Facial Analysis, illustrating how the laugh lines around your mouth and the lines across your forehead are reflections of a backed-up colon. Other lines are also connected to toxic body sites.

Here are a couple of my favorite herbs that work from the inside to help your skin shine on the outside. 

• Burdock (Arctium lappa). My favorite blood cleanser, with an affinity for the epidermis. So good, it helps with psoriasis and poison ivy. 

• Red clover (Trifolium pratense). An antibacterial agent. It’s been effective with many skin disorders including athlete’s foot.  It also helps with cough, colds and burns. 

• Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). A safe and effective laxative; also useful for clearing impurities out of the blood.

• Boldo (Peumus boldus). A gentle remedy for the liver, gallbladder and digestion.  
          
Helping to clean the digestive system and liver will assist clearing the body of toxins so that epidermis eruptions, pimples, and rashes don’t have a chance collecting and dispersing on the skin.    

I plan to go camping this summer but don’t want my fun ruined by bug bites, bee stings or poison ivy. With my luck though, I’ll spend most of the camping trip itching my legs rather than enjoying the wilderness. Preventive measures – bug sprays and campfires – can only go so far; try our herbal remedies to soothe those common camping complaints. 

Camping Ailment #1: Poison Ivy  

Prevent poison ivy rashes by learning how to identify them. Poison ivy grows as a vine or a shrub. Most often it coils around trees or along the ground, but it can also form into upright bushes.

The leaves of poison ivy consist of three pointed leaflets. The leaves have a reddish color in the spring, are green in the summer, and have various shades of yellow, orange or red in the fall.

If you do catch poison ivy, try these herbs to soothe the itching:

• Grindelia, also known as gumweed, contains resins and tannins that help relieve pain and itching. Apply a grindelia tincture or spray directly to the rash.

• Jewelweed tends to grow near poison ivy. For instant relief, pick a branch, crush it and apply the juice directly to the rash. To keep jewelweed handy, make this jewelweed vinegar, which stays good for about a year.

• Oatmeal also works well to soothe irritated skin because it pulls out any remaining toxins. Use oatmeal for rashes that have already set in. Try adding a pot of oatmeal to a bath or grind together oatmeal and cold water to make a paste to spread onto the rash.

Photo by Colin Purrington/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpurrin1/

Camping Ailment #2: Poison Oak

Poison oak grows mainly in the western United States. It usually grows as a shrub but can also grow as a vine.

Like poison ivy, poison oak usually has three leaflets; sometimes it has five. Its leaves are green in the summer, but red or pinkish in the fall.

The remedies for poison ivy work equally well for poison oak.

Camping Ailment #3: Bug Bites

To prevent bug bites, try diluting these herbs with vinegar or oils such as olive, almond, grapeseed, sesame or walnut, to deter mosquitoes, chiggers, gnats, ticks and biting flies.

• Lemongrass
• Eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Lemon Thyme
• Mountain Mint
• Citronella
• Sandalwood 

Unfortunately bug sprays don’t repel against all bugs all the time. Plus they evaporate quickly and require frequent reapplication. If you get bitten, try these herbal remedies for itching relief.

For mosquito or chigger bites, rub tea tree oil on the affected area.

For other bites, try peppermint essential oil or witch hazel extract. With its high concentration of menthol, peppermint works to curb itching caused by bug bites. Distilled witch hazel has astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which help soothe insect bites.

Lemon juice also relieves itching from bug bites. The juice works against bug saliva, the source of the itching. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar work similarly.

Photo by da100fotos/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/da100fotos/

Camping Ailment #4: Bee Stings

Apply the end of an onion (any type works) to an insect sting. The onion draws out venom and creates a soothing sensation.

Plantains also soothe stings. Crush a few leaves of the plant and apply the juice to the affected area.

Lotions or creams that contain calendula or chamomile can also soothe mild stings.

Enjoying the great outdoors can come with an itchy price. I hope these herbal remedies help. Do you have any natural remedies for soothing common summer ailments? Tell me about them in the comment section.

During the summertime, the living is easy; but what is the only unfortunate part about summer? Bug bites. Apparently, I have sweet-tasting blood that mosquitoes love to dive into, causing tons of bug bites all summer long. Repelling insects is a crucial strategy during the summer, especially to gardeners. Fortunately, there are great herbal bug repellent and itch-relief remedies that can easily be made at home. Be careful! First, try allergy tests to see how your skin reacts to some of these strong herbs.

Photo by James Jordan/Courtesy Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjordan/

Next, try these two skin oil formulas:

Antiseptic Insect Repellent Skin Oil

• 1/2 cup almond, walnut or grapeseed oil
• 6 drops oregano, thyme or tea tree oil
• 4 drops each of up to four insect repellent oils (click here for a list of oils)

1. Add oil to a small clean bottle, preferably dark glass. Drop in the essential oils of your choice and shake well.

2. Label and keep in a dark, cool place.

Insect Repellent Neat's-foot Oil

• 1/2 teaspoon each orange, eucalyptus and citronella essential oils
• 7.5-ounce bottle neat’s-foot oil (available in sporting goods stores)

1. Add the essential oils to the neat’s-foot oil bottle and shake well.

2. Apply to boots as directed on bottle.

You can also try these two vinegar formulas. Use them separate or mixed together:

Herbal Insect Repellent Vinegar

You can pour vinegars into spray bottles for easy application.

• 2 cups fresh insect-repellent herbs (click here for a list of herbs)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Crush herbs with a mortar and pestle. Place herbs in a glass quart jar and cover with vinegar. Use a plastic lid to seal the jar (vinegar corrodes metal).

2. Shake every day for 3 to 7 days. Filter vinegar within a week and use within the year.

Jewelweed Vinegar

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) grows in the wild, wet places in the eastern United States. The juice of the plant is a traditional remedy for all sorts of skin ailments. To use it, simply crush the leaves and stems and rub the juice on itchy spots. To preserve and keep it handy, make this vinegar.

• 1 cup fresh crushed jewelweed
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Place jewelweed in glass quart jar. Cover with vinegar and seal with a plastic lid. You can leave the herb in for up to four weeks. Pour vinegar through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.

2. We add insect-repellent and antiseptic essential oils to the vinegar, 10 drops to a one-pint sprayer. Vinegars are good for about a year.

Finally, you could also try this formula for a foot powder:

Gardener's Foot Powder

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 10 drops each lavender and tea tree oils

1. Put cornstarch and baking soda in a jar; add essential oils and stir.

With summer underway, I’m looking forward to some delicious food hot off the grill. Herbs can spice up any meal, but some work particularly well with grilled food. Here are the best herbs for your grilling recipes.

Lemon Thyme

This tangy herb goes well with chicken or pork, but tastes especially delicious with vegetables. Try this recipe for delicious Lemony Asparagus.

• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound asparagus, ends snipped
• 2 teaspoons lemon thyme
• 2 teaspoons lemon basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Spray two sheets of foil with cooking spray. Add half the asparagus to each sheet. Blend herbs and divide between asparagus packets. Add 1 tablespoon butter to each packet.

2. Fold foil over, lengthwise, pressing both sides together and fold over. Fold and seal each end. Repeat with second packet.

3. Grill over indirect heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once. Open carefully — the steam will be hot!

Photo by woodleywonderworks/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/

Rosemary

Rosemary has a pine-like, rich taste that combines well with pork, chicken or potatoes. I love grilled food as a healthier alternative to pan cooking or frying, but as a novice griller I need easy recipes. Try this easy grilling recipe for Rosemary New Potatoes.

• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Fresh pepper
• 20 small, whole new potatoes
• Skewers

1. Mix the first four ingredients and toss with potatoes.

2. Skewer potatoes and grill for 25 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with olive oil mixture.

Tarragon

With its sweet flavor, tarragon goes well with fish, turkey and chicken. Add this tarragon mustard to a grilled chicken sandwich for a tasty lunch.

• 1/4 cup black mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup dry powdered mustard
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Mix mustard seeds, powdered mustard, and water in the upper pan of a noncorrodible double boiler. Let stand at least three hours.

2. In another noncorrodible sauce­pan, mix the wine, vinegar, tarragon, and allspice and bring to a boil. Strain the liquid into the mustard mixture and blend well.

3. In the lower pan of the double boiler, heat water to boiling, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Place the upper pan, containing the mustard mixture, on top. Cook, stirring, until the mustard is as thick as you like. It will thicken a bit more as it cools. Cover and refrigerate.

Dill

The smoky flavor of dill tastes great with grilled fish, chicken or pork. When grilling with dill, marinate the meat with dill leaf, then put three or four dried dill heads and stalks on the fire just before you’re ready to grill.

What herbs do you like to use when grilling? Leave a comment and let me know!

This summer, I’m going to skip the hot dog for a low-fat and herb-loaded sausage. At almost every barbeque, I always end up eating one or two hot dogs, but this summer is going to be different.

If you’re a calorie counter hot dogs are your worst enemy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database, the average hot dog has about 584 milligrams of sodium and 6 grams of protein, which is relatively low compared to its high fat content. In comparison, a turkey sausage with the same serving size has 379 milligrams of sodium and about 13 grams of protein. Here are a few sausage recipes that are low in fat, full of flavor and great alternatives for summer barbequing.

Photo by Josh Bousel/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshbousel

Turkey and Pear Sausage

Makes about 21/2 pounds 

Chop the fresh herbs just before you mix them in. For variety, substitute other herbs or use chopped apple instead of the pear.

• 1/2 cup sliced green onion, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon pressed garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large pear, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander seed
• 1/4 cup fruity white wine or mild fruit juice
• 4 tablespoons sweet basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon or mint marigold
• 11/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1. Wilt the green onion and garlic in the butter, then toss lightly with the turkey and remaining ingredients, and grind the mixture in a meat grinder or food processor.

Endless Summer Sausage

Makes about 5 pounds 

Robust seasonings and long, slow cooking in the oven make this a fine-¬textured, flavorful sausage that cries out for a good homemade mustard and crusty bread.

• 5 pounds ground beef chuck
• 3 tablespoons curing salt (such as Morton’s Tender Quick)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon pressed garlic
• 2 tablespoons each chopped rosemary and sage
• 3 tablespoons chopped sweet marjoram
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or 2 ¬tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground, toasted ¬coriander seed
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Mix the ingredients with your hands. Grind the mixture in a meat grinder or food processor. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, remixing with your hands two or three times.

2. Divide the meat into eight portions and roll each into a long, narrow log. Rinse eight pieces of cheesecloth in hot water to remove lint, press dry in a terry towel, then moisten liberally with vegetable oil. Roll each log in a double thickness of cheesecloth, then rub with more oil. Bake the logs on a rack at 250°F, turning occasionally to keep them round, for 4 hours, or until a meat thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove from the oven; remove the cheesecloth when cool and pat the sausages dry with paper towels if necessary. Refrigerate for as long as 10 days, or freeze, double-wrapped. Serve at room temperature.

For more sausage recipes, see Colonial American Sausage, Cajun Garden Boudin, Elegant Seafood Sausage and Italian Sausage with Fennel and Garlic.

Katrina Hall is a cook, foodblogger, photographer and passionate herb lover. You can find her blog at: http://shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com. 

This recipe is great for summer picnics because it doesn't use mayonnaise. Toss the warm potatoes with the marinade so they soak up all the tasty, tangy flavor.

Photo by Katrina Hall/www.shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Serves 3 to 4

• 3 medium-large California Long White potatoes OR 6 red-skinned potatoes, whole, scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons herb vinegar (I prefer dill vinegar)
• Several grindings of fresh pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 2 tablespons scallions, sliced thinly
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (for taste)
 
1. Bring the potatoes to a low boil and cook until just tender.

2. Drain and cut lengthwise, then into even slices vertically. Don't make the slices too thin.

3. Using the remaining ingredients, toss gently while warm in the herb marinade:
 
4. Serve on top of a small handful of lettuce or arugula.

With my very fair skin, all it takes is ten minutes under the harsh summer sun and I begin to burn. My usual sunburn remedy consists of slathering aloe vera onto my skin and then lying in front of a floor fan to cool off. However, aloe vera isn’t the only herbal remedy for burn relief. Many herbs can help protect skin and soothe it after a burn. Here are my four favorites.

1. Aloe vera, the common go-to sunburn remedy, helps heal and relieve skin. Whether it is in the form of a store-bought gel or came straight from its leaves, aloe leaves a noticeable cooling sensation on burned skin. This herb works most effectively on minor burns.

The juice from aloe leaves can help heal minor burns.

Photo by Powerhouse Museum/courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum_photography/ 

Try Pure Aloe Vera Gel by Aubrey Organics, $7.78. This four-ounce bottle is 98 percent organic.

2. Chickweed, best known for relieving itchy skin, also works well for healing sunburns because of its cooling effects. This herb can be used immediately by pulling some up from the ground and applying it to the affected area. Another method is to crush some with a mortar and pestle into a paste and bandage it on the wound.

3. Green tea, the delicious hot drink you sip to soothe a sore throat, also works to relieve sunburns. The antioxidants in this herb help heal skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. You can benefit from applying the tea to the burn externally and also by drinking it.

Try this recipe for a soothing aloe-green-tea-lavender mist.

• 1/4 cup brewed green tea
• 1/4 cup aloe vera juice
• 1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil

1. Mix together cool green tea, aloe and lavender essential oil in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray liberally onto skin as often as desired.

2. Refrigerate, and use within two weeks.

4. Since lavender has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties it is great for soothing sunburns. Add lavender essential oil to a cool bath for immediate relief.

Although these herbs work well for soothing sunburns, there’s nothing worse than having skin that resembles a tomato. The real key is prevention. When out in the sun, stay in the shade as much as possible and make sure to wear sunscreen.

For an organic sunscreen option, try SPF 30 Organic Lavender Face and Body Sun Protection by Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens, $15.30.

References: Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal (Skyhorse Publishing, 2009)

You can check Dave Liske at http://micuisine.com/lunapiercook/.

A local treasure-trove of activities, information and just plain good times you shouldn't be overlooking is the local herb society. About 15 years ago my sister Barb gave me a copy of the fundraiser book "Herbal Favorites" from the Genesee County Herb Society. This particular herb society, located in Flint, Michigan, and the surrounding area, hosts a number of events each year. For example, on June 27th and 28th in 2009 the society will present "Gardens in Thyme" at Historical Crossroads Village just north of Flint. This presentation, in cooperation with Michigan State certified Master Gardeners, will demonstrate how people from Michigan's past used herbs in their daily life, not only as health remedies and for the beauty of the herbs, but in their cooking as well.

One of the hardest working gals in the Genesee County Herb Society is Betsy. She posts in her herb blog, Betsy's Herb Garden, as often as she can at http://betsyandherbs.blogspot.com and hers is a blog I visit quite often. Betsy's posts tend to be amazingly informative with both photos and video, and she's always entertaining. It's people like Betsy who make an herb society as vital and as interesting as they can possibly be.

My sister Barb was involved in the Genesee County Herb Society's cookbook the year they published this particular edition. Not only did she submit a number of recipes for inclusion in the cookbook, she was also a member of the committee which assembled the book for the society.

What's interesting in a book like this isn't just the money coming in from sales of the cookbook. In the case of a book from an herb society, a lot of information is included in one place, information which may not see the light of day if it weren't for the cookbook. When people take part in putting together a cookbook fundraiser project they tend to submit their favorite recipes, family heirlooms which have been passed from generation to generation. They might even include a recipe for its fun factor. These are all well and good, but after a while all these little cookbooks tend to look the same.

However, when it comes to a cookbook for an herb society and the focus is actually on what you can and should do with herbs, it becomes more of a local treatise on history and culture. Members will tend to include what can be grown in that region or recipes that have been used in that region in the past. If techniques and garden plans are included, as they were in this book, they'll like be a bit more specific to what grows well in the area. This is important not only from a historical standpoint but also for beginning herb gardeners as well.

One of the recipes Barb included in this particular book is Summertime Chili. This is a lighter chili that's thick with vegetables. It's also topped with large chunks of zucchini and partial ears of corn. This makes it an excellent springtime chili as well as a solid summertime dish.

Summertime Chili
Adapted from a recipe by my sister, Barb Liske

• 1-1/2 lb ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1-1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup pitted black olives
• 2 ears corn or 1 cup frozen, thawed
• 2 zucchini

1. Brown the ground chuck and drain the oil off. Add the butter, onion, garlic, green bell pepper and celery, then cook until the vegetables have softened.

2. Stir in the spices and cook one to two minutes. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add the olives. If using ears of corn, break them into thirds or half. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise then cut into large chunks. Place the corn and zucchini on top of the chili.

3. Cover and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with grilled herb bread with garlic butter.