Fall has finally descended on the Northern Hemisphere. Not only have temperatures cooled, leaves changed color and daylight hours shortened, but last Tuesday marked the autumnal equinox. Although it’s not true that the day and night were exactly equal in length, the sun did rise due east and set due west.

Although you can’t actually witness this phenomenon, you can still celebrate its significance. Around the world, festivities honoring the onset of winter are held this time of year to reap the rewards of hard-earned harvests. 

Photo by Rubber Slippers in Italy/Courtesy Flickr
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In East Asia, the Chinese bake moon cakes made from lotus and sesame seeds as part of a 3,000-year old tradition called the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival. The ritual of eating moon cakes symbolizes, among other things, greeting cooler weather and celebrating the end of the harvest season. If you’d like to celebrate the autumnal equinox moon cake-style, try your hand at this impressive moon cake recipe. The recipe mixes ingredients, which include lotus seed paste and finely chopped walnuts, to create the traditional delicacy.

Photo by focus on aperture/Courtesy Flickr
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Before the industrial era shifted us away from farming and seasonal work, the fall season was itself referred to as “harvest” in England. And around the time of the autumnal equinox in Western Europe, harvest home festivals featured feasts of wheat, corn and seeds. This recipe for Rosetta Clarkson's Gingerbread with Coriander Seeds is a delicious example of harvest feasting. It mixes coriander, ginger and cinnamon to create a tasty dessert.

In ancient Greece, Oschophoria was a celebration devoted to the grape harvest, but if you’re not up for Dionysian drinking, try this recipe for harvest grape cake instead.

Photo by JimmyY2K/Courtesy Flickr
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Also, make sure to check out more great harvest recipes from Kris Wetherbee’s latest article, 10 Thanksgiving Day Recipes. 

Did you do anything special for the autumnal equinox or do you have any favorite harvest recipes? Leave me a comment and let me know.

No matter how many times I check my cupboard before I bake, it seems I’m always missing an ingredient. However, next time I’m out of eggs I won’t have to worry because I’ve found an even healthier substitute: flaxseed. You only need to add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to 3 tablespoons of water (or 1 tablespoon of whole flaxseed to 4 tablespoons of water) to get the same baking benefits as you would with eggs.

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I already knew that flaxseed had a myriad of benefits, from protecting your colon to preventing heart disease, but I wasn’t sure whether I'd like how it tasted until last night. Eggs have always seemed like a baking staple to me, so I decided to do a taste test and see if my picky taste-buds could really enjoy egg-less baking.

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I started with a small batch of traditional chocolate chip cookies and for the next batch I substituted my flaxseed replacement for the water. Amazingly, I actually liked the flaxseed batch better! The flaxseed chocolate chip cookies had a softer, chewier texture and a richer, nutty flavor. In fact next time I decide to bake I’m going to use flaxseed, even if my fridge is full of eggs.

Have you tried substituting flaxseed for eggs before? What are your thoughts? Share your kitchen secrets with me by leaving me a comment!

Like many herb lovers out there, I’ve started drying my herbs so I can enjoy summer flavors during cold months to come. I’m crazy about one her in particular: basil. I can only pick so many basil leaves to dry before I give up and take a few to the cutting board to cook with. The smell of freshly picked basil always reminds me of cooking in Italy.

This is where my roommate and I would buy all of our mushrooms in Florence during my study abroad program in Florence, Italy.

One of my favorite recipes I learned while living in Florence, Italy is for Stuffed Mushroom Caps. My roommate and I would always buy too many mushrooms at the fresh market so we decided to come up with this recipe. It used all of our favorite ingredients: basil, garlic and of course mushrooms! Some nights we would substitute mushroom caps for cherry tomatoes and adapt the recipe to include Italian sausage.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Makes 26 to 28 servings

• 26-28 white mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
• 1½ tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
• 1½ to 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (other substitutes include Romano or Asiago cheese)
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs (preferably Italian-style)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (an additional tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil will be used to drizzle the baking sheet with)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats, stem all of the mushrooms.

2. Chop the basil cloves and Italian parsley and peal and mince the garlic cloves. Put these herbs in a mixing bowl.

3. Grate the Parmesan cheese and add it to the mixing bowl.

4. Mix in the dried breadcrumbs and the extra-virgin olive oil by stirring the ingredients together with your hands.

5. Stuff the caps with the breadcrumb mixture until there is a slight dome above the mushroom. Place the stuffed mushroom caps on the baking sheet and pop them into the oven for roughly 25 to 30 minutes, or until the breadcrumb mixture is golden brown.   

Do you cook with mushrooms? Share a few of your favorite recipes with us and your recipe could appear online! E-mail snelson@ogdenpubs.com.

Additional mushroom featured recipes:
Stuffed Shiitake 
Baked Polenta with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms and Three Cheeses 
Mushroom Caviar Stuffing 

Additional Italian recipes:
Cooking with KC: Italian Pasta 
Italian-Style Pesto 
Italian Pesto Cheese Torta

A while back I was at my friend’s house trying a recipe for buttered chicken that her sister-in law had recommended. I love cooking with friends because the food always turns out better than when I cook it alone. Before we began our gourmet adventure she pulled out a compact, circular tin. Inside it had seven identical, smaller containers each with a different spice. 

I was intrigued by this cute little container and asked her where she got it. As she dished out some salt with a miniature spoon, she explained that her mother had given it to her when she moved into her own apartment. Then she told me what each of them held: curry powder, red chili powder, chaat masala, jira or cumin seed, haldi or turmeric, salt and pepper. It’s called a masala dabba, and while you’ll find one in practically every kitchen in India, its contents are rarely the same.

Photo by escribirconlacabeza/Courtesy Flickr
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My friend’s story remindeMad me of the red, plastic spice rack my mom and I got at a garage sale when I moved in to my first apartment. My mom was sure that I needed one. I was skeptical at first, but now I really appreciate it. She helped me fill up the containers with thyme, basil, tarragon, coriander, cumin, ginger and turmeric.

(What is the difference between an herb and a spice?)

Over the years I’ve added a few more spices to my collection as my taste in food has changed. Not all of my spices get used, however, there are a few that I’ve never even opened and probably contain more dust particles then spices by now.

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It’s interesting what the spices we use say not just about our taste, but about our lives as well. Personally, I feel my mother’s love every time I spin the turntable on my spice rack or freshen up the herbs in the container. And even though my cooking rarely turns out as good as I would like, at least it’s always made with love.

What spices were you given when you first moved out on your own, or what spices can’t you live without now? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Need advice for your herb garden? Help is as close as the nearest garden bed of friends at your local Herb Society. Herb Societies supply a treasure trove of wisdom and invaluable support for herb lovers everywhere.

The latest product in this grand tradition is the publication of the St. Louis Herb Society’s, Herbal Cookery: From the Kitchens and Gardens of the Saint Louis Herb Society (April 2009). You can easily use up your whole stock of herbs with delicious recipes such as Grilled Chicories with Nasturtium Blossoms, Smelt Fries with Lemon-Herb Aïoli, and Rose Geranium Pound Cake.

Photo Courtesy of the St. Louis Herb Society 

Herb Society cookbooks are great resources for herb-lovers looking for creative and tasty ways to cook with herbs. If your neighborhood Herb Society hasn’t produced a cookbook yet, check out some of these other publications for great cooking ideas.

• The San Antonio Herb Society Cookbook: Volume II, from San Antonio Herb Society in Texas
• Good Thymes from the Kitchen, from the Tulsa Herb Society in Oklahoma
• Herbal Market, from the Maumee Valley Herb Society in Ohio
• Herbs & Spices Make Everything Nice, from the Northern Kentucky Herb Society.
• Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs, from The Herb Society of America

Photo by Living in Monrovia/Courtesty Flickr
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Still not convinced? Try out this recipe from the San Antonio Herb Society Cookbook: Volume II.

Oregano Pizza Dip
By Fran Shinskie
Yields 1½ cups

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup dairy sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• ½ cup pizza sauce
• ½ cup chopped pepperoni
• ¼ cup sliced green onion
• ¼ cup chopped green pepper
• ½ cup (2-ounce) mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Sweet pepper strips, broccoli flowerets or crackers (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small mixer bowl, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper.

2. Spread evenly in 9- or 10-inch quiche dish or pie plate. Spread pizza sauce over top. Sprinkle with pepperoni, green onion and green pepper.

3. Bake 10 minutes. Top with cheese; bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

4. Serve with sweet pepper strips, broccoli flowerets or crackers.

Or try this recipe from The Tulsa Herb Society’s cookbook, Good Thymes from the Kitchen.

Chicken Marabella
By Sandie Bailey
Serves 10

Easy to prepare despite its long ingredient list. It's a great company or busy day dish. The flavor is delicious and even kids like it. Serve over rice

• 1 (12-ounce) package dried pitted prunes bite-sized
• 1 (3.5-ounce) jar capers
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 8 pounds chicken breasts with legs & thighs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Combine first 10 ingredients, up to black peppers, in a large zip-top freezer bag or bowl. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat well; seal or cover and chill for at least 8 hours (overnight is best) turning chicken occasionally.

2. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two 13- by 9-inch baking pan(s). Pour marinade evenly over chicken and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar; pour wine into freezer bag or bowl to get all the good marinade and pour around chicken pieces.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour, basting frequently.

4. Remove chicken, dried prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter.  Drizzle with 3/4 cup of pan juices; sprinkle parsley evenly over the top. Serve with remaining pan juices over rice.

Anyone who remotely knows me understands that I am virtually useless in the morning until my first cup of coffee sets in. From the distinct aroma to the amazing taste, I love everything about coffee.

Once a week, I’ll indulge in a latte from my favorite local coffee shop, Kaladi Coffe. One of the greatest things about this coffee house is its ability to tailor a few drinks to the coming season. For the regulars (dare I say “coffee junkies”), these drinks are almost a signal of the end of one season and the beginning of another. Besides the obvious change in temperature and the abundance of leaves crunching under my feet, I always know when fall is coming because of the pumpkin spice lattes.

Photo of PoYang/Courtesy of Flickr
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Although it is technically still summer, my latte is slightly orange and smells just like fall. With the help of a few baristas, we came up with this pumpkin spice mixture.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 4 teaspoons ginger
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 7 teaspoons cinnamon (if you like the mixture sweeter, add another teaspoon of cinnamon)

1. Mix herbal spices together.

2. Sprinkle on your coffee. Enjoy!

Are you a passionate coffee lover? What seasonal drinks to you like? Leave me a comment and let's chat about it!

You can check out the Lemon Verbena Lady at her blog  http://lemonverbenalady.blogspot.com.

We have had beautiful weather here in the western Pennsylvania area, and I have been INDOORS preserving the herbal harvest. We were part of a garden tour this summer, so I wasn't clipping as many herbs as I normally would have. Also, our summer has been very Seattle-like. We have had warm days, cool nights, and unfortunately my basil has suffered. The Herbal Husband wanted me to cut it and make jelly much earlier in the season. I am so glad I waited! 

So I took my basil out of its misery last week and started making scented basil jelly. The recipe is a tried and true favorite of mine from Renee Shepherd & Fran Raboff's cookbook, Recipes from a Kitchen Garden or Renee's website, Renee's Garden. It was also mentioned in the March 2009 Herb Companion article "In Basket." Here is a happy basil bed in Cleveland, Ohio at the Western Reserve Unit's beautiful herb garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

I love its jewel tone qualities. I made a box (12 jars) of lemon basil jelly and eight jars of cinnamon basil. I planted three plants of each varieties. Note to self: Plant more basil next year! I think it is so interesting that it looks like there is cinnamon in the cinnamon basil jelly because of its color!

I use this recipe as a quick appetizer. Spoon some jelly over the cream cheese and serve with crackers. Use it in the middle of thumbprint cookies or use it in the last 15 minutes of baking chicken or pork in the oven as a glaze. Herbal yumminess! I am going to be making lemon verbena jelly later this week. I use the scented basil recipe as a foundation replacing the basil with lemon verbena and the rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar. It works very well. I will be making herb vinegar next time. 

Scented Basil Jellies
Makes four 8-ounce jars

• 1½ cups packed fresh anise, cinnamon, opal or lemon basil
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 3½ cups sugar
• 3 ounces liquid pectin

1. Wash and dry the basil in paper towels, then coarsely chop it. Put the basil in a large saucepan and crush the leaves, using the bottom of a glass. Add the water, bring slowly to a boil and boil for 10 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat; cover and let sit for 15 minutes to steep.

2. Strain 1½ cups of liquid from the saucepan and pour through a fine strainer into another saucepan. Add the vinegar, salt and sugar and bring to a hard boil, stirring. When the boil can't be stirred down, add the pectin. Return the portion that can't be stirred down to a hard boil and boil for exactly 1 minute; remove saucepan from heat.

3. Skim off the foam and pour the hot jelly into four hot, sterilized (sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes) half-pint jelly jars. Leave ½-inch (or less) headspace and seal at once with sterilized 2-piece lids. I just leave my lids in hot water not boiling until you need them. Can the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Recipe from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd & Fran Raboff, Berkeley (Ten Speed Press, 1993).