“A garden
is a grand teacher.
It teaches patience and careful
watchfulness;
industry and thrift; above all,
entire trust.”
Gertrude
Jekyll 1843- 1942
It’s hard
to believe that 2013 begins our 26th
year for Honey Rock. You’ve heard
the story of how I started with a
sprig of mint, and how herbs took
over me just as mint took over my
garden. Before that, about 35 years
ago, you couldn’t find herbs except
maybe parsley and sage. I wanted to
support my habit, so in 1987 on my
birthday Jim and I marched up to the
Blount County courthouse and got our
business license. From there we did
the craft show circuit selling herb
related crafts and products;
wreaths, vinegars, tussie-mussies,
mixes, etc. When we weren’t at the
shows, we displayed these wares on
the dining room table. Many of you
remember this. When our old garage
fell in we built the Herbal Cottage.
We bought a small hoop house from a
Knoxville friend who was moving and
knew plants were what we wanted to
do.
Before that I started plants on the
back porch and we sold them in the
back yard. I know many of you
remember this who have been with us
from the “get go.” We’ve taken
various routes on our journey,
picking up new ideas and dropping
some old. It’s been a wonderful 26
years. Thanks for sharing them with
us and making it possible.
In the
Garden
We’ve enjoyed lettuce, kale, turnip
greens and mustard from our garden
all winter, as well as canned green
beans,
tomatoes, salsa, sauces and picked
peppers. Our potatoes lasted us
until Christmas in our root cellar
and we still have garlic. There is
one bag of corn left in the freezer.
Most of our herbs we gather fresh
from the garden except for frozen
pestos and butters and a few dried
herbs handy in the kitchen cabinet.
The cabbage I planted last fall is
about as big as a softball. I guess
I didn’t feed them enough.
In the
Kitchen
This is a savory cheesecake.
If
you take it to a function, be sure
to explain to family and friends it
is an appetizer not a dessert.
Herbal Cheesecake
1
Tbs. plus 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup
bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan
cheese, 2 Tbs. chopped parsley , 3
8-ounce packs cream cheese,
(softened,) 2 cloves garlic, (finely
chopped,) 1 tsp. oregano leaves, 1
tsp fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp. fresh
thyme leaves, ½ tsp. black pepper, 1
tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 4 large
eggs, (at room temperature.)
Heat oven to 350
degrees. Using 1 Tbs. butter, grease
bottom and halfway up side of 9 inch
springform pan. In small bowl,
combine bread crumbs and Parmesan
cheese. Press mixture into bottom of
greased pan. Set pan on a baking
sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove pan
to wire rack. Leave oven on.
Melt remaining butter
over low heat. In large bowl, beat
cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in
melted butter, garlic and herbs
until well mixed. Beat in
Worcestershire sauce, then eggs, (1
at a time.) Pour filling over crust
in pan. Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Turn
off heat and leave cheesecake in
oven 30 minutes with the door ajar.
Cool. Cover.
Farmers
Market
Our
Maryville Farmers Market is starting
2 weeks early this year. Opening Day
is April 20. Yea! We can’t wait.
There is a farmers market almost
every day of the week in this area.
There is no reason not to buy fresh
and local. Some of our vendors are
full time farmers, others are back
yard growers. The important thing is
it is a producer only market. So you
know where and how your produce,
eggs, honey, bread and plants are
produced. In this day and age you
know how important that is.
Elderberry
Herb of the Year 2013
The
International Herb Association has
chosen this deciduous shrub for the
2013 herb of the year. They choose
an herb for its many uses.
Elderberry has many. Medically it
was said to be a mild laxative and
to promote sweating. Many people use
the wine or juice to treat the flu
as well as coughs and colds. Water
from the elder flower is said to be
a mild astringent. The elder wood
was once used to make shoe maker
pegs, flutes, kitchen skewers, and
needles for weaving nets.
I once made
elder flower fritters by dipping the
white fragrant flowers in tempura
like batter and frying them. I
served the fritters with syrup like
pancakes. I felt like this was a
waste, because I love the jelly and
syrup made from the berries. (If you
could get them before the birds do.)
Daddy and I used to pick
elderberries from the road side. He
made the best elderberry wine, used
medicinally, of course. The berries
shouldn’t be eaten raw. You can find
elder flowers on the road side
blooming, I think around May and the
berries around September. We have a
couple growing, and we’ve ordered 3
more from the Blount County Soil
Conservation Tree Sale.
From the
Bee Yard
I
just watched the “Secret Life of
Bees” for about the 100th
time. They talked about how good
elderberry honey was and how people
would pay good money for it. I don’t
know how the bees get elderberry
honey. It seems they would just work
the flowers. Oh well, what do I
know? Our bees are having a hard
time, or should I say we’re having a
hard time with the bees. We had a
great crop last year, but we’ve lost
6 hives since and don’t know why.
Don’t give up on us. I told Jim we
might need to change our name to
“Rock Rock” instead of Honey Rock.
In the
Greenhouse
At
the end of every year I vow to work
more in the gardens the next growing
season, but I never seem to get out
of the greenhouse. Don’t get me
wrong, I love working in my
greenhouse, but come spring I would
like to dig in the soil as well as
“potty soil.”
I’ve been
dividing, taking cuttings and sowing
seeds. We hope to have lots of
healthy, happy herbs, vegetables and
flowers for you to take home.
In the
Cottage
Take
in our Cottage for garden tools,
organic supplies, bees wax products
and hopefully honey later.
Honey Rock
Hours
Beginning April 2, we’ll be open
Tuesday thru Saturday, 10 to 5 thru
June. After 5 by appointment. We’ll
also be at the Maryville Farmers
Market starting April 20.
Spring
Fever Day
Saturday, April 13, 10 to 5. If you
remember, we use to call our opening
day Cabin Fever Day when we opened
the first of March. I would never
let anyone buy plants because it was
too early. It got to be a joke so we
decided to open later. We still
serve sassafras tea and Cabin Fever
cookies and we’ll even let you buy
plants!
Conclusion
We’re
looking forward to seeing you and
starting our 26th year at
Honey Rock. We hope you’re enjoying
your herbs as much as we do. Until
we see you take care of yourself and
be kind to each other.
Peace & Plenty
D. & Jim
(download the pdf of our newsletter
which includes our Happenings by
clicking on Newsletter in the
sidebar to the left.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
