Tea Time

The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler.  Thats when I start to prepare for the long winter months that we all don't really want to think about quite yet.  I'm a coffee drinker in the wee hours but then I switch to a non-caffeinated tea so that I can sleep at night.  We keep our house at a pretty cool temperature in the winter, so if you aren't moving around you are covered by a blanket or drinking tea!  My fav is lemongrass and ginger.  It not only tastes great, but there are lots of healthy benefits to drinking natural herb teas.  I found a great link here for this tea. with all the great benefits.

Last summer I planted lemon grass in my herb garden and in the fall I cut it all off and stuck the grass in my freezer.  So all winter long I made the tea.  I also keep my ginger in the freezer so it doesn't spoil.  and just cut or use a peeler to shave off what I need.  You can even use the outside layer for tea so dry it or freeze it for later.  This summer I looked high and low for the lemongrass plant and potted it so I can bring it in this winter.  It's an annual so in our area it doesn't come back in the spring.  It's great with chicken cooked in coconut milk as well!

I cut about an inch of ginger into smaller pieces and use
a stem or two of the lemongrass, just wind it up in a ring
to fit inside your tea pot.  Steep for 3 minutes and remove.

I keep my pot under a tea cozy to keep it warm for a long
while.  Then you can microwave the reserve or drink it on ice.

Musakka -A Favorite Summer Dish

My summertime favorite vegetable is eggplant and tomatoes (together) and right now my garden is rocking both of these.  Our very favorite is grilled eggplant layered with sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese, baked until the cheese melts and sprinkled with fresh basil.  If you think you don't like eggplant try this-it's a game changer.  

My friend Lisa shared her mom's recipe for Musakka and it has become a summer staple.  I had 6 nice sized eggplants so I made 2 pans for the freezer and one small one for dinner tonight.  I've made a few amendments to the recipe with wine and spices.

Start with 2 large eggplant chopped into bite sized pieces, sauté in olive oil until lightly browned and soft.  Pour into your greased baking dish.

Saute' 2 vadalia onions until slightly camelized and and add on top of the eggplant.

Next add garbanzo beans (I always buy a bag and soak and cook my own but you can buy canned).  One can should do it, I used one small bag of cooked beans for 2 small pans and 1 large just to use them up.  Make some hummus if you have left overs!

Spread the top with sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.  I actually chopped mine and added lots to make some good liquid.  The recipe calls for 3/4 Cup of water, but I use wine for extra flavor (a dry chardonnay-It will be a nice pairing for the dinner!)  I also crushed some dried oregano (my homegrown) and will add fresh basil when it comes out of the oven.  Also salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

The other two pans were ready for the freezer as soon as I was finished making them. (I didn't bake them for an hour).  Everything that needed to be cooked was.  I'll get them out in the morning (this fall when I leave for work) and they will be ready to stick in the oven when I get home.  

I'm not a vegetarian because once in a great while I want a good organic steak or burger, but for the most part we are.  This is loaded with protein and is a great main dish if you are a veg head or side dish if you aren't.

If you are an eggplant lover, what are some of your favorite ways to fix it?  I'm always up for a new dish.