Cooking With Herbs . . . Stolen Flowers . . . and Gourgeres

Today began at

The Louisburg Cider Mill

where I taught

A Cooking With Herb Class

Books, alas are not for sale, they're my treasured herb books

I made

Carrot, ginger coriander muffins

Coriander inside and cilantro on top

A tray of individual muffins to sample

A loaf of beer bread with a chivey baked potato addition

Double chocolate lavender brownies

Individual "brownie bites" topped with lavender flowers

We also sampled:

Rosemary cider

(their wonderful apple cider with the addition of rosemary infused simple syrup)

Pasta Salad -- three ways

1 - plain -- pasta, vegetables, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper

2 - pasta salad with the addition of cilantro

3 - pasta salad with the addition of fresh basil

And after a visit to a favorite garden center . . . 

we came home

And I decided the dining room table needd a touch of Spring 

And a tree n the parking down the street was blooming . . .

Dolly and I walked down and brought some home.

Plopped in an old blue and white pitcher

It's a pretty dining room centerpiece

My "stolen" blossoms!

Dinner out this Saturday

But husband Jim invited several couples over for

drinks before

You can't have drinks without a nibble.

Gourgeres

Fresh from the oven make a great "with drink" nibble!

They're easy to make, ingredients are usually at hand

and for so little work

they are impressive!!!

Gourgeres

1 stick butter

1 cup milk

pinch salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Heat oven to 475.   Put milk, butter and salt in a saucepan.   Heat over medium heat until milk is scalded and butter is melted.    Add flour all at once and stir until it is incorporated and then cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.     Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.    I use a small ice cream scoop to scoop balls of dough onto sillpat lined baking sheets.    Bake 20 minutes.   Turn oven off and let it stay in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.    After taking from the oven, put hole in the bottom of each puff to let the steam escape.

It's Sunday and I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.