Garden Fresh Herb Spread

½ cup of Sour Cream 8 oz of softened cream cheese ¼ cup chives ¼ cup parsley (Fresh herbs, what’s available from the garden) 2 tsp. thyme ¼ tsp garlic powder

Cream together sour cream and cream cheese. Add all seasonings. Blend well. Chill. Serve w/fresh veggies or crackers.

NOTE: Great for a spread on the Herb Burgers recipe below!

Grilled Herb Burgers

1 ½ lbs ground beef (lean or turkey) ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1/3 cup bread crumbs ¼ cup mayo 3 tbsp parsley ½ tsp basil 2 tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp pepper ¼ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients. Shape into ½ in thick patties. Grill about 5 minutes per side for medium.

Basil Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves 3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 2-3 cloves garlic @1/2 cup to ¾ Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fresh ground pepper Squeeze of fresh lemon

To make, combine 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons of pine nuts or walnuts, 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. Puree in a food processor or blender adding enough olive oil (extra virgin is preferred) to make a smooth paste. Season with fresh ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, mix well. This recipe doubles easily. Pesto is versatile with lots of flavor, it’s great on pasta, or a tasty alternative to red sauce on pizza, or try it on chicken, fish, veggies.

NOTE: If you have many basil plants, consider making batches and freezing. Pesto freezes well, will remain fresh frozen for 9 months. What a great way to add a taste of summer in the dead of winter!

Easy Pesto Pinwheels

1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1/3 cup pesto 4 slices prosciutto ham (or your choice)

Preheat oven to 350’. Separate dough into 2 long rectangles. Press seams together. Spread each rectangle with pesto to within ¼ of edges. Top with ham.

Starting at the short side, roll up each rectangle; pinch edges together to seal. Cut each roll crosswise into 8-10 slices for a total of 16-20 slices. Place slices, cut side down, on stone or pan. Bake 13 -17 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm.

Seeing as Summer Solstice is coming up I thought I’d do this week’s Thursday Thirteen on that

1. Summer Solstice is also known as Litha, Midsummer or Alban Heruin (Druidic)

2. Although the name Litha is not well attested, it may come from Saxon tradition — the opposite of Yule. On this longest day of the year, light and life are abundant.

3. At mid-summer, the Sun God has reached the moment of his greatest strength. Seated on his greenwood throne, he is also lord of the forests, and his face is seen in church architecture peering from countless foliate masks.

4. The Christian religion converted this day of Jack-in-the-Green to the Feast of St. John the Baptist, often portraying him in rustic attire, sometimes with horns and cloven feet (like the Greek Demi-God Pan).

5. Midsummer Night’s Eve is also special for adherents of the Faerie faith. The alternative fixed calendar date of June 25 (Old Litha) is sometimes employed by Covens.

6. The name Beltane is sometimes incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca, even though Beltane is the Gaelic word for May.

7. Traditional Foods: Garden fresh fruits and vegetables are made into a variety of dishes and eaten by Pagan’s who choose to celebrate this day.

8. Herbs and Flowers: Mugwort, Vervain, Chamomile, Rose, Honeysuckle, Lily, Oak, Lavender, Ivy, Yarrow, Fern, Elder, Wild Thyme, Daisy, Carnation.

9. Incense: Lemon, Myrrh, Pine, Rose, Wisteria.

10. Woods Burned: Oak

11. Sacred Gemstone: Emerald

12. Special Activities: An Ideal time to reaffirm your vows to the Lord and Lady or your dedication to following the old traditions.

13. Midsummer traditionally marks the beginning of summer (i.e. schools out). Actually midsummer marks the actual middle of the Celtic summer, falling between Beltane and Lugnasadh. Midsummer is known also as a night of magic, made famous by William Shakespeare with his play Midsummer’s Nights Dream. As a Quote from Puck can attest to:

Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand;
And the youth, mistook by me,
Pleading for a lover’s fee.
Shall we their fond pageant see?
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
(Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 2)