Jim Long's Lemon Balm Cake

Jim Long's Lemon Balm Cake Ozarks Gardening/Syndicated Newspapers via Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine, copyright Jim Long 2022 Lemon Balm has a fresh, pleasant lemony fragrance that combines well in lots of dessert recipes. Our garden intern who was here through the month of May decided to learn pie baking. One of the challenges I gave him was to create an herbal pie. He chose to make a chess pie in which he included lemon balm, lemongrass and lemon thyme. It was outstanding and definitely, “a keeper.” Lemon balm combines well with other herbs in tea blends. I make a festive tea often when we have groups touring the garden. To make it, I heat about 6 cups of water and when almost boiling, add a good handful of lemon balm, some cut up lemongrass leaves two thinly sliced lemons and one thinly sliced orange, and a couple of quart-sized Luzianne tea bags, along with a tablespoon of chamomile flowers (fresh or dried). I turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan, letting the herbs and tea steep until cooled, then strain them out. I add another thinly sliced lemon and orange, squeezing both a bit. Then I add a quart of cranberry-raspberry juice and another 6 cups of water, chill it all for a few hours then serve over ice. Even people who think they don’t like “herbal” tea, like this one. Lemon balm, like most herbs, has a vastly better flavor if you keep cutting it back. All basils and lemon balm lose flavor if they aren’t pruned every couple of weeks. Basil gets bitter while lemon balm gets, “soapy” tasting if not pruned. I cut my lemon balm back often during the year and harvest the newest growth for the best flavor. I sometimes dry lemon balm for winter use but I prefer it fresh whenever possible. Lemon balm is a reliably hardy perennial that will grow most anywhere with sunshine. It will even take half shade and still produce well. If you let it go to seed it will scatter the seed into other beds, not a lot, not to the amount that garlic chives do, and it’s not hard to keep it in the place you planted it. Even though it is in the larger family of plants that include the mints, it doesn’t spread rapidly from underground runners, either. You can divide the plant easily by cutting it in two and replanting the half you’ve dug up. I have posted several of my lemon balm cake recipes over the years and you can find some of the variations on my website www.Longcreekherbs.com under, “Jim’s Recipes.” All of the variations for the cake include lemon thyme, lemon balm and lemongrass, all of which are easy to grow in the garden. The University of Maryland Medical Center’s website (www.umm.edu) says this about lemon balm: “Several studies have found that lemon balm combined with other calming herbs (such as valerian, hops, chamomile) helps reduce anxiety and promote sleep.” They go on to say this herb was regularly used back to the Middle Ages and before, to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep and improve appetite. It was also used to ease the pain and discomfort of upset stomach, flatulence and bloating. Lemon balm is native to Europe but is grown around the world. Commercially it’s grown for medicine, cosmetics and furniture polish manufacturing and recent double-blind studies where the control group used a placebo and the test group took a combination of lemon balm and Valerian (another herb), the lemon balm-Valerian combination proved to increase mood and “significantly increased calmness and alertness.” Other studies suggest that topical ointments containing lemon balm seem to help heal lip sores from herpes simplex virus, as well as helping heal small scratches and minor wounds. Lemon balm is a delightful and useful plant and if you’re not growing it, you’re missing out on its many benefits. Plus, it just tastes good in cakes, cookies and now, thanks to our intern, in pie, as well! Here's my favorite Lemon Balm Cake recipe. I first served it at my (formerly) Herb Day in May back in the 1990s. 3/4 cup milk 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon peel zest 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons butter, softened 1/4 cup coarsely-chopped fresh lemon balm leaves *1 Tablspoon finely snipped lemon grass (fresh or dried) 1 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves, stems removed Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Scald milk. Put hot milk and the 3 lemony herbs in food processor or blender. Process well and set aside to steep Combine flour, baking powder and salt, mixing then add eggs, sugar, butter and lemon zest. Add the steeped herbs/milk and blend well until dough is mixed. Pour into a greased bread pan (9 x 5 inch) and bake about 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick or knife, if tester comes out with batter still on, give it a few more minutes of baking. Topping: Juice of 1 lemon, combined with enough powdered sugar to make a thick syrup. Poke a few holes in the still-warm cake and pour the syrup over. Repeat pouring the syrup until all of it used up. Let the cake rest for an hour or so, or overnight before serving. This cake also freezes well and can be kept for a month or more frozen. *Note about lemon grass. I often use the leaves and/or the "bulb". When using the leaves make sure to snip them very fine with scissors rather than chopping. Even though you will be blending them in the hot milk, the leaves won't blend up enough unless snipped very fine.

Green Tomato Pie

2 cups sliced green tomatoes 1 1/2 cups sugar 5 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Dough for a double pie crust Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Combine ingredients in bowl, toss to make sure sugar and flour are mixed well with the tomatoes. Pour the mixture into the bottom pie crust, top with bits of butter and seal on the top crust, cutting a vent in the top. Bake for about one hour or until crust is nicely browned. Cool and serve.

Spanish Gazpacho

Gazpacho, a much-loved cold summer soup. We have it for lunch or supper, with sandwiches or zucchini fritters, with sweet corn from the garden or just with chips like salsa. It's a great way to use excess produce from the garden (or from your CSA). It takes only minutes to fix, can be kept in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, although it's unlikely to last that long because it is such a refreshing treat on a hot day.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, no need to peel or seed About 2 cups tomato juice, or I like 1 cup juice and 1 cup of Zing-Zang bloody mary mix 2 medium cucumbers, cut in chunks Half a red bell pepper, cut in large pieces Half a medium onion, cubed, or 3 green onions 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed 1 garlic clove 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 lime, juiced 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Chopped cilatro for garnish Place everything in a food processor in batches and chop fine, leave some tiny chunks for texture. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, if desired, and some chopped cilantro on top.

Cold Cucumber Soup for Summer

Cold Cucumber Soup I learned this recipe from the late Billy Joe Tatum many years ago. I've made cucumber soup half my lifetime but Billy Joe's method completely changed my method. Ingredients 3 or 4 medium to large cucumbers Half of one average-sized onion, sliced 3 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup plain yogurt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 3 cups chicken broth Fresh dill Salt to taste Start with 3 or 4 medium to large cucumbers. Peel if the skin is bitter, otherwise peel or don't peel. Remove the seeds if they are large. Slice cucumbers and set half aside. In a skillet, melt about 3 tablespoons butter, then add in HALF of the sliced cucumbers and the onions. Simmer about 5 to 7 minutes. Add approximately 2 cups chicken broth (canned or fresh, whatever you have on hand). Continue simmering for another 5 to 8 minutes, just until the onion is nearly transparent. Working in batches, put the simmered cucumber and onion in a blender with another 1 cup chicken broth and the remaining fresh cucumber slices. Add the fresh dill, yogurt and buttermilk and blend well. Chill several hours or overnight before serving. Add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and some diced cucumber and dill as garnish on top.

Jim Long's Lemon Balm Cake

Ozarks Gardening/Syndicated Newspapers via Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine, copyright Jim Long 2022

Lemon Balm has a fresh, pleasant lemony fragrance that combines well in lots of dessert recipes. Our garden intern who was here through the month of May decided to learn pie baking. One of the challenges I gave him was to create an herbal pie. He chose to make a chess pie in which he included lemon balm, lemongrass and lemon thyme. It was outstanding and definitely, “a keeper.” 

Lemon balm combines well with other herbs in tea blends. I make a festive tea often when we have groups touring the garden. To make it, I heat about 6 cups of water and when almost boiling, add a good handful of lemon balm, some cut up lemongrass leaves two thinly sliced lemons and one thinly sliced orange, and a couple of quart-sized Luzianne tea bags, along with a tablespoon of chamomile flowers (fresh or dried). I turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan, letting the herbs and tea steep until cooled, then strain them out. I add another thinly sliced lemon and orange, squeezing both a bit. Then I add a quart of cranberry-raspberry juice and another 6 cups of water, chill it all for a few hours then serve over ice. Even people who think they don’t like “herbal” tea, like this one. 

Lemon balm, like most herbs, has a vastly better flavor if you keep cutting it back. All basils and lemon balm lose flavor if they aren’t pruned every couple of weeks. Basil gets bitter while lemon balm gets, “soapy” tasting if not pruned. I cut my lemon balm back often during the year and harvest the newest growth for the best flavor. I sometimes dry lemon balm for winter use but I prefer it fresh whenever possible. Lemon balm is a reliably hardy perennial that will grow most anywhere with sunshine. It will even take half shade and still produce well. If you let it go to seed it will scatter the seed into other beds, not a lot, not to the amount that garlic chives do, and it’s not hard to keep it in the place you planted it. 

Even though it is in the larger family of plants that include the mints, it doesn’t spread rapidly from underground runners, either. You can divide the plant easily by cutting it in two and replanting the half you’ve dug up. I have posted several of my lemon balm cake recipes over the years and you can find some of the variations on my website www.Longcreekherbs.com under, “Jim’s Recipes.” All of the variations for the cake include lemon thyme, lemon balm and lemongrass, all of which are easy to grow in the garden. 

The University of Maryland Medical Center’s website (www.umm.edu) says this about lemon balm: “Several studies have found that lemon balm combined with other calming herbs (such as valerian, hops, chamomile) helps reduce anxiety and promote sleep.” They go on to say this herb was regularly used back to the Middle Ages and before, to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep and improve appetite. It was also used to ease the pain and discomfort of upset stomach, flatulence and bloating. Lemon balm is native to Europe but is grown around the world. Commercially it’s grown for medicine, cosmetics and furniture polish manufacturing and recent double-blind studies where the control group used a placebo and the test group took a combination of lemon balm and Valerian (another herb), the lemon balm-Valerian combination proved to increase mood and “significantly increased calmness and alertness.” Other studies suggest that topical ointments containing lemon balm seem to help heal lip sores from herpes simplex virus, as well as helping heal small scratches and minor wounds.

Lemon balm is a delightful and useful plant and if you’re not growing it, you’re missing out on its many benefits. Plus, it just tastes good in cakes, cookies and now, thanks to our intern, in pie, as well! 

Here's my favorite Lemon Balm Cake recipe. I first served it at my (formerly) Herb Day in May back in the 1990s. 

 3/4 cup milk 

2 eggs 

1 cup sugar 

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon peel zest 

2 cups flour 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

6 Tablespoons butter, softened 

1/4 cup coarsely-chopped fresh lemon balm leaves 

*1 Tablspoon finely snipped lemon grass (fresh or dried)

1 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves, stems removed 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Scald milk. Put hot milk and the 3 lemony herbs in food processor or blender. Process well and set aside to steep 

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, mixing then add eggs, sugar, butter and lemon zest. Add the steeped herbs/milk and blend well until dough is mixed. 

Pour into a greased bread pan (9 x 5 inch) and bake about 50 minutes. 

Test with a toothpick or knife, if tester comes out with batter still on, give it a few more minutes of baking.  

Topping: 

Juice of 1 lemon, combined with enough powdered sugar to make a thick syrup. 

Poke a few holes in the still-warm cake and pour the syrup over. Repeat pouring the syrup until all of it used up. Let the cake rest for an hour or so, or overnight before serving. This cake also freezes well and can be kept for a month or more frozen. 

*Note about lemon grass. I often use the leaves and/or the "bulb". When using the leaves make sure to snip them very fine with scissors rather than chopping. Even though you will be blending them in the hot milk, the leaves won't blend up enough unless snipped very fine.

You can fine lots more of my recipe in my books at https://www.longcreekherbs.com/product-category/books/

Cold Cucumber Soup

I learned this recipe from the late Billy Joe Tatum many years ago. I've made cucumber soup half my lifetime but Billy Joe's method completely changed my method.

Ingredients
 3 or 4 medium to large cucumbers
Half of one average-sized onion, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups chicken broth
Fresh dill
Salt to taste

Start with 3 or 4 medium to large cucumbers. Peel if the skin is bitter, otherwise peel or don't peel. Remove the seeds if they are large. Slice cucumbers and set half aside.

In a skillet, melt about 3 tablespoons butter, then add in HALF of the sliced cucumbers and the onions. Simmer about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add approximately 2 cups chicken broth (canned or fresh, whatever you have on hand).

Continue simmering for another 5 to 8 minutes, just until the onion is nearly transparent.

Working in batches, put the simmered cucumber and onion in a blender with another 1 cup chicken broth and the remaining fresh cucumber slices.
Add the fresh dill, yogurt and buttermilk and blend well.

Chill several hours or overnight before serving. Add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and some diced cucumber and dill as garnish on top.

Our pup Eli says you'll love it.

Mint, More Useful Than You Thought

When most people think of mint they likely think of mint-chocolate ice cream. Or dried mint leaves for tea. But hey, mint is way more useful than that. Consider Cold-Pressed Mint Tea. You'll find the recipe in several of my books on my website.

If you sort of, kind of like mint tea made from dried mint leaves or those disgusting mint teabags (which are leaves with mint flavoring added), you'll love this upscale, fresh version.

First, start off with a handful of fresh mint. Any kind of mint, peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, whatever you have. And don't obsess over what a handful is, just harvest a bunch. Double it over, then give it a slight twist like you were wringing out a dish cloth.

The goal is to crush it a bit to release the essential oils in the leaves and stems. And yes, use leaves, stems and flowers if the mint is in bloom. The whole plant has flavor.













Next, put the handful of mint in the bottom of a pitcher, this one probably holds 3 or 4 quarts, I just grabbed the first pitcher I saw in the pantry.

With the mint in the bottom of the pitcher, next, fill the pitcher all the way up to the top with ice. Don't skimp, the pitcher needs to be full of ice all the way to the top, with the mint on the bottom.

Now, with mint and ice in place, add water all the way to the top of the pitcher. Give it 5 minutes to steep and it is ready to drink. It's almost like instant tea - only way better. Pour yourself a glass of the freshest, best tasting mint tea you have ever had.

Variations: 
1 - Add several fresh or frozen strawberries.
2 - Add several slices of cucumber in the bottom with the mint.
3 - How about slightly crushed watermelon...
4 - Fresh raspberries added is another great flavor.


Bottom line, this is a no-calorie, refreshing summer beverage.

And if you are really adventurous, the next time you are hot and sweaty from working outdoors, pour some of this refreshing tea into a wash cloth and soothe your hot face and skin. You will be amazed at how much better this makes your skin feel.