One of my co-workers gave me a recipe last week for French Tarragon Burgers.  The recipe is from Taste of Home which has fantastic recipes in their magazines and online.  I tried it out Wednesday night and loved it. I only made four burgers but I made the full amount of mayonnaise mixture so I still had a bunch left after dinner.  I didn’t want it to go to waste so I used it on some sandwiches that gave it some flavorful zing.  Definitely give it a try if you want to change up your typical burger tonight.

I am proud to say that I have a beautiful fresh herb garden in my yard. As a matter of fact I currently have over 34 varieties of herbs and edible plants in my garden. My last birthday, Adam gifted me a dehydrating machine that I am able to use to dry my own herbs. Granted I get most of my herbs from Penzey’s Spices but they recently moved from the 280 corridor so my treks to their new location in Homewood are few and far between.

Earlier this year I concocted a new Italian Seasoning herbal mix from a variety of purchased and home grown herbs that I just adore. I make it in large quantities and use it in a variety of recipes. This afternoon I altered my Rosemary Roasted Potato recipe to include this heavenly herbal blend and though I haven’t tasted yet, the smell in my house is intoxicating. Here is the blend if you would like to try it. Again, this is in bulk so it makes about 1 1/2 cups of seasoning mix.

6 tbsp. dried Basil
½ tsp. Black Pepper
2 tbsp. Garlic Powder
½ tsp. Marjoram
2 tsp. Onion Powder
6 tbsp. dried Oregano
6 tbsp. dried Parsley
½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp. dried Rosemary
2 tsp. dried Thyme

Let me know what you think.

My co-worker, Dorothy, gave me this fast and easy recipe for Hollandaise Sauce in the microwave.  I have made it numerous times and it is wonderful.  It certainly beats the powdered kind you find at the supermarket.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash cayenne pepper

Method:

Melt the butter in the microwave. Let cool for about 1 minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and whisk lightly. Place the container into microwave and microwave on medium for 30 seconds. Wisk and return to microwave heating for an additional 30 seconds on medium.  Continue this pattern until the hollandaise sauce has reached the necessary consistency. You should be able to dip a spoon in the sauce, wipe the back of the spoon with your finger and a line will stay.  Try not to make it too thick because it will coagulate as it cools down. You can use some now and store the remainder in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container.  When reheating, remember to cook for short periods of time (30 seconds) on medium.