Thanks to everyone who joined us at this years Herb Day celebrations. The turnout was great and we all had so much fun learning about the herb ginger and tasting some wonderful treats featuring this delicious plant. Oh, and an FYI - ginger isn't actually a herb! In fact it is a spice - a spice comes from the roots, bark or berries of a plant while an herb comes from the leaves and stock of a plant. Having said that we're going to still keep calling ginger Herb of the Year, right?!
The day featured mini workshops on how to grow ginger; making Kombuchu with ginger and the ways to use it medicinally and for cooking. We also want to give a shout out to our staff member Courtney, who created a great gingerbread decorating space for kids. At each of the workshops we had handouts for the topics we presented, so if you missed getting one you can either stop by the shop and pick one up or email us at hello@tiliabotanicals.com and we'd be happy to email you them.
Here's a pictorial of our day...
Jessica demonstrating how to make both Ginger and Ginger Blueberry Kombuchu
Rachel showing everyone how to grow ginger at home in pots. Shout out to Cartwheel Farms for lending us a lovely ginger plant to for everyone to see.
Making Ginger medicinal salve for aches and pains.
Demonstrating how to make both ginger syrup and candy. Yum, yum!
One of the amazing ginger cookies that got decorated in our kids area.
As promised, below you will find the recipes for the dishes we served on Herb Day. All feature ginger and are all definitely worth taking the time to make.
Ginger Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangos, peeled & chopped
4 (about 2 cups) firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1-1/2 Tablespoon fresh gingerroot, peeled & minced finely
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh mint minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to mingle. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Hummus with Ginger and Roasted Carrot
4 medium carrots (peeled)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh grated peeled ginger
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice wine or apple cider vinegars
4 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Pita breads or crackers
Olive oil for brushing carrots
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the peeled carrots in an even layer on top. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the carrots. Toss and sprinkle with salt and pepper. to coat. Roast the carrots for 45 minutes (or until golden and tender). Remove and let cool, then chop carrot into small pieces.
In a large food processor, add the chopped carrots, garlic, & ginger, and process until carrots are mashed. Next, add the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, rice vinegar, tahini paste, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes to the carrots in the food processor and process until smooth. With machine running pour the olive oil into the mixture in a slow steady, stream until smooth and creamy (add more oil if you like it creamier).
Taste the hummus, then add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cilantro and then pulse once more until well-combined. Drizzle with additional olive oil before serving.
Pickled Ginger
Add 1 cup chopped ginger to a bowl and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Mix to coat. Scrape into a clean glass jar. Combine 1 cup rice vinegar and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan. Mix until sugar dissolves and the syrup has just come to a boil. Pour the liquid over the ginger in the jar. Allow it to cool before covering it with the jar lid. We recommend that prior to putting a lid on the jar you cover the opening with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent the vinegar from corroding the metal lid. Then place the lid on and close tightly. Store in fridge. Please note that the ginger might turn pink, this is normal.
Gooey Ginger Rhubarb Squares
Base:
2 cups unbleached white flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
¾ cup icing sugar
1 cup butter, very soft
Topping:
4 eggs
2 ½ cups sugar
2/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped fresh rhubarb
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl cream together the butter and icing sugar. Stir in the flour to create a dough. Press dough into the baking pan, patting it evenly out to the sides. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges and just cooked.
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling: Combine the sugar, flour, and ginger powder in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl whisk the eggs until fluffy and then whisk in the sugar mixture until combined and no lumps can be seen in the batter. Gently fold in the fresh ginger and the rhubarb and then spoon the filling carefully over the hot crust. Bake for 30- 35 minutes more or until the center is set. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.
Triple Ginger Crispy Coconut Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Tilia’s organic pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Tilia’s Gingerbread spice blend
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup candied ginger pieces, diced finely
2 cup rice crispy cereal
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugars, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, gingerbread spice and ginger powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until blended. Stir in coconut, ginger and cereal, mixing until just blended. Using a teaspoon, drop the dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1/2 inch apart. Bake until edges just start to turn golden and centers are still moist, 10-12 minutes. Remove to a cooking rack or paper to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Makes 2 ½ dozen cookies.
Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon Tilia’s Gingerbread spice blend
½ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup fancy molasses (unsulfured)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pkg. dark chocolate chunks (or extra-large dark chocolate chips)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and gingerbread spice. (Sifting is important otherwise the cocoa will be lumpy.). Set this aside.
Place the baking soda in a small bowl. Top with 1 1/2 teaspoons of very hot water, then stir to dissolve and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and grated ginger until very light, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar, then beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the molasses, and beat until incorporated.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat just until most of the flour combines with the butter mixture. Beat in the baking soda-water mixture, then once again scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and beat just until the flour is mixed in. Stir in the chocolate chunks with a spoon and ensure the chunks are evenly distributed. Turn the dough out into a large ziplock bag (or onto plastic wrap if you don’t have a bag), then pat the dough in the bag, spreading it out until it is about 1 inch thick. Seal the bag and then refrigerate for 2 hours (if you’re in a rush you can put it into the freezer for 30 minutes, but the cookies do taste better if they are chilled in the fridge rather than the freezer).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (they will look quite large). Place on the baking sheets and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes. (or the fridge for 20 minutes if you don’t have freezer space).
Once the dough balls have chilled, gently press the top of each into the granulated sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until the surfaces barely begin to crack, about 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will look underdone. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling as long as you can stand the suspense. Make 2 dozen cookies.
Lemon Ginger Tea Infused Gluten-Free Loaf
1 1/2 cups whole milk
¼ cup Tilia’s Lemon Ginger tea
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups 1:1 Gluten-Free flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon Tilia’s organic lemon extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Icing Glaze
1 1/2 cups icing confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon ginger infused milk
1/8 teaspoon Tilia’s organic lemon extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Parchment line and grease a large loaf pan or tube pan.
To make the infused milk for the recipe heat the milk in a small saucepan until small bubbles appear. Remove from the heat and stir in the Lemon Ginger tea. Cover and allow to steep for ½ hour. When ready, strain and divide the milk into 2 dishes, 1 cup in one dish and the remaining milk in the other and set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar, until fluffy and pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once all the eggs have been added and beat briefly to recombine any residue.
Whisk the baking powder, salt and ginger powder into the flour. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three parts alternately with the 1 cup of milk, starting and ending with the flour. The batter may look slightly curdled when you add the milk. That's OK; it'll smooth out as you add the flour. Mix until everything is well combined; the batter will look a bit rough but shouldn't have any large lumps. Stir in the lemon extract, zest and fresh ginger.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling it and smoothing the top with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool on a rack. When the cake is finish cooling you can spread the icing glaze on to.
To ice the cake (optional): Mix the icing sugar with 2 tablespoons of the infused milk and the lemon extract. If necessary, add additional infused milk to create a thick glaze, one that's just barely pourable. Drizzle it over the completely cool loaf.
If you make any of the recipes let us know how they turn out below and if you post pictures of your ginger creations please tag us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Thanks again everyone for joining us on Herb Day2023, we can't wait for next year when we get to celebrate the 2024 Herb of the Year - Yarrow with you.
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