I had the pleasure of visiting the Hazelwood Herb Farm last Saturday on the Cedar/Yellowpoint Art Tour.  I tasted their yummy products, bought a couple of their herbal ‘rubs’ (unfortunately, I can’t give you the ingredients of each rub … you will have to ask the Hazelwood Herb Farm folks)  to give as gifts as well as a rosemary apple jelly they make that is divine!  As promised, the recipes for some of the fare they offered were up on their website today (see below).  A great spot to visit in the Nanaimo area.

from http://www.hazelwoodherbfarm.com/tour07.htm

Meatballs featured in several recipes this year. Here is the basic recipe for them:

8 ounces lean ground beef

 

8 ounces lean ground pork

 

1 cups fresh white bread crumbs

 

1/3 cup milk

 

1 egg

 

1 tsp Salt

 

½ tsp pepper

 

Mix bread crumbs with milk and allow bread to soak up liquid. Lightly whisk the egg. Using two forks gently mix together the meat, bread and egg until well combined. Take a pinch and fry in a pan to check for seasoning-adjust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

 

 

Shape meat mixture in to balls. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet over high heat and cook the meatballs until browned all over. Do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. You are not trying to fully cook them at this point.

MEATBALLS WITH LEBANESE RUB: 

1 recipe meatballs

1-2 Tablespoons Lebanese Rub

1 cup plain yogurt

 

Once all meatballs are cooked remove any excess oil in the pan. The pan must be clean and dry before proceeding.  Return meatballs to pan over medium heat and sprinkle generously with Lebanese rub.  Shake pan over medium heat until rub adheres to the meat. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over medium low heat until meat is cooked through. Stir occasionally.

 

MEATBALLS WITH ASIAN RUB:

1 recipe meatballs

1-2 Tablespoons Asian Rub

1 can coconut milk

Once all meatballs are cooked remove any excess oil in the pan. The pan must be clean and dry before proceeding.  Return meatballs to pan over medium heat and sprinkle generously with Asian rub.  Shake pan over medium heat until rub adheres to the meat. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Simmer over medium low heat uncovered until meat is cooked through and sauce starts to thicken. Stir occasionally.

 

MEATBALLS WITH LEMON PEPPER:

1 Recipe meatballs

Lemon Pepper

Cook meatballs in a skillet or oven until cooked through. Have ready a container lined with paper towel. When meatballs are ready place in paper lined container. Sprinkle lemon pepper on with one hand while gently shaking the container with the other hand. 

CAJUN FRENCH FRIES

 

Put the rub through a coffee mill to make a finer powder. When fries are ready remove from oven or deep fryer and sprinkle with some Cajun Rub. Toss well to coat and season with salt if desired.

 

 

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN WINGS

 

1 pound chicken wings

 

2 to 3  tablespoons Jamaican jerk rub

 

Sprinkle rub evenly over wings then refrigerate in a plastic bag for at least four hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425F. Place a cake rack on top of a cookie sheet. Arrange wings on rack and cook for 30/35 minutes or until crispy. Serve immediately

 

HABANERO OR GARLIC JELLY MEATBALLS

1/2 recipe of basic meatballs

3 Tbsp  Jelly

1 Tbsp  Vinegar

1/8 cup water & 1/2 tsp cornstarch combined

 

Place meatballs, jelly and vinegar in a skillet on low heat until the jelly has melted. Increase heat and constantly stir for a few minutes until meatballs are warmed through. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir for a further 30 seconds

 

ITALIAN RUB CARROTS 

1/2 pound peeled carrots

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon Italian Rub

Cut carrots on the diagonal in to 1/4 inch slices. Cook in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and put in to cold water. Drain again and pat dry. In a skillet over medium heat melt the butter and honey. Add the carrots and toss to coat then sprinkle on the Italian Rub. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

 

PICKLED GARLIC DIP

 

 

¾ cup mayonnaise-regular or low fat

 

½ cup yogurt-regular or low fat

 

1/3 cup Hazelwood pickled garlic drained

 

2 tablespoons capers drained

 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth

This year we served this on potato croquettes right out of the deep fryer. In previous years it has been used as a vegetable dip

 

ITALIAN RUB MEATBALLS IN CREAMY TOMATO SAUCE

1-2 Tablespoons Italian Rub

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup whipping cream

Once all meatballs are cooked remove any excess oil in the pan. Return meatballs to pan and sprinkle generously with Italian rub. Shake pan over medium heat until rub adheres to the meat. Add the crushed tomatoes and cream, stir to combine. Cover and simmer over medium low heat until meat is cooked through. Stir occasionally.

 

Pork Satay with Vietnamese Rub

 

 

Lightly oil a cutting board then put the lean ground pork on it. With oiled hands gently pat the meat in to a block approximately ½ inch thick. Cut in to ½ inch by 1 inch rectangles  Put rub on a plate then roll each satay until all sides are covered. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight. Cook in a skillet with a small amount of oil. Serve on bamboo skewers.

 

We also served chicken with all our other various rubs.