Easter Ham and Basiled Egg Scramble

photo used with permission under MorgueFile free license

Wondering what to do with all the left over ham from Easter dinner? Make a light meal of your deliciously seasoned ham and eggs seasoned with basil. If you have a lemon basil in the garden, it will add a fresh taste to a light meal.

If you're not growing basil in your herb garden, why not? There are many varieties of this easy to grow herb. Basil has so many culinary and medicinal uses that no herb garden should be without it.

Basiled Egg Scramble

Melted cheese and basil turn simple scrambled eggs into a gourmet treat that’s easy to fix. A quick breakfast on their own, these eggs, served with an English muffin and piece of fresh fruit make a nice lunch for 4. Serve with a garden salad and juice for a light dinner.

Beat 8 eggs with:

•  ½ cup of milk  
• ½ cup of fresh, minced sweet or lemon basil. (¼ cup of dried basil will work if the fresh is not at hand)

Melt 1 Tablespoon in pan

Cook the egg mixture, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are almost set.

Sprinkle with 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Salt and pepper to taste

Cover and remove from heat.

When the cheese has melted, give the scrambled egg mixture a quick toss and sprinkle with paprika.

All written content ©2011 Patrice Campbell unless otherwise noted.

Did you know Thyme is the Favorite Herb of Fairies?

Thyme is not only one of the favorite herbs of gardeners, cooks, bees and herbalists, it also loved by fairies.

Every herb garden should be given plenty of room for thyme. But did you know that creeping thyme makes a good ground cover? The more you walk on it, the better it grows. And the sweet scent as the natural oils are released by your footsteps is sure to calm your nerves.

Learn more:

Thyme, an Ancient Herbal Remedy

Natural Herbal Medicine Proven over Time

Jul 13, 2009 Patrice Campbell

Thyme, A Natural Homemade Herbal Remedy -Zsuzsanna Kilián

Thought to be a favorite of fairies, known to be a favorite of bees, the herb thyme symbolizes both courage and innocence.

During the period of the Crusades, ladies embroidered thyme sprigs of the sleeves of their knight’s before they went off to battle. Hundreds of years ago, thyme worn in the hair of a maiden meant she was available for marriage.

One of the oldest herbal remedies, the use of thyme is documented on Egyptian papyri dating back to about 1600 BC. At one time a tincture of thyme was used as a homemade headache remedy and to prevent nightmares.

Read more at Suite101: Thyme, an Ancient Herbal Remedy: Natural Herbal Medicine Proven over Time http://www.suite101.com/content/thyme-an-ancient-herbal-remedy-a131754#ixzz1EXLVOMk4

All written content ©2011 Patrice Campbell unless otherwise noted.

Nasturtiums for Dinner

You probably have nasturtiums planted in the flower garden or in containers because of the beauty of the flowers.


It’s also possible that you have them tucked into the vegetable garden because of their reputation as a great companion plant.

Many of us forget that nasturtium is actually an herb and used by many cooks.

Use Nasturtium as Spice and Garnish

The nasturtium is sometimes called Indian Cress and is, in fact, a close cousin of true watercress. Fresh nasturtium leaves can substitute anywhere true watercress is called for. If you like watercress sandwiches, try a nasturtium leaf sandwich instead.

The leaves of the herb will add a slightly peppery taste to salads and soups. Try this great summertime cucumber salad with nasturtiums.

The flowers of the nasturtium can be used as well as the herb leaves. The bright colors of yellow, orange and red brighten a simple dish of applesauce as well as making a festive herbal butter.

Get the Kids Involved

The only part of the nasturtium that can’t be eaten is the seed, which is full of oxalic acid. But don’t let that go to waste because nasturtiums are easy to grow.

Get the kids involved in gardening by giving them a few seeds. Once they stick the herb into a pot of soil or a section of the herb garden, all they need is a bit of water and sunshine. Let the kids gather the tiny leaves and add them to their vegetable to entice them to eat them for a change.

photo under morgueFile free license

Herbal Recipes for Holiday Brunch

I hope you don’t plan on making mom do all the cooking for the holiday. Shame. The budget may not allow the whole family to eat out on this special day, but Mom can be pampered in her own home if someone steps up to take on some of the food preparation.

The first step to making Mom feel special is to bring her a nice cup of  herbal tea and make sure she has her feet up. If time permits, have a cup with her and catch up on each others lives. Tell her not to be alarmed at the noises coming out of the kitchen, and assure her that the kitchen will be left as found, or as close as you can manage.

Being the organized person that you are, you’ve already made sure that all the ingredients for the dishes chosen are in place in the kitchen, so get to work.

Herbal Egg Casserole

This easy casserole recipe is for six servings, more if served as part of a buffet,  but any leftovers can easily be reheated. English muffins and wedges of avocado, along with herbed tomato juice, will make it a complete meal.

The nice thing about it is that it can be prepped well ahead of time so that the cook isn’t overwhelmed at the last minute.

Basiled Egg Scramble

Melted cheese and basil turn simple scrambled eggs into a gourmet herbal treat that’s easy to fix. A quick breakfast on their own, these eggs, served with an English muffin and piece of fresh fruit make a nice lunch for 4. Serve with a garden salad and juice for a light dinner.

Cheese and Herb Wedges

These yummy herb and cheese wedges go with eggs as well as they do with hearty stews and soups. A perfect addition to any brunch.

Add to the variety with your own version of pancake or crepes.

Pancake Rollups

Herbed pancakes stuffed with ham are a special treat, whether served as part of a buffet or as a side dish to a light meal. This recipe calls for the herb sage, but you should experiment with other herbs until you discover the perfect crepe batter. Once the batter is perfected, move on to other savory stuffings. Cooked sausage, fruit preserves or whipped herb cheeses are all proven winners in my family.

I simply add freshly chopped herb and cheese to pancake or crepe butter and cook as I would the plain ones. From then on, it’s all experimentation. I’m thinking of offering a choice of stuffing for my next brunch, letting guests choose their own rollup fillings.

Herb Seasoning for Eggs

Make up some packets of egg seasonings to give an extra zing to deviled eggs or egg salad using equal parts of:

Ground celery seed

Onion granules

Dillweed

Store in an airtight container and add to your egg mixture according to taste.

Whipped Garlic Butter

If you’re like me, warm bread and butter is a gourmet treat all on its own. But if you really want to impress people, herbal butters are the way to go. Garlic butter dresses up not only fresh bread, but rice, hot vegetables and grilled steak.

Simply crush 4 small garlic cloves and add them to a cup of softened butter. Beat until you have a fluffy herbal butter. Put in a tightly covered container and refrigerate.

Use the mixture within a week.

New Year Indoor Herb Garden

As the holiday ornaments are taken down and put away, fill the empty spaces by starting an indoor herb garden. Attractive, aromatic, and handy, the growing herbs will cozy up your newly barren spaces.


Fresh herbs are preferred to dry by most cooks, and can easily be grown in a container on the window sill or kitchen counter. Herbs can be kept close at hand throughout the year, or transplanted in the garden when the weather permits.

Sage, basil, parsley, chives, and oregano will fit nicely in a strawberry type planter and be an attractive addition to you kitchen. Just snip off what you need as you cook.

The most popular herbs for a kitchen herb garden are spearmint, savory, basil, oregano, sage, dill, parsley and chives. You can start these indoors on the window sill and later move them. As long as you’re planting, add other cooking favorites, like thyme, rosemary, lavender, mint and some scented geranium.

Remember to control your mints by planting them in a metal container to keep them from overtaking you container or kitchen garden.