Sip Sarsparilla Tea by Annie B. Bond
Old-fashioned Sarsparilla was a popular soft drink in the 19th century and still is in some parts of the U.S., such as Pittsburgh. Note, however, that the popular soda isn¢t and wasn¢t made with real sarsparilla root, but birch oil and sassafras, the dried root bark of the sassafras tea.
 
Real Sarsparilla soda is made from the root of the sarsparilla plant and has medicinal properties similar to sassafras, including building up a sweat, helping to treat various illnesses where a sweat is handy. It is also known to help sexual impotence, rheumatism, skin ailments, and edema. You can make Sarsparilla tea yourself at home. Here is more about Sarsparilla tea from Herbal Tea Gardens: 22 Plans for Your Enjoyment and Well-being by Marietta Marshall Marcin (Storey Publishing, 1999).
 
Also called American sarsaparilla, wild ginseng, wild sarsaparilla, and wild spikenard, Aralia nudicaulis is a Native American plant. Pronounced sassparilla or sarsaparilla, it was used by Native Americans to make a soothing, perspiration-inducing tea that was believed to alleviate rheumatism, gout, and skin diseases.
 
The herb thrives in the moist, shaded forests of southern British Columbia and northeastern Washington. American sarsaparilla tea is thought to promote healthy tissue growth for internal and external ulcers and wounds. Some people once believed the tea would cure syphilis. A jamaican cousin, Smilax arnata, is the evergreen vine used to make the sarsaparilla drink that was so popular in the late nineteenth century.
 
Sarsaparilla is a tender, deciduous perennial. The long yellow taproot is similar to that of ginseng. A single stem branches into three parts, each having five 2- to 5-inch, finely toothed, lance-shaped leaves. The flowering stalk that comes from the root is over- shadowed by the leaf stalk. Clusters of greenish flowers, which bloom from June to August, are followed by whitish berries that become purple or almost black when they mature. This herb grows freely and thrives well with routine management. It is best adapted for semi-wild and informal plantings.
 
The root, which is dug in autumn, is the part used for tea. The root has a bitter licorice flavor and brews a reddish brown tea with a refreshing and fragrant flavor.
 
How to brew:
Stir 2 teaspoons ground fresh root into 1 cup boiling water. Steep to taste. Sweeten with honey or sugar, if desired. Good hot or cold.

 graham cracker crust
1 package lemon instant pudding
1 container (8 oz +/-) key lime yogurt
Whipped topping

Prepare lemon instant pudding with 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 cups of cold milk, instead of the usual 2 cups.
Pour into graham crust
Dollup lime yogurt around on the lemon pudding
Run a butter knife back and forth lightly through the lemon-lime filling, to create "ribbons" of yellow and green color.
Cover with whipped topping.
Refrigerate.

TIP: Graham cracker crusts usually come in an aluminum foil pie pan, with an inset plastic mold to protect the shape of the crust. After you fill the pie, curl up the outside edges of the aluminum foil pie plate just a bit, turn the molded plastic form upside down, position on top of the dessert, and crimp the foil edges on the outside edge of the plastic mold. This will protect the dessert while in the fridge, from other elements, whether a direct hit, or from other smells.

VARIATIONS:
- Shred semi-sweet or dark chocolate on top of the whipped topping
- Top the whipped topping with a 1/4 cup of huckleberry preserves - or mix preserves into the whipped topping, prior to topping the lemon-lime filling.

Spiced Apples with Dried Cherries and Apricots

2-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
2/3 cup dried cherries
1 (6-ounce) package dried apricots, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tbs butter, cut into small pieces
Crunchy Topping
Ice cream, whipped cream, or Cheddar cheese slices

In your crockpot, combine the apples, dried fruits, lemon zest, lemon juice,
brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, flour, salt, and butter. Toss until
well mixed.

Cover and cook on the low heat setting about 6 hours or until the apples are
soft but still hold their shape.

Meanwhile, make the Crunchy Topping (see below) and set aside to cool.

Sprinkle half of the Crunchy Topping over the fruit and cook, covered, on low 30
minutes longer. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or cheese. Pass the
remaining Crunchy Topping separately.

Crunchy Topping: In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add 1 cup
old-fashioned rolled oats and 1 cup chopped pecans. Cook over medium heat,
stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1-1/2
teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground
coriander. Cook 5 minutes

Eggplant Chili Jackets

2 tbsps. olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chili, roughly chopped
2 large eggplants, cubed
2 tsps. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup red wine
14 oz. can chopped plum tomatoes
14 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
sea salt and ground black pepper
4 baked potatoes 

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion, garlic, and chili for 2 minutes over a moderate heat.
Add the eggplant and rosemary and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and beans, season to taste, then cover and
cook for 25 minutes and stirring from time to time.
Divide between hot, buttered baked potatoes and serve straight away. Yields 4 servings.

1 cup whole frozen strawberries
1 cup vanilla soy milk
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 peeled kiwi, halved
3 bananas, halved

Put all ingredients in a blender. Process to desired consistancy. Chill
Makes 4 servings 1 cup each

VANILLA PANNA COTTA WITH BALSAMIC SUMMER STRAWBERRIES

Serves 4

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 packets unflavored gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons room-temperature tap water

3/4 cup cold milk

Pinch of salt

1 pound fresh ripe strawberries

1/4 cup good-quality aged balsamic vinegar

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

For the panna cotta, put the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm but not yet boiling. Remove the pan from the heat.

Sprinkle and stir the gelatin into the saucepan until the gelatin has dissolved. Briefly stir in the cold milk and the salt, just until combined.

Pour the mixture into 4 individual-serving dessert ramekins, each about 3/4 cup. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

Before serving, unmold the panna cottas onto individual chilled dessert plates, if you like. To do this, fill a pan with hot tap water. Dip the base of a ramekin into the water for no more than about 5 seconds to loosen the panna cotta. Then, invert a chilled dessert plate over the ramekin and, holding them securely together, turn them over. Lift off the ramekin. If the panna cotta won't come out, run the tip of a small, sharp knife around the side of the dish and try briefly dipping the bottom of the ramekin in hot water again. Alternatively, simply place each ramekin on top of a serving plate.

Stem the strawberries and cut them into neat slices. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the panna cottas. Drizzle the berries on each plate with the aged balsamic vinegar. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.