, named for the garden’s creator. It contains a short history of the Gardens, as well as a brief write up of the herbs there now, as well as those that were in Mrs. Porter’s historical garden.
For each herb there is a black-and-white photo to help with identification, and - the fun part for me - a recipe.
When I applied for the grant from a local foundation, I blithely budgeted for 10 hours of writing time, which included my research time.
What was I thinking? Needless to say, it took me a lot longer to do this. A lot longer.
I really didn't mind, because I love the subject matter, enjoyed the research, and I loved doing it for the Gardens. It is one of Mark’s and my favorite spaces in Tucson.
Even on a triple-digit day, it is pleasant to stroll through the gardens and see what is blooming, or simply sip a lemonade in the dappled shade.
The book is for sale only at the
Tucson Botanical Gardens Gifts Shops, but that gives you a good excuse to visit. If you cannot visit, call the Gift Shop - they can send you the book! 100% of the purchase price benefits the Gardens.
The recipe below is one I created especially for the book.
Enjoy!
~ David
Lemon Verbena Butter Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon verbena leaves *
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
jam for filling (any flavor you choose; I made mine with plum)
Place 1/4 cup of the sugar and place it in a spice grinder with the chopped lemon verbena. Process for a few seconds to distribute the verbena.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add the verbena sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the yolks and vanilla and beat until well-mixed and smooth. With the mixer on at the slowest setting, add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured board to 3/16-inch, and cut into circles using a 2 1/2-inch cutter. With a 3/4-inch cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of half the cookies. (The “holes” can be pulled together, re-rolled, and cut into additional cookies.) Use a small spatula to transfer them to the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden around the bottom edges. The thickness of your pan will alter baking time so start watching at 9 minutes.
When cool, turn the cookies without the holes upside down and spread a little jam on each. Top each with a cookie ring, bottom side to the jam, and press lightly to make a sandwich. The jam will push up through the hole. Cookies can be dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or served without as shown.
Makes 2-3 dozen filled cookies, and 5 dozen plain cookies.
* If you don't have lemon verbena, you can use the grated zest of a lemon. The flavor is actually more lemon-y!
