April and Pat at Rotary Club Meeting

Getting the word out to the public about the AHS Museum at Papago Park is part of our mission statement. We can also talk about the cookbook and who doesn't like to sample Granola? April Riggins and Pat Faur spoke at the August 11 Rotary Club of North Phoenix after an invitation from Bill and Sandra Goodheart.

Interesting to note, they were very curious about the Sandra Day O'Connor house and the new exhibit honoring her at the Museum. They were impressed with the fact that we had granted $69,000 to the museum this past year. Also noted . . . they liked the cookbook. April and Pat were happy to oblige with sales.

Recipes well received at Master Gardener class.

Work in the garden and you'll work up an appetite, as attested by the food consumed at my Master Gardener class. Every 5 weeks my group is responsible for bringing in 'snacks' for the class. I brought in Tabouli Salad pg. 130 and Very Lemon Bread pg. 119. My friend, Carol, brought in Granola pg. 196.
The lemon bread had been stored in the freezer and it served much nicer and firmer than when fresh. It looks so nice with fresh lemon slices and fresh blueberries.
Carol's son, Serge, loved the Tabouli Salad...very refreshing with mint, parsley, basil, green onion, tomato and lemon juice.
Historymaker Eddie Basha commented on this recipe, "As long as I can remember, tabouli salad was a favorite in our family regardless of the day of the week or season of the year. This culinary and Lebanese delight continues to be a most popular salad of the Basha family."

TABOULI SALAD
1/2 cup cracked wheat
4 tomatoes, chopped
3 bunches parsley, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced
Small handful of fresh mint, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soak the cracked wheat in enough water to generously cover in a bowl for 30 minutes and drain. Press the excess moisture from the cracked wheat. Combine the cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, green onions and mint in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Delicious served cupped in a variety of lettuce or fresh grape leaves. Serves 6 to 8.

Option: I used more lemon juice and less oil. Also used whole grain quinoa and cooked it first according to instructions. Used fresh chopped basil from my garden.

Eddy Basha's Tabouli Salad

Finding ingredients for this ethnic salad should not be so hard but it took me to two grocery stores before I got mint. And then, they were out of the packaged ones but a fresh mint plant was available. Eddie Basha's Mom must have had it growing in her garden.
The salad is really easy. It just calls for lots of chopping parsley, green onion and tomatoes. The flavors blend well to make a tasty vegetarian dish. The recipe calls for soaking the cracked wheat but I found it never softened so I cooked it for 15 minutes first. I think I didn't have cracked wheat but whole grains...makes a big difference. Another recipe I found online calls for chopped basil and since it is growing so well in my garden, I added it also. Makes a nice side dish or salad for lunch.

Lassoing young minds with Ourcourts.org

Great article on Sandra Day O'Connor in the Sunday, August 2, AZ Republic Viewpoints. Justice O'Connor has always championed education, wanting to "saddle up to help teach middle school kids about how their government works." Her life on the Lazy B Ranch gave her "lessons that inspired a lifetime of civic involvement and public service." Now she is working with Ourcourts.org to develop online lessons, games and history for teachers and students.

The Historical League has a summer project to do similar good works. Our volunteer staff is digitalizing the 55 Historymakers oral histories so they will be accessible on www.HistoricalLeague.org. This is part of the Legacy Project for the Arizona Historical Society to celebrate Arizona's Centennial. These oral histories are from Arizonans such as Erma Bombeck, Eddie Basha, Jerry Colangelo, Paul Fannin, Barry Goldwater, Esther Don Tang and Ed Mell. A complete list is on www.HistoricalLeague.org. The histories talk about their childhood, education, business and social and political life. You feel like you are sitting down talking with them over a cup of coffee . . . or glass of wine.

Love this photo of Sandra as a young girl on the ranch. Can you guess who is the other young man? . . . Barry Goldwater.

Fairmont Princess Shop carries Cookbook

Thanks to League member, Nina Filippi, the Scottsdale Princess hotel called to order cookbooks. Nina showed buyer, Cynthia Gosse, a sample book and she thought it would be a great addition to their Princess shop. I delivered them yesterday and Cheryl Lucas, the manager, was very interested. She leafed through the entire book, commenting on various recipes and historic places. El Chorro is a favorite of hers with the Sticky Buns recipe, page 79. Tumbleweeds on page 192 got her attention also. The Princess often does special events so I mentioned how easy it is to sample the Granola page 196. It is so healthy and delicious. I freeze extra in ziploc bags for future use. We will serve several different recipes at the private Sandra Day O'Connor exhibit opening October 21.

Granola
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pistachios
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup finely chopped assorted dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries, dates)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, coconut, pistachios, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in a bowl. Combine the honey, brown sugar, molasses and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until blended, stirring frequently; do not allow to boil.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and mix until coated. Spread the oats mixture on a greased baking sheet with edges. Bake for 15 minutes or until the oats are golden brown, stirring frequently. Spoon immediately into a heatproof bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Store in airtight containers or sealable plastic bags in a cool environment for up to 2 months. Freeze if storing for longer than 2 months. Makes 16 to 18 cups.
Hint - Do not let the granola sit on the hot cookie sheet.

Cracked Wheat Quinoa

We are Costco fans. It is that simple. Where ever we travel, we like to visit one...from the Big Island of Hawaii to Calgary, Canada to Cancun, Mexico to the local neighborhood Phoenix store. Yesterday we found Whole Grain Quinoa and I boiled it for dinner in place of a rice dish. Nice and simple. Then I realized that is what Eddie Basha's mother may have used in her Tabouli Salad. Great stuff and so versatile. A classmate from my Master Gardener class brought it as a salad which tasted very much like Basha's Tabouli Salad also. Interesting how a Lebanese staple has now entered the US market.

Pronounced "keen-wa". Quinoa is a complete protein grain (50% more than wheat), high in lysine, more iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, E and B, and more calcium and fat than other grains. Quinoa kernels have a waxy protective coating called saponin which will leave quinoa bitter unless rinsed off under running water before cooking. Expands to four times its volume when cooked. Combine with millet, bugler or buckwheat for variety. Substitute for bugler in tabouli. Makes a very light breakfast cereal.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/4 cup (43 g)

Nutrient Amount % DV

Calories 160 Calories from Fat 20 Total Fat 2.5 g 4% Sodium 10 mg 0%

Master Gardener Class Snacks

Becoming a Master Gardener has always been a goal of mine so when my girlfriend signed up, I did too. Seventeen weeks at U of Arizona's Extension Office in Phoenix is a big commitment but it is very interesting and I am learning a lot. Each week different groups bring in "snacks" so we have a lovely buffet. Carol brought in Granola pg 196 and I made Luscious Lemon Loaf pg 198. Carol was very creative by serving the Granola in a chip and dip bowl with the spoon resting in the dip bowl. She actually sold two cookbooks because the ladies wanted the Granola recipe and loved the historical aspect of the book.