Herb Fair

South Texas Unit

of

The Herb Society of America

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Our 37th Annual Herb FAIR     

"A Day in the Park"

Herb Mart and Lecture Series

Click on thumbnail images to see  larger pictures from previous  Festivals

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Huge plant selection

 

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Seasoning blends

 

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Jellies

 

 

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Our T-Shirt

Only $10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, October 24, 2009 

Hermann Park Garden Center

Doors open 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Open to the public - FREE - No admission fee

Plant Catalog available! click here to download a copy

Enormous selection of Herb Plants suitable for Houston - Most of the herbs available in our huge selection are grown to ORGANIC standards.  Autumn is the prime time for planting herbs in the Houston area.  We’ll offer the most extensive selection of herbs you’ll find suitable for our area.  Members will be available to offer expert growing advice and to help you find the herbs you want.

Arrive early to be certain of a good selection.

Click here to see member Susan Wood's video article on herb growing posted on The Houston Chronicle's garden website

Purchases must be made with cash or check  - We're unable to process credit cards

      Delicious Herbal Snacks and Luncheon Items from our Wild Thymes Café.  We'll offer soup, boxed lunches, lemonade, tea, coffee, and tea breads - all with a special herbal twist.

 

This event is our Unit's sole fund raiser for the year.  The proceeds from the Herb Festival support the South Texas Unit's educational activities as well as the donations we make to area arboreta and gardens, the Herb Garden at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. and to the educational outreach programs of The Herb Society of America.  The Herb Festival also partially supports the annual scholarships we award to Texas students studying botany or horticulture.

 

Join Us for a Day of Herbal Festivities 

8:30 – close

No admission charged

Huge Herb Mart and Marketplace, Wild Thymes Café and Vendors

 

 Purchases must be made with cash or check  - We're unable to process credit cards.  

9:30 – 10:30

Container Gardening – $25 registration required

This hands-on class will cover the basics of container gardening: from container and soil choice to selection and placement of plants.  Class includes an informational handout, container, 3 herbs and soil.  (Registration limited to 30 participants) 

Taught by member Jeanie Dunnihoo

10:00 – close

Free - Activities for the young and “young at heart”

Houston Museum of Natural Science Butterfly tent, story time, free seed packets of butterfly attracting plants for each child while supplies last, scavenger hunt and more

10:45 – 11:45

Free lecture - What Can I Do with My Herbs?

Judy Barrett will discuss and autograph her new book What Can I do with My Herbs? Judy will share fun and creative things to do with a variety of easy to grow herbs.  She’ll discuss the plants’ histories and a list of popular uses, as well as helpful information about how to successfully grow them and how to enjoy them in the garden.

11:00 – 12:00

St. Thomas High School Jazz Combo performs a set of New Orleans-style jazz

12:00 – 1:00

Jazzing It Up Creole-Style – $20 registration required

Taught by member Lucia Bettler

Creole cooking uses a palette of distinctive herbs and ingredients.  Learn how to incorporate these combinations into your cooking and jazz up an everyday meal.  Participants will taste samples from the creations demonstrated in class and will receive recipes to take home. (Registration limited to 30 participants) 

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  Member Pam Harris, owner of Elm Street Creations, will offer unique nostalgic gift baskets along with a selection of handmade journals, cards and decorative boxes.

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  Member Lucia Bettler will be on site with items from her shop, Lucia’s Garden.  She’ll have a wonderful selection of herbal books, tea towels, fairy items and more.

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  Member Donna Fay Hilliard will be selling selections from her Sweet Organic Solutions business in Pearland. Sweet Organic Solutions offers organic soil & plant amendments, biological inoculants, organic pesticides, and herb, flower and vegetable seeds.

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Expanded herbal product line – more jellies, more blends, potpourri, teas, crafts, herbal “garage sale”

Jellies 

All jellies are in 8-oz. jars and are sugar-based. Savory herbal jellies are good for basting meats and in meat marinades, for adding a layer of flavor to soups and stews as well as the usual muffin and corn bread toppers.  The sweet herbal jellies serve the same roles but also can be used as a glaze for fruit tarts or blended in whipped cream to top Sunday morning waffles!

Apricot Lemongrass – a sweet jelly combining the deep, fruity flavor of apricots with the citrus flavor of lemongrass.

Burgundy Rosemary – the queen of our herbal jellies.  Rosemary infused into red wine delivers a yummy combination.  This is the jelly to glaze poached pears, to melt into salad dressing (over spinach, gorgonzola cheese bits and toasted pecans), or to add a surprise layer to turkey –brie sandwiches. 

Cranberry Jalapeño – the wonderful flavor of jalapeño but with a bottom note of cranberry.  Slightly mild but great on warmed goat cheese toasts, as a baste for grilled chicken.

Rosemary Garlic – fresh garlic and rosemary blend with a wine base.  Excellent for pork tenderloin or grilled shrimp and scallops. Whip this into butter to top grilled steaks.

Spiced Cider – uses traditional winter spices such as cinnamon and cloves and infuses them into a cider base. This is the jelly for warm ginger bread, apple turnovers, or pancakes.

Blends

Boursin Cheese – The garlic lover’s favorite.  Blended with cream cheese, this blend is great with crackers, spread on a roast beef sandwich or on sliced cucumber and smoked salmon.

Dill DipMakes a fantastic dip, excellent potato soup seasoning or great baked potato.

Herby Rice Turns humdrum rice into yum-yum rice.  Makes a great side to beef or chicken entrées or vegetable platters.

Rosemary’s CookiesThe essential blend for the most delicious molasses cookie you’ll ever put in your mouth. Rosemary is the “herb of remembrance” and this blend will make a recipe for which you’ll be sure to be remembered.

Royal SaltDelicious sprinkled on your veggies, cottage cheese or eggs, or to season your steak or chicken.  This special blend is a staple for grilling and is one of our top-selling blends.

Salad ‘n’ Such – A “go with everything” blend that dresses up a salad with a sprinkle.  Also nice on vegetables or for rounding out the flavor of a simple broth.

Soup du JourYou’ll be a hit for sure when you use our Soup du Jour blend.  Add to your favorite soup, stew, meat dish or omelet.

Spaghetti ZipUse this aromatic blend to zest up your favorite pasta, spaghetti or minestrone recipe.

Boxed lunch - Boxed lunch includes a special sandwich, a side of fruit, a special cookie and a beverage.  Sandwich choices include an herbal chicken salad or “Not-your-grandma’s” special seasoned pimiento cheese.

If purchased with a paid class, the price of the lunch is discounted.

Dozen Mixed Cookies – a delicious selection of Spearmint Chocolate Chip, Earl Gray (bergamot) Shortbread, Cinnamon Basil-Lime Pistachio and Lemon Rosemary cookies packaged in a box.

Purchases must be made with cash or check  - We're unable to process credit cards