Makes 8-10 crepes 
 
⅔ cup whole milk
⅔ cup water
3 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons additional melted butter (for the pan)
**1 cup mixed fresh foraged herbs or purchased herbs-see options below
1 cup ricotta cheese-whole fat
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place milk, water, eggs, and melted butter in a blender and mix until smooth. Add the flour and salt, a little at a time, mixing as you go and scraping down the sides of the jar as needed. This will help to keep flour from clumping. The batter will be thin.
2. Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, brush very lightly with melted butter. While tilting the pan in a circle, ladle the batter in to cover the surface with the batter. If using a 10-inch pan, prepare crepes with 1/3 cup of batter.
3. Sprinkle the batter with the herbs while the batter is still wet. Cook for 30-45 seconds. Using a crepe turner or rubber spatula, turn the crepe over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the crepe and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter. Cooled crepes can be stacked if needed.
4. Place the ricotta, oil, and lemon zest in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can use an immersion blender as well. Fill crepes with whipped ricotta and a pinch of lemon zest.

 
Foraged greens and Herbs

• Creeping jenny, dandelion, chickweed, violets (leaves and flowers), clover, purple nettle, plantain, garlic grass https://www.growforagecookferment.com/what-to-forage-in-spring/
• dill, parsley, mint, chive, scallion
  
  

 
Recipe Variations

• Add smoked salmon or smoked trout to fill your crepe for a special brunch dish.
• Fill with steamed asparagus and drizzle with a hollandaise sauce or kale spinach sauce.
• Add 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated parmesan to the whipped ricotta. Fill your crepes and place in a buttered baking dish or cover with tomato sauce and bake.
• Prepare the whipped ricotta w/ the mozzarella and parmesan as above. Stack your crepes with a thin spreading of cheese between the layers. Serve as is or baked until the cheese melts.

 
Williams Sonoma has a good selection of crepe equipment. www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?words=crepe

Forsythia is the first edible flower blooming in my garden. It's bright yellow blooms create the most beautiful syrup. I use the syrup in cocktails and drizzled over berries and Greek yogurt. 

Makes 1 cup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup forsythia blossoms

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. 
2. Turn off the heat and add the forsythia flowers. Cool to room temperature. Strain and discard the flowers.
3. Add to a drink to taste or use in a cocktail.
4. Store your syrup in the refrigerator in a covered jar or squeeze bottle. Store for up to 2 weeks. 

Variations: Prepare as above using different herbs 

• Basil syrup- 1/2 cup basil leaves
• Lavender syrup- 1 tablespoon lavender petals (not leaves)
• Chamomile syrup- 1 cup of chamomile flowers-use flowers that have just opened 
• Rosemary syrup- 1 tablespoon leaves
• Lemon verbena syrup- 1/2 cup leaves
• Cilantro syrup- 1 cup leaves and stems
• Lilac syrup- 2 cups flowers-use flowers that have just opened 

Mint Glazed Carrots and Peas
Source: Favorite Herbal Recipes of the Maple Hill Gardeners, 2000
Submitted by Donna Storrs
Location: page 33
 
This is a beautifully delicious recipe for any meal and any occasion. 
 
4 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick
¼ cup butter
½ teaspoon salt *(added by Liz)
Optional 1 teaspoon sugar 
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 cups cooked peas
 
Cook carrots until just fork tender and drain. 
Add the butter, salt, optional sugar, and mint leaves. Cook on low until carrots are well glazed. Add the peas and heat through. Serve.
 
Liz’s notes:
I cut my carrots on the bias. 
I added some salt to balance out the sweetness of the carrots. 
The original recipe called for ½ cup sugar. I felt this made the recipe much too sweet. 1 teaspoon of sugar is perfect. Carrots and peas are naturally sweet so if you prefer, don’t add sugar at all.

Scripture Cake
Source: D.A.R. Cook Book Second Edition
Submitted by: Minnie Colburn
Location: page 40
 
First, a little bit about scripture cake. Scripture cake was popular in the latter part of the nineteenth century, especially in the southern Appalachians.  The cake was meant as a way to teach young girls baking and Bible verses. The recipe is designed almost as a scavenger hunt through the bible. Only ingredient quantities were listed with the bible verses. The baker needed to go through the bible to find the ingredients to complete the recipe. I know you’ll enjoy this recipe. It makes two loaves, one to keep and one to share. Enjoy!
 
1 cup butter- Judges 5:25 
3 cups sugar-Jeremiah 6:20
6 eggs-Isaiah 10:14
3 1/2 cups flour- 1 Kings 4:22
1/2 teaspoon salt-Leviticus 2:13
2 teaspoons baking powder-Amos 4:5 (Liz added because it was missing from the recipe)
Sweet Spice to taste- 1 Kings 10:10 (Liz used ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp ginger)
1 cup water-Genesis 24:17
2 cups raisins- 1 Samuel 30:12
1 tablespoon honey-Exodus 16:31
1 cup almonds-Genesis 43:11
 
Follow Solomons advice for making good boys and you will have good cake-Prov. 23:14
 
Below are Liz’s instructions.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter 2 loaf pans. 
3. Mix the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add to butter mixture; beat at low speed until well combined. Add the water and combine.
5. Stir in raisins, honey, and almonds.
6. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake in until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
7. Cool in pans 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Best if prepared 1 day before serving. Store cake covered at room temperature.

 
Liz’s Notes:

• This cake can be baked in a 12-cup non-stick Bundt pan. Butter well and increase baking time to 60 minutes. Check with a wooden pick. 

​Community Cookbook Recipes from the Heart of Hollis-1912 to present
Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.

Florence Brown’s Rhubarb Punch and Rhubarb Punch Cocktail
Source: From the Heart of Hollis-The Hollis Women’s Club 1998
Rhubarb Punch Submitted by Carolyn Gargasz
Location: Appetizers, Beverages page 10
 
This punch is perfect for a spring party. I loved it so much, I created the Rhubarb Punch Cocktail recipe below. 
 
Rhubarb Punch
“Florence made this punch every year for the Hollis Anna Keyes Powers Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) annual meeting and potluck supper.” Carolyn Gargasz
 
Cook 2 pounds of cut up rhubarb in 5 cups of water until mushy. Press through sieve. Measure juice. To each cup, add 1/3 cup of sugar and stir until dissolved: boil 2 minutes. 
Add, for each cup: 
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
Just before serving, add 1 quart of ginger ale plus ice cubes or an ice ring.
 
 
Rhubarb Punch Cocktail by Liz Barbour

Makes 1 drink

2 ounces gin (vodka, white rum, or tequila can be substituted)

1 ounce orange liquor -triple sec
2 ounces Rhubarb Punch 
1 ounce fresh lime juice
 
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all of the cocktail ingredients. Shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted-about 30 seconds.  Strain into a cocktail coupe and serve with a lime twist or pour ingredients w/ice into 8-ounce glass and serve with a lime or orange twist

Pond Lily Salad with Cold Salad Dressing
Source: D.A.R. Cook Book Second Edition 1912
Pond Lily Salad Submitted by Mrs. George Hale
Cold Salad Dressing Submitted by M.S. Powers
Location: page 23

Pond Lily Salad
 
Boil six eggs twenty minutes. When cold, remove shells and cut eggs in halves crosswise. Cut whites in strips to resemble petals and lay on small lettuce leaf with one-half yolk in center. Shred the largest lettuce leaves, arrange in bottom of the platter, pour dressing over, then lay the lettuce leaves and egg on and garnish with radishes.
 
Notes from Liz:

• Add fresh herbs if you like-fresh parsley, dill, mint, and any other lettuce that you enjoy to place under the “pond lilies”.
• I cooked the eggs for 20 minutes as directed and found that the yolks were a little on the green side. Cooking the eggs for 15 minutes works for a more yellow appearance. 
• Drain the eggs after the boil and allow to cool. I did not put the eggs into an ice bath and they peeled perfectly when cooled at room temperature.

 
 
Cold Salad Dressing
 
One cup sour cream, two tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, one teaspoon mustard, small teaspoon salt, two tablespoons sugar, one-eight teaspoon cayenne. Stir cream well, then add other ingredients. 
 
Liz’s Notes:

• I used dry mustard powder.

Lemon Pie, Self-frosting
Source: D.A.R. Cook Book Second Edition
Submitted by: Mrs. Charles Eastman
Location: page 26
 
One cup sugar, one tablespoonful butter creamed with sugar, add two tablespoonsful flour, juice and grated rind of one lemon, yolks of two eggs beaten, one cup milk. Last add two beaten whites, folded into the mixture. Cook till firm. 
 
Liz’s Notes:
This is a lovely tasting lemon pie; not too sweet and not too lemony. The whipped egg whites create a lovely caramelized top layer. 
 

• Use an 8” or 9” pie pan. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking rack in the middle of the oven.
• For the pie crust, I used one disk of my favorite pie dough recipe. Roll out the dough to 14 inches. Place into the pie pan. Roll and crimp the edge. 
• When I prepared this recipe I found that the butter and sugar did not cream. That’s okay. I just stirred together the sugar, butter (room temperature), flour, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Then I added the yolks and milk and combined. 
• I used large eggs.
• I used heavy cream instead of milk and I liked the creaminess of the pie. You can use either cream or milk. If using milk, use full fat.
• Whip the egg whites until firm.
•  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool. Serve with whipped cream if you like. 

Community Cookbook Recipes from the Heart of Hollis-1912 to present
Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb
Source: Favorite Herbal Recipes of the Maple Hill Gardeners, 2000
Submitted by: Cay Gregg
Location: page 42
 
1(6lb) leg of lamb, butterflied
½ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rosemary (dried)
½ teaspoon ginger (dried)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
 
Mix seasonings and spread over lamb. Marinade overnight in refrigerator. Broil for 15 minutes on each side. Makes it well done. Serves 6 to 8.
 
Liz’s Notes:
Cay Gregg was the wife of NH Governor Hugh Gregg and mother to NH Senator Judd Gregg. I met Cay shortly after I moved to Hollis. She always made time to sit with me and chat about my family and what I was up to. Cay was a lovely woman, and I feel privileged to have called her a friend. What a delight it was to discover some of her recipes in the pages of this cookbook. I will forever prepare my butterflied leg of lamb Cay’s way.
 

• I prepared this recipe using a 3 ½ pound butterflied leg of lamb and cut the marinade recipe in half to serve 4.
• To cook, I set my broiler on high and placed the lamb 5 inches below the flame/coil. I prefer my lamb a little pink and cooked “medium” rather than “well done”. I cooked the butterflied lamb for 10-15 minutes on each side. Test the temperature with an instant read thermometer. 145 degrees for medium.
• Let the lamb rest, covered with foil for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with my mint vinaigrette if you like. I love it!