The West Chicago Garden Club

Our August speaker, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh, the creator and owner of Backyard Patch Herbs, an online purveyor of salt-free, gluten-free, preservative-free herb cooking and tea products. She began growing herbs in 1994 with a small kitchen garden. Currently, after 25 years, she has expanded to a 3⁄4 acre garden. Over the years she has learned much about herbs, their growing habits, uses and quirks. She began speaking in the 80s as a museum curator and director and moved to sharing herb information in the 90s including at the Morton Arboretum, Chicago Flower and Garden Show, online on the Backyard Patch Herbal Blog, and at local libraries and garden clubs in Chicagoland.

During her program, ‘Be an Herbal Gourmet,’ Marcy will demonstrate how, by adding even the most basic herbs to your culinary palette, you can make your cooking more interesting, delicious and enjoyable. Demonstrations will include how to create herb mixtures to replace salt in food, techniques for infusing vinegar, sugar, compound butter and herb paste. Techniques will be demonstrated. Discussion of herbs and samples will be included.

Adding herbs can enhance flavors and allow for more healthful cooking. It is easy to create herb mixtures to replace salt in food. This and other tips for using herbs to cook with everyday are included in this lecture. The discussion includes flavor families, what herbs to use with certain dishes, and how to create herbal vinegars, butters and other items which can add herb flavors to cooking when herbs themselves are not appropriate.

Meeting Location: St Andrew Lutheran Church NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road.

Meeting Time: 6:45PM Refreshments – 7:00PM Business Meeting – 7:15PM Program

Our July meeting is a picnic for our members.  If you are a current member, check your email and newsletter for details.  If you are interested in joining our club, please come visit us at our August 25th meeting which will be open to all.  As usual, we will post here with details of future meetings.

I am so pleased that y’all are coming to visit my garden on Thursday, June 23. The garden will be open starting at 5:30. Come anytime that works for you. I will take small groups of ten or less on half-hour tours beginning at 6:00. However, you are totally welcome to explore on your own. Wear your comfortable garden shoes so you can check it all out. There are garden beds and wooded areas. The north woods are the most developed with multiple native trees, a grove of witch hazels, and paths added. And the honeybee hives are up there too. The central woods are basically a walk through path with most of the invasive stuff removed and the south woods are much the same. However, there is an unusual tree you should see in the south woods. And by the way…..bring a friend or neighbor if you’d like. 

There will be a variety of appetizers, sweets, and drinks and ample seating on the back patio. Please sit back and enjoy a lovely summer evening socializing and relaxing with members and friends.

Hopefully, we won’t need it, but in case of rain, we will reschedule to Thursday, June 30.

Members can find more information in their newsletter.  If you wish to attend and are not yet a member, please email us at WestChicagoGardenClub@gmail.com for more information.