My newly discovered cousin, Maro Nalabandian, was the guest chef at the University
of Maryland’s Master Garden “Grow It; Eat It” open house event. 


A master
gardener herself, Maro demonstrated how to make a variety of recipes which
focused on the theme, ’From the Garden to the Kitchen Table’. Her recipes
included: Cool and Refreshing Yogurt Drink with Mint, Garden Fresh Greek Orzo
Salad, Herb Frittata/Omelet, Fines Herbs Butter, and Macerated Fruit in
Sweetened Lemon Verbena Syrup. (See below)

I thank Maro for sharing her recipes with us at The Armenian
Kitchen!

Maro pouring the yogurt drink

Cool
and Refreshing Yogurt Drink with Mint

Ingredients:

32 oz.  Whole milk,
Plain Greek Yogurt

1 tsp. Sea Salt, or as needed

2 ½ cups bottled ice cold Water, or more liquid to taste

1 tsp. dried Mint, crushed between fingers

1 Tbsp. fresh Mint leaves, finely minced

Ice Cubes

 Directions:

~In a large bowl, empty and whip yogurt till smooth and
silky and there are no lumps

~Add the salt, the fresh mint leaves, as well as the
crushed, dried mint to the yogurt

~ Slowly pour water while whisking

~Give a taste test, then pour into a pitcher with ice and serve

 Garden
Fresh Greek Orzo Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. Orzo, cooked according to directions in
packaging

3 Cloves Garlic, crushed and finely minced

Juice and zest of 1 Lemon

½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tsp. Sea Salt, as needed

¼ tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper, as needed

½ a Medium Red Onion, finely chopped

½ cup of Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved

10 oz. Grape Tomatoes, sliced in halves

2 cups garden fresh Cucumbers, diced in cubes

1 ½ cups imported Feta crumbled in pieces

1/3 cup of Fresh Mint leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup Greek Oregano, finely chopped

1/3 cup Parsley, finely chopped

4 cups spinach fresh from your garden or 1pkg. fresh
organic mini spinach

 Directions:

~In a large serving bowl, empty the drained and cooked
Orzo, set aside to cool

~In a Pyrex glass measuring cup, add the garlic, lemon
juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper, then whisk the vinaigrette while drizzling
in the olive oil, 

~Into the cooled Orzo bowl, add the salad ingredients and
the vinaigrette, then mix all together and serve

Maro chopping herbs

Herb
Frittata/Omelet

Ingredients:

5 Eggs, whipped

1 small Zucchini, grated

1 bunch Parsley Leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried Mint

¼ cup fresh Mint leaves, chopped

½ bunch Scallions, finely diced, as needed

½ tsp. Salt, as needed

¼ tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper

4 cloves Garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. Marash Red Pepper

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

 Directions:

~In a large bowl, whip the eggs

~Add all the above ingredients (except the olive oil),
whip till frothy

~In a non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil

~Empty all the ingredients into the skillet and cook
until bottom is golden and has set

~Slide omelet into a large plate

~Turn the pan over on top of the plate while holding
tightly, and turn over the plate to cook the other side of the omelet in the
pan

~Let it cook till golden, then empty on a serving dish
and cut the omelet in pie shaped wedges and serve

Fines
Herbs Butter

Ingredients:

1 lb. unsalted Butter, room temperature

1tsp. Sea salt, or as needed

1 Tbsp. Chives, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Tarragon, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Chervil, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried Thyme crushed between fingers (opt.)

1 tsp. Anchovy paste (opt.)

French Baguette, thinly sliced and toasted

1 bunch fresh Radishes, washed and thinly sliced (opt.)

 Directions:

~Whip butter in mixer or processor with all the items
above

~Give a taste test to adjust flavoring

~To Serve: Empty Fines Herbs Butter mixture in a bowl,
spread a bit of the Herb Butter on the baguette and top with a radish slice

~To Freeze: Empty butter mixture on to a long cut plastic
wrap and roll as a sausage and twist both ends, double wrap and freeze

~When ready to use, remove from freezer, let it stay at
room temperature, or refrigerate till soft enough to cut in slices, and make a
circular butter plate of it.

Macerated
Fruit in Sweetened Lemon Verbena

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Bottled Water

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon juice

1 cup Lemon Verbena leaves, packed

1 lb. Strawberries, washed

¼ cup Fresh Mint leaves

Directions:

~In a small saucepan, add sugar, water, lemon juice, and
bring to boil

~Add the lemon verbena leaves

~Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let it
cool

~Meanwhile, quarter the strawberries into a wide bowl

~Remove the verbena leaves from the syrup

~Drizzle the syrup over the Strawberries, mix 

~Slice the fresh mint leaves very thinly and sprinkle
over the strawberries

~Serve with whipped cream and crumbles or shortbread
(opt.)