Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 15 Lovage
Here is an efficient, multi-purpose herb. A small amount of chopped leaves and tender stems is a quick substitute for celery; its flavor is so strong, you just don’t need very much to do the job. An unexpected added bonus: the large flower umbels are the favorite feeding ground of the wasps that will fly out to the garden, where they’ll lay eggs in tomato worms, and the larva will consume the worms!
How to grow it:
Some sources advise planting lovage near running water, but that is asking TOO much. It grows just fine in the sun, inland, although you will want to keep it well watered, in a fertile soil that is rich in organics (compost, well-rotted manure). It is the last of our “Moist Herbs,” which included basil, cilantro, chives, dill lemon balm, mint and parsley.
How to eat it:
Once you taste potato salad with minced lovage leaves and stems, you’ll not need celery there again. Dry the leaves and stems, and keep them in a dark jar for winter vegetable soups and meat stews. Get points at a summer luncheon: The hollow stems are elegant drinking straws for tomato juice!
Lovage Soup
From Fresh Herb Cooking by Linda Dannenberg. Stewart Tabori & Chang, New York 2001
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white part only, minced
2 white onions, chopped
4 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded lovage leaves
3 cups half-and-half
In a heavy saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and onion and cook until they are soft and slightly translucent, but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, stock and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very soft, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat, stir in the lovage; cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook until the lovage is softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Process the potato mixture in a blender or food processor, then transfer to a large saucepan. Add the lovage and the half-and-half, stir to combine, then place over medium heat until very hot, but not boiling. Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls.
Serves 6 to 8.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Easy Herbs: 14/15: Sage
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 14 Sage
Leaves of sage should be harvested in May or September when the moon is ascending. This series does not cover any medicinal uses, cosmetic potions, or witchcraft, but while checking my research, I found 2 things worth trying: sage leaves in a rinse to darken gray hair, and rubbed on teeth to whiten them! Hey, what harm can it do?
How to grow it:
This is the last of our “Dry Herbs,” which included lavender, oregano, rosemary, winter savory, tarragon and thyme. Full sun or light shade will work, in light well-drained soil. It’s easiest to start with a plant from the nursery; it’s not like a sagebrush—look for culinary sage, Salvia officinalis.
How to eat it:
Sage is most commonly used in chicken, stuffing and sausage. When roasting a whole chicken, or parts, slip (push) fresh or dried sage leaves under the skin, along with slices of garlic. Put fresh or dried sage leaves in a cream sauce for pork roast or veal cutlets. Sage and caraway breadsticks are good; put sage in cream gravy for biscuits; sage accompanies chicken livers or any fatty meat.
Last herb will be the tallest: You’ll love Lovage soup.
Tortellini with Sage
For each serving: 1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1 cup cheese tortellini pasta
In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter, and add the sage leaves. Being careful to not let the butter burn, sauté the leaves until they are crisp around the edges.
Cook tortellini in boiling water following package directions. Drain. Toss with sage and butter.
No. 14 Sage
Leaves of sage should be harvested in May or September when the moon is ascending. This series does not cover any medicinal uses, cosmetic potions, or witchcraft, but while checking my research, I found 2 things worth trying: sage leaves in a rinse to darken gray hair, and rubbed on teeth to whiten them! Hey, what harm can it do?
How to grow it:
This is the last of our “Dry Herbs,” which included lavender, oregano, rosemary, winter savory, tarragon and thyme. Full sun or light shade will work, in light well-drained soil. It’s easiest to start with a plant from the nursery; it’s not like a sagebrush—look for culinary sage, Salvia officinalis.
How to eat it:
Sage is most commonly used in chicken, stuffing and sausage. When roasting a whole chicken, or parts, slip (push) fresh or dried sage leaves under the skin, along with slices of garlic. Put fresh or dried sage leaves in a cream sauce for pork roast or veal cutlets. Sage and caraway breadsticks are good; put sage in cream gravy for biscuits; sage accompanies chicken livers or any fatty meat.
Last herb will be the tallest: You’ll love Lovage soup.
Tortellini with Sage
For each serving: 1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1 cup cheese tortellini pasta
In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter, and add the sage leaves. Being careful to not let the butter burn, sauté the leaves until they are crisp around the edges.
Cook tortellini in boiling water following package directions. Drain. Toss with sage and butter.
Easy Herbs: 13/15: Basil
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 13 Basil
Talk about trendy! And pronunciation disagreement! Wide choice of types. Where to start?! The seed catalogs –which may list as many as 13 different varieties--will tout this one or that one as the best for pesto, the best for tomatoes, and you would have to grow them all to discover your favorite. Here is my short list: Sweet Basil, Genovese Basil, and Thai Basil. The cutesy mini basil is a no-starter—too tiny, who wants the smallest of anything? But then I also shun the highly acclaimed giant-leaved or lettuce-leaved basil, because the flavor is bland. Who wants the blandest of anything? But the most useful all around are the sweet and Genovese types.
How to grow it:
Life is too short to plant seedlings in little pots & then set them outside, if you can just as easily direct sow them. Sweet basil planted when the garden soil is very warm will mature in time for the tomato season—and that’s exactly what you want. When the first 3 pairs of leaves have emerged (the first pair of seedling leaves, and 2 pairs of true leaves) pinch out the top pair of leaves. Keep this up, and the basil will branch out and flourish, and confound your efforts to keep track of which one you pinched last time. Doing this constantly will keep you ahead of the bolting process (blooming and going to seed), as will maintaining constant moisture. Don’t let the plants get stressed in the heat of the day. Drying in the heat is the signal for the plant to set buds for blossoms, and then it is downhill for the flavor of the annual moist herbs. If the constant pinching provides too much fresh basil, then dry the leaves. You’ll need them for red tomato sauces next winter.
How to eat it:
Lemon basil is good cooked with pot roast or made into tea with or without other lemon-flavored herbs such as lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon thyme. Thai basil is a bit spicier, and great in Asian recipes. Use the Sweet or Genovese varieties for pesto and Mediterranean foods. Use basil fresh or dried. Get points at an appetizer party: Bring the beautiful presentation below.
Herb for the ages next: The wisdom of Sage.
Pesto
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup elephant garlic cloves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
In a food processor whizz the basil leaves, garlic, cheese, and oil until well blended. Add the pine nuts and blend another 10 seconds. If not using immediately, pour into a container with a tight lid (or use tight plastic wrap). Before sealing it for refrigeration or freezing, cover the surface of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil. This will help to prevent oxidation. When serving or using the pesto, stir the top oil layer into the mixture.
Note: For a thinner sauce, add more oil when processing. The amount of cheese can be altered to your taste, or to suit the dish being served.
Basic: Serve with pasta, pizza, bruschetta, meats, vegetables, soups and salads.
Beautiful presentation: Arrange slices of tomatoes on a platter; lay a thin slice of mozzarella cheese on each tomato slice, topped with a dab of pesto.
No. 13 Basil
Talk about trendy! And pronunciation disagreement! Wide choice of types. Where to start?! The seed catalogs –which may list as many as 13 different varieties--will tout this one or that one as the best for pesto, the best for tomatoes, and you would have to grow them all to discover your favorite. Here is my short list: Sweet Basil, Genovese Basil, and Thai Basil. The cutesy mini basil is a no-starter—too tiny, who wants the smallest of anything? But then I also shun the highly acclaimed giant-leaved or lettuce-leaved basil, because the flavor is bland. Who wants the blandest of anything? But the most useful all around are the sweet and Genovese types.
How to grow it:
Life is too short to plant seedlings in little pots & then set them outside, if you can just as easily direct sow them. Sweet basil planted when the garden soil is very warm will mature in time for the tomato season—and that’s exactly what you want. When the first 3 pairs of leaves have emerged (the first pair of seedling leaves, and 2 pairs of true leaves) pinch out the top pair of leaves. Keep this up, and the basil will branch out and flourish, and confound your efforts to keep track of which one you pinched last time. Doing this constantly will keep you ahead of the bolting process (blooming and going to seed), as will maintaining constant moisture. Don’t let the plants get stressed in the heat of the day. Drying in the heat is the signal for the plant to set buds for blossoms, and then it is downhill for the flavor of the annual moist herbs. If the constant pinching provides too much fresh basil, then dry the leaves. You’ll need them for red tomato sauces next winter.
How to eat it:
Lemon basil is good cooked with pot roast or made into tea with or without other lemon-flavored herbs such as lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon thyme. Thai basil is a bit spicier, and great in Asian recipes. Use the Sweet or Genovese varieties for pesto and Mediterranean foods. Use basil fresh or dried. Get points at an appetizer party: Bring the beautiful presentation below.
Herb for the ages next: The wisdom of Sage.
Pesto
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup elephant garlic cloves
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
In a food processor whizz the basil leaves, garlic, cheese, and oil until well blended. Add the pine nuts and blend another 10 seconds. If not using immediately, pour into a container with a tight lid (or use tight plastic wrap). Before sealing it for refrigeration or freezing, cover the surface of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil. This will help to prevent oxidation. When serving or using the pesto, stir the top oil layer into the mixture.
Note: For a thinner sauce, add more oil when processing. The amount of cheese can be altered to your taste, or to suit the dish being served.
Basic: Serve with pasta, pizza, bruschetta, meats, vegetables, soups and salads.
Beautiful presentation: Arrange slices of tomatoes on a platter; lay a thin slice of mozzarella cheese on each tomato slice, topped with a dab of pesto.
Easy Herbs: 12/15: Chives
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 12 Chives
Before my mother & grandmother on the farms in Pennsylvania knew what “herbs” were, they grew chives, also parsley, dill and mint. Nowadays these flavoring vegetables are so popular, we call them herbs and maintain separate garden areas for them. And we’ve added the exotic herbs to our diet, but chives is (or are?) one of the old standards, one of the earliest spring tastes of delicate onion flavor.
How to grow them:
Perennials are valued as time savers—no need to plant every year. Chives are easy to grow from seed or division (share with friends.) They will behave well in full sun and fertile soil that is kept moist, and might require dividing every few years.
How to eat them:
When your refrigerator crisper is all out of green onions, run out to the herb garden, and grab some chives. Mix chopped chives in sour cream, to top steamed butternut squash and standard baked potatoes. Don’t bother to dry the leaves, they lose flavor quickly.
Herb to come: Basil, Italy’s gift to tomatoes.
Chives-Buttered Carrots
From the original Betty Crocker Cookbook. 1969.
1 1/2 pounds fresh carrots
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced chives
Heat 1 inch of water to boiling. Add whole peeled carrots. Cover, return to boil, and cook until crisp-tender.
Melt butter in medium sauté pan; add carrots. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chives. Heat carrots through.
No. 12 Chives
Before my mother & grandmother on the farms in Pennsylvania knew what “herbs” were, they grew chives, also parsley, dill and mint. Nowadays these flavoring vegetables are so popular, we call them herbs and maintain separate garden areas for them. And we’ve added the exotic herbs to our diet, but chives is (or are?) one of the old standards, one of the earliest spring tastes of delicate onion flavor.
How to grow them:
Perennials are valued as time savers—no need to plant every year. Chives are easy to grow from seed or division (share with friends.) They will behave well in full sun and fertile soil that is kept moist, and might require dividing every few years.
How to eat them:
When your refrigerator crisper is all out of green onions, run out to the herb garden, and grab some chives. Mix chopped chives in sour cream, to top steamed butternut squash and standard baked potatoes. Don’t bother to dry the leaves, they lose flavor quickly.
Herb to come: Basil, Italy’s gift to tomatoes.
Chives-Buttered Carrots
From the original Betty Crocker Cookbook. 1969.
1 1/2 pounds fresh carrots
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced chives
Heat 1 inch of water to boiling. Add whole peeled carrots. Cover, return to boil, and cook until crisp-tender.
Melt butter in medium sauté pan; add carrots. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chives. Heat carrots through.
Easy Herbs: 11/15: Winter Savory
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 11 Winter Savory
This perennial plant is more reliable –and more flavorful—than the annual summer savory. So it’s a no-brainer to maintain only the best & brightest! It can sub for thyme when you want more flavor punch. It’s so easy, can be picked during a mild winter, and may not even need early spring pruning. It may decline after 3 or 4 years, but you’ll be glad to replace it with a new plant, after you get accustomed to having it on hand for beans, grains and pilaf salads.
How to grow it:
Start with a nursery plant, and put it with your other dry-soil herbs (lavender, oregano, sage, tarragon, and thyme.) Sunny spot, light sandy soil, not allowed to remain soggy. Easy.
How to eat it:
See above. Leaves are used either fresh or dried.
Next time: Chives are always plural.
Palouse Pilaf
Wheat and Barley Salad
2/3 cup dry wheat berries
2/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh winter savory leaves
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 teaspoons fresh minced mint leaves
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the wheat berries, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the barley and simmer for 30 minutes more.
While the grains cook, combine the onion, garlic, salt, vinegar and oil. Drain the grains and toss with the onion mixture. Set aside to cool.
When the grains have cooled to room temperature, add the fresh herbs and tomatoes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
No. 11 Winter Savory
This perennial plant is more reliable –and more flavorful—than the annual summer savory. So it’s a no-brainer to maintain only the best & brightest! It can sub for thyme when you want more flavor punch. It’s so easy, can be picked during a mild winter, and may not even need early spring pruning. It may decline after 3 or 4 years, but you’ll be glad to replace it with a new plant, after you get accustomed to having it on hand for beans, grains and pilaf salads.
How to grow it:
Start with a nursery plant, and put it with your other dry-soil herbs (lavender, oregano, sage, tarragon, and thyme.) Sunny spot, light sandy soil, not allowed to remain soggy. Easy.
How to eat it:
See above. Leaves are used either fresh or dried.
Next time: Chives are always plural.
Palouse Pilaf
Wheat and Barley Salad
2/3 cup dry wheat berries
2/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh winter savory leaves
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 teaspoons fresh minced mint leaves
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the wheat berries, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the barley and simmer for 30 minutes more.
While the grains cook, combine the onion, garlic, salt, vinegar and oil. Drain the grains and toss with the onion mixture. Set aside to cool.
When the grains have cooled to room temperature, add the fresh herbs and tomatoes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Easy Herbs: 10/15: Oregano
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 10 Oregano
There are many varieties from various locations (Greece, Mexico, Italy, Sicily, Syria, Turkey, Crete, etc.) The strongest (best) flavor comes from true Greek Oregano (species name is heracleoticum). Since marjoram is a weaker flavored, short-lived, tender Origanum, let’s concentrate on the full-flavored Greek Oregano. If your recipe calls for marjoram, just use less oregano!
How to grow it:
The best location for the plant is in full sun, in well-drained soil. If you are determined to experience the herb that bites back, O. heracleoticum, order seeds from Richter’s Herbs. (richters.com) Start seeds indoors in early spring; don’t cover them with soil, they’ll germinate in light.
How to eat it:
Leaves are good at any stage, and can be frozen or dried for winter use. With olive oil and oregano, a submarine sandwich is Italian. Oregano in your homemade “boursin” cheese spread will be delicious. You’ll find the ingredient listed in recipes for vegetables, meats, cheese & egg dishes—but the primo use is in tomato sauce for pasta and pizza.
Herb on deck: Winter Savory—you can eat it in the summer, too.
Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cracked fennel seeds
Sauté garlic and onion in oil until golden. Add tomatoes and all seasonings. Simmer until sauce has lost most of its moisture, about 5 minutes.
No. 10 Oregano
There are many varieties from various locations (Greece, Mexico, Italy, Sicily, Syria, Turkey, Crete, etc.) The strongest (best) flavor comes from true Greek Oregano (species name is heracleoticum). Since marjoram is a weaker flavored, short-lived, tender Origanum, let’s concentrate on the full-flavored Greek Oregano. If your recipe calls for marjoram, just use less oregano!
How to grow it:
The best location for the plant is in full sun, in well-drained soil. If you are determined to experience the herb that bites back, O. heracleoticum, order seeds from Richter’s Herbs. (richters.com) Start seeds indoors in early spring; don’t cover them with soil, they’ll germinate in light.
How to eat it:
Leaves are good at any stage, and can be frozen or dried for winter use. With olive oil and oregano, a submarine sandwich is Italian. Oregano in your homemade “boursin” cheese spread will be delicious. You’ll find the ingredient listed in recipes for vegetables, meats, cheese & egg dishes—but the primo use is in tomato sauce for pasta and pizza.
Herb on deck: Winter Savory—you can eat it in the summer, too.
Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cracked fennel seeds
Sauté garlic and onion in oil until golden. Add tomatoes and all seasonings. Simmer until sauce has lost most of its moisture, about 5 minutes.
Easy Herbs: 9/15: Lavender
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 9 Lavender
The blossoms can be purple, rose, purple-blue, lavender-blue, violet, pink or white. Most commonly valued for its aromatic properties in the perfumery industry, for cosmetics, & lotions, the blossoms of lavender are also the parts of the plant most used in culinary preparations. (The leaves are edible, but bitter.) Lavender is big in England and France, but for the local lavender experience check out the Pend Oreille Lavender Festival, July 7 & 8 in Cusick, Washington. Also try Lavender Fields Forever, Mountain View Ranch in Athol, Idaho in July. There are lavender festivals in Western Washington, Western Montana and beyond.
How to grow it:
A sunny sandy spot will do. In hard winter areas, cover with a deep mulch of leaves and pine straw; the plant may require severe pruning in early spring. Linda Ours Sago in Dooryard Herbs, advises settling your newly purchased lavender plant on the south side of a large rock. The rock will hold the sun’s warmth and serve as wind protection.
How to eat it:
Lavender jelly sounds nice, lavender mint iced tea—all veddy veddy proper sweet things a proper lady would make with her English lavender. The French use lavender as a savory herb.
Next herb: Truly Greek Oregano.
Herbes de Provence
Close your eyes, sprinkle Herbes de Provence on an onion tart, take a bite, and feel the sensuous sunshine and warm Mediterranean breeze of southern France. If you don’t live in Provence, name your herbs as you please: call it your own, such as “Herbs de Inland Northwest” or “Herbs de Virginia?”, and pack the mixture in tiny spice jars as gifts for friends who like to eat. If you are using fresh herbs from your garden, harvest them in the morning after the dew has evaporated, and the leaves are not wet. If they are dusty and you must wash them, allow them to air dry. Wrap in paper towels, and nuke them on full power for 1 to 2 minutes.
4 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried winter savory leaves
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons crumbled dry bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon dried orange peel
Whizz all ingredients in a coffee grinder. Store in a tightly covered jar. Use to flavor sautéed vegetables or sprinkle on an onion tart (French pizza).
Hint: To clean the coffee grinder after herbs or spices, whizz some granulated sugar in it.
No. 9 Lavender
The blossoms can be purple, rose, purple-blue, lavender-blue, violet, pink or white. Most commonly valued for its aromatic properties in the perfumery industry, for cosmetics, & lotions, the blossoms of lavender are also the parts of the plant most used in culinary preparations. (The leaves are edible, but bitter.) Lavender is big in England and France, but for the local lavender experience check out the Pend Oreille Lavender Festival, July 7 & 8 in Cusick, Washington. Also try Lavender Fields Forever, Mountain View Ranch in Athol, Idaho in July. There are lavender festivals in Western Washington, Western Montana and beyond.
How to grow it:
A sunny sandy spot will do. In hard winter areas, cover with a deep mulch of leaves and pine straw; the plant may require severe pruning in early spring. Linda Ours Sago in Dooryard Herbs, advises settling your newly purchased lavender plant on the south side of a large rock. The rock will hold the sun’s warmth and serve as wind protection.
How to eat it:
Lavender jelly sounds nice, lavender mint iced tea—all veddy veddy proper sweet things a proper lady would make with her English lavender. The French use lavender as a savory herb.
Next herb: Truly Greek Oregano.
Herbes de Provence
Close your eyes, sprinkle Herbes de Provence on an onion tart, take a bite, and feel the sensuous sunshine and warm Mediterranean breeze of southern France. If you don’t live in Provence, name your herbs as you please: call it your own, such as “Herbs de Inland Northwest” or “Herbs de Virginia?”, and pack the mixture in tiny spice jars as gifts for friends who like to eat. If you are using fresh herbs from your garden, harvest them in the morning after the dew has evaporated, and the leaves are not wet. If they are dusty and you must wash them, allow them to air dry. Wrap in paper towels, and nuke them on full power for 1 to 2 minutes.
4 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried winter savory leaves
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons crumbled dry bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon dried orange peel
Whizz all ingredients in a coffee grinder. Store in a tightly covered jar. Use to flavor sautéed vegetables or sprinkle on an onion tart (French pizza).
Hint: To clean the coffee grinder after herbs or spices, whizz some granulated sugar in it.
Easy Herbs: 8/15: Parsley
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 8 Parsley
Time for a parlor game: Name that tune: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Second part of the game: Which herb doesn’t belong? Parsley,... sage, ...rosemary,... thyme. ...? Well, they all sound like good Roman, or Italian, or Provencal herbs, don’t they? For cooking purposes, they can all stay together. For purposes of growing, though, the odd one out is parsley. Why is this?
How to grow it:
Sage, thyme and rosemary are native to dry, gravelly soils. One soil requirement for all the culinary herbs is well drained. But parsley needs a richer, moister soil to thrive. Its stems don’t get woody and dry; they need a constant supply of water to stand up & stay alive. Parsley is a biennial. That is, you’ll have time to plant more seeds in the second year, while last year’s plant is on its last legs. Yes, you are still planting seeds every year (as with annuals), but you’ll have parsley that overwintered and will produce till mid-summer, when it blooms for the final time. I wouldn’t bother buying plants, because the roots do not like to be disturbed—it’s difficult to transplant parsley, so just direct sow the seeds where you want them.
How to eat it:
Flat-leaf parsley is said to be more flavorful than curly leaves. This may be the most familiar, most used herb: the list is endless, but it MUST go into chicken soup.
Next week: Lavender. Is it blue or purple?
Parsley for Parties
Pizza party: Before baking the pizza, sprinkle a thick ring (2 tablespoons) of chopped parsley all around the edge, about one-inch wide. This doesn’t just look pretty, it will give those last few bites at the crust edge the really unusual taste of crispy parsley.
Tea party: Mix lots of chopped parsley with room temperature butter. Spread on slices of brown bread, making little sandwiches.
Movie night:
Baked Potato Skins
6 large baking potatoes
3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Onion salt
Garlic salt
Finely minced parsley
Parmesan cheese
Sour cream
Scrub potatoes thoroughly, and prick several times with a fork. Bake at 4000 for 1 hour or more, until done. Allow to cool to the touch. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; carefully scoop out the potato, leaving about 1/4-inch-thick shells (save the scooped-out potato for fried potatoes at breakfast tomorrow morning).
Cut each shell into 1-inch-wide strips, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Brush tops with melted butter; sprinkle seasonings, parsley and cheese. Bake at 4000 for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp. Serve warm with sour cream.
Answer to name that tune: “Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?”
No. 8 Parsley
Time for a parlor game: Name that tune: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Second part of the game: Which herb doesn’t belong? Parsley,... sage, ...rosemary,... thyme. ...? Well, they all sound like good Roman, or Italian, or Provencal herbs, don’t they? For cooking purposes, they can all stay together. For purposes of growing, though, the odd one out is parsley. Why is this?
How to grow it:
Sage, thyme and rosemary are native to dry, gravelly soils. One soil requirement for all the culinary herbs is well drained. But parsley needs a richer, moister soil to thrive. Its stems don’t get woody and dry; they need a constant supply of water to stand up & stay alive. Parsley is a biennial. That is, you’ll have time to plant more seeds in the second year, while last year’s plant is on its last legs. Yes, you are still planting seeds every year (as with annuals), but you’ll have parsley that overwintered and will produce till mid-summer, when it blooms for the final time. I wouldn’t bother buying plants, because the roots do not like to be disturbed—it’s difficult to transplant parsley, so just direct sow the seeds where you want them.
How to eat it:
Flat-leaf parsley is said to be more flavorful than curly leaves. This may be the most familiar, most used herb: the list is endless, but it MUST go into chicken soup.
Next week: Lavender. Is it blue or purple?
Parsley for Parties
Pizza party: Before baking the pizza, sprinkle a thick ring (2 tablespoons) of chopped parsley all around the edge, about one-inch wide. This doesn’t just look pretty, it will give those last few bites at the crust edge the really unusual taste of crispy parsley.
Tea party: Mix lots of chopped parsley with room temperature butter. Spread on slices of brown bread, making little sandwiches.
Movie night:
Baked Potato Skins
6 large baking potatoes
3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Onion salt
Garlic salt
Finely minced parsley
Parmesan cheese
Sour cream
Scrub potatoes thoroughly, and prick several times with a fork. Bake at 4000 for 1 hour or more, until done. Allow to cool to the touch. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; carefully scoop out the potato, leaving about 1/4-inch-thick shells (save the scooped-out potato for fried potatoes at breakfast tomorrow morning).
Cut each shell into 1-inch-wide strips, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Brush tops with melted butter; sprinkle seasonings, parsley and cheese. Bake at 4000 for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp. Serve warm with sour cream.
Answer to name that tune: “Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?”
Easy Herbs: 7/15: Thyme
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 7 Thyme
Culinary thyme might be called English or German or French. If you see one of these plants at the nursery, it’ll be good to eat. “Thymus serpyllum”, or “Mother of Thyme” makes a good ground cover, which is beside the point of our investigations here. But it’s interesting to note that horticulturists call that low growing trait “prostrate”—as if the plant had a choice—it couldn’t stand up if it wanted to! Can a plant be anthropomorphized?
How to grow it:
Thyme thrives in a light soil in full sun to partial shade, and despite being a native of a warm Mediterranean climate, try a ground hugging “mother” that will hunker down under the snow. One reference even says it will do best in relatively poor soil—what could be easier?
How to eat it:
Leaves of thyme can flavor anything from appetizers to desserts, they’re just as good dried as fresh, and French cuisine would hardly exist without them.
Next herb: Parsley is for parties.
Easy Seasoning, Louisiana Style
3 teaspoons dried mild red chiles
3 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
3 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 teaspoons salt
Whizz all ingredients in a coffee grinder. Store in a tightly covered jar. Use on fish, shellfish, fried potatoes, or green beans.
Hint: To clean the coffee grinder after herbs or spices, whizz some granulated sugar in it.
No. 7 Thyme
Culinary thyme might be called English or German or French. If you see one of these plants at the nursery, it’ll be good to eat. “Thymus serpyllum”, or “Mother of Thyme” makes a good ground cover, which is beside the point of our investigations here. But it’s interesting to note that horticulturists call that low growing trait “prostrate”—as if the plant had a choice—it couldn’t stand up if it wanted to! Can a plant be anthropomorphized?
How to grow it:
Thyme thrives in a light soil in full sun to partial shade, and despite being a native of a warm Mediterranean climate, try a ground hugging “mother” that will hunker down under the snow. One reference even says it will do best in relatively poor soil—what could be easier?
How to eat it:
Leaves of thyme can flavor anything from appetizers to desserts, they’re just as good dried as fresh, and French cuisine would hardly exist without them.
Next herb: Parsley is for parties.
Easy Seasoning, Louisiana Style
3 teaspoons dried mild red chiles
3 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
3 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 teaspoons salt
Whizz all ingredients in a coffee grinder. Store in a tightly covered jar. Use on fish, shellfish, fried potatoes, or green beans.
Hint: To clean the coffee grinder after herbs or spices, whizz some granulated sugar in it.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Easy Herbs: 6/15: Mint
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 6 Mint
Who doesn’t like mint? It’s an easy decision to include mints in the landscape. It’s probably a good idea to plant them far away from your cultivated areas of fine fancy flowers, because of their propensity to take over. So plant them in odd corners of the yard where they can be kept in check with the lawnmower.
How to grow it:
In full sun or partial shade, mints will be happy. Buy plants—it’s easier than waiting for seeds to grow. Enrich the soil, keep it evenly moist and this perennial will shove up some tender shoots for your first julep on Derby Day.
How to eat it:
Peppermint (Mentha peperita) is the all-around mint for fruit anythings. (And there are many varieties from which to choose.) Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is best drunk in tea or julep. But mint varieties are easily interchangeable, especially if the plants run together and you forget which one is which! Doesn’t matter; all mints are good. Dry the stems upside down in a paper bag, and keep them on hand all year.
Next herb: Make time for Thyme.
Cucumber Mint Dip
2 cups diced cucumbers
2 cups yogurt
1/2 cup minced sweet onions (optional)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves or 2 tablespoons crumbled dried mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate one hour. Serve with pita bread.
No. 6 Mint
Who doesn’t like mint? It’s an easy decision to include mints in the landscape. It’s probably a good idea to plant them far away from your cultivated areas of fine fancy flowers, because of their propensity to take over. So plant them in odd corners of the yard where they can be kept in check with the lawnmower.
How to grow it:
In full sun or partial shade, mints will be happy. Buy plants—it’s easier than waiting for seeds to grow. Enrich the soil, keep it evenly moist and this perennial will shove up some tender shoots for your first julep on Derby Day.
How to eat it:
Peppermint (Mentha peperita) is the all-around mint for fruit anythings. (And there are many varieties from which to choose.) Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is best drunk in tea or julep. But mint varieties are easily interchangeable, especially if the plants run together and you forget which one is which! Doesn’t matter; all mints are good. Dry the stems upside down in a paper bag, and keep them on hand all year.
Next herb: Make time for Thyme.
Cucumber Mint Dip
2 cups diced cucumbers
2 cups yogurt
1/2 cup minced sweet onions (optional)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves or 2 tablespoons crumbled dried mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate one hour. Serve with pita bread.
Easy Herbs: 5/15: Rosemary
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 5 Rosemary
Remember Ophelia? “There’s rosemarry, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember...” Assurer of lovers’ fidelity, protector of the Virgin, symbol of the woman wearing the pants in the family, an aid in digestion of fats— Rosemary should be the emblem of the feminist movement, if it still exists. This herb can be sneaked into the “easy to grow” list, only if she overwinters in a pot indoors. The flavor is so unique (weird?) that it is a must-have, but even the hardiest variety planted outside could disappoint you at the end of winter, when you see that she didn’t survive. But then, neither did Ophelia.
How to grow her:
Grow this Mediterranean herb in a clay pot. Choose a sunny spot in very well-drained soil; plant the whole pot in your garden, and dig it up to bring into the kitchen in fall. The trick in summer and winter is the watering: don’t let her stand in soggy soil, but don’t let her get too thirsty, either. Mist the branches regularly.
How to eat her:
Best use is with lamb, oven-roasted vegetables and focaccia. Get points at a cookout when you lay a wet branch of rosemary on the grill, and cook your chicken, lamb or beef right on it.
Next time: Get that piney rosemary taste out of your mouth with cool Mint.
Focaccia
(You can use this dough to make your own pizza, too.)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
Cornmeal for baking sheets
4 teaspoons fresh or dried rosemary leaves
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black peppercorns
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
Mix 3 cups flour and salt; make a well in the center, and add the dissolved yeast and 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly, and knead well, adding enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, smooth dough. If you knead slowly, do it for 10 minutes; if you slam it hard & fast, count at least 100 slams!
Slather the dough ball with 1 tablespoon oil, and let it rise in a covered bowl for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 4500. Sprinkle cornmeal on 2 large pizza baking sheets.
Divide dough into 2 portions. Using plenty of flour on the rolling surface, roll out circles. Put them onto the baking sheets. Poke the rosemary leaves into the dough. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil on each focaccia, dimpling the surface with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Put the baking sheets into the oven and lower the temperature to 4250. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cut wedges with a pizza cutter, or tear off chunks.
No. 5 Rosemary
Remember Ophelia? “There’s rosemarry, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember...” Assurer of lovers’ fidelity, protector of the Virgin, symbol of the woman wearing the pants in the family, an aid in digestion of fats— Rosemary should be the emblem of the feminist movement, if it still exists. This herb can be sneaked into the “easy to grow” list, only if she overwinters in a pot indoors. The flavor is so unique (weird?) that it is a must-have, but even the hardiest variety planted outside could disappoint you at the end of winter, when you see that she didn’t survive. But then, neither did Ophelia.
How to grow her:
Grow this Mediterranean herb in a clay pot. Choose a sunny spot in very well-drained soil; plant the whole pot in your garden, and dig it up to bring into the kitchen in fall. The trick in summer and winter is the watering: don’t let her stand in soggy soil, but don’t let her get too thirsty, either. Mist the branches regularly.
How to eat her:
Best use is with lamb, oven-roasted vegetables and focaccia. Get points at a cookout when you lay a wet branch of rosemary on the grill, and cook your chicken, lamb or beef right on it.
Next time: Get that piney rosemary taste out of your mouth with cool Mint.
Focaccia
(You can use this dough to make your own pizza, too.)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
Cornmeal for baking sheets
4 teaspoons fresh or dried rosemary leaves
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black peppercorns
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
Mix 3 cups flour and salt; make a well in the center, and add the dissolved yeast and 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix thoroughly, and knead well, adding enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, smooth dough. If you knead slowly, do it for 10 minutes; if you slam it hard & fast, count at least 100 slams!
Slather the dough ball with 1 tablespoon oil, and let it rise in a covered bowl for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 4500. Sprinkle cornmeal on 2 large pizza baking sheets.
Divide dough into 2 portions. Using plenty of flour on the rolling surface, roll out circles. Put them onto the baking sheets. Poke the rosemary leaves into the dough. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil on each focaccia, dimpling the surface with your fingers. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Put the baking sheets into the oven and lower the temperature to 4250. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cut wedges with a pizza cutter, or tear off chunks.
Easy Herbs: 4/15: Lemon Balm
Fifteen Easy Herbs
No. 4 Lemon Balm
Balm has been touched, smelled, chewed, drunk, eaten and appreciated for thousands of years.
How to grow it:
As a hardy perennial, lemon balm is one of the easiest; she (the botanical name is Melissa) will grow in average soil that holds moisture well without staying soggy. A mostly sunny spot is ideal. The flavor is best before blooming, so the energetic herb gardener will get out there & prune her back to be sure she grows nice & bushy and tasty. But it’s no crime to let lemon balm bloom for the bees. That’s one of the good things about the easy herbs: you don’t have to be embarrassed when they get a little out of control. A neat & tidy herb garden looks nice, but the blooming, rambling, random, seed producing look has a charm all its own. A true herb lover will look at a friend’s weedy, overgrown patch and pronounce it “Lush”.
How to eat (drink) it:
Soothing tea. That’s almost all you need to know about lemon balm. A small handful of fresh or dried leaves in a teapot will not need any sugar to taste good. Be sure to put a leaf or two into your cup, too, because it looks so pretty! Further, sprigs of lemon balm will help to flavor a fruit salad, or a pot roast. And as garnish, it can be used anywhere.
Next herb: Another aromatic lady, Rosemary.
Lemon Balm Cheesecake
Pastry: 1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
Filling: 1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
12 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons very finely chopped lemon balm
Preheat the oven to 4000.
Pastry: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix in the oil until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Mix until the flour is moistened and the dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. (If the dough seems dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons of canola oil can be added, but do not add water.)
Gather the dough into a ball. Roll out between two pieces of waxed paper to 2 inches larger than a 7-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel off the top paper; do a flip, placing the pastry, paper side up, in the pan. Peel off the paper, and ease the pastry loosely into the pan. Trim edge even with the lip of the pan, and prick well with a fork all over, including the sides, at 1/2-inch intervals.
Bake 12 minutes.
Filling: Beat the butter, honey and cream cheese together until soft and creamy. Beat in the eggs and fold in the lemon balm.
Reduce the oven temperature to 3500. Pour the filling into the pastry. Bake for 45 minutes until the filling is golden and set. Cool the pan on a rack, then remove the pastry and set it on a flat plate.
Makes 8 servings.
No. 4 Lemon Balm
Balm has been touched, smelled, chewed, drunk, eaten and appreciated for thousands of years.
How to grow it:
As a hardy perennial, lemon balm is one of the easiest; she (the botanical name is Melissa) will grow in average soil that holds moisture well without staying soggy. A mostly sunny spot is ideal. The flavor is best before blooming, so the energetic herb gardener will get out there & prune her back to be sure she grows nice & bushy and tasty. But it’s no crime to let lemon balm bloom for the bees. That’s one of the good things about the easy herbs: you don’t have to be embarrassed when they get a little out of control. A neat & tidy herb garden looks nice, but the blooming, rambling, random, seed producing look has a charm all its own. A true herb lover will look at a friend’s weedy, overgrown patch and pronounce it “Lush”.
How to eat (drink) it:
Soothing tea. That’s almost all you need to know about lemon balm. A small handful of fresh or dried leaves in a teapot will not need any sugar to taste good. Be sure to put a leaf or two into your cup, too, because it looks so pretty! Further, sprigs of lemon balm will help to flavor a fruit salad, or a pot roast. And as garnish, it can be used anywhere.
Next herb: Another aromatic lady, Rosemary.
Lemon Balm Cheesecake
Pastry: 1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
Filling: 1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
12 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons very finely chopped lemon balm
Preheat the oven to 4000.
Pastry: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix in the oil until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Mix until the flour is moistened and the dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. (If the dough seems dry, 1 to 2 tablespoons of canola oil can be added, but do not add water.)
Gather the dough into a ball. Roll out between two pieces of waxed paper to 2 inches larger than a 7-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel off the top paper; do a flip, placing the pastry, paper side up, in the pan. Peel off the paper, and ease the pastry loosely into the pan. Trim edge even with the lip of the pan, and prick well with a fork all over, including the sides, at 1/2-inch intervals.
Bake 12 minutes.
Filling: Beat the butter, honey and cream cheese together until soft and creamy. Beat in the eggs and fold in the lemon balm.
Reduce the oven temperature to 3500. Pour the filling into the pastry. Bake for 45 minutes until the filling is golden and set. Cool the pan on a rack, then remove the pastry and set it on a flat plate.
Makes 8 servings.
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