RIGHT?
In culinary blending, mixing salt, vinegars and other strong bases with herbs can enhance the better side of them, or it can go so far as to destroy their flavor. Call it a delicate balance, something you learn very quickly when you’ve added way too much cilantro or rosemary to something. You’ve kicked in too much of those essential oils that overpower the taste buds. Fun stuff, really.
Why talk about this in a simple herb flavor book? It’s all about mixology and not just throwing this plant with that plant and hoping vinegar makes it better. Take a second look at some of your favorite herbs and what it is you like about them. Sweet? Then they can be used in desserts or fruity infused waters. Spicy hot? Use them in rich meat dishes, sauces, heavy vegetables and meat-based stews. Get to know your favorite herbs and think about the base flavors you are tasting. Becoming familiar with a single herb will help you blend and mix it to your personal taste with other things for a culinary adventure.
I just find it fascinating how those simple plants we call herbs are real powerhouses of flavor. So why not capture that fresh, pure flavor of herbs from the garden and use it to season our food?
Let the mixology begin!
PART ONE
Grow!
ONE
Growing Herbs
20 favorites for every-sized garden…indoors too
I love the details of a garden… how pathways are laid out, the stonework; and the growing, changing, giving parts of a garden, the plants. I especially love the fragrance and flavor of herbs. The wonderful thing is that you don’t have to have an enormous plot of land to grow herbs. Your herb garden can be as simple as a container overflowing with mint beside a stately rosemary in pottery. The end goal is that you have gathered plants in your garden that not only delight your senses in the garden, but have multiple uses for you beyond the garden.
HERB GARDEN BASICS
(general garden and growing notes)
SOIL: Herbs in the garden prefer well-draining soil. Organic matter like compost added to the soil helps change the soil’s structure and replenishes nutrients important to plant growth. In new beds and open garden areas pile it on deep and till or shovel down at least 8 inches (a good shovel turn). The deeper the amended topsoil the easier it will be for roots to anchor down, take in nutrients, improve drainage and simply make it easier to garden in.
SUNLIGHT: A cultural necessity of an herb garden is that it needs to be in the sunniest spot in the garden. Most herbs prefer full sun or a good quality of warm sun for most of the day. If sun is a challenge, look for microclimates of reflective light and warmth within your garden.
DESIGN: When planning the layout of the herb garden, place taller herbs like dill where they won’t shade the other herbs.
CARE: Organic and natural are a must when growing and caring for edibles in the garden. What goes on the plants eventually goes in the body when you eat the plants.
Grow your herbs almost anywhere!
CONTAINER GARDENS
Where no planting beds are available, herbs in pottery will fill the niche for growing your herbs. Look for containers at least 2 feet wide and tall to maximize choices of plants to grow. A large, roomy pot can hold a mix of different herbs or you might plant individual varieties in their own pot – a good idea if you’re planting aggressive herbs like mint and oregano, which can quickly take over a space.
INDOORS
Herbs are some of the easiest type of plants to grow in containers so they can easily be grown indoors in a sunny window or on the countertop. All your indoor garden really needs is light, warm temperatures and some humidity. Tips for successful indoor growing:
• Plant the herbs in well-draining pots. Terra cotta pots work well because their porosity allows roots to breathe and not get bogged with moisture.
• Herbs grow best in temperatures around 70° F, so be sure they’re not near a cold, drafty window.
• Provide humidity, especially in the winter when a heating system can dry the air. Lightly mist your herb plants daily if needed. Don’t saturate the leaves with water, just give them a dewy misting.
• Check the moisture of the pot by touching the surface of the soil; it should be cool and lightly moist. Water when the top inch of soil is starting to dry out. Avoid overwatering, as it is the most common failure of indoor gardens.
WHICH HERBS? To start a windowsill or countertop garden, choose herb varieties that you will use frequently in cooking. You will be inspired to use them if they are available through the year – plus, the ongoing harvest will keep herbs tidy and bushy. Choose varieties that are compact growing, like miniature-leaf basils, parsley and marjoram.
GROW LIGHTS: If you don’t have a window with enough sun, place potted herbs on a countertop (in the kitchen if possible to keep them handy for cooking.) Use grow lights under a cabinet or over a shelf on the wall to provide needed light to keep herbs happy and healthy.
Let me get out of the way now and introduce you to the “Top 20” of my favorite herbs. In this chapter you’ll find the basic cultural information for each, varieties to look for, the parts of the plant you’ll use, harvesting and preserving tips, and advice on using the herb in seasonings and in food and drink preparations.
COMMON NAMES: Basil, sweet basil
BOTANICAL NAME: Ocimum basilicum
VARIETIES TO LOOK FOR: Italian, heavily-scented varieties include: ‘Genovese’, ‘Napolitano’, ‘Greek Windowbox’, ‘Spicy Globe’. Colorful leaved varieties that add subtle color to liquids, cheeses and butter: ‘Dark Opal’, ‘Red Rubin’, ‘Purple Ruffles’. A milder basil with a note of citrus is ‘Mrs. Burns’ Lemon’, a small-leaf basil that is delicate and good used fresh in salads. The Thai basils, which have a slightly subtle “basil” flavor with a hint of licorice to them include: ‘African Blue’, ‘Magic Mountain’, ‘Siam Queen’.
PART
