style="font-size:15px;"> • The leaves do not hold flavor well in the drying process. Freeze leaves in ice cubes for later use to melt the flavor into soups and sauces.
• The seeds need to be harvested when fully ripe and dry or the unripe seed will have an unpleasant taste and odor.
FOOD AND FLAVORING: The leaves are pungent and aromatic, described often as lemony, parsley-like. This is a real love it/hate it herb. Some people love the aroma and flavor and some find it repulsive. It is a savory herb that has flavor power in heavy dishes and one of the popular ingredients in salsa recipes. Use this herb lightly so it does not overpower dishes, but daintily lends its distinct flavor. Typically, when a recipe calls for coriander (and not cilantro) it is referring to the use of the seed. The seeds are used as one of the main ingredients in curry powder. (For recipes that use cilantro and coriander, see pages 106 and 148.)
OTHER USES: Coriander seed is a botanical addition for flavor in gin making. A fascinating component of coriander seed is that in testing it is made up of over 70% linalool, which is a naturally occurring terpene alcohol. That heavy amount of linalool makes the fresh aromatic oil of coriander, popular for use commercially as a base in perfumes and lotions.
COMMON NAME: Dill
BOTANICAL NAME: Anethum graveolens
VARIETIES TO LOOK FOR: ‘Mammoth’ is a plume of soft foliage that grows up to 3 feet tall. ‘Bouquet’ is a compact-growing dill. ‘Dukat’ is popular because of its strong flavor that holds well in cooking. ‘Fernleaf’ is a compact-growing plant that works great in potted herb gardens.
PARTS OF THE PLANT USED: Leaves and seeds
IN THE GARDEN: Dill is an annual that is easy to grow from seed. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil. Plant dill in early spring, about the same time you would plant cool crops like lettuce. Sow a second or third time every couple of weeks to have a continual harvest of leaves. Allow some of the plant to flower to be harvested for the seed. You can also plant a later crop to have fresh dillweed sprigs for pickle making.
HARVEST NOTES:
• Harvest dill weed (the leaves) through the summer for fresh use. The seeds are ready to harvest just as they are turning brown.
• To harvest seeds, cut the flower/seed heads from the plants, keeping some length of stems. Tie the bundle together with string or a rubber band and cover it with a brown paper bag.
• Hang the bag to finish drying. As the seed dries, it will shake off the plant into the paper bag.
• Store the seeds in a glass jar.
FOOD AND FLAVORING: The ferny-textured leaf of dill is commonly referred to in recipes as dill weed. It has the familiar flavor of dill pickles but more subtle than dill seed. Add dill leaves near the end of cooking time to delicate-flavored dishes with chicken or fish. Add to baby salad greens, sprinkle on fresh sliced cucumbers, season cream cheese, butter and egg dishes. The aromatic seeds attached to the umbel flowers have a stronger flavor. This is the part of the plant used in pickles. The strong flavor retains well in vinegars and as a flavorful addition to baked breads. (For recipes that use dill, see pages 104, 108, 140 and 152.)
OTHER USES: Dill is a prized pollinator garden plant; it is a host plant for swallowtail butterflies. Dill tea – a tea made with the seeds will help ease stomach gas and upset: Infuse one teaspoon of seeds into 1 cup of hot water and allow to steep for about 15 minutes. Dill has also been studied as an immune system booster and found to have anti-inflammatory qualities.
COMMON NAMES: Fennel, sweet fennel, Florence fennel
BOTANICAL NAME: Foeniculum vulgare
VARIETIES TO LOOK FOR: Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’), Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum), ‘Romanesco’ or ‘Victorio’.
PARTS OF THE PLANT USED: Leaves and seeds of sweet and bronze varieties. The bulb of Florence fennel.
IN THE GARDEN: Sweet fennel and bronze fennel are easily grown from seed. The plant prefers full sun with consistent moisture in well-draining soil. Plants don’t like to be crowded, so keep them thinned to about 10 to 12 inches apart from each other. Fennel can be a bit invasive and is showing up on noxious weed lists across the country. (Check with your county extension agent if it is a problem in your area.) Cut the flower heads from the plant before they seed to keep it from self-sowing around the garden. Bronze fennel has dark, lacy foliage that adds nice texture to container gardens. Plant fennel seeds in the garden when the soil warms in the spring. The variety commonly known as Florence fennel produces a large, bulb-like base. Plant Florence fennel seed with a spacing of 12 inches, to give room for the bulb to grow. The plants need a long season and rich well-draining soil to produce a nice bulb. For the bulb type of fennel start seeds indoors and place plants out in the garden in the spring as soon as the danger of frost has passed.
HARVEST NOTES:
• Harvest the feathery leaves anytime for fresh use.
• Harvest the flower and seed heads to dry using the same method as dill.
• The bulb of Florence fennel is ready to harvest when the bulb is about the size of a tennis ball. If the bulb gets too big and mature, it may become stringy with an unpleasant texture.
FOOD AND FLAVORING: Fennel is very recognizable by its strong anise fragrance and flavor. The chopped leaves are used on fish and do particularly well to improve the digestibility of oily fish. Use fennel leaves in soups, stews and salad. Fennel seeds can be used as a substitute for anise seed in recipes. The taste is milder but still imparts the licorice-like scent and flavor. Sauté the seeds in stir-fry and rice dishes. The seeds are a main flavoring used in Italian sausage making. The bulbous base of Florence fennel can be sliced raw for use in leaf lettuce salads. Sauté large pieces of the bulb in butter to impart an anise flavor; add shrimp, green beans or peas pods for a sweet, mellow dish. (For recipes that use fennel, see pages 108 and 180.)
OTHER USES: The seed of sweet fennel is long
