I love herbs! They look beautiful and offer so much. Used fresh, dried or frozen, they provide a nutrition boost to most meals, make great teas and can be the ‘green’ in your health drink. As if that wasn't enough, they provide a natural medicine cabinet, and are grown by pharmaceutical companies for processing into drugs. They are incorporated into many cosmetic products and are easy to grow and use. In the garden they can be ‘companion’ plants to deter or confuse pests, or to attract bees, hoverflies and predatory wasps. Good for the compost too - comfrey makes a great activator.
Most herbs are not renowned for their flowers but many have lovely foliage and fragrance.
Most herbs are not renowned for their flowers but many have lovely foliage and fragrance.
I’ve been on a bit of a DIY quest with herbs recently, growing a few varieties from seed. I’ve learned that coriander and sage seedlings thrive on neglect and don’t mind a cold greenhouse as early as March whilst basil is the princess of herb land and won’t tolerate anything but the warmest of windowsills. Coriander doesn’t have the best smell so is better off planted outside. My parsley seeds all germinated so I have about 200 of those (!) but the thyme was a bit more reluctant and I’ve ended up with half a dozen. Having looked after them for a few weeks now I’m a bit loath to send them off to the garden – it would be really disappointing to end up with super-healthy slugs (well I don’t suppose the slugs would mind, but I would be irritated..)
There’s lots of traditional pairings of herbs with other foods and they’ve been historically important for flavouring and preserving. Before the days of refrigeration, sage and thyme were used to prolong the life of meat and to provide an antiseptic once the meat was eaten (!). More recent combinations are tomato and basil, new potatoes and chives, Pimm’s and borage. All parts of the herbs are used – flowers, stalks, leaves – very little waste on a herb!
Science is backing up the age old remedies with research unveiling immune-boosting flavonoids found in herbs such as rosemary and chamomile.
Science is backing up the age old remedies with research unveiling immune-boosting flavonoids found in herbs such as rosemary and chamomile.
Many savoury recipes call for the addition of a few herbs to enhance flavour. Some, like rosemary, are better added early on, but the finer ones like basil and chives are usually torn or chopped to add just before serving. It’s often the addition of a particular herb that creates the signature note of a dish – like a huge bunch of coriander for a curry, and basil in a traditional pesto.
Dried herbs are a staple in the cupboard but fresh herbs can be kept by chopping up and freezing in ice cube trays with a little water. Add the cube if cooking with liquid, or thaw in a fine sieve. Herb flowers like borage lend themselves to ice cubes too – a great addition to a summer drink. Other ways of prolonging the life of fresh herbs is to add them to vinegar or oil in a bottle, seep and then use the flavoured vinegar/oil in recipes.
Dried herbs are a staple in the cupboard but fresh herbs can be kept by chopping up and freezing in ice cube trays with a little water. Add the cube if cooking with liquid, or thaw in a fine sieve. Herb flowers like borage lend themselves to ice cubes too – a great addition to a summer drink. Other ways of prolonging the life of fresh herbs is to add them to vinegar or oil in a bottle, seep and then use the flavoured vinegar/oil in recipes.
Herbs are the real stars of the culinary and medicinal world. There are so many ways to use them. Now, if I can find just one way to outwit the slugs…..