| Cooking
with Herbs
By
Carrie Brink, contributor
5000 years
ago,
they were used as remedies for common ailments. Ancient Egyptians
found them beneficial for aromatherapy. In the Victorian era,
they were used in communication. Herbs have never gone out
of style. Today herbs are used as beauty products, home decor
accents, pesticides, medications, and flavorings.
Growing
your own fresh herbs is easier than ever thanks to local nurseries,
green houses, farmers markets, floral shops, discount stores.
All of them are carrying fresh herbs you can plant right along
side your flowers. And if you want year round herbs, there
are even windowsill greenhouse kits that let you grow your
own herbs on your kitchen windowsill.
Contributor
Carrie Brink shares with us flavorful recipes using homegrown
fresh herbs.
Happy
Herbal Gardening!
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7
cups water
1 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon sage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Bring water
to a rolling boil in a large pot. Stir in the orzo
and cook for about 6 minutes. Place the herbs, oil,
salt and pepper in a serving bowl. When the pasta
is ready, drain and add to the bowl. Toss well and
serve either hot or cold.
Recipe
found on: www.sunriseherbfarm.com
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3
tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Whisk together all ingredients until well blended;
cover and chill.
Yield:
about 3/4 cup
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Cover
basil and thyme with vinegar and let stand till flavors
develop. For a lovely pink colored vinegar, use purple
basil.
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Place
Basil in a blender, add a small amount of olive oil,
process till smooth. Use as needed. If storing, place
in a container and cover with oil. This will keep
in the freezer up to 2 years.
Note:
Pesto may be flavored with garlic, chives and other
herbs.
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| BANANA,
PINEAPPLE SAGE SMOOTHIE |
|
3/4
cup fruit flavored nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 small banana
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon chopped pineapple sage
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine
all ingredients in blender container and process until
smooth. Serve in attractive glasses, garnishing with
a light dusting of cinnamon, if desired.
Recipe
found on: www.sunriseherbfarm.com |
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1
cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoon dry onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons beef-flavored bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme
Combine 1-1/4 cups rice mix, 2 cups water, and 1 (8oz.
can) tomato sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil;
cover reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in
1 cup cooked meat. Cook until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 6 servings
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| 15
ounces low-fat sour cream
5 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste
To make the sauce, cook the onion, garlic and cilantro
in the oil. Add the lime juice and the sour cream.
Simmer for 10 minutes and puree in the blender, adding
salt and pepper to taste. Use to top grilled steak
or chicken. For extra flavor add a slice of white
cheese before spooning the sauce over the meat.
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Meat
Rubs
1-1/2
tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine
all ingredients; store in an airtight container.
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1
tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
8 dried chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cook cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet
over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Combine
seeds, chiles, and remaining ingredients in an electric
blender; process until mixture resembles coarse powder.
Store in an airtight container.
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3 tablespoons
plus 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried whole basil
1 tablespoon onion powder 2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine
all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Store
in an airtight. Use to coat fish, chicken, or beef
before cooking.
Yield:
1/2 cup
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Growing
Fresh Herbs
They are
easy to cultivate and preserve. The hardest part is deciding
which herbs to plant.
What
to Grow
First
decide what herbs to grow. There are hundreds of different
herbs, most with variations and most with multiple uses. Consider
some of the following:
Culinary
herbs:
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Anise
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Basil
- Parsley
- Chives
- Oregano
- Dill
- Sage
Aromatic
herbs:
- Lavender
- Lemon
Verbena
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
Medicinal
herbs:
- Lavender
- Feverfew
- Catnip
- Calendula
- Spearmint
- Aloe
- Sage
Deciding
which herbs to plant may be the hardest obstacle as most common
herbs are very forgiving! Herbs can withstand a bit of neglect,
they take well to outdoor gardens, planter boxes and pots,
plus they are rarely susceptible to bug infestations.
Preparation
First check
with your local extension agency or nursery to determine when
to plant herbs and prepare the soil according to local needs.
Seeds may be started indoors or out. For indoor or outdoor
planting areas, make sure the seeds are sown at a shallow
depth.
Maintenance
Once
established, keep the plants moist, but don’t “keep
their feet wet.” Most
herbs do best in well drained soil.
To maintain
most herbs, trim regularly. Some herbs, such as dill, need
to be clipped often and not allowed to seed. Read up on specific
herbs to obtain the best results. These trimmings are the
fruit of the herbs. Once plants are thriving and growing,
take advantage of regular clippings by using, saving and storing
your fresh herb clippings.
Storage
What
herbs aren't used fresh may be dried or frozen. To store herbs,
first wash and pat dry, do NOT crush.
Freezing:
When freezing, place branches of herbs in plastic bags, gently
press out the air, label with the type of herb and date and
place in the freezer. When herbs are needed, clip off a piece
at a time. Herbs will keep for 2 to 3 months when stored in
the freezer.
Drying:
Some herbs, like basil, do not freeze well, and should be
dried instead. Collect longer branches of herbs for drying.
Wash, dry and gather the herb branches together into bunches
using a rubber band. Clip to the bottom of a wire hanger with
clothespins and hang in a cool, dry area. They may be left
in this manner as decorative addition to your kitchen or crushed
and placed in airtight containers - be sure to label your
containers. Drying individual leaves can be done using a food
dehydrator or on a baking sheet (place in a low warm oven).
Dried herbs in sealed containers will keep for 6 months.
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