More on Cooking with Herbs

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More on Cooking With Herbs

 

Anise: More common in the seed form, the anise plant may grow as

one of the most nondescript herbs in your garden. Lacy and limber,

it would require many plants to produce a useful crop of anise seeds

for cooking. You may utilize the foliage freshly chopped to render

an albeit weaker anise flavor in many recipes.

 

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Basil: Fragrant basil leaves have a rich, spicy-sweet flavor

similar to licorice and cloves. Basil varieties include lemon and

cinnamon. Sweet basil and the smaller-leaved bush or globe basil are

the most common forms of this spicy, scented summer herb. Basil is

the basis for pesto sauce, and chopped basil goes well in tomato

sauce and soup, as well as meat, poultry, pasta, rice and egg

dishes. Add whole basil leaves to a green salad or arrange them over

a pizza. Basil loses its unique flavor when dried.

 

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Bay: Useful throughout the year, wreaths of this noble laurel once

crowned ancient heroes. Most aromatic when dried, bay leaves are a

vital part of a bouquet garni and useful for soups, stews and

casseroles, as well as marinades for meat, fish and poultry.

 

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Chives: This grassy member of the onion family grows well outdoors

or in window-sill pots. Regular clipping is all that's required to

keep chives flourishing. The mild onion-flavored leaves are used

fresh in salads as well as cheese, egg and vegetable dished. Freeze-

dried chives are a fine substitute when fresh are not available.

 

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Chervil: Otherwise known as French parsley, this lesser known herb

is predominantly used as a flavor enhancer to other herbs and

spices. Chervil has little flavor of its own, but when combined with

other herbs and spices produces a more robust flavor to savory

cooking.

 

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Cilantro: Also called coriander, cilantro has a bold, almost

citrus flavor popular in the highly spiced cuisines of Asia, the

Caribbean, India, Latin America and Spain. Add chopped cilantro

leaves to rice and noodle dishes as well as tomato salad, relish and

salsa.

 

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Dill: Feathery dill leaves can dominate a recipe, but heat quickly

weakens their flavor. Dill is snipped fresh into salads, sauces and

spreads, and paired with carrots, cucumbers and green beans. Dill is

delicious with fish, particularly salmon and is a staple in potato

salads and fresh cucumber dishes. Dill is also a great addition to

homemade chicken noodle soup.

 

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Fennel: Feathery fronds of fennel may be readily mistaken for

dill, but the taste distinguishes an aniseed flavor. Fennel is a

classic herb used for stuffings, stews and sauces. Fresh fennel

makes a savory bed for grilled seafood.

 

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Garlic: Pungent and aromatic this controversial member of the

onion family is one of the oldest culinary herbs. From China to

South America, many ethnic cuisines feature garlic as an essential

flavoring. Strongest in its raw state, garlic takes on sweeter and

milder tones in cooking and enhances the flavor of other

ingredients. Garlic is used in soups, sauces, stews, marinades and

virtually every type of cooking world-wide.

 

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Ginger: This tasty root produces a flavor unique to the herb

world. Fresh ginger root is predominantly used in Asian cooking.

Dried and ground ginger is more common in cakes and cookies because

it produces a more interesting flavor when combined with cinnamon or

other dark spices.

 

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Horseradish: Probably the ugliest of the root herbs, horseradish

provides a little kick to any recipe. Home grown horseradish can

produce a wide variety of flavors from mildly zingy to, wow--that

hurts! The best way to preserve your home grown horseradish is to

dig out the main root, clean it and grind it in a food processor.

Freeze the ground root in an ice cube tray so that you may

reconstitute small amounts as needed.

 

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Lemongrass: The thicker, lowers stems of lemongrass are peeled and

the tender cores are bundled to be steamed or chopped in order to

add produce a sweet, lemony flavor in many different types of

cooking. The leaves of lemongrass are predominantly used for

producing lemon-like tea flavorings and of course, lemongrass juice.

 

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Marjoram: This versatile small-leaved plan can be used fresh in

the summer and dried in the winter. Often described as a meat herb,

it also goes well with fish, cheese, tomato and egg dishes. Wild

marjoram has a stronger flavor that it's Italian cousin oregano. An

essential seasoning in pizza and many Mediterranean specialty

dishes.

 

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Mint: There are may varieties of this refreshing herb, from

applemint to cologne and lemon mint. Used in teas, drinks and

candies, it is rarely used in Western cooking, but amply utilized in

Eastern foods. Mint specialties and spices often combine to flavor

meat, chicken and of course, lamb.

 

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Oregano: Small, oval oregano leaves have a hot, peppery flavor

common in Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Chopped oregano

enhances cheese and egg dishes, as well as tomato sauce and pizza.

Oregano combines well with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Add chopped

fresh oregano to meat loaf, meatballs and grilled burgers.

 

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Parsley: There are more than 30 varieties of this fresh-tasting,

slightly peppery herb; curly-leaf parsley, a common garnish, is the

most popular, but Italian or flat-leaf parsley has better flavor for

cooking. Parsley is added fresh to Middle Eastern salads and Latin

American salads and is cooked with garlic and butter in classic

French sauces. Try parsley in pesto sauce and in egg, rice and pasta

dishes. Vitamin-rich parsley is available year-round and should be

dried as a last resort. Parsley is much more than just a pretty

garnish.

 

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Rosemary: Silvery-green, needle-like rosemary leaves have a sweet

pine fragrance with hints of lemon and ginger. Rosemary enhances

roasted fish, poultry and meat, particularly lamb, veal and pork.

Add rosemary to bread dough, cream sauces and soups. It also goes

well with potatoes, beans and tomato-base sauces.

 

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Sage: The perfect marriage with stuffing, sage counteracts the

fattiness of duck, goose and pork. It is essential in many types of

sausages and also enhances tomato and cheese-based dishes. Unlike

many herbs, it has a stronger flavor when dried and must be used

sparingly in cooking.

 

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Savory: The more sensitive summer savory is typically used freshly

minced for flavoring beans and meat dishes. While the hardy, winter

savory is often found dried to produce a stronger savory flavoring

that is lost during the drying process.

 

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Sweet Cicely: Otherwise known as British cicely or sweet-chervil.

All parts of this ferny-leafed, anise-scented herb present a very

sweet flavor. The sugar that is produced by the herb is in a form

that diabetics can metabolize. All parts of the plant including the

root are edible additions to salads and confections.

 

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Tarragon: The delicate aniseed-flavor of tarragon highlights

classic bearnaise sauce and provides the key flavoring for salad

dressings and egg dishes. Long cooking decreases the strength of

tarragon's flavor and it is typically added to dishes near the end

of cooking or in the raw completely.

 

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Thyme: With its delicate green leaves and faint lemon flavor,

thyme is a basic component of a bouquet garni. Thyme is grown in

flavored varieties, including lemon. Try it in chowders, stews and

stuffings as well as poultry and fish dishes. Thyme also enhances

butter, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, olive and vinegar. Thyme dries

well and is strongest when used fresh.

 

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Preserving & Storing Herbs: Late summer is typically the perfect

time to save herbs. Catching them at their peak is essential in

order to preserve their flavorful oils. Bay, marjoram, rosemary,

sage, tarragon and thyme all dry well if hung in small bunches in a

warm, airy place away from direct sunlight. When the leaves are dry

and brittle, they should be stripped from their stems and stored in

airtight containers away from light and heat.

 

Basil, chives, dill, fennel and parsley lose much of their flavor

when dried, but can be successfully frozen. Chop the fresh herbs and

freeze them in a little water. Ice cube trays make a great storage

shape for these fresh herbs. Chopped parsley can be frozen directly

in a bag and be ready for use later.

 

Flavorful herbs including basil, thyme, tarragon and rosemary can be

infused in bottles or oil or vinegar for use in salad dressings and

marinades when fresh herbs are not available.

 

To Preserve Herbs in Vinegar take a packed teaspoon of fresh

tarragon, dill, basil, thyme or rosemary with a bruised clove of

garlic and combine with 2 cups white vinegar. Place herbs in a

sealable jar and heat vinegar to just below boiling. Remove from

heat before bubbles start to surface and pour over the herbs in the

jar. Seal tightly and keep for two-weeks, shaking occasionally.

Strain vinegar and transfer to a clean bottle. For a decorative

touch add a fresh sprig of the herb before sealing the bottle.

 

To Preserve Herbs in Oils Place fresh herbs in a sealable jar with

good quality olive oil. Choose one or more of the following herbs--

basil, chives, bay, garlic, sage, rosemary, or thyme. Additional

options include chilli peppers, red, green or black peppercorns;

strips of lemon, lime or orange peels. Delicious herb-flavored oils

are great with pasts and grilled foods, as well as salad dressings.

Preserving herbs in oil makes a great gift for the cooking

enthusiast, as the bottles are simply to pretty to store in a dark

cupboard.

 

 

 

Classic Herb Combinations: include Bouquet Garni which is a

culinary term for a posy of parsley, a thyme sprig, and a bay leaf

or two that is tied together and used to flavor slowly cooked soups,

braises and stews. Fresh or dried herbs can be used and they are

sometimes tied into the hollow of a celery stalk.

 

Fines Herbs is a traditional French mixture of 4 fresh or dried

herbs including parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon. This is used

for sprinkling over fresh salads or in egg, chicken and fish dishes

just at the end of their cooking.

 

Herbes de Provence is a regional mixture of sun-loving herbs from

the Mediterranean. Thyme, oregano, rosemary and savory combine to

form an aromatic addition to pizza, stews, grilled foods and baked

vegetables