Herbs

I thought id do a post on herbs and their usage. Im thinking of growing my own stuff since its not only convenient but a little cheaper.

I got all my information from: www.culinaryherbguide.com.

Angelica is an herb that has several uses. The leaves are frequently added when cooking red currants, rhubarb, gooseberries and red plums to help reduce the acidity and sweeten these often sour fruit. Its strong, clean flavor makes angelica stems an excellent candidate for crystallization. Its seeds are sometimes used in pastry. The stems are usually crystallized and used as a decorative pastry garnish. The leaves and stems impart a celery flavor if added to sauces, and vegetable dishes.

Basil is available in fresh leaves and in dried leaves, which are also sometimes called rubbed. Fresh leaves may be stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator for a very short time. Also indispensable for many Mediterranean dishes, the fresh leaf has a sweet, clove like spiciness and is excellent with tomato dishes. Its flavor is strong enough to stand up to the pungency of garlic, so it is often paired together like in Pesto. Add dried herbs at the beginning and during cooking.

Bay leaf also know as sweet bay, sweet laurel, bay laurel and laurel leaf. Available fresh, dried whole leaves or ground dried leaves. Bay is probably the one herb that most cooks prefer using dried than fresh. Add a bay leaf or two to marinades, stock, pâtés, stews, stuffing and curries. When poaching fish, add a bay leaf to the water. Bay leaves greatly improve flavor if you are cutting down on salt. Try adding a bay leaf or two when you boil potatoes to replace salt. Always remember to remove the whole bay leaf after cooking in any dish.

Caraway can be both an herb as well as a spice. The aromatic seeds come from a plant in the parsley family. The caraway plant, native to Asia, produces this sickle shaped seed that gives rye bread its distinctive flavor. The spice is used in beef stews, pork dishes, soups, candies, and baked goods, especially bread. Caraway seeds may also enhance the flavor of many vegetables. They are good tossed with boiled and quartered new potatoes, cabbage or in sauerkraut.

Chives are a mild member herb of the onion family. Chives has many uses and can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads, omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces. Use it anywhere you want to add onion flavor without the harsh pungency of onion. Best if used fresh. The flavor is lost in drying. Store fresh chives in damp paper towel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also chop fresh chives and freeze them with water in ice cube trays to use later when needed. Blend chopped chives with butter or cream cheese or yogurt sauces. Add toward the end of cooking or as a garnish.

Cilantro is also known as a Coriander Plant, Chinese Parsley, Yeun Sai and Japanese Parsley. It is readily available fresh or dried in most grocery markets. Cilantro is used in many cuisine around the world. Most notably it is used to enliven Mexican and South American food as well as as Thai and Vietnamese. Cilantro is the leaf part of the coriander plant. It's unique flavor is quite distinctive and can liven up even a simple chicken broth. Cilantro has a faint overtone of anise and a somewhat delicate peppery taste. Use cilantro in tacos, salsas, soups, stews, chicken and rice, salads, tomato based sauces and as a garnish. Use sparingly. Whole seeds may also be added to soups, sauces and vegetable dishes.

Dill is available in weed and seed, both fresh and dried. Store dried seeds and leaves in a cool, dry, dark place away from heat, light and moisture. Leaves will keep for six months. Seeds will keep indefinitely. Fresh leaves can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or chop finely and mix with one tablespoon of water and freeze in ice cube trays. After the cubes are frozen, place in plastic zip-lock freezer bags and return to freezer. The light aroma of dill faintly resembles licorice. Dill weed is good in soups, omelets, seafood dishes, herring, salmon, potato salads, and steamed vegetables. Dill seed is used in breads, pickling, cabbage dishes, stews, rice and cooked root vegetables. Dill has a totally unique spicy green taste. Ground seed can flavor herb butter, mayonnaise and mustard.

Fennel also known as finocchio, common fennel, sweet fennel, wild fennel and sweet cumin. Store in cool, dry, dark place away from heat, light and moisture. Seeds will stay fresh for 2 years. Ground Fennel will keep for 6 months to 1 year if stored properly. Fennel yields an herb and a spice. The stems and leaves are all edible. The spice comes from the dried seeds, the herb comes from the leaves and the stalk and root are the vegetable. Roman warriors took fennel to keep in good health while their ladies ate it to prevent obesity. The seed is similar to anise seed, but sweeter and milder. It pairs well with fish, but Italians also like to add it to sauces, meats & sausages. If you are familiar with the taste, it is probably from having it in commercially prepared sausages. Add the seeds to sauces, breads, savory crackers and water for poaching fish. Stuff the leaves into oily fish like mackerel and sprinkle finely chopped stems and leaves on salads and cooked vegetables and can also be added to soups and stuffing.

Juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers that are herbal trees. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. Not all species of juniper berries are edible, in fact some are toxic and consumption is inadvisable. The mature, dark berries are usually but not exclusively used in cuisine, while gin is flavoured with fully grown but immature green berries. The crushed berries of the juniper tree have an aromatic, resinous flavor often featured in pâtés, marinades and stuffing for pork, venison and other wild game. They are also a popular flavoring for sauerkraut, sauces, ham and cabbage. They are also used with root vegetables, legumes and bean dishes.

Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb for cooking. In today's upscale restaurants, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavor and appearance of food. Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried. Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory. English Lavender has the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. Lavender has a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying. In cooking, use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh. Because of the strong flavor of lavender, a little goes a long way.

Lemongrass is a tall perennial grass. Common names include lemon grass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass, fever grass or Hieba Luisa amongst many others. Lemongrass is widely used as a herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. Although lemon grass appears dry when you are slicing it, when crushed, you will see that it really is quite moist. Crushing breaks the juice sacs in the fibers and releases the aromatic oils that make lemon grass so special.

Lemon verbena is a great herb for growing in window boxes. It does well indoors in a sunny window. Chefs value this herb as a companion to citrus lemon because its flavor holds up in cooking. Great for fruit salads, jam, jelly, and candy. If you like lemon, this is the herb for you! It has a very lemony taste without any bitterness. Sprinkle over salads and vegetables for a wonderful lemony flavor. Use to create flavor in stuffing for meat or poultry. Makes a refreshing tea in combination with mint or alone. Wonderful as a garnish for iced tea. Use liberally when on a low salt diet.

Marjoram is also known as Sweet Marjoram, Knotted, Pot or Winter Marjoram. It is available in dried leaves or ground. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Will keep for six months to one year. Marjoram is an herb that has a mild, sweet flavor similar to oregano. It is said to be “the meat herb" but it compliments all foods except sweets. While fresh marjoram is excellent with salads and mild flavored foods, it has the best taste and greatest pungency when they are dried. Marjoram has a slightly more delicate flavor than Oregano. Marjoram because it is more delicate should be added toward the end of cooking so its flavor is not lost. Marjoram goes well with pork and veal and complements stuffing for poultry, dumplings and herb scones or breads.

Marsh mallow is indeed the original source for the confection of the same name. Marshmallow candy dates back to ancient Egypt where it was a honey based candy flavored and thickened with the powdered root of the marsh mallow plant. The seeds may be eaten alone or sprinkled like nuts on a salad. The flowers are edible and may be tossed on salads as well. The leaves may be eaten in salads or steamed and eaten as a vegetable. Roots may be boiled to soften and then can be fried.

Mustard is the hot little black and brown mustard seeds that are ground and mixed with water, vinegar or other liquids, and turned into a condiment also known as mustard. The seeds are also pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens. White mustard seeds are used in pickles as a strong preservative and in mayonnaise as an emulsifier. The yellow, four petalled blooms of the plant that flower in midsummer are also edible and contain a mild mustard flavor. They can be sprinkled on sandwiches or tossed on salads.

Mint also known as Water Mint and Wild Mint. It is available in fresh or dried leaves. Dried leaves will keep for 6 months to 1 year in a cool, dark, dry place. Mint is an herb that comes in many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, lemon mint and even chocolate mint. Mint is used for seasoning lamb, vegetable such as carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes, in yogurt dressings, and breads. It is also used in the Middle East for salads, tabouli and marinated vegetables. Mint is good in soups, salads, sauces, plain meat, fish and poultry, stews, sweet or savory recipes, extremely good with chocolate or lemon based desserts. Add near the end of cooking for a better flavor.

Oregano is also known as wild marjoram. Oregano is available in fresh leaves from most grocery stores. This herb is also found dried in leaf form or ground. Store dry forms in a cool, dry, dark place. It is a hardy member of the mint family that has been used for flavoring fish, meat and sauces since ancient times. Oregano goes well with vegetables, roast beef, lamb, chicken and pork. Generally used to season Mexican, Italian, Greek and Spanish dishes. Oregano has a warm, aromatic scent and robust taste. It's uses include seasoning soups, stews, meat pies, pasta sauces and shellfish.

Parsley also known as curled or curly parsley, flat leaf parsley and Italian parsley. It is readily available in dried leaves and fresh leaves. Store dried leaves in a cool, dry, dark place. Store fresh in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Parsley is a great all around herb. It quickly adds a touch of color and texture to any recipe. The aroma and taste of parsley is very distinctive for a herb that is generally described as being mild and non obtrusive. Use fresh or dried parsley in any recipe. Especially good in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, pasta and vegetable dishes as well as sauces to go with fish, poultry, veal and pork. Use fresh leaves as garnish. Parsley has a delicate favor that combines well with other herbs like basil, bay leaves, chives, dill weed, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano and thyme. Flat leaf or Italian is used primarily in cooking because of its more robust flavor and curly parsley is used primaryily for garnish. Add at the end of cooking for better flavor.

Rosemary is available in fresh leaves or dried whole leaves or dried ground. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Ground rosemary will keep for up to 6 months and the leaves for up to 1 year, if stored properly.Rosemary is an herb of the mint family. Rosemary's aromatic flavor blends well with garlic and thyme to season lamb roasts, meat stews, and marinades. Rosemary also enlivens lighter fish and poultry dishes, tomato sauces, and vegetables. Dress fresh steamed red potatoes and peas or a stir fried mixture of zucchini and summer squash. Rosemary has a tea like aroma and a piney flavor. Crush leaves by hand or with a mortar and pestle before using.

Sage is available in fresh or dried leaves whole, crumbled (rubbed) or ground. Fresh sage can be refrigerated for about a week, while dried should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place. Sage is an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family. Fresh sage sprigs have long, narrow grayish green leaves and, although it is a member of the mint family, it has a musty yet smoky aroma. Sage enhances pork, lamb, meats, and sausages. Chopped leaves flavor salads, pickles, and cheese. Crumble leaves for full fragrance. Use ground Sage sparingly as foods absorb its flavor more quickly. Sage is a wonderful flavor enhancement for seafood, vegetables, stuffing, and savory breads.

Savory is available in fresh or dried leaves. Tender leaves can be added fresh to salads or used as a garnish or bottle the herb in vinegar. Once dried and chopped, it is an integral part of herb mixtures like Herbes de Provence. There are two types of savory - winter and summer. The two look much the same, but winter is a bit more pungent. Savory smells and tastes like Mint and Rosemary chopped together. Savory is nicknamed the bean herb. It is typically used in soups, beans and as a meat and poultry seasoning. This herb tastes slightly warm and sharp. It is a very strong herb and should be used sparingly. Use summer savory, with its more delicate flavor, for tender baby green beans, and winter savory to enhance a whole medley of dried beans and lentils.

Bursting with the scents of citrus, rose, spice or mint, scented geraniums which are native South African plants are easily grown inside and offer an olfactory treat to winter-weary gardeners. They also lend themselves well to culinary uses, such as herbal scented sugars. Scented geraniums were so named in the 1600s and have been mistakenly referred to since. Part of the Geraniaceae family, scented geraniums are actually pelargoniums and are grown for their scented leaves, not delicate flowers. There are more than 200 varieties of this lovely plant, all distinctly scented with enticing names such as 'Fringed Apple', 'Peppermint Lace', 'Prince of Orange' and 'Rober's Lemon Rose.' Infusing the leaves' oils in food is the most successful way to flavor foods with a geranium's scent, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with a simple syrup. Flavoring sugars with scented geranium leaves is another way to cook with their subtle scent.

Tarragon also known as French true tarragon. Fresh tarragon is only available during the summer and early fall months. Refrigerate fresh tarragon for up to a week and keep dried or powdered tarragon in a cool, dry place. Tarragon is an exceptional herb. It has a subtle and sophisticated flavor and is an essential herb in French cuisine. It's flavor is delicate and almost licorice or anise-like. Tarragon, together with parsley, chervil, and chives make a traditional French blend, Fines Herbes. Tarragon is exceptional in egg dishes, poached fish, mushrooms and other vegetables. Tarragon is good with chicken and in salad dressings. It is often used in sauces like béarnaise and French cuisine. Tarragon is also often used to infuse vinegar and olive oils.

Fresh thyme can usually found during the summer months, but dried thyme is available year round at most grocery stores. Dried thyme should be kept in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to six months. Fresh garden thyme is an herb that has thin off-green leaves and a subtle lemon, yet minty aroma and taste. Thyme is used in a wide variety of cuisine, but is most closely associated with French cuisine. It is often used in soups and sauces, with meat, poultry or fish. It is also a very important component of herbes de Provence and bouquet garni. Fresh thyme has the most flavor used whole, with the stem. It goes well with lamb and veal as well as in eggs and croquettes. Thyme if often paired with tomatoes.