HERBS and spices enhance the flavours of various dishes. They have been used in culinary arts since ancient times. They were even used as medicines and in religious rites as well as for the preservation of food.
CHIVES: This herb gives lots of fl avour to omelettes, soups and salads.
Today, herbs and spices have evolved into revered culinary staples and are highly prized ingredients for modern cooks.
This week I have selected some easy to care for herbs for home gardeners. They can be planted in small containers or in the ground in their own special corner of the garden.
Use seeds or live seedlings to start your own herb garden.
There is no excuse for buying hydroponically grown herbs from supermarkets when you could easily grow them at home.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) This is a common herb used widely in various styles of cooking. It is often used in soups and salads. Locally, restaurants tend to just use it as a garnish, which is a shame because it is full of flavour.
Curly parsley is one of the most highly-regarded herbs of all time. Plant it in a semishaded area and give it plenty of moisture. It can do well hydroponically too.
Use seeds to start a new garden or reuse stalks from the market provided they are still fresh.
Root them in a small cup and place on a windowsill or where there is natural light to promote growth.
Once they have regenerated well, plant in a soil medium in pots or in the ground. The plant is almost pest free, but some rotting fungi may attack during wet conditions.
Harvest the stems and leaves, leaving the rootstock to give you more home-grown parsley.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
This is the smallest species in the onion family. It gives lots of fl avour to omelettes, soups and salads. My neighbour’s mother grows chives all round their motorcycle shop and tends to them in the evening. She does so well, she could be doing this on a commercial scale.
Get good stocks of chives and embed them in a prepared bed of soil with lots of fertiliser – chicken dung is good – then cover with grass clippings. It is best to use lalang or ferns. This will stop rain splashing during the wet season.
When harvesting, take the whole plant out of the ground.
Top cutting was also practiced in the past to keep a constant supply for the home. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) have a stronger flavour.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Sometimes called wild marjoram, this is an important culinary herb, particularly for Italian and Spanish dishes.
It was used as an antiseptic, a cure for stomach as well as respiratory ailments and also sore throats.
Sprinkle the seeds over soil without covering them.
Mist well with water. Let them germinate over fi ve to seven days and then transplant into permanent containers of welldrained soil. Ensure that the plants get good sunlight and water only during dry periods. Don’t add any fertiliser as this may spoil the fl avour of the herb.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Thyme’s small leaves are packed with fl avour and ideal to make stuffi ng, as well as to complement fi sh and chicken dishes.
To grow, ensure that the plant gets lots of sun and well-drained soil. Plantings should be around eight inches apart. It is easier to grow thyme from seedlings, as seeds are slow to germinate.
It has been used as an antiseptic for sore throats and colds. Adding sprigs of thyme to tea or lemon and honey can apparently help to cure a hangover!
Sage (Salvia offi cinalis)
Sage is so pungent that one or two leaves is more than enough for a dish. If you are feeling decadent, try frying sage leaves in butter and stirring them into fresh pasta.
Choose a sunny location with alkaline soil. As with thyme, growing with seeds tends to be unreliable. Having just one plant in the garden would be good enough. Remember that it cannot tolerate waterlogged soil.
Sage needs to be cut back at least once a year to prevent it from getting too woody. It is the young shoots that are full of flavour.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus offi cinalis)
This is actually a very pretty herb because of its pine needlelike leaves and blue flowers.
Rosemary is usually used for lamb dishes. It is also good for roast potatoes as well as in fi sh and rice dishes.
Plant from established branches or seeds. This herb requires a shady area with well-drained soil.
Water relatively generously when the weather is hot.
Rosemary is rather tough and drought tolerant, but will need more space than most other culinary herbs. It can grow over a metre in height. Harvest or cut back to keep the leaves tender and from getting woody.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Basil is easy to grow from seeds in containers. The flavour is said to be best just before the fl owers open. Pinch off the stems before they fl ower. This will encourage the plant to branch out and grow vigorously.
This herb is essential for pizza, pasta and pesto. Basil goes perfectly with tomatoes. It is also widely used in Thai dishes.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)
Stevia rebaudiana is also known as the sugar herb. In the 1980s, it was a hot topic as there was hope of growing it for sugar – it is 20 times sweeter than cane sugar.
Another great point is that it does not seem to have negative effects on blood glucose, making it an attractive natural sweetener.
Plant in raised beds of loam or sandy loam to prevent the plant from becoming waterlogged – this will prevent rot and disease. Use an organic mulch and water regularly.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
This is a popular ingredient for chocolate. It is also used for mint sauce, which goes wonderfully with lamb.
The seeds will germinate within two weeks and the plant can grow to full size in about two months. Keep the seeds moist until they germinate.
Plant in an area which has sun but is partially shaded.
Water regularly and feed with an organic fertiliser, particularly after cutting.
Recently I purchased a useful book from New Zealand entitled ‘The Herb Identifier’ by Andi Clevely. It is the ultimate guide to identifying, preparing and using herbs in the kitchen. I highly recommend it.
Happy gardening! For details or comments do send me an email.