Spring is renowned for new growth, for lots of fresh new produce after the lull of winter, but in fact, fewer vegetables come into their own in spring than in any other season. But right at the beginning, after the wattles but along with the daffodils, herbs that have been grey sticks in winter do spring into life again.
Those of us with gardens can stop buying parsley and oregano as our gardens green up, although lemon grass and basil are likely to remain on the shopping list.
The ease of growing herbs is one of the features that distinguish them from spices, which by and large come from exotic places. Also, whereas spices can be the bark, seed, pod, stigma, roots or berries of plants, almost always, herbs are the leaves.
Most plant families provide us with culinary herbs, the mint family most generously of all. From this family comes not only the 600 varieties of mint itself, but also sage, marjoram, basil, savory, oregano rosemary and thyme. The carrot family provides parsley, fennel, coriander and chervil. Bay leaves belong to the laurel family, and tarragon to the lettuces. Grasses and citrus make contributions too.
The flavour of herbs is contained in their oils and these must be liberated to impart flavour to cooking. For very delicate herbs, such as basil, mint and coriander simply chewing the leaves can be enough.
Long, slow cooking will also liberate flavours, as will putting them with oil and fats or alcohol. For quickly cooked dishes you need to cut fresh herbs and crumble dried herbs to release the flavours.
Crushing herbs with a pestle in a mortar introduces less oxygen than whizzing them in a food processor, but chopping with a sharp knife leaves more of the leaf structure intact. A blunt knife, however, will bruise rather than cut the herbs, and may result in the same quick discolouration that processing them results in. A mezzaluna or kitchen scissors will also do the job well.
Delicate leaves, such as basil, are best simply torn into pieces, unless they are going into a pesto. Bear in mind too, that young basil leaves can have as much as five times more flavour as older ones.
Parsley stalks have a place in stocks, but in the main, strip the leaves of herbs from the stems.
Pre-prepared combinations work well for a quick flavour boost.
Herb butters can be frozen and sliced for later use on top of fish or steak, spread on bread or added to a soup or casserole.
Gremolata, a mix of chopped parsley, zest of lemon (or orange) and chopped garlic can be added at the last minute to meat (especially osso buco) or baked vegetables.
The traditional pesto of basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil, or adaptations of it using other herbs, as well as being tossed through pasta or spread on bruschetta, can be used to dress roasted vegetables, stirred through a minestrone soup, vegetable or fish stews or packed in the cavity of a whole salmon.
Lisa Thorsen gives a recipe for salsa verde, which keeps well in the fridge and has a variety of uses.
Classic mixes of fresh herbs include:
Bouquet garni: Sprigs of parsley, thyme, marjoram, chervil and savory, and always a bay leaf, tied together with string or tied between two stalks of celery – add 15 to 30 minutes before the end of cooking rather than at the beginning.
Fines Herbes: Minced parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Summer savory, marjoram or salad burnet can also be added. Uses in soups, sauces, egg and cheese dishes.
Herbes de Provence: Thyme, rosemary, savory and lavender buds with perhaps fennel seed or marjoram, and sometimes sage, mint, basil or bay leaves. Blend with olive oil and salt and pepper to rub on a leg of lamb, lamb chops or chicken, or blend with breadcrumbs and saute in melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle over cooked vegetables just before serving.
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