Herbs? Dill Weed--Thru-- Thyme
Source of Recipe
ws
List of Ingredients
Dill Weed
Flavour and aroma: Hard to describe; faintly 'grassy' and reminiscent of caraway.
Dill is native to the France, Spain, and Russia, but can be grown in any temperate clime. Dill is widely used in sauces for fish and occasionally other savoury dishes. Salmon cured with dill creates the Scandinavian specialty, gravlax, and is the primary flavouring agent in dill pickles.
Dill is another herb that is best added at the end of the cooking process.
Dried dill: the delicate flavour is almost totally lost in the dried version.
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Kaffir Lime Leaves
Flavour and aroma: Fragrant, and very similar to lime zest.
An essential ingredient in Thai cuisine, kaffir lime leaves add a distinctive citrus punch to soups (especially tom khaa), stir-fries, and curries. They can be found fresh and dried in specialty markets. Fresh or dried lime peel is an acceptable substitute. Fresh leaves can be kept frozen for at least one year.
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Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena
Flavour and aroma: Lemon scented, with perfume/floral overtones.
While these two herbs are similar in flavour, lemon verbena is considered to be the superior, and is certainly much stronger. Unfortunately lemon balm grows uncontrollably in North American gardens, whereas lemon verbena is a rarity.
Both herbs are used to flavour teas, fruits, and salads; they can be used also, with discretion, for roasts, fish, and ice-cream.
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Lemongrass
Once a rarity in Western kitchens and stores, lemongrass is now commonplace at retail.
Flavour and aroma: Floral and sour lemon; more comparable to lemon zest than lemon juice.
An essential component in Thai cuisine, lemongrass has long, thin, gray-green leaves and a scallion-like base.
The distinctive fragrance is released when the stalks are cut or crushed.
The clear, fresh flavour is so attractive when appropriately used that it is hard to believe it took so long to be adopted widely.
Dried and frozen lemon grass is available, as are those packed in jars, mainly in Asian markets.
Also called Citronella.
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Lovage
A herb that has fallen out of favour since its salad days in the Middle Ages.
Flavour and aroma: Very similar to celery, but warmer and sweeter; the French call this herb 'célerie bâtard', which is a fair description.
The leaves, stalks, and seeds can all be used. The seeds are used for what is sold as celery seed, or processed into celery salt.
Use sparingly for salads, stews, soups and roasts.
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Marjoram
A member of the mint family, not to be confused with Wild Marjoram, which is another name for oregano. Nomenclature regarding oregano and marjoram is a knotty botanical issue better left to botanists.
Flavour and aroma: Sweet, spicy, and aromatic, but less so than oregano, which it most closely resembles in appearance and flavour.
Marjoram is field-dried, but fresh can be found on occasion. It should be a gray-green color and highly aromatic.
Marjoram is particularly suitable for meats: pork, lamb and veal, soups and vegetables, but should be used sparingly as it can overwhelm other flavours, and it doesn't suit everyone's taste.
It is widely used in meat processing for salamis and sausages including liver sausages and pâtés.
Also called Sweet Marjoram
Dried Marjoram: much of the original flavour is retained in the dried product.
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Mint
Peppermint. Flavour and aroma: Mentholic, sweet, and cooling: more pungent than spearmint. More suitable for savoury foods.
Spearmint. Flavour and aroma: Pungent, sweeter than peppermint, sharp, and clean. More suitable for sweet foods.
Mint is widely available year-round. It is also very easy to grow; any gardener will tell you of its rampant, invasive tendencies. In the kitchen mint is traditionally used to flavour lamb, mint juleps, to make tea infusions, and as a garnish for desserts. Mint can be used also in sauces, jellies, with yogurt, and to accompany roasts and vegetables, particularly boiled new potatoes.
Other varieties: There are about two dozen mint species, and hundreds of varieties, only spearmint and peppermint are described here.
Dried Mint retains little of the flavour of the fresh herb.
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Oregano
Flavour and aroma: Spicy, aromatic and a slightly bitter taste.
Oregano belongs to the same family as marjoram and thyme. This is a perennial plant that is widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Because oregano is assertive and pungent it should be used sparingly; the dried herb is even more pungent. Oregano also has an affinity for tomatoes and is widely used in pasta and pizza sauces. It is also a component of chili powder.
Dried Oregano is perfectly acceptable; it should have a grayish-green color.
There are many different types of oregano available, both fresh and dried; check the strength before use.
Also called Wild Marjoram.
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Parsley
The most common varieties are curly and flat leaf or Italian. The latter is the more pungent.
Flavour and aroma: Pleasant, sweet, and grassy.
Parsley is used in a wide variety of soups, sauces and meat dishes. Its most common use is for visual effect either as a garnish in the form of a sprig, or chopped and sprinkled.
Dried Parsley has a hay-like aroma and bears little resemblance to fresh; use fresh parsley whenever possible.
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Rosemary
Flavour and aroma: Wonderfully distinctive and evocative; floral, eucalyptus, and pine aroma, with a peppery and fragrant flavour.
Rosemary can be used for almost any dish, but with the greatest discretion. It is particularly well suited to lamb, pork, and focaccia.
Dried Rosemary retains much of the strength and flavour of the fresh herb. It should be a grayish-green with a pungent, sweet aroma.
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Sage
Sage is indigenous to the northern Mediterranean, but it can be grown almost anywhere.
Flavour and aroma: Powerfully aromatic with a warm, spicy, and astringent taste.
Sage's distinctive flavour permeates whatever it seasons, and should be used in moderation. It is traditionally paired with pork, poultry, in sausages, and in bread-based stuffing.
Sage is one of the more widely used herbs in meat processing, especially as an addition to breakfast sausage.
Dried Sage, in leaves or rubbed and as a powder, retains much of the character of fresh sage; the leaves should have a silvery gray color with a strong aroma.
Pineapple sage is, as may be expected, a variety that has a pineapple scent.
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Savoury: Summer and Winter
Flavour and aroma: Reminiscent of a combination of thyme and mint, but not as aromatic as either. Spicy and peppery. Summer savoury is milder than its winter cousin.
Savoury adds a piquancy to soups, pâtés, meat dishes and fish. It has an affinity for tomato and many vegetables.
Fresh savoury is available year-round but may be hard to find. Dried Savoury is an acceptable substitute.
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Tarragon
Flavour and aroma: Unmistakable anise flavour, but quite mild with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Tarragon is native to southeastern Russia but it is the cultivated French variety that is used for culinary purposes.
Tarragon is particularly appreciated by the French, in whose cuisine it is used extensively, most notably for Béarnaise sauce. It is also suitable for flavouring other sauces, chicken, pork, fish and vegetables. Tarragon can overpower other flavours if used too liberally.
Dried Tarragon, if not too old, retains most of this herb's flavour and aroma, but loses its pungency and complexity rapidly.
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Thyme
Flavour and aroma: Warm and herbaceous, but with a biting and spicy sharpness. Notes of lemon and sage
A highly versatile herb that can be used either by itself or in combination with other herbs, as in a bouquet garni. It is widely used to flavour almost all savoury foods.
There are many varieties available, but garden thyme with small grey-green leaves and tiny purple flowers is the most common. Fresh thyme is readily available year round. If fresh thyme is not at hand, Dried Thyme is an acceptable substitute.
Other thyme varieties include Lemon, wild, French, English, variegated, and many others of horticultural interest only.
Recipe
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