Seeding to Plating: The Herbs of Summer
Plough Girls Association
July 7, 2020
Herb Profiles & Food Pairings
Everyone and everything is a garden. All have to be nurtured, be they of the forest or the sea. If we are not gentle with life, the garden within us dies – Song of Waitaha (New Zealand)
Herbs, Seasonings & Spices. Season your food with little or no salt by using spices, herbs and non-salt mixtures such as Mrs. Dash, Lawry’s seasoned pepper, McCormick Italian seasoning and Club House Mixed Spice. Take note of the seasonings you use. Read ingredient lists on labels to see if salt or other sodium compounds are listed.
Add-a-spice to meats:
Beef: dry mustard, nutmeg, onion, sage, pepper, bay leaf, ginger, garlic
Lamb: garlic, curry, mint, rosemary
Veal: bay leaf, ginger, curry, paprika, oregano
Chicken: paprika, thyme, sage, parsley, curry, savory, ginger, garlic
Fish: dry mustard, paprika, curry, bay leaf, lemon juice, dill weed, tarragon, savory, basil
Eggs: pepper, dry mustard, paprika, tarragon
Pork: ginger, cinnamon, curry, onion, pepper, garlic
Add-a-spice to vegetables:
Asparagus: lemon juice, caraway seed
Green Beans: lemon juice, nutmeg, onion
Broccoli: lemon juice, oregano
Cabbage: mustard, caraway seed, vinegar
Carrots: allspice, ginger, cloves
Cauliflower: nutmeg, celery, seed
Peas: onion, mint
Potatoes: parsley, chives
Squash: ginger, basil, oregano
Tomatoes: basil, oregano, sage, thyme
Basil adds a distinctive, spicy flavor to Italian foods, tomato and egg dishes, pesto, soups, sauces, sausages and rich stews. Basil leaves (like all other herbs) should be added towards the end of the cooking process to prevent the development of a bitter taste.
Oregano tastes of pepper and marigold. Use in tomato sauce, pizza, fish and anything that takes garlic. I prefer dried oregano to fresh.
Parsley has a green grassy taste. I prefer flat leaf parsley. Use it to enhance the flavors and decorate the dishes of soups, boiled potatoes, pasta, eggs, and salads. Try it on different dishes.
Dill has a light lemony taste. Use in sauces, on salmon, potato dishes, and mayonnaise based salads.
Rosemary. Be careful using rosemary. Like basil, it can be overpowering. It has a piney flavor which goes well with lamb, beans, poultry and pork.
Tarragon is used in French cooking and goes well with chicken, fish, sea food and mayonnaise based salads. It is my primary herb in making Yancey House crab cakes.
Thyme has an earthy taste that enhances any chicken dish, as well as soups, beans, and stuffing.
Cilantro is used in Tex Mex and Vietnamese dishes, as well as Asian soups.
Chives are unimposing members of the onion family. Use in eggs, salads, sauces.