SAFE HOME FARM

Robin Timm

Herb Ideas

In our weekly deliveries, we provide a number of herbs to highlight the vegetables of the week. One of our biggest complaints from customers is “what do I do with all the herbs?”

This year, I am compiling an herb chart that can be kept in the kitchen for quick reference at dinner time. I thought it would be an easy project. Then I hit the column for flavor: how do I explain thyme or sage or basil? I can sense them in my head but cannot convert that sense into words.

So, you are getting a preview of our herb idea sheet. If you have some ideas for the chart, please let me know.

Our goal is for people to enjoy food, both the preparation and the consumption. Any ideas that facilitate the use of our produce and herbs will be greatly appreciated.

Next we can work on our vegetable chart.

HERBS

HERB Lore	FLAVOR	BENEFITS	USES	STORAGE Short/ Long
Anise Hyssop	Leaves and flowers have a licorice flavor.	Part of the mint family:	Tea-hot or iced Mix iced hyssop tea with lemonade Flowers as garnish, in desserts, baked goods, fresh fruit salads	Fresh Frozen
Basil The “King of Herbs” there are over 150 varieties of basil. We grow 5: Genovese or Italian Cinnamon Lemon and Lime Thai or Anise			Pesto. Whole leaves in place of lettuce on summer sandwiches, layer with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, in cooked dishes should be added at the last minute: scrambles, summer soups, stir fries. Lemon, lime and Cinnamon in cookies, cake, and teas	Fresh Frozen: plain or pesto in ice cubes. 1 cube=1 Tbsp Dried-has a strong flavor that is good in breads.
Borage Stimulates courage, exhilarates and makes the mind glad	Young, tender leaves and flowers have a cucumber flavor		Blends well with dill, mint and garlic. Add to green or fruit salads, vegetables; Flowers can decorate cakes	Fresh

Chervil Cleanses the blood in spring	Mix of parsley and licorice flavors	Cleanses the blood	Seasons fish, poultry, vegetables, salads, eggs. Excellent with carrots	Fresh Frozen
Chives/ Garlic chives (Chinese leeks)	Mild onion flavor for the round chives. Garlicky flavor for the Chinese leeks	High in vitamins A and C	Snip fresh chives into anything you like! Try them over baked or boiled potatoes, in salads, with any vegetable. Flowers can be sautéed in omelets or scrambles, or eaten raw in salads.	Fresh is best
French Tarragon A royal herb, the Romans named it Dracunculus because of its serpentine root structure.	This is one of the first herbs to arrive in spring. The flavor is a mix of anise, mint and pepper.		Snipped in salad dressings and sauces, over fish, in soups, with tomatoes, omelets, sprinkled over potatoes or other vegetables.	Fresh Frozen
Lavender A royal herb of England, Queen Elizabeth I always had lavender on the royal table.			With fresh fruits, in sugars for cookies, ice cream and tea. Most often used in sachets or potpourris	Leaves and flowers Fresh or Dried
Lemon Grass	Citrusy		Fibrous grass is best removed, after cooking. Used in Asian and Thai dishes. Dried stems can be added to dried lemon and orange rinds for a citrusy tea or potpourri.	Fresh Frozen Dried
Lemon Balm	Lemon		Dried leaves and flowers make a lovely tea. Add fresh flowers to ice cubes for lemonade or iced tea. Add small fresh leaves to green salad and top with a mild vinaigrette	Fresh Dried
Lovage During the Middle Ages, known as “Love Parsley” for its reputed aphrodisiac qualities.	Strong mix of anise, celery and pepper. A little goes a long way.	Can be a salt substitute; digestive aid; aphrodisiac?	Perfect in soups and stews, pastas, Large hollow stems can be used as straws in bloody or virgin Mary’s.	Fresh
Marjoram In mythology is linked to love.	Strong and flowery		In the oregano family, marjoram is used in Mediterranean cooking in salads, egg dishes and rice.	Fresh Dried
Mint Used since Medieval times to sweeten kitchens and sick rooms & cleanse tables. Known as a medicinal herb for digestive disorders			Fresh leaves can be snipped into lettuce or fruit salads, steeped in iced tea. Flowers can be frozen in ice cubes or used to decorate cakes or ice cream, added to vinegars and salad dressings. Dried leaves and flowers make great tea; plain or with black tea	Fresh Frozen Dried
Parsley: Italian or Flat and Curly You must be patient, when growing parsley from seed. The seed must go to hell and back, before it will germinate!	Mild and subtle	One cup of parsley contains more beta carotene that a carrot, almost twice as much iron as one serving of liver.	Parsley jazzes up green salads, is a must in Tabouli, great in all sauces and soups and wonderful raw.	Fresh Frozen
Purslane This is a common succulent pops up in gardens everywhere. Instead of pulling those weeds, put them in your salads.	Crunchy, lemony green	Rich source of vitamin E and Omega 3 fatty acids.	Best eaten raw in salads or added at the last minute to omelets, scrambles or soups.	Fresh
Sage In the Middle Ages, sage was considered a medicinal cure-all; even thought to impair wisdom and increase memory.	Savory and astringent with a hint of mint	Tea is soothing to sinus headaches, coughs and sore throats.	Use in moderation with vegetable dishes, stuffings, stews. The astringent qualities make a good match with fatty foods. Flowers add zing to salads and scrambles.	Fresh Dried
Savory	Spicy, peppery with a hint of thyme	Aid digestion, especially of beans. A warm tea is good for nervous headache and beneficial for colds. Crushed can relieve the pain of bee stings.	Soups, stews and bean dishes. Can replace thyme in a pinch.	Fresh Dried
Thyme Stands for courage.	Pungent, warming, spicy, with a slight medicinal flavor from thymol, an essential oil	Antiseptic qualities from thymol; used as a digestive drink.	Sprigs of fresh thyme can be tossed in whole or the leaves can be stripped from the stem and added to vegetable dishes, soups, stews, omelets. Rosemary Divock says “When in doubt, use thyme”	Fresh Dried

Growing and Using Herbs in the Midwest, Rosemary Divock
The Spice and Herb Bible, Ian Hemphill

Herbed Greek Salad

Cathy Peterson, Madison Herb Society

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup sliced black Greek olives 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 cup sliced radishes 1 tsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced 1-2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine cheese, olives, radishes, green onions and cucumbers in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with the vegetable mixture. Chill 1-2 hours.

Serves 6 to 8

From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, MACSAC

Minted Pears

Madison Herb Society

1 pound pears, halved 1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey

Juice of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp chopped fresh spearmint

Peel pears and poach in water with lemon juice. Drain pears into a bowl, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Combine the liquid with sugar or honey and heat until sugar dissolves. Add fresh mint and simmer 10 minutes. Pour hot liquid (strained, if desired) over pears. Cool and chill thoroughly.

Makes 4 servings

From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, MACSAC

Pasta with Many Herbs

This recipe will be different, every time you make it.
Mix up the herbs, try them all or change the amounts. Create your own herbal magic.

1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives with blossoms, if you have them

1 Tbsp chopped fresh chervil

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound firm tofu, cubed

1 pound pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat oil in a frying pan and brown tofu. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add the herbs, pepper flakes and beans. Turn heat to low. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir until herbs turn bright green and beans are heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Drain, leaving some moisture clinging to pasta and place in a warm serving bowl. Toss tofu and herb mixture over pasta, adding salt, if desired and several grindings of coarse black pepper. Serve immediately with an optional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from Growing and Using Herbs in the Midwest, Rosemary Divock

Basil and Pepper Jelly

Chef Brad

1 cup basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar (white may be too sweet)
6 1/2 cups sugar
6 oz. liquid pectin
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

Combine the basil, vinegar and sugar and bell pepper in a non-aluminum saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Skim any foam and pour in pectin. Stir to blend and pour into clean jars and seal in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Contact Robin at JDRT@mhtc.net