Herb Primer

I love fresh herbs.  They add so much to a dish--a freshness that dried herbs just can't match.  Of course, this time of year, you have to buy them in a store--and pay a fortune in the process.  That's why these days, I try to stick with the few herbs we have inside that have survived from the summer.  One little parsley plant--looking like it is about to take it's last breath--and yummy tarragon. 

But soon enough, the weather will be getting warmer and the rosemary will be green again, the thyme will come alive with its wonderful fragrance, the sage will show its fuzzy leaves, the parsley will start to peek through the dirt and the basil will be standing high--ready to be used in pretty much everything we cook during the summer. 

Preparing for then, I found an article in The Shreveport Times that works as sort of an herb primer.   It's a little bit basic, but gives a description of many common herbs and some of the foods that benefit from the herb's flavor.  Keep it in mind--we'll be using homegrown fresh herbs before we know it!

Healthy Herbs and Spices

Tonight I'm part of a healthy eating program at Jake's school, so I've been thinking "healthy" as I've been getting ready for that. 

I just was reading a story from CBS News about nutritionist, author and TV chef Elie Krieger.  She was talking about how it's not only the foods that we eat that can have health benefits, but the herbs and spices that we use to prepare those foods that can make them even more healthy for us.  You can read the story for more details, but here are a few things that she highlighted.

• Rosemary: Either fresh or dried, rosemary is teeming with antioxidants that can help to prevent cancer and keep cholesterol numbers down.
• Cinnamon: This is one of the most health beneficial spices of all.  It has the highest antioxidant amounts of any spice.  It's been known to lower blood glucose in diabetics.  Cinnamon also contains manganese, iron and calcium, as well as being known to help alleviate nausea and stomach ulcers.
• Thyme: This herb contains some antibacterial properties as well as being a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids among other things.
• Curry Powder: As you probably know, curry powder is a mixture of different spices.  It differs from region to region and sometimes family to family.  But one of the spices that all curry powder contains is turmeric and that's what makes it healthy (and gives it that distinctive color).  Turmeric has been used to treat arthritis and rheumatism.  Studies also show that it can help to prevent heart problems, cancer and Alzheimer's Disease.  In fact, Alzheimer's is 4 times less prevalent in India (where curry powder is eaten in huge amounts) than in the US.
• Ginger: Ginger has been used for centuries as an anti-inflamatory and to treat circulation problems and stomach ailments.

So spice up your meals and reap the healthy benefits from all those great flavors!

Hi. My name is Herb.

One of the things I really love about this time of year--and as we move through the summer--at least cooking-wise, is the availability of fresh herbs.  So nice to use them without having to pay a fortune for them in the supermarket.  Fresh herbs just add so much to pretty much anything that you cook. 

Years ago, we planted some oregano and chives in a flower bed at our place and they have been coming up bigger and bigger each year.  We usually just use the oregano until it dies--there's obviously more than enough than we need.  I should really dry some at the end of the season. 

We've also got a rosemary plant that barely hangs on through the winter.  A few varieties of thyme and sage survive in pots and somehow, we had tarragon grow in a tiny pot on our windowsill during the winter.  Of course, there's the Attack of the Killer Mint.  For those of you who have planted mint before, you know that it just spreads and spreads.  Eventually, you have to call in the National Guard to stop it.  We'll plant some of our favorite, basil, in a week or so along with some others--parsley, etc.  Supposedly, if you plant your basil next to your tomato plants, the flavor of the tomatoes is enhanced by the basil.  To me, you can't get much better tasting than a fresh tomato, but that's for another post.

Fresh herbs should be added to dishes at the last minute, so the fresh taste is not diminished by the heat of cooking.  Use dried herbs for things like sauces, that need to be cooked for a long time.  Be wary of dried herbs, though.  Things like oregano dry fine.  But herbs like basil, don't.  Dried basil doesn't taste anything like basil, if you ask me.  There aren't many herbs that are worthwhile substituting dried for fresh.  If you must, use about half of what the recipe calls for if using dried in place of fresh.  My suggestion is that you just use another kind of herb that you have on hand instead of using dried.

I have used freeze dried dill.  It looks and smells like fresh and you use it in the same amount as fresh.  Not bad in a pinch.