What herbs go with what?

[Andy Hamilton]

I know that Nev (wombat) will apprechiate this post as he told me that he needs to learn a bit more about herbs when I saw him at the start of the year.

There are some obvious ones like basil and tomatoes. A few sprigs of Rosemary in with roast spuds. In fact I rubbed the skins of some jackets with olive oil, salt pepper and thyme before putting them in the oven. Well nice.

Chives in a cheese sauce, mint in tea or mint and new potatoes.

[Chickpea]

Gosh, herbs. I could go on all day about how to use herbs. Best tell us what herbs you've got and we'll start from there.

Or you could just experiment. Crush a leaf between your fingers and have a sniff. What does it make you think of? Try it in the next thing you cook. If you like it, remember it and do it again next time. If not try it with something else. E.g. basil isn't traditionally used with fish but there's no reason why not. It's my very favourite herb and I'd chuck it in almost anything, although conventionally it's associated with tomatoes and with italian cooking.

[Andy Hamilton]

I have a whole row of Bronzed fennel that needs to be used for something. The seeds were a couple of years out of date so I did not expect to get as much as I did. Not a big fish eater either really.

I posted not so much for my self but for everyone really so any herb ideas that you have will be great.

Maybe to get started, fennel and sorrel are the two main ones that I am not entirely sure what I will do with.

[cir3ngirl]

My herbs are just outside the back door. I send the children out with a small pair of scissors and tell them to pick what they want. I then chop and put in whatever I happen to be making. The other I do is chop and freeze making mixed herbs then use straight from freezer.

Davina

[Chickpea]

Fennel has a sweet aniseedy taste that makes a lovely refreshing tea. It's also one of the ingredeints in absinthe. You're right, it is traditionally used with fish but if that isn't your bag try it with chicken, perhaps in combination with lemon. It also goes very well with egg dishes, put a little in your scrambled eggs or omelettes. Let it go to seed because the seeds are in my opinion more useful than the leaves. In India the seeds are chewed after a meal to make the breath fresh. I like to put a couple of teaspoons of fennel seeds in when I'm cooking rice, with perhaps the juice of a lemon as well. Come to think of it I use fennel+lemon combo quite a lot. Consider it in sweet dishes as well as savoury.

I've sowed sorrel repeatedly this year and none has come up. I just put it straight in the ground - should I have sowed it indoors first? What did you do?

Sorrel is gorgeous with a sharp tangy taste. Again, it is good in drinks. If you have a juicer bung a bit through the juicer as well as some apples, carrots and celery, or whatever you have around. A bit more pungent than fennel it can stand up against stronger tasting meats such as lamb and pork, although I wouldn't normally use it with beef but you could have a try. It's also a popular soup ingredient, perhaps because it is reputed to increase the appetite. Google "sorrel soup" and you'll get lots of options.

[Andy Hamilton]

Will try with lemons then.

The sorrel I did plant in pots first then planted it out, not many came up and the ones that did were covered with greenfly. I just about managed to rescue one of them that is doing well on the alltoment.

[Shirley]

I LOVE sorrel soup - when I worked at the sculpture workshop we had a polish artist come to stay - .. she gathered wild sorrel from the yard and made sorrel soup http://www.polishnews.com/fulltext/chef ... 61_1.shtml but insisted that we have hard boiled eggs in the bottom of it as too much sorrel can be bad for you (her words - I think they have lots of oxalates or something)

This recipe sounds delicious - Sorrel and Herb Tarts with Melted Goat's Cheese

[Luath]

Sorrel for soups and a green sauce to go with fish; dill with fish; tarragon with chicken; thyme with chicken and fish; summer savory with broad and other beans; fennel seed in breads and other baked goods; chives and garlic chives with cheese of all kinds; oregan, marjoram, basil all with Mediterranean ingredients; mint with potatoes; rosemary with lamb, chicken, roast veg; edible herb flowers in salads; herb vinegars; herb butters - freeze in slices and take out as needed.

[Millymollymandy]

Oregano on Greek salad and pizza.

Dill with finely shredded Cos lettuce and spring onions, dressed in olive oil, malt vinegar, salt and pepper. This is a Greek lettuce salad and I live on it in summer and could eat it till the cows come home.

I've had pesto on grilled lake fish in Italy and it was fantastic!

Mint, coriander and basil (especially holy basil) in stir fries and anything Asian like Thai/Vietnamese.

Coriander is an absolute must for anything Indian!

Sage for sage and onion stuffing (obviously!!).

I use thyme, sage and oregano/marjoram for anything which involves minced beef - from flavouring spag bol to shepherds pie.

Oh the list is endless!

[Shirley]

rosemary in biscuits.... I haven't tried it yet... in fact... I'm off to go and make some now...

back later - I'll bring the biscuits with me if someone will organise a cuppa for us all

[Luath]

Kettles' on........still Rosemary biscuits are lovely, also lavender ones.

[Shirley]

ooh.. but they are nearly all gone!!!

Yes, they are delicious... rather lemony too.

Haven't tried lavender... not got any either There is an overgrown lavender plant at my mum's that I hope to rescue on my way back up from Devon.

Blimey that tea is hot!!! :)

[wulf]

Or you could just experiment. Crush a leaf between your fingers and have a sniff. What does it make you think of?

I find recipe books good for inspiration but also frequently use the method above - once you've got a good stock of experience, you can see what's doing well in the herb garden then let your imagination search out what will go well with it.

Wulf

[Wombat]

Yeah! Thanks Andy!

I will be growing plenty of Basil as companion for the tomatoes this year so I will be giving pesto a go!

But I don't do much with herbs......have to do more!

I thought that the tangy flavour of sorrel was due to the oxalic acid - it causes kidney stones!

Nev

[Shirley]

Think that's right Nev... apparently (don't quote me) that's why they eat the hardboiled egg with the sorrel soup