| Aug 27 @ 1:32 PM |
Herbs 101
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cbond35
Posts: 29
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Tarragon
Although tarragon is well-loved in French cooking, it’s less common elsewhere except in dried herb mixes or fine dining restaurants. Experimenting with this anise-like herb in classic French favorites such as bearnaise sauce, creamy tarragon chicken, or fresh vinaigrettes can help you learn how to use tarragon to lift flavors without overpowering a dish. Store tarragon in a plastic bag in the fridge along with a damp paper towel or stems down in a glass of water with a plastic bag on top.
Oregano
Oregano, a pungent herb primarily found in Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines, is one of the few herbs that survive the drying process relatively unscathed. Use convenient dried oregano for longer stewing or dry rubs, but make sure to use half as much dry as you would fresh since the flavor is so intense. Oregano can also be used as a substitute for its close cousin marjoram.
Chives
Chives add a flavor similar to onion without the bite. Plus, their slender tube-like appearance looks great as a garnish either snipped and sprinkled or laid elegantly across a plate. Add these delicate herbs at the very end to maximize their color and flavor. Purple chive blossoms are more pungent than the stems and can be a beautiful addition to a salad.
Cilantro
Supposedly there’s actually a gene that determines whether or not people like cilantro, so this herb is truly a love it or hate it proposition for most. It’s still one of the most popular herbs in the world — particularly in Asia and Latin America — and for people who love it, it’s impossible to imagine a meal without its unique flavor. Cilantro stems are quite sweet and can be added raw along with the leaves while the roots are prized by Thai chefs for curry pastes.
Basil
Most people are accustomed to using fresh basil in their favorite Italian dishes, but this licorice-like herb is equally at home in a Thai coconut curry or a Provencal pistou. Dried basil tastes completely different from fresh, so if you want to add a shot of basil flavor try blending basil with olive oil and storing cubes in the freezer.
Dill
The feathery leaves of the dill plant add a light anise flavor to seafood, soups, salads, and lots of other dishes. A classic in borscht or paired with salmon, dill is almost always added at the very last minute. Keep it fresh in the refrigerator by storing it in a glass of water with a plastic bag placed over the top.
Tyme
One of the most popular herbs in American and European cooking, thyme can be paired with nearly any kind of meat, poultry, fish, or vegetable. To use fresh thyme, peel off as many of the leaves as you can from the woody stem by running your fingers along the stem. Particularly with younger thyme, some of the main stem or little offshoot stems will be pliable and come off with the leaves, which is fine. Thyme keeps for at least a week in the fridge, wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a plastic bag.
Rosemary
A tough, woody herb with a pungent flavor, rosemary’s spiky leaves can be used fresh or dried for long cooking in soups, meats, stews, sauces, etc. Because the flavor is strong, it’s best to add rosemary sparingly at first and more if needed. Fresh rosemary can be stored for about a week in the fridge either in a plastic bag or stems down in a glass of water with a plastic bag around the top.
Sage
Most people have an ancient container of dried sage that gets pulled out for Thanksgiving stuffing, but there are so many other delicious uses for this herb throughout the year, particularly in dishes with pork, beans, potatoes, cheese, or as half of the classic sage and brown butter sauce. The flavor can be somewhat overwhelming — particularly with dried sage — so start off with a small amount and build on that.
Bay Leaf
Bay is one of the herbs that plays an important supporting role; you’d miss it if it weren’t there, but wouldn’t necessarily be able to name what was missing. The longer, narrower California bay leaves are more pungent than the Turkish ones, so check what you’ve got before following a recipe. Fresh bay leaves, which are much more flavorful than dried, are becoming more commonly available in supermarkets.
Parsley
Formerly relegated to the role of omnipresent garnish, fresh parsley is coming into its own for its fresh flavor and great health benefits, but dried parsley lacks both flavor and color. Make sure to wash the fresh herb well by swishing it in a bowl of cool water to let the sand run to the bottom and repeating until clean. One last tip: Parsley can be squeezed dry in a tea towel or paper towels after chopping— and you’ll want it nice and dry if you do plan on adding that extra green sprinkle!
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| Aug 28 @ 2:26 AM |
Herbs 101 |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,615
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My all time favorite for seasoning roasted veggies is Herbes de Provence. I thought lavender flowers were kind of funky in cooking, but as part of this mix, I love it.
Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs) is a mixture of dried herbs from Provence invented in the 1970s.[1]
The mixture typically contains savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender flowers and other herbs. (Some cooks maintain that lavender is an essential ingredient of true herbes de provence.) The proportions vary by manufacturer. Thyme usually dominates the taste produced by the herb mixture.
Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavour into the cooked food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.
Herbes de Provence are often sold in larger bags than other herbs, and the price in Provence is considerably lower than other herbs.
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| Aug 29 @ 1:52 AM |
Herbs 101
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BluEyedQT
Posts: 498
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Okay, so is it pronounced "Herbs" or "'erbs"?
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| Aug 29 @ 4:09 AM |
Herbs 101 |
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ForumMod
Posts: 1,816
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yes. 
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| Aug 29 @ 10:14 AM |
Herbs 101
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BluEyedQT
Posts: 498
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Thanx for clearing that up Mod. 
...as QT wanders around still confused.
[Edited on 8/29/2009 10:28 AM]
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| Aug 31 @ 11:27 AM |
Herbs 101 |
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cbond35
Posts: 29
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I say "erbs".........
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| Aug 31 @ 11:47 AM |
Herbs 101
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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I say erbs, the Brits (and Martha Stewart) say herbs.
I've been growing/using herbs in a planter -- outdoors in the summer, indoors in the winter.
I have tarragon, sage, French thyme, basil, rosemary and lavender going great guns at the moment. Tarragon is great in chicken salad.
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| Aug 31 @ 5:01 PM |
Herbs 101 |
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cbond35
Posts: 29
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I either use Rosemary or Tarragon in most of my chicken dishes. These two just seem to go well with chicken. (As far as my palate goes)
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| Sep 20 @ 12:30 PM |
Herbs 101
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Jalon
Posts: 1,611
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I love rosemary...in as many dishes as possible! Try it in deviled eggs, you won't regret it.
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| Sep 25 @ 2:32 AM |
Herbs 101 |
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soccerlovinguy22
Posts: 65
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Cheers for that CBOND...i actually found it very interesting!!
oh, yeh, keep givin that guitar some lovin!
I got one the other year....and its been kept in storage so much, i honestly should practice....my mates laugh at me when they find out what it is, and how little i play it!
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| Sep 25 @ 4:30 PM |
Herbs 101
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,629
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Herbes de Provence.
Heaven, where did you find yours??
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