herbs2

(Culinary herbs)

Basil This tender annual cannot stand frost. Sow under glass in a peat pot in March or April and plant out in early June in a sunny spot. Pinch out the growing tips to produce a bushy plant. During the summer gather leaves as required, the best way to have basil for winter is to lift plants and pot up in September, placing the pots on the kitchen windowsill. The clove-like flavour of Basil is an essential feature of many Italian recipes and its traditional partner is the tomato.

Chervil Chervil is a hardy herb which grows quickly, the first leaves can be picked 8weeks after sowing and it can be used in Winter. Sow Chervil where it is to grow,a March sowing will provide a summer crop and an August sowing will provide leaves from autumn to spring. Thin to leave seedlings 6in(15cm) apart, remove leaves from the outside of the plant when harvesting.Remove any seedheads. Chervil has ferny leaves with an aniseed flavour which can be lost by cooking- add finely chopped leaves to soups,fish,and egg dishes just before serving.

Chives The grass-like stems can be cut from March to October to improve the flavour of many dishes, but dried Chives are of little value.Plant pot grown clumps in spring or autumn 9in apart and divide every 3 or 4 years. Cut the stems to within an inch or two of compost level. Remove the flower buds before they open if you grow it purely as a herb with a mild garlic-onion flavour,but it can be used as an attractive flowering plant from which some leaves are removed for the kitchen. Finely chopped Chives are used in many ways-in potato salad, stuffed eggs, omelettes,sauces, soups etc.

Dill A tall annual herb which has attractive feathery foliage and flat plates of small yellow flowers in July. It hates disturbance-sow the seeds in April where the plants are to grow and thin to 12in(30cm)apart. Gather leaves for immediate use and for drying while they are still young, the distinct flavour is retained after drying. Harvest and dry the seeds once the flower heads have turned brown, tie a paper bag over each flower head and hang upsidedown.Use chopped leaves as a garnish or in the cooking of all types of fish,the strongly flavoured seeds are used in rice as well as fish dishes.

Fennel If you grow herbs in pots of different sizes then fennel should be in the back row, this tall and attractive perennial has blue-green feathery foliage and flat heads of tiny yellow flowers in summer. There is a purple-leaved variety which is even more decorative. Buy a pot grown plant from the garden centre or nursery and choose a sunny spot. Pick leaves in summer as required. Remove the taller shoots bearing flower buds if you do not intend to collect the seeds for drying, harvest the seeds in the way described for Dill. Fennel is interchangeable with Dill, use the chopped foliage for fish, salads, vegatables and soups. The seeds are also used to flavour oily fish.

Marjoram Sweet marjoram is a half hardy annual, seed is sown under glass in March and planted out in the container at the end of May. In autumn the plants are lifted and put into pots on the windowsill to provide a winter supply of leaves. It is better to grow pot marjoram, buy a pot grown specimen in spring and plant in a container where it will grow as readily as mint. This small leaved shrub is a perennial, although the foliage usually dies down in winter. Cut back dead stems in spring. The prime use of chopped marjoram is for sprinkling over meat or poultry before roasting.

Mint This robust invasive perennial is one of our favourite herbs. There are several varieties, such as the highly fragrant apple mint, the highly flavoured bowels mint, and the common or garden spearmint. Varigated leaved varieties are available. All produce spikes of tiny pink or pale purple flowers. Plant a piece of root 2in deep in sun or light shade. Lift and divide every 3 years If mint rust appears (orange spots on shoots), dig up and burn the plants. Mint is used when boiling new potatoes and peas, but its most popular use is as the basic ingredient in mint sauce.

Parsley The bright green and deeply divided leaves of parsley provide our most popular garnish. The curly leaved varieties are the most decorative and the plain leaved ones have the strongest flavour. Sow seed half inch deep in April for a summer or autumn crop, germination is very slow so you may prefer to buy young plants in pots. Pick regularly to ensure a continuous supply, remove flowering stems as they appear. Cover over wintering plants with straw or peat. Parsley can be grown in a special parsley pot. There are many uses, garnishing dishes, enriching white sauce, making bouquet garni etc. To dry parsley dip sprigs in boiling water for 2 minutes and then crisp in a cool oven.

Rosemary This attractive evergreen shrub is slightly tender, grow it close to a south-facing wall. Plant up a pot grown specimen in spring, pick reguarly and trim the bushes to keep them about 24in high. Both the needle-like foliage and the small blue flowers are highly aromatic and suitable for kitchen use. Winter frosts may kill some of the shoots but new growth will sprout from the base. Variegated types are less hardy than ordinary green rosemary. Plants become leggy with age so renew every 3 years. Rosemary is the traditional flavouring for lamb, pork and veal but use sparingly.

Sage A bush which is ornamental as well as useful as a herb, the oblong grey-green leaves are wrinkled and the flower spikes bear tubular violet-blue flowers. Plant a pot grown specimen in spring in a sunny spot, gather the leaves regularly and trim the bush lightly in July after flowering. The leaves can be dried for winter use, harvest them for this purpose in late spring. It is not a long lived plant, so renew every 3 years. Sage and its partner the onion are the traditional ingredients in the stuffing for duck and goose, but there are many other uses.

Savory Some of the herbs in this section are known by everybody, but Savory is not. There are two types, summer Savory is an annual, the leaves are picked before the flowers appear and again when the new leaves develop after the flower stems have been cut back. Winter Savory is a low growing evergreen perennial, plant in April and trim back in early spring every year. Both types have narrow leaves and small tubular flowers, and both are used in salads or egg dishes or as a substitute for sage when making stuffing

Tarragon Tarragon is an invasive perennial which spreads like mint. The greyish-green leaves are aromatic and the tiny flowers are greenish-yellow. Plant a pot grown specimen in March and pick leaves between June and October. Remove flowering shoots to maintain the supply of fresh leaves. The foliage dies down in winter, the underground runners produce a fresh crop of leaves each Spring. Make sure you buy French and not Russian Tarragon. Tarragon is a basic feature of French cooking and is used in many classical chicken and fish dishes.

Thyme Thyme is a low growing spreading shrub which is strongly aromatic. It is evergreen, so the shoots with their tiny leaves can be picked all year round. There are numerous varieties, including the strongly-flavoured common thyme, The citrus flavoured lemon thyme as well as the decorative variegated and yellow leaved varieties. Plant pot grown specimens in spring and do not let the plants flower. Lift and divide every 3-4 years. Thyme has many uses , it is the traditional partner for Parsley in the stuffing for poultry.

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Basil	This tender annual cannot stand frost. Sow under glass in a peat pot in March or April and plant out in early June in a sunny spot. Pinch out the growing tips to produce a bushy plant. During the summer gather leaves as required, the best way to have basil for winter is to lift plants and pot up in September, placing the pots on the kitchen windowsill. The clove-like flavour of Basil is an essential feature of many Italian recipes and its traditional partner is the tomato.
Chervil	Chervil is a hardy herb which grows quickly, the first leaves can be picked 8weeks after sowing and it can be used in Winter. Sow Chervil where it is to grow,a March sowing will provide a summer crop and an August sowing will provide leaves from autumn to spring. Thin to leave seedlings 6in(15cm) apart, remove leaves from the outside of the plant when harvesting.Remove any seedheads. Chervil has ferny leaves with an aniseed flavour which can be lost by cooking- add finely chopped leaves to soups,fish,and egg dishes just before serving.
Chives	The grass-like stems can be cut from March to October to improve the flavour of many dishes, but dried Chives are of little value.Plant pot grown clumps in spring or autumn 9in apart and divide every 3 or 4 years. Cut the stems to within an inch or two of compost level. Remove the flower buds before they open if you grow it purely as a herb with a mild garlic-onion flavour,but it can be used as an attractive flowering plant from which some leaves are removed for the kitchen. Finely chopped Chives are used in many ways-in potato salad, stuffed eggs, omelettes,sauces, soups etc.
Dill	A tall annual herb which has attractive feathery foliage and flat plates of small yellow flowers in July. It hates disturbance-sow the seeds in April where the plants are to grow and thin to 12in(30cm)apart. Gather leaves for immediate use and for drying while they are still young, the distinct flavour is retained after drying. Harvest and dry the seeds once the flower heads have turned brown, tie a paper bag over each flower head and hang upsidedown.Use chopped leaves as a garnish or in the cooking of all types of fish,the strongly flavoured seeds are used in rice as well as fish dishes.
Fennel	If you grow herbs in pots of different sizes then fennel should be in the back row, this tall and attractive perennial has blue-green feathery foliage and flat heads of tiny yellow flowers in summer. There is a purple-leaved variety which is even more decorative. Buy a pot grown plant from the garden centre or nursery and choose a sunny spot. Pick leaves in summer as required. Remove the taller shoots bearing flower buds if you do not intend to collect the seeds for drying, harvest the seeds in the way described for Dill. Fennel is interchangeable with Dill, use the chopped foliage for fish, salads, vegatables and soups. The seeds are also used to flavour oily fish.
Marjoram	Sweet marjoram is a half hardy annual, seed is sown under glass in March and planted out in the container at the end of May. In autumn the plants are lifted and put into pots on the windowsill to provide a winter supply of leaves. It is better to grow pot marjoram, buy a pot grown specimen in spring and plant in a container where it will grow as readily as mint. This small leaved shrub is a perennial, although the foliage usually dies down in winter. Cut back dead stems in spring. The prime use of chopped marjoram is for sprinkling over meat or poultry before roasting.
Mint	This robust invasive perennial is one of our favourite herbs. There are several varieties, such as the highly fragrant apple mint, the highly flavoured bowels mint, and the common or garden spearmint. Varigated leaved varieties are available. All produce spikes of tiny pink or pale purple flowers. Plant a piece of root 2in deep in sun or light shade. Lift and divide every 3 years If mint rust appears (orange spots on shoots), dig up and burn the plants. Mint is used when boiling new potatoes and peas, but its most popular use is as the basic ingredient in mint sauce.
Parsley	The bright green and deeply divided leaves of parsley provide our most popular garnish. The curly leaved varieties are the most decorative and the plain leaved ones have the strongest flavour. Sow seed half inch deep in April for a summer or autumn crop, germination is very slow so you may prefer to buy young plants in pots. Pick regularly to ensure a continuous supply, remove flowering stems as they appear. Cover over wintering plants with straw or peat. Parsley can be grown in a special parsley pot. There are many uses, garnishing dishes, enriching white sauce, making bouquet garni etc. To dry parsley dip sprigs in boiling water for 2 minutes and then crisp in a cool oven.
Rosemary	This attractive evergreen shrub is slightly tender, grow it close to a south-facing wall. Plant up a pot grown specimen in spring, pick reguarly and trim the bushes to keep them about 24in high. Both the needle-like foliage and the small blue flowers are highly aromatic and suitable for kitchen use. Winter frosts may kill some of the shoots but new growth will sprout from the base. Variegated types are less hardy than ordinary green rosemary. Plants become leggy with age so renew every 3 years. Rosemary is the traditional flavouring for lamb, pork and veal but use sparingly.
Sage	A bush which is ornamental as well as useful as a herb, the oblong grey-green leaves are wrinkled and the flower spikes bear tubular violet-blue flowers. Plant a pot grown specimen in spring in a sunny spot, gather the leaves regularly and trim the bush lightly in July after flowering. The leaves can be dried for winter use, harvest them for this purpose in late spring. It is not a long lived plant, so renew every 3 years. Sage and its partner the onion are the traditional ingredients in the stuffing for duck and goose, but there are many other uses.
Savory	Some of the herbs in this section are known by everybody, but Savory is not. There are two types, summer Savory is an annual, the leaves are picked before the flowers appear and again when the new leaves develop after the flower stems have been cut back. Winter Savory is a low growing evergreen perennial, plant in April and trim back in early spring every year. Both types have narrow leaves and small tubular flowers, and both are used in salads or egg dishes or as a substitute for sage when making stuffing
Tarragon	Tarragon is an invasive perennial which spreads like mint. The greyish-green leaves are aromatic and the tiny flowers are greenish-yellow. Plant a pot grown specimen in March and pick leaves between June and October. Remove flowering shoots to maintain the supply of fresh leaves. The foliage dies down in winter, the underground runners produce a fresh crop of leaves each Spring. Make sure you buy French and not Russian Tarragon. Tarragon is a basic feature of French cooking and is used in many classical chicken and fish dishes.
Thyme	Thyme is a low growing spreading shrub which is strongly aromatic. It is evergreen, so the shoots with their tiny leaves can be picked all year round. There are numerous varieties, including the strongly-flavoured common thyme, The citrus flavoured lemon thyme as well as the decorative variegated and yellow leaved varieties. Plant pot grown specimens in spring and do not let the plants flower. Lift and divide every 3-4 years. Thyme has many uses , it is the traditional partner for Parsley in the stuffing for poultry.