Getting to Know Your Garlic, Onions and Leeks
Growing herbs is a most practical pleasure. Herbs not only have many culinary uses, but each one also has a certain beauty and delightful aroma. Many people begin their love affair with gardening by planting a small patch or pot of these easy to grow plants. At Civano Nursery we carry an extensive selection of seeds and plants.
There are three categories of herbs: annuals, biennials, and perennials. Let me explain
Annuals:
Soft stemmed herbs such as basil, chervil, coriander or cilantro, need to be reseeded or replanted every spring. Always wait till the danger of frost is gone to plant these.
Biennials:
Biennials, such as parsley, may survive into a second season and then die off. So don’t be surprised, have a plan to replace them.
Perennials:
Woody stemmed plants such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay are perennials. These plants do very well in our climate and can be enjoyed all year long.
Herbs and their Flavor
Basil:
Like a blend of licorice, clove, and tarragon. This herb was created especially for tomatoes, casseroles, and winter stews. A little sprig also makes a colorful garnish
Chives:
Part of the onion family, chives add a delicate flavor to dishes. Add to soups, salads, pasta dishes, vegetables, fish poultry, or my favorite, added to egg salad sandwiches.
Cilantro:
Cilantro is also known as Chinese parsley or coriander. Looks like parsley except the leaves are saw toothed, and it sure doesn’t taste like parsley. Cilantro has a very distinctive taste almost like eating a menthol candy. It’s what gives much Southwest and Mexican cooking and some Asian cooking their distinctive flavor.
Dill:
The lemony fresh flavor of dill is good in potato salad, salad dressing, with fish, and in yogurt based dips, and excellent in a lot of chicken dishes.
Mint:
Use whole leaves as a garnish or chop up and add to fruit salads or any salad, add to rice or potatoes. Great in for lemon mint iced tea.
Oregano:
Part of the mint family can have multiple personalities depending on the variety, it can be mild or very peppery. When you are selecting one, snitch a leaf, we don’t mind, taste it to make sure you’ve got the right one. After all, what’s a pizza or tomato sauce without it?
Parsley:
This really is more than a garnish. It usually comes in two varieties – frilly leaf, that’s the one you most often see, and flat leaf Italian which has a little stronger flavor than our frilly friend. Great used in soups and sauces, and of course as a garnish.
Rosemary:
Sun warmed pine needles, that’s what this smells like. Rosemary imparts a wonderful flavor to most meat dishes.
Sage:
Sage has a strong but pleasant flavor. Good with pork, poultry, and bean dishes
Thyme:
Thyme tastes like a collision between lemon and mint. Sprinkle over fish dishes, including chowder, and add to poultry recipes, tomato sauces, rice dishes and is an absolute must in a beef stew.
Time to get the crock pot out and do some cooking!
