Cooking with herbs certainly makes a meal. I have broken down each herb and food choices that work well with each herb.
You may grow your own herbs right in the kitchen window; just snip and use fresh or dry them.
Cooking with Herbs
I hope the following herb chart will help you understand what is in these bottles, what to use them for and give you the courage to dust off the covers and use them. You won’t be sorry.
The use of herbs (pronounced erbes, except in England where they sound out the letter H), dates back to the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
Our ancestors ate such enormous quantities of meat that vegetables as we know them had very little use. They were cooking with herbs in large quantities for stuffing, stews, for decoration, perfume and medicine.
The kitchen garden is actually quite modern and during the many centuries vegetables were almost unknown.
Our ancestors relied on the health giving properties of herbs. Even as late as the last century, the herb garden retained a honored place, both in our country and Europe.
Much of the old lore has been list and patent medicines took the place of herbal teas. We have come to look upon health as a mere absence of disease – with us it’s a negative thing.
So get out those herbs, try a pinch of this and a pinch of that until you have the confidence to really “do your own thing.”
ANISE
Pastry, breads, cookies, stewed fruits, cabbage and carrots
BASIL
Soups, stews, salads, sauces, eggs, cottage cheese, tomatoes
BAY LEAF
Stews, soups, roast beef, beets and potatoes
CARAWAY
Breads, cakes, cheese dishes, sauerkraut, cabbage, soups
CHIVES
Salads, seafood, egg and cheese dishes, cottage cheese, omelets, dips and cream soups
CORIANDER
Pea soup, pork or frankfurter dishes, apple pie, rice pudding
CUMIN
Cheese mixes, soup, stew, sauerkraut, beans, rice dishes, deviled eggs
DILL
Pickling, soups, salads, carrots, squash, beans and bread
FENNEL
Bread, apple pie, fish dishes, lamb stew, cabbage, duck, goose, squash and eggs.
FENUGREEK
Chutneys, relishes, curried dishes
GARLIC
meat and pasta dishes, sauces, stews, on steaks, chops, poultry, roast meat (almost everything at our house)
MARJORAM
Green salads, lamb dishes, string beans, poultry stuffing, omelets and souffles
OREGANO
Italian meat or pasta dishes, vegetable juice, tomatoes, lima beans, onions and cream sauces
ROSEMARY (photo)
Meat loaf, cheese sauces, squash, peas, chicken or turtle soup, game or duck stuffing
SAFFRON
Chicken soup, scrambled eggs, breads, fish, chicken, lamb stews
SAGE
Fish and poultry stuffing, pork dishes, chowders, soups, stews, cheese dips and pates
SESAME
Used on breads, rolls, cookies, casserole toppings
SUMMER SAVORY
Meat or poultry dishes, stuffing, scrambled eggs, omelets, broiled fish, sauerkraut, cabbage and artichokes
TARRAGON
Salads, eggs, chicken, veal and fish dishes
THYME
Stuffing, clam dishes, meat and poultry stews, meatloaf, fish chowder, vegetable juice
Cooking with herbs will be easier with these guidelines.