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Examine fresh herbs as carefully as you would any produce, and select those that are free from spots, insect damage, or that look limp or dry. Fresh herbs bruise easily, so handle them gently, and use them as soon as possible to get the most flavor and aroma into your food.
Some herbs will keep for several days stored in the refrigerator vegetable bin if they are washed, patted dry, wrapped in a damp paper tower, and then enclosed in a plastic bag with a few holes punched in it. Herb bunches can also be put in a glass or vase of water like flowers if kept out of direct sunlight. You can freeze herbs you plan to cook with, but they will be too limp to be used as a garnish.
To freeze herbs, wash and pat them dry with a paper towel, and place recipe size quantities in freezer bags. Another way is to chop them up and make ice cubes that are half water and half herbs, and then store the cubes in freezer safe bags or containers to protect their flavor. Fresh herbs and frozen herbs before they are defrosted are used in the same proportions.
Anise
The entire anise plant, a member of the parsley family, has a sweet, delicate licorice-like flavor
similar to Florence fennel which is frequently found mislabeled in the grocery store as anise.
If homegrown, the flowers and leaves can be mixed into fruit salads or used as a garnish; the roots and
stem can be mixed into soups and stews. Anise is most commonly found and used as seeds, either whole or
ground, in potpourris, cookies, pastries, breads, liqueurs, confections, teas, curries, to flavor
seafood or shellfish among many others.
Arugula
Also known as roquette, this Mediterranean salad plant is a member of
the mustard family. Arugula has a peppery taste that
compliments such Mediterranean foods as olives, garlic, tomatoes,
peppers and olive oil.
Basil
This is a commonly used herb that adds a clove like aroma and pungent
taste to tomatoes, squash, cabbage, beans, pasta, poultry
or seafood. Leaves vary in color from green to red-purple. Leaf size
also varies, ranging from small common basil leaves to the
larger leaves of lettuce leaf basil.
Bay Leaves
With long, dull green leaves about ½ inch wide, this aromatic and
pungent herb is used to season soups, stews and sauces. It is a
traditional ingredient in split pea soup and spaghetti sauce. Greek Bay
and California Bay Laurel are the two types of bay leaves.
Chervil
This herb has a sweet taste, similar to tarragon. Add near the end of
cooking to flavor stews, fish and steamed vegetables. Chervil
can be used in sauces calling for tarragon. Use in salads, salad
dressings, meat dished, savory sauces, egg dishes or as a chopped
garnish.
Chives
A mild, onion flavored herb, chives will enhance the flavor of almost
any savory dish. Sprinkle liberally over fish, chicken, egg
dishes or a steaming baked potato. Chives enhance almost any buttered
vegetable such as carrots, beans, sweet corn, squash,
peas, cauliflower or mushrooms.
Cilantro
Also known as coriander or Chinese or Mexican parsley, this herb has an
assertive, sage-citrus flavor that can be addictive for
some people. Use sparingly to season squash, eggplant, snow peas and
onion. It is used extensively is Southwest fare such as
guacamole, chili, salsa and cold seafood salad. Cilantro also is
important in Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine’s.
Dill
The anise-parsley-celery flavor of dill goes well with fish, vegetables,
soups and salads. It also compliments poached salmon and
potato salad. Crown dill, a stronger tasting item, is used for making
pickles while baby dill is primarily a seasoning. Dill plants have
feathery leaves. When purchased fresh, plants should be selected on the
basis of their resemblance to fresh salad greens. Dill seed
also is a popular seasoning item.
Fiddlehead Fern
This in not a species of fern but a growth stage of any fern- when the
tip pokes up through the soil but has not begun to uncurl. Look
for jade green ferns and select small sprouts with no more than a ½
inch diameter. Serve steamed or lightly cooked as a side dish
with meat or fish.
Lemon Grass
Also known as TI De Lemon, Sereh, Citronelle root and Takrai. Lemon grass
has long, woody stalks and white root ends. Texture is
brittle and dry with a lemony flavor. Wrap tightly with foil or plastic
wrap and store up to two weeks. Lemon grass is inedible
unless peeled. Peel about 1 inch from root end and pull back three to
four leaf layers until the tender white portion is exposed.
Use in salad dressings, chicken and fish dishes, marinades, beverages
and condiments.
Horseradish Root
This can be blended with vinegar and used a s a condiment or added
ingredient in mustard. It is known for its hot, spicy taste.
Marjoram
Sweet marjoram is a strong accenting herb used in egg dishes, soups,
vegetables or on lamb. Its taste is similar to oregano, only
milder. Like basil, marjoram is a member of the mint family.
Mint
A sweet flavored, aromatic herb, mint is a classic garnish and flavoring
for summer drinks such as tea, lemonade and punch, or a
natural garnish for mint juleps, fruit platters and frozen desserts.
Mint is a fundamental ingredient in lamb dishes and many Middle
Eastern dishes. Like most herbs, mint can be tossed in green salads or
mixed into soft cheeses. It can be added to cooked carrots,
green beans, peas and beets.
Oregano
Generally used to season Mexican, Italian, Greek and Spanish dishes,
oregano has a warn, aromatic scent and robust taste. It uses
include seasoning soups, stews, meat pies, pasta sauces and shellfish.
Parsley
Most commonly seen as a garnish, parsley adds a mild, sweet flavor to
foods. It frequently is added to French, Italian and Greek
dishes. Parsley can be chopped and added to soups, vegetables, meats and
sandwich fillings. Two types of parsley are those with
curly, fringed leaves, and Italian parsley, which has flat leaves. Flat
leaf is preferred for cooking.
Rosemary
Spicy, strong and fragrant, rosemary goes well in beef, pork, lamb and
veal dishes. Thread through chicken breasts and grill. It
enhances cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant and peas.
Sage
A common seasoning in meat, poultry and cheese dishes, sage has gray
green leaves with a pebbly surface. Suggest cooks use
sage sparingly, as the musty taste can be overpowering.
Savory
Nicknamed the bean herb, it is typically used in soups, on beans and as
a meat and poultry seasoning. This herb tastes slightly
warm, slightly sharp and can be used fresh or dried.
Sorrel
With a sharp, lemony taste, sorrel resembles spinach but has pale green
arrowhead shaped leaves. Frequently used in soups and
sauces, sorrel also is used as a salad green or vegetable. The leaves
can be cooked whole like spinach.
Tarragon
An accenting herb, tarragon is used in mustard, tartar and béarnaise
sauces, and tarragon vinegar. A member of the sunflower
family, tarragon has a sweet anise taste and should be used sparingly.
One species, French tarragon, is primarily cultivated in the
United States. Do not ice.
Thyme
This herb is used as a spicy addition to Creole dishes and to season
meat or poultry stuffing. When preparing game birds or roasts,
thyme often is rubbed over the meat to season it.