The Kitchen Herb Garden by Rosalind Creasy

Author:Rosalind Creasy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

English/French lavender sprigs give honey a subtle but rich flavor. Steep the sprigs in the honey then strain it. The fragrant honey can be drizzled over garden raspberries served with crème fraiche. Assertive herbs such as fennel, sage rosemary, and oregano stand up well to bold flavors of garlic and chile peppers.

Of course, other foodstuffs are also good vehicles for herbs. Take breads, for instance. I’ve already described my method of spreading olive oil seasoned with basil and garlic on toast. Also try adding fresh dill to your white bread or potato bread dough before baking. Or add sage to your biscuit dough when you make dumplings, rosemary on top of focaccia, and use basil in your cornbread.

Herbs have many uses, of course, with meats and fish of all types. Herbs add a new dimension to marinades—try one made of Italian seasonings on a London broil or hamburgers. Or for something more exotic, try chimichurri on London broil. Marinate pork in a sauce with sage, or chicken in a sauce with fennel. And sprinkle rosemary on lamb chops before putting them on the barbecue. A light sauce for fish is exquisite with just a hint of dill or chervil. A lamb stew is much more interesting when a handful of fresh chopped mint is added. Add chopped herbs of all types to hamburgers before cooking, or sprinkle them over a chicken before baking it. Also glazes made with herbs and jelly or mustard will spice up the blandest meat dishes.

Cheeses and egg dishes respond gloriously to fresh herbs. Layering soft cheese with chopped herbs makes a fancy but easy appetizer. Fill omelets and soufflés with fresh herbs and build a special brunch around baked eggs served with a sauce containing chopped dill or tarragon. Or try eggs Benedict with an herbed hollandaise.

Garnishes make up another medium. Use sprigs of fresh dill or fennel with fish, and place the beautiful leaves of golden sage around a tea sandwich tray. Sprigs of mint are nice in cold drinks and fruit salads. Teas too constitute a medium for fresh herbs. In particular, try the mints and the lemon-and anise-flavored herbs.

In the following section I’ve assembled many ways to feature the flavors of all types of herbs in combination, both fresh and dried, and in infusions of all types, and I have included many ways to preserve the essence of an herb for the winter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.