THE
WILD BUNCH
Nothing
beats the flavour and aroma of fresh herbs.
Heather Mairs picks the best of the bunch.
Herbs
have been prized throughout history. Their earliest recorded use was
by Neanderthal man. They were grown and eaten for both culinary and medicinal
purposes by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, all of whom used them in
profusion.
Herbs are essential to the discerning cook and despite their general
lack of importance as sources of nutrients, these leafy plants do contribute
greatly to our diets by their addition of scent, flavour and colour.
Vegetarian cuisine in particular is renowned for its exciting use of
herbs. There is something splendid and exotic about cooking with fresh
herbs: they add a totally new dimension of flavour and lend food an individual
style and unique
taste.
Herbs can be utilised in both their fresh and dried forms. If picking
fresh herbs, especially for the purpose of drying, they are best picked
just as they are coming into flower, when the plant's nutrients and aromatic
oils are still mainly concentrated in the leaves. Fresh herbs lose their
flavour quickly, so use immediately. They should also never be subjected
to prolonged cooking. Dried herbs are no substitute for the real thing,
but if you need to use them, remember they are far more concentrated
than fresh and need to be used more sparingly.
A general guide is one teaspoon of dried herbs to four teaspoons of
fresh. Fresh herbs should be stored, washed, in a polythene bag in the
refrigerator. Dried herbs should be kept for a maximum of six to nine
months.
SUMMER FAVOURITES
Flowers can be used as well as the foliage - these are especially good
with fruits or cream and make an excellent garnish for salads. Cut flowers
from stems of herbs and keep in water until ready to use.
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