Mother Earth’s Garden

My Top 10 Favorite Herbs, Their Uses, and a Recipe (Part 2)

by linette on February 14th, 2008

Monday I shared my top 5 favorite herbs, here is the rest of my top ten list.

6. Parsley is loaded with vitamins, so don’t forget to add it to your next salad. It’s great in any fresh dish, vegetable soup, as a fresh garnish. It works very well as a natural breath freshener.

Parsley Potatoes
(adapted from Taste of Home Magazine)
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, cook potatoes in water to cover until tender, drain. Combine butter and parsley, pour over the potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Yields 6-8 servings.

7. Oregano is a Mediterranean herb, it’s found in most pizza and pasta sauces. It’s one of the best culinary herbs. It also makes a beautiful garnish or an addition to fresh salads.

Dill Butter with Oregano
¼ lb of butter (creamed)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed, or crushed dill seeds
1 teaspoon of oregano
Combine butter, dill, and oregano. Allow them to sit and blend together for several hours before serving. This is a simple herbal spread for Italian toast, vegetables, meat, fish, crackers, or to add to sauces.

8. Chives are a great addition to almost any potato dish, they’re rich in vitamins and iron. The bloom look great in a fresh salad. Chives make a great companion plant in the garden. Plant them next to roses, or other aphid susceptible plants. The strong scent of the chives throws off the aphids, and they can’t tell the other plant is there.

Savory Herb Seasoning
All the herbs in this recipe should be dried.
1 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup oregano, chopped
1/3 cup basil, chopped
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
½ cup of chives, finely chopped
Combine the dried chopped herbs and mix well. Store them in an airtight jar, or old spice, or parmesan cheese container with a shaker top. Keep the shaker handy in the kitchen. This herbal mix is a great accent of herbs, and can add a touch of color and flavor to almost any dish.

9. Thyme is great for potpourri. The essential oil from thyme contains anti-fungal properties, it is also an effective deodorant. Thyme is a great addition to any meat, poultry or fish dish. It makes a great rub for meat.

Lemon Thyme Bread
¾ cup of milk
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon balm, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon thyme chopped
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of butter (at room temperature)
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind

Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Heat the milk, lemon balm, and lemon thyme in a small saucepan. After the mixture steeps let it cool. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the lemon rind. Add the flour mixture alternately with the herbed milk mixture. Mix until the batter is just blended. Pour into 2 greased pans. Bake for 50 minutes at 325`.

Use the lemon juice combined with some powdered sugar to make a glaze for the loaves. Pour over the warm bread an serve with some herbal tea.

10. Sage has a very strong flavor, and works great as a rub for meat. Sage is best known for it’s use on pork, and in sausage. It contains a high amount of vitamins A and C. Pineapple sage makes a great addition to teas, and jellies.

Mustard Sage Spread
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons crushed sage (fresh or dried)
2-3 teaspoons of Dijon or prepared mustard
Mix all together, and garnish with a couple sprigs of fresh sage.

What are your favorite herbs? How do you use them?

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POSTED IN: Garden Recipes, Herbs