Herbs Grown

Herbs intrigued me, especially after reading an article in Runner's World. Dabbling in them got more serious. More books got read. More herbs were added to the garden.

Herbs are not a single class of plants, it's more a general theme of what can be done with these plants. Some herbs are relatives of carrots (parsley, cilantro), some are related to a lot of other herbs (mint, oregano, sage, rosemary). Some are related to flowers (yarrow, foxglove). They have their own personalities and needs, making them unique and interesting.

Some herbs make good additions to food adding flavour, most herbs have some sort of medicinal content, even if it is very small. 

Arugula, basil, chives, cilantro, dill, horseradish, lemon balm, lovage, mint, oregano,  parsley, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme.

Anise-hyssop, catnip, echinacea, horehound, lavender, maralroot, marshmallow, meadowsweet, sorrel, wormwood, valerian, yarrow.

There is no generally excepted definition of what makes a herb difference from a spice. Both can be used to impart flavour in a cooked dish. My working understanding is that a herb is a plant or part of a plant that is used fresh, dried or frozen. Whereas a spice is a plant or part of a plant that is processed in some way to bring out its desired properties.

• Use herbs with flavours you like when cooking
• Rosemary sprigs and bay leaves are meant to impart flavour, remove after cooking
• Don't let basil get cold, it doesn't like it, store it like you would flowers
• Chives and cilantro loose their flavour when dried
• If you can't dry herbs, consider freezing them as ice cubes you can throw directly into a dish
• Add chives to the end of cooking, their flavour will break down too quickly if added too early
• Planting different mints too close to one another will cause their flavours/scents to blend
• Pinch the flowers on basil plants when they are buds, this keeps energy from diverting away from the leaves
• When harvesting from thyme and sage plants, cut on the green branches, not the woody ones