Spring is here in the southern hemisphere – time for epic garden planning for the green-fingered. Vegies and herbs are of course the backbone to any kitchen garden plot, but this week I put my mind to a top 10 list of less ordinary herbs that I’d recommend to someone wanting to expand their culinary horizons.
When your head is in garden-land most of the time, you can take it for granted that everyone has heard of, and uses, all the weird and wonderful things that you do. So sometimes I get thrown off guard when someone is curious and surprised about something I’ve added to a plate.
Funnily enough, herbs are one of the things we struggle to sell the most at our weekly farmers market – apart from coriander and basil which almost always get snapped up. We sell the pretty tried and tested old favourites; parsley, mint, thyme, chives, basil – it’s hard to know if people aren’t buying it because they grow their own, or if they just don’t use fresh herbs that often.
But when it comes to adding healthy fragrance and flavour, there’s nothing like a handful of fresh herbs. And if you’re planning your garden layout for the coming growing season and would like a few more ideas – these are my top 10 recommendations.
Lemon balm: A citrusy relative of mint, lemon balm has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for at least 2,000 years. Infused into Old World liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Benedictine, it can also be used in soups, salad dressings and sauces – particularly fish sauces. It can’t stand the kitchen heat however, so should be added towards the end of cooking. Lemon balm tea is best enjoyed with a little honey.
Perilla: This Asian member of the mint family comes in both a red and green variety and looks as good as it tastes. While it may be hard to find at your local nursery, many online seed suppliers have it in stock. Known as ‘shiso’ in Japan, it has an intriguing flavour that attracts a multitude of comparisons; coriander, citrus, cinnamon, cumin, basil. The large mature leaves can be used as wraps for fingerfood as well as in sushi and salads, while the baby leaves make an attractive garnish. The seeds are aromatic as well, and great toasted and crushed as a topping for fish.
Lavender: This quintessentially fragrant plant may seem more at home in your pot-pourri dish than on your plate but it may surprise you to learn that most lavender varieties are edible. Some are better than others though, so it’s best to select a culinary variety. Its strong fragrance means a little goes a long way, so go easy on doses. Sprinkle lightly on a bowl of berry-infused porridge for an aromatic lift, add a teaspoon to a loose-leaf black tea brew, use it as a meat rub, or for some next level French cuisine, add a pinch to a crème brulee.
Nettle: Not for the faint hearted! Largely overlooked as a weed, and maybe not your idea of an elegant garden addition, nettle is nevertheless a nutritious and healthy herb. If you find a patch, reconsider attacking it with a whipper-snipper and instead strap on some garden gloves and get it onto your plate. In the words of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ‘If you like your greens, you’ll like nettle, I promise you’. High in minerals, it can be cooked up like spinach to make a fetta and nettle pie, used to stuff gnocchi, made into a nutritious soup or dried for tea. But it goes without saying – never eat it raw. Cooking or drying will get rid of those nasty stinging spines.
Lemon verbena: More of a tall shrub than a pot-sized herb, if you have the space lemon verbena is a gloriously scented addition to your garden – and a great lemongrass substitute. You’ll find it almost impossible to resist the temptation to crush a small handful of leaves and inhale every time you brush past. The leaves can be used in marinades, fish and poultry dishes, salad dressings, cordials or jams. One of its most popular uses is a refreshing and fragrant tea – hot or cold.
Tarragon: Whether French, Russian or Mexican, a sprig of tarragon is a quick and easy way of turning ordinary vinegar into a cordon bleu pantry accessory. While a store-bought tarragon-infused vinegar will cost you big bucks, it’s incredibly cheap and easy to make at home – not to mention a sophisticated addition to a homemade hamper Christmas gift. Even famous French author Alexandre Dumas proclaimed ‘there is no good vinegar without tarragon’. Mais oui!
Calendula: Cheerful calendula is so easy to grow and will thrive in spots where fussier plants will fail. Its bright yellow or orange petals contrast dramatically with a green salad, or it can be added to frittatas, rice or cold meat dishes. For the sensibly frugal, calendula makes a cheap and cheerful saffron substitute.
Borage: Adored by honeybees, borage produces a prolific mass of star-shaped blue flowers. Set into ice cube trays, these dainty edible blooms will fancify cordials or cocktails, or can be added to cake frosting, salad dishes, fruit platters – let your imagination run wild. Although its cucumber-flavoured leaves are edible, the coarse hairs may not be to everyone’s taste – pick them young and cut them finely if you plan to experiment.
Nasturtium: Did you know that all parts of the nasturtium are edible? Its leaves can be used as a piquant peppery addition to your salads, while the edible flowers will add bright colour pops on your antipasti platter. Once the flower show is done, collect and pickle the green seeds to make your own homemade ‘poor man’s caper’.
Pineapple sage: A tall, showy perennial with jazzy red tubular flowers and fruit-juice fragrant leaves. The leaves, with their pineapple citrus flavour, make a superb summertime iced tea or can be used in garden fresh salads for an extra zing. The flowers can also be added to salads or sweet dishes for a dash of colour – or just left for your local nectar-feeding birds to enjoy.
There’s a whole world of herbal flavours waiting for you to discover – including many native bush foods from your local area. Do you have any weird and wonderful favourites?
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