Herbs For Seasoning

Photo: flickr user Hamed Saber

Ingredients

No ingredients

Preparation

Fresh herbs have more zest and flavor than dried herbs. For this reason, you are fortunate if your local market carries a selection, or if you can grow your own in a garden or window box. Following is a list of the most common ones and how they are used:BASIL - A recognized "mate" for tomato sauces, juices, and tomato dishes.

Also good in soups and fish cocktails with crab and shrimp. Inspiring with veal, lamb, duck, and game; in vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, and onions, and in green salads and sauces.

BAY LEAF - Good in stews and pot roasts, fish salads, gravies and sauces.

As it has a distinct flavor, use sparingly.

CHERVIL - Ideal as a garnish and in salads, soups, omelettes, all meats, poultry and game, sauces, and vegetables such as new potatoes and asparagus.

DILL - Good with all fish, also with lamb, veal and chicken. Also distinctive with many vegetables and salads, and especially in sour cream sauces.

MARJORAM - This is a popular herb of which the uses are endless. Good in salads, vegetable dishes, omelettes, meat dishes, poultry stuffing and sauces.

MINT - Used in fruit c and carrots, new potatoes, and with lamb. Fresh picked leaves may be crushed or used whole as a garnish also in dried flakes.

OREGANO - Has a pungent taste. Used in soups, stews, meat balls, sausage and pork, stuffings, sauces, and many vegetables.

PARSLEY - Used as a garnish, and also for seasoning and color in stuffings, soups, stews, and sauces. Good with fish, meat, poultry, vegetable, and egg dishes.

ROSEMARY - Used in fruit compotes, chicken and pea soups, in stuffings and stews. Also with meat, lamb, poultry, and game, as well as vegetables such as spinach and lima beans.

SAFFRON - Aromatic dried pungent stigmas of this plant (a species of crocus) are used to flavor and color, especially curry dishes with rice.

SAGE - Has a strong flavor, so use sparingly. cn be used in stuffings, chowders, stews, or gravies.

SAVORY - Used in beans, fish, and pea soups, hearty stews and salads, and some sauces.

TARRAGON - Widely used in salads and sauces, soups, egg dishes, vegetable, and fish, veal, chicken, and turkey.

THYME - Many dishes benefit from this one: stuffings, stews, sauces, fish, meat, cheese and vegetables such as carrots, onions, potatoes and peas.