Why Cook With Herbs?
It seems that herbs bring out the flavors in food by releasing natural polyphenols. The act of heating and cooking herbs releases compounds like antioxidants that stimulate the taste buds. The smell or aroma of the herbs goes right up your nose to the Olfactory nerve and right into the brain, so the food smells good and therefore tastes good.
Learn how to introduce herbs into your food and your meals will burst with more flavor. Discover the art of balancing and layering herbs and you will create dishes that your family will love.
Food Is Medicine
First, learn to regard food as medicine because that’s what food is, especially when it contains herbs. This is an old fashioned concept, but it was one embraced by our ancestors.
Good food is the basis for good health. Vitamin Supplements are wonderful, but they are just that- supplemental, to a good diet. It is an old fashion idea, still true. The basis of good health starts with a good diet, embracing real food from nature.
Start With The Herb Flavor Builders: The Aromatics
- Basil: This fragrant herb is a cornerstone of Italian cuisine. It’s sweet, taste shines in tomato sauces, and salads. Basil goes well with garlic, marjoram, oregano, and thyme.
- Oregano: A Mediterranean and Italian cooking staple, oregano adds a robust, earthy flavor to pizzas, pasta dishes, and roasted vegetables. It is often in recipes with basil and garlic in a trifecta of flavor.
- Rosemary: With its piney, slightly bitter notes, rosemary complements meats, poultry, and roasted potatoes. Try it in marinades and herb-infused oils. Unless you are following a specific recipe, use rosemary sparingly at first. Too much in a dish can make your food taste ‘soapy.’
- Thyme: This versatile herb enhances savory dishes like soups, stews, breads as well as roasted meats. There are so many types of thyme. For cooking I like French or English thyme. For fish, I use Lemon Thyme.
- Parsley: A fresh and bright addition to any dish, parsley can be used both fresh and dried. It’s perfect for garnishing, flavoring sauces, and adding a touch of green to salads. Its slightly peppery flavor adds a light touch at the end of a recipe.
- Garlic: This is another garden staple. It seems to go in all roasts and meats, sauces and gravies.
- Tarragon: Widely seen in French recipes, it is famous for its use with French Chicken and vegetable recipes.
- Sage: Sage is used in stuffings and with chicken. Dried Sage will add a strong earthy flavor while using. Fresh Sage gives a light note of flavor.
- Dill: With its anise-like flavor, dill is a classic companion to fish, potatoes, and pickles.
- Chives: These delicate greens offer a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic. They’re perfect for garnishing, adding to soups and omelets, or creating a flavorful herb butter. It is great in a garlic mashed potato recipe. Chives go well with basil, cilantro, oregano, and thyme.
- Cilantro Also Known As Coriander: This divisive herb has a bright, citrusy flavor that’s beloved by many and hated by many, too. It’s essential in Mexican and Latin America cuisines and adds a fresh kick to salsas, guacamole, and marinades.
When To Use
Use whole herbs like bay leaves and whole stems of rosemary or thyme at the beginning of cooking, and remove before serving.
Add chopped herbs before serving.
For hot dishes, add fresh herbs near the end of cooking or just before serving.
How To Chop
The woody Herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage I might chop up or leave whole and place on top a chicken I am roasting or grilling.
Or, gather herbs into a bundle, with the biggest leaf on the bottom. Roll them up, cigar style, and then slice with a sharp knife.
I rough chop most other herbs and let them cook in a little oil prior to putting in the other ingredients. Basil and oregano I let cook in the oil for a minute, adding the garlic at the end, for just a moment, before I add the wine and tomatoes for pasta sauce. (Never let garlic burn, it will make your dish bitter.) I can really smell the oil of the herbs being released when I do this.
The other plus for cooking with herbs is that it brings the flavor to the extent that you can cut the amount of added salt. My husband is a heart patient, so I am alway looking for ways to reduce the salt content in my cooking.
Start by adding one herb to a favorite dish and taste as you go. Experiment with herbs and see what you like.
Fresh Herbs vs Dried Herbs?
Remember that if using dried herbs, you use a lesser amount of what you would use if you were using the fresh version of the herb.
The basic formula is – if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried herb, you would use a tablespoon of fresh herb and vice versa.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different herbs and combinations. Adjust herbs and amounts to taste. With a little practice, you’ll become a master of herb-infused culinary creations. Want some recipes to try this out on? Go to the recipe page and look for Cooking With Herbs recipes. Enjoy!