GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Edibles

A Love Affair with Herbs

"If it's a crime, then I'm guilty, guilty of loving you," the old song goes.

Yes, I'll admit that I'm "smitten." I've fallen in love with herbs. Just as with a romantic flame, when the initial excitement begins to wane, there is still more to learn about, appreciate, and enjoy.

A relationship with herbs is undemanding. Most herbs are very easy to get along with. In a pot or in the ground, they ask for little but sun, good drainage, and occasional attention. In return, they give a lot. In a vase, they can be aromatic therapists. (Lavender is legendary for its fragrance.) Medicinally, well, Peter Rabbit's mother knew. She gave her prodigal son chamomile to calm his nerves.

But my personal reason for growing herbs is their culinary usefulness. I cannot go to a supermarket aisle of dusty jars if I think I might find a pinch of chives emerging after winter - perfect for that sauce. Or parsley, flushing out new leaves for an omelet or tartar sauce. Spring has me picking bitty leaves of thyme for chicken soup or chowder. With fresh herbs, ordinary recipes take on the excitement of traveling in foreign countries - or at least dining in a new restaurant.

So bring on the familiar and try some unfamiliar herbs as well. This year I'm experimenting with chervil for "fines herbes", that mixture of equal parts parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil which when added at the last minute gives an unforgettable fresh taste to soup, sauces, and egg and cheese dishes.

You might also try borage, whose exquisite starry blue flowers taste of cucumber. They can decorate desserts or be frozen in ice cubes, or they make a pretty and refreshing herbal butter for delicate open-faced sandwiches.

My favorite of the lemony herbs is lemon verbena, great for tea or in baked goods. Then there is sorrel, burnet, umpteen varieties of basil and mint, savory, marjoram, and oreganos... there are many herbs to learn about and try. The resulting pleasure you'll receive will be worth the effort, and if you become guilty of falling in love with herbs you'll have lots of company - including mine!

By Heather Small
Skylights Summer 2008 Vol 23, No. 2

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