GARDEN
WHAT TO PLANT
Once you ’ ve established where your herbs will go , give some thought to what you ’ ll plant , choosing herbs that you ’ ll get the most use from . What are the dried herbs you often use from the pantry ? Which flavours do you love combining ? Think of lamb and rosemary , garlic and parsley , tomato and basil , or a mint and rum cocktail . Which herbs do you often buy in punnets ?
The answers to these questions should give you around 6 or 8 herbs to start with . It may seem like a lot , but once you get growing , you ’ ll soon want to plant more ! A good place to start is parsley , thyme , oregano , rosemary , basil , mint , dill and thyme . As you experiment with your herb cooking and get the hang of growing herbs , you might want to add things like sage , French tarragon , coriander , Thai basil and lemon verbena .
MINT A must for salads , cocktails and desserts . There are a huge number of varieties , including peppermint and chocolate mint . Plant different varieties apart so that they retain their unique flavours . OREGANO Adds a delicious , earthy flavour to Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines , including pasta sauces , pizzas , falafel and much more . You can ’ t go wrong with a healthy oregano plant . THYME Thyme is used as a seasoning for fish , chicken , mushrooms , rice dishes , pasta sauces and stuffing , and is used in cuisines around the world , particularly in France , Italy , and across the Mediterranean . ROSEMARY What would a lamb dish be without rosemary ? This hardy plant can last for a long time , and loves to be pruned regularly for healthy , fresh growth . Rosemary dries exceptionally well . SAGE Salvia officianalis has greyishgreen leaves and is commonly used in poultry dishes .
It dries very well , but the fresh leaves can also be used in Mediterranean cooking . A recent culinary trend is to fry whole sage leaves to use as a scattered topping over meat dishes . BASIL Basil can be grown from seedlings or seed , and can also be propagated from cuttings . Ideal for salads and tomato dishes . DILL These fast growers are very low maintenance . Dill goes well with fish , pickled vegetables , creamy sauces and egg dishes . CORIANDER Also known as cilantro , this is fast-growing but short-lived plant is ready to harvest in just three or four weeks and goes perfectly with Asian , Mexican , Indian and other cuisines . PARSLEY Parsley ( Petroselinum crispum ) is a staple in most kitchens . Plant the Italian flat-leafed parsley , as it has a lot more flavour and a more pleasant texture than it ’ s curly-leafed cousin . The leaves can be dried or used fresh in salads , stews , soups and sauces .
69 MARKtoe ! Junie 2023