Little facts about Herb__d

1. Thyme Thyme

Thyme is supposed to have antiseptic properties. It is an antioxidant and would help reduce your waist-line. Its aid in digestion rumours extend to include curing stomach ulcers. With a slightly pungent, spicy, clove-like flavour, thyme is as easy to use as it is to grow. Thyme is a dry herb meaning it prefers to be dry between watering. It requires good drainage.

Theme can be used on all meats, vegetables, casseroles and soups. Keep in mind the herb has a strong flavour, so a little goes a long way.

2. Rosemaryrosemary 

“Herbs give a taste of authenticity to food,” so it was mentioned.

Rosemary has this piny (smells like pine), resin, woody appearance with a slight lemon scent which makes it ideal for roasts, especially lamb. It is also perfect with chicken. Rosemary can be dried and grind up so it can be used with other herbs simultaneously. The leaves are easily stripped when you go the opposite direction with your fingers. Rosemary works well with thyme and basil. It is also good in cookies, biscuits, breads and other bake goods. Make sure you chop up the leaves fine because they are tough.

Do not overwater. It also has medical value of alleviating high blood pressure and headaches. The next time you are tired while driving, try chewing on some rosemary leaf. They might help in giving the proper stimulation.  

3. Basil basil

Basil is spicy, sweet and tastes like cloves. It is a staple in Italian tomato dishes and goes well with eggs, soups, sauces and dips. Basil leaves are soft and easy to work with. Basil makes wonderful sauce when it is blended in with olive oil and pine nuts. It is claimed that basil has a calming effect on people and it helps to digestion and reducing blood sugar. The next time when you attempt your home comfort food, be sure there are loads of basil in it and after the meal, you can drift right off to sleep.

The normal basil is all green in colour. Be careful when you are picking off the leaves. It is suggested to pick off at the joint so a new leaf would come forth after the picking. Basil is less tolerant to cold. They are better to be raised in doors. 

4. Tarragonparagon

Tarragon has a subtle liquorice flavour. It can be discreet enough when you mix it with basil and chives over a green salad. Tarragon also gives a strong presence when left in olive oil for a while. The flavour would get infused with the olive oil and this mixture is fantastic when you use it as a basis for simple vinaigrette.

Tarragon works well with fish and chicken and is widely used in French cooking. Strange enough to say, tarragon does not go well with soups. The taste is too strong and covers over the original taste.

It is a mild sedative and it is good for insomnia. 

5. Cilantrocilantro 

Fresh cilantro has a strong, sharp taste and is widely used in Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cooking. It is citrus and close to sage. It is an acquired taste. Strange enough, compared with the parsley, it definitely stands out. The Italian flat parsley or the normal curly parsley are a lot milder compared with cilantro. Cilantro claims to lower bad cholesterol, lower blood sugar and help with digestion.

 

As a general rule of thumb, herbs do not like too much water. They prefer a dry environment. Most herbs can be dried up and grinded to save. The simple basic usages of herbs are for us to experiment. Start with the simple 1, 2 kinds of herbs and then you can branch into incorporating more herbs into your dishes. There is never definite rule to cooking. We use our imagination, creativity, and think out of the box. There are flavours which seem strange when you first think of them but I am sure somewhere in this world someone is experimenting with this idea. Successfully or not, that remains to be seen. You will never know what happens till you try! 

“Honey, bring out the orange juice, I am adding curry to it!”

God bless us all.

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