Growing Culinary Herbs in Your Garden-Reta Brae,  April LCGC 2006

Growing herbs isn’t difficult, if you know something about the conditions they need. Many herbs like good drainage, and they’ll die if they’re in heavy soils in our rainy summers. These Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender are happiest in a wet, cool winter, and warm, dry summer. We don’t have these conditions here, but most of the plants are adaptable enough to grow for us if we are careful where we put them, and be aware of how much water they receive.  Many herbs grow well in pots, but think pots on the bigger side. It’s difficult to keep a plant growing in a small pot, and they dry out so quickly, they will perish if you take your eye off them in warm, dry weather. If your garden soil is heavy, you might try a raised bed for the Mediterranean herbs such as Thyme, Rosemary and Lavender.

With culinary herbs, there are many suggested food/herb combinations, but with herbs you are free to use them in whatever way you like. There are no “herb police”.  Once you have some in your garden, be creative in experimenting, then use them in the combinations that are pleasing to YOU.

Most fresh herbs should be added at or towards the end of cooking so their flavors are retained. The essential oils that give much of the flavor to herbs are released by heat, and the lovely aroma when you stir fresh herbs into a simmering sauce is the flavor dispersing into the air. Exceptions are the stronger herbs such as Oregano, Bay and Rosemary – they can handle cooking time and still keep their flavors.

BASIL – one of my essential herbs for the garden. Dried basil just can’t compare to the fresh. I use it all the time in pasta dishes, salads, garnishes and soups. It’s easy and quick to grow from seed in pots or in good garden soil preferably enriched with compost. Basil plants are annuals, though in our mild climate, sometimes a plant lives longer. However they do get woody as they get older, and younger plants provide more fresh leaves. You’ll want to keep them from flowering as long as possible, since they’ll put their energy into flower and seed production instead of new leaves. Rather than pinching off just the tips of stems that are forming flower buds, it works better to cut lower on the branch (save the leaves for the kitchen), and the plant will be more inclined to grow leaves instead of new buds at every tip. At some point, I let them flower and set seed – basil has not been a prolific re-seeder like parsley, but I do get a few welcome plants coming up on their own. Basil plants like at least 6 hours of sun a day; they are not native to the Mediterranean and are not drought-tolerant. They do best with regular water and fertilizer. (India, African, Iran and Asia)

As far as buying basil plants at the nursery, almost always I see a type of basil offered that is less desirable for cooking than the true Italian basil. It still can be used, but has a different flavor than Italian basil. It re-seeds readily in gardens. For a good basil, I’m afraid you have to grow from seed brought down from the U.S. or Canada, or ACA has plants now of real Italian basil.

Many types of basil are available in nurseries and seed catalogs NOB (north of the border). Some good ones are Lemon Basil, Thai Basil, and milder large-leaf  Italian Basil. Lemon basil is used for making an herb tea, and is also excellent in salads and with chicken or fish and some soups where a spicy lemon flavor is wanted.

Siam Queen is a very good variety of Thai Basil that is also very ornamental in the garden. It has attractive clusters of purple flowers. Its spicier flavor is excellent in Asian cooking, especially Vietnamese and Thai and great in stir fries.

The Large Leaf Italian, sometimes called Lettuce Leaf Basil, is mild and sweet. You can use the large leaves in place of lettuce on a sandwich. It’s also very good in salads, or chopped and sprinkled over vegetables. The flavor is too mild for pesto. For good pesto you need the sweet Italian basil. Pesto by the way is a wonderful way to preserve an abundance of fresh basil. A big batch freezes very well in small containers or ice cube trays with the frozen cubes popped into a freezer bag.   

CHIVES are so easy to grow, attractive in the garden, and a nice garnish in cooking. The pretty lavender chive blossoms are edible and also can be added to salads or used as a garnish. Anytime you want a mild onion flavor, snip and add some chives – they’re not just for baked potatoes. Try some with soups, vegetables, meat, omelets, dips, cheese spreads, and salads.

Chives will grow well in full or part sun (not in shade). They sometimes go dormant, but after awhile send up fresh new growth. If the leaves are attacked by black aphids, or if the leaves are over-mature, just cut plant very short, fertilize and water, and new fresh leaves will come up.

ROSEMARY – one of my favorite herbs, though it is more difficult to grow here than it was in California. It’s one of the Mediterranean herbs, and like Thyme, Marjoram and Oregano, it prefers a dry summer climate. In my last garden, the soil was very heavy and didn’t drain well, and I lost Rosemary plants in the garden every summer. I was able to grow a plant in a large pot with a fast draining soil mix. If you have soil that drains well, you may be able to grow a beautiful, big plant in your garden. Full sun, and little to moderate water. The upright Rosemary, the one that’s commonly available here, is the best for culinary use. The trailing variety is not as flavorful in cooking. The blue blossoms like many of the herb flowers are edible and can be added to salads or used as a garnish.

Back to Roman times, Rosemary has been associated with loyalty, remembrance and love, and was often used at funerals and weddings. In Victorian times, a sprig of Rosemary was included in the bridal bouquet. Ophelia in Hamlet said, “There’s Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.”

Rosemary is one of the stronger flavored herbs, and it can take longer cooking times. Because of the tough texture, if the rosemary will not be removed after cooking, the leaves should be finely chopped. Or whole sprigs can be simmered with soups or stews, and then removed before serving. Rosemary is excellent with chicken, lamb and other meats, in marinades and dressings, in breads and lentils. This past weekend, I just made a Rosemary Focaccia that was quite tasty. It can be added in small amounts to fruit salad. Once the leaves have been removed, the stems can be used as skewers for vegetables, chicken or meat on the grill.

MARJORAM – This Mediterranean herb is often used in Greek, Italian, Mexican, French, Austrian and Polish cooking. It’s easy to grow, though hard to find a plant here. I grew mine from seed. It does well in full sun in soil that drains well. I do find it more tolerant of watering than Rosemary. Marjoram is in the same genus as Oregano, but the flavor is milder and sweeter. The plants look similar, with Marjoram leaves being a little more on the grey side than the greener leaves of Oregano. Marjoram combines well with thyme and basil, and it’s good with vegetables, green salads, dressings, marinades, meat dishes, and stuffing.

THYME – culinary Thyme plants are commonly available in nurseries here, and it’s excellent to use in cooking. I like to use Thyme in soup stocks, marinades, salad dressing and chicken dishes. Unfortunately lemon thyme isn’t available here – I hope it someday will be – it’s very pretty in the garden with its yellow and green variegated leaves, and the flavor is good. Another Mediterranean herb, Thyme likes full sun and well drained soil. They grow fine in pots – I suggest adding a bit of extra perlite to the potting mix for better drainage.

OREGANO – another of the Med. herbs, very easy to grow in full sun and well-drained soil. Oregano has a strong flavor, and you don’t have to worry about the flavor disappearing in your simmering pasta sauce as you do with Basil. It’s used in soups, stews, pasta and pizza sauces, marinades, with meat and vegetables.

Everyone knows MINTS. I do like them even thought they’re very invasive. Try to confine them in a spot surrounded by paving, or grow in large pots. If you let it loose in the garden, it doesn’t take long at all for it to begin spreading by underground stems, and it’s difficult to get out. Ideally, mints like full sun to part shade, good soil and regular water.

Many mint varieties are used in cooking around the world, though Spearmint is the most common culinary variety, especially in the foods of India, the Middle East and Greece. The Romans loved mint – Pliny said “the very smell of mint restores and revives the spirit just as its taste excites the appetite.”

Spearmint is essential in Tabbouleh, and is good in fruit salads, coleslaw, iced drinks, with lamb, cucumber salad, peas, new potatoes. I make a mint sugar syrup by bringing 2 parts sugar to 1 part water to the boil, adding the fresh Spearmint sprigs, turning off the heat, covering and letting it steep for about 10 minutes before straining. It’s excellent used as the sweetening in limonadas and agua frescas. Also very tasty is a ginger-mint syrup made the same as above with the addition of sliced, fresh ginger root added to the sugar and water before heating. Try that ginger-mint syrup over sliced mangos for a fruit dessert, with vanilla ice cream if you like.

I suggest smelling a spearmint before buying –some varieties available here have what to me is a slightly harsh flavor, so sample the leaves until you find one you like. None of the many wonderful named varieties of spearmint found NOB are available here.

For centuries, Peppermint has been considered good for indigestion and upset stomach. I have never used Peppermint for more than herb tea, but it is used in candies, agua fresca, and with peas, carrots, new potatoes and custards. Courtesy of the Blisses several years ago, I’m lucky enough to have a plant of “Candy Mint”, a named variety of Peppermint that has a fine flavor and have brought some rooted pieces to share. The usual variety of Peppermint is available in nurseries here.

LEMON GRASS – plants are commonly available here. The Mexicans seem to use it just for tea rather than in cooking. Any fans of Thai and Vietnamese food will appreciate having a plant in the garden. It’s very easy to grow – a small plant quickly grows to a large clump about 3’ tall and wide. To harvest, you just pull a piece from the outside of the clump including the bulb-like base. It’s best in full sun, with regular water, and it seems to be pest free.

All parts of the plant have a lemony flavor, though most of the plant has a very tough texture and should be removed before serving like bay leaf. The inner part of the bulbous base is usually used, though the leaves also can be used for tea or in soup stocks. The very inner white part should be finely diced if it will be left in the dish. Lemon grass combines well with cilantro, ginger, garlic, shallots, chilies, and coconut. It’s most often used with fish, soups, curries, marinades and sauces.

SAGE – Another strong flavored herb, fresh Sage has a much cleaner taste than dried which tends to be slightly musty. Sage is a pretty plant in the garden with its blue flower spikes in the spring and its gray-ish leaves. Being another Med. herb, it does not like growing in heavy soils with poor drainage. Because of the strong, distinctive flavor, use it sparingly. Sage is often combined in cooking with Rosemary, marjoram, Oregano and Thyme. It is often used with fatty foods like park, duck and sausage, also in bean dishes and with poultry or game, and in stuffing. The famous Derbyshire cheese from England is flavored with Sage.

PARSLEY & CILANTRO – I like to have these herbs in the garden even though they’re available at the market just for the convenience of having them fresh when I want them. The Italian flat-leaf parsley is preferred for cooking. In my garden, I let one plant (that’s plenty!) go to seed so that there are lots of volunteer seedlings coming up without the work of planting. Cilantro goes to flower and sets seed quite quickly, and again I let a few plants set and scatter their seed for self-sown new plants. I’ve never used the cilantro root in cooking, but it is said to have a more intense flavor and is commonly used in Thai curries