cAFE & gIFTS

It's Thyme For Fresh Flavour
Herb Chart

HERB

DESCRIPTION

CULINARY USES
Angelica
Angelica archangelica		 Large plants with light green flowers,
leaves and stems.
Has sweet powerful scent when fresh.		 Used mostly in candied form to decorate cakes & creamy desserts. Leaf tips add flavour to jams, especially rhubarb.  Reduces tartness of stewed rhubarb.
Anise
Pimpinella anisum		 Small plant grown mainly for its tiny crescent shaped seeds. Leaves are light green and finely serrated. Used for flavouring licorice, Pernod and anisette. Flowers and leaves make a delicious tea. Seeds can be used in cakes, cookies, breads, vegetables and meat stews.
Basil (Sweet)
Ocimum basilicum		 Sweet Basil has large, tender silken leaves.  Superior to bush basil which is smaller and has tine leaves. Origin: India Essential ingredient of pesto sauce and many Italian dishes. Splendid in tomato salads; common culinary companion to oregano.  Used dried or fresh with pork, chicken, in meat loaves, stuffings and salad dressings.
Bay
Laurus Noblis		 Shiny, rich green leaf of the bay laurel tree.  Not a true herb botanically, but used as such.  Ceremonial wreath of ancient Greeks and Romans. Used in bouquet garni, in cooking liquid for fish and ham, in marinades, meat soups and stews.  Can also be used to flavour rice pudding and custard sauces.  Caution: Bay leaves should be left whole during cooking and removed before serving. Crumbled bay leaves can be dangerous to swallow, because they have sharp edges and can become lodged in the throat.
Bergamot
Monarda Didyma		 Native to North America; also called bee balm because it attracts bees.  Both leaves and vivid red flowers, which taste faintly of mint, can used as flavouring. Flowers and leaves make a pleasant tea. Earl Grey tea is flavoured with bergamot.  Adds flavour and colour to salads, fruit drinks and wine based drinks.
Borage
Borago Officianalis		 Tall plant with hairy leaves and intense blue flowers.  leaves and flowers taste like cucumber.  Not commonly grown except in large herb gardens. Tender young leaves can be used in salads.  Leaves give cucumber flavour to soups and pickles.  Also used in the English drink, Pimms Cup.
Bouquet Garni Traditional flouring of classic French cuisine, consists of sprigs of parsley, thyme and bay leaf tied together and bundled into a small sachet. Used to flavour fish and meat stocks and soups.
Caraway
Carum Carvi		 The plant, grown mainly for its seeds and roots, has fine feathery leaves.  Seeds are enclosed in the tiny crescent shaped pods and have a sharp spicy taste. Leaves can be used in soups and salads. Young tender roots can be served as a vegetable.  Seeds are used to flavour breads, cakes, cookies, sauerkraut, red cabbage and some cheeses.
Chervil
Anthriscus Cerefolium		 Leaves of this tall plant resemble carrot tops.  They have a pleasing fragrance and subtle spicy flavour with a hint of anise. Traditionally used in the classic fines herbes mixture.  Used fresh in omelettes; fresh or dried to flavour cream cheese, soups, meats. pates, green salads and tomato salads.  Used with sour cream on baked potatoes.
Chives
Allium Schoenoprasum		 Hardy plant with narrow reedlike leaves and pretty mauve flowers.  Has polite onion flavour.  Best preserved freeze dried or frozen. Excellent flavouring for omelettes, cream cheese or cottage cheese.  An ingredient in delicate cream soups and salads.  Used with sour cream on baked potatoes.
Coriander
Coriandrum Sativum		 Also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro. Leaves look like flat parsley.  Seeds look like beige peppercorns.  While plant matures, leaves develop an unpleasant odor until seeds ripen.  This diminishes when harvested.  Seeds have a slightly acid, peppery taste. Seeds are essential ingredient in curry powder.  Also used to flavour chicken and lamb dishes.  Leaves are used sparingly in lamb and pork dishes and in a type of curry paste for shrimp.
Cumin
Cuminum Cyminum		 Grown only for its seeds. Plant has branched stems, long, thin dark green leaves and pink and white flowers. Used in meat casseroles and lentil soups.  Sometimes added to cooking water of cabbage and kidney beans. Used in Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern cooking.
Dill
Anethum Graveolens		 Tall plant with feathery fernlike leaves. Seeds are used in pickles and to flavour soups.  Leaves are commonly used in Scandinavian cooking.  Particularly good in cucumber sour cream salads or fish. Also used to flavour vinegar.
Fennel
Foeniculum Vulgare		 Herb fennel looks much like the dill plant.  Florence fennel (finocchio) has fine feathery leaves and celery like stalks with bulbous base.  Flavour of both is like anise. Seeds of both plants are used in Italian sausages, bouillabaisse, pastries and confections.  Leaves of both plants can be used in soups, stews and salads.  Stalks of Florence fennel are eaten as a cooked vegetable or in salads.
Fines Herbes Classic combination of herbs used in French cooking: parsley, chervil, chives and sometimes tarrgon. Used for subtle flavouring in egg and veal dishes, delicate fish dishes and sauces, including bearnaise.
Juniper Berries
Juniperus Communis		 Dried bittersweet berries of the juniper, an evergreen shrub. Used in marinades for duck and game and to flavour sauerkraut dishes, jams and conserves.  Used commercially to flavour gin.
Lovage
Levisticum Officianle		 Resembles a tall scrawny stalk of celery. Has a heavy fragrance and tastes like celery, only meatier. An old fashioned herb, seldom used today. Used sparingly to flavour meat stews and casseroles. In some parts of Britain it is used to make an alcoholic cordial called shrub.
Marjoram
Origanum Marjorana		 Sweet or knotted marjoram, so called because of the way the flowers form, is sweetly aromatic but with a delicate flavour. The other types are pot marjoram, which is rather bland, and wild marjoram, commonly known as oregano. Sweet marjoram is used to flavour soups, stews, stuffings and salad dressings.  Leaves can be used fresh as a salad garnish. 
Mint (Peppermint)
Mentha Piperita
Mint (Spearmint)
Mentha Spicata		 Mint is tangy and cool tasting.  Peppermint and spearmint, the milder of the two, are the most widely used, but there are many others. Leaves can be used to flavour vegetables. Particularly good with peas or new potatoes.  Good with yogurt cucumber salad as a side dish for hot curries.  Tender mint leaves give a little lift to fruit salads.
Oregano
Origanum Vulgare		 Also known as wild marjoram.  Attractive plant with elliptical leaves and tiny flower clusters. Widely used in many Italian dishes.  Good in salads, especially tomato.  Also used to flavour chili con carne.
Parsley
Petroselinum Crispum		 Available fresh almost all year round.  Curly  parsley is most widely know, but flat leafed Italian parsley is favoured by many cooks.  The roots of Hamburg parsley are like tiny parsnips and are used to flavour stews. Used in court bouillon. A component of bouquet garni.  Commonly used in soups, stews, sauces, tomato salads and flavoured butters.
Rocket
Eruce Sativa		 Salad herb with pale yellow flowers.  Resembles the mustard plant.  Has a pungent flavour and is an acquired taste.  Mostly grown by home gardeners. Also known as rugula or arugula. Used sparingly in mixed green salads.
Rosemary
Rosmarinus Officinalis		 Pretty shrub resembles lavender.  Has sturdy narrow leaves and an assertive but refreshing aroma. When dried, leaves are spiky and can be used crushed or in whole sprigs, which should be removed before serving. A fresh sprig laid beneath a roast of lamb adds flavour without the risk of biting into one of the spiky leaves.  Used crushed or finely chopped in stuffings for lamb, pork or veal. Whole sprigs are used to flavour vinegars and jellies.
Sage
Salvia Officinalis		 Handsome plant with attractive gray green leaves. Flavour is pungent. In dried form, rubbed sage is preferable to ground sage. Used traditionally with onion and or apple as stuffing for pork or goose. Used to flavour sausage meats and some cheeses, such as sage Darby. Used with discretion, it adds a pleasing flavour to veal stuffings and gooseberry jellies.
Summer Savory
Satureia Hortensis
Winter Savory
Satureia Montana		 Attractive, bushy low growing plant with long narrow leaves.  Both types used as seasoning, but summer is more delicate.  Flavour suggests sage. Used to flavour meat, fish or egg dishes. Gives excellent flavour to meat loaf and special character to bean or lentil dishes.
Sorrel
Rumex Scutatus		 Leaves are shield shaped. Plant looks much like spinach. Has a sour, almost lemony flavour. The basis of the French sorrel soup. Excellent in wine and cream sauces for fish. Add a small amount to salad for a refreshing tang.
Sweet Cicely
Myrrhis Odorata		 An old fashioned slow growing herb with large lacy leaves. Similar in flavour to chervil and sometimes called anise-chervil, but somewhat sweeter. Both leaves and seeds can be used. Can be used as part of a bouquet garni. Good in salads. Used generously with tart fruits, it reduces the amount of sugar needed.
Tarragon (French)
Artemisia Dracunculus		 Plant has shiny narrow leaves.  French tarragon is delicious, with a sweet anise taste, but it asserts its presence and should be used in moderation.  There is a Russian variety, but the flavour is disappointing in cooking. Fresh leaves make a wonderful vinegar for salad dressings and mayonnaise. Used moderately to flavour roast meat, poultry and fish. Add sparingly to savory cream sauces and mild vegetables.
Thyme (Garden)
Thymus Vulgaris
Thyme (Lemon)
Thymus Citriodorus		 Both types are very fragrant. Lemon thyme is milder and has a definite lemon flavour. Add sparingly to soups, meat loaf, fish, chicken dishes and stuffings. Lemon thyme and parsley are delicious in poultry stuffings.
Watercress
Nasturtium Officinale		 Hardy plant with tender, deep green silky leaves. Grows in fresh running water. Taste is refreshing and slightly peppery. Used only fresh. Excellent in salads or sandwiches. Makes a delicious cream soup. Add to clear soups just before serving.