Know Your Herbs

Cooking with fresh herbs is really not difficult and adds so much flavour to any meal. You can add them to salads, use them in dressings and marinades and so much more, as they are typically very versatile. Heleen Meyer shares her basic tips on cooking with fresh herbs.

Here’s a basic HERB GUIDE for you to have on hand in the kitchen:

– BAY LEAVES: Mostly used dried but the fresh leaves are absolutely delicious. The delicate flavour is fabulous in a soup, stew, mince mixture or even just add one leaf the next time you cook a pot of rice. Very popular in a bobotie. A bay leaf shrub is beautiful in a pot, or plant it in the garden, as it can grow into a big tree.

– BASIL: A summer herb with a strong and fragrant flavour. Add to a fresh spring salad, and it’s the best accompaniment to fresh tomatoes. Make the ever-popular Italian Caprese salad with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella for a flavour explosion. Great to use with other veggies like mushrooms or brinjals and perfect with almost any cheese, in mince, on a pizza or as part of a pasta sauce. And of course, basil pesto is an all-time favourite. Basil wilts easily and when exposed to heat for a long time, it can lose its flavour easily. Rather, add it towards the end of the cooking time or use it ‘raw’.

– CHIVES: These long, thin ‘leaves’, which almost look like grass sprigs, are delicious with egg or potato dishes, fish and in salsas and salads. Chives add a mild oniony flavour and are also good with tomatoes, cucumber and almost any vegetable. Best to add at the end of the cooking as they don’t lose flavour when exposed to heat.

– CORIANDER: More a winter herb, but if you have some in the garden, do enjoy the very distinct and almost spicy flavour in a wide range of dishes, even salads, as it’s really good with cucumber, tomatoes and avocado. It’s popular in Thai, Mexican and Indian cuisines and delicious in any curry. It’s the base for a tangy and spicier South American ‘green sauce’, known as chimichurri and delicious with any bean or pulse and often used in salsas with fresh ingredients.

– DILL: This delicate herb with its feather-like leaves is great in a pickle or with ingredients like eggs, salmon, potatoes and do add it to other salads. It’s particularly good with cucumber, citrus and cabbage.

– FENNEL: The pronounced liquorice flavour comes from both the bulb, leaves and seeds. It can be used with chicken, meat or in salads. The leaves look very similar to those of dill, but the flavour is very different.

– ITALIAN PARSLEY: One of the most versatile herbs and great in almost any dish from salad dressings and marinades to salads, egg dishes, hearty meat dishes and even roasted veggies.

– MINT: The refreshing flavour is splendid in desserts and salads, with any fruit and is often used in Greek dishes. Ideal to use in any dish from a fruity pavlova to a flavourful tzatziki and just a salad of sliced fresh tomato and feta is delightful with mint. Even if you just add some sprigs to an ice-cold glass of water, the flavour will be so refreshing.

– ORIGANUM: Synonymous with Italian and Greek dishes, tomato and seafood, chicken, mince and even in rice or veggie dishes. This herb is sturdier and can withstand the heat during cooking, so that makes it popular for roasting and marinades.

– ROSEMARY: These spikey leaves have a strong flavour and combine well with tomatoes, red or white meat, chicken, pasta dishes and veggies. Use it sparingly as its strong flavour can easily overpower the other flavours. Very often used with lamb. This is a more robust herb and will not lose its flavour during cooking.

– SAGE: A lovely, almost sweet herb that pairs beautifully with butternut, cheeses and meat, especially chicken, pork and bacon. Delicious in pasta as well. The long, oval-shaped leaves have an almost green-grey colour and very special aroma.

– THYME: Another super versatile and popular herb. It’s great for roasting as it keeps its flavour, but is also fabulous with meat, soups, stews, in marinades and salad dressings and most veggies. It’s even popular in sweet baking, like a lemon and thyme tea loaf.

Find more information on HERBS on Heleen’s website.

She loves to cook with herbs, so there are plenty of recipes on her website where she shows you how to include fresh herbs in a huge variety of dishes.