A Quick Herb Guide

Spring brings the urge to plant an herb garden .Home chefs want to add a sprig of this or a few leaves of that .Yet many have no clue as to herb usage. The will add bay leaf to pizza or dried rosemary to ice cream.A good knowledge of herbs is vital to cooking good meals.

Rosemary and oregano are the most popular and most used.Rosemary is a fragrant plant with a variety of uses, from cooking to the medicinal.It is one of the pillars of Italian cooking, going into everything from sausage to pizza.A flavorful tomato sauce relies on its sprigs for some depth.It can also add zing if added to pizza or calzone crust.Oregano is another staple of not just Italian but also  Greek and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.It gives marinades an earthy green flavor.It can also be put into olive oil for a fragrant oil , perfect for drizzling over slices of French and Italian bread.it can also be used in Eastern Mediterranean dishes too such as the trendy za'aatar along with savory and thyme.Surprisingly these versatile sprigs can also be used in various desserts.Imagine a coffee cake sprigged up with both oregano and thyme.Honey paired with it makes an awesome ice cream, both subtly sweet and herbal.They can even be baked into lemon cupcakes for a jolt of fresh springy flavor!

Tarragon is the herb most used by the French.It is one of my favorites and I use it in both my chicken and egg salads.It's flavor is a milder version of the stronger anise.It also is vital in creating the perfect Bernaese sauce along with herb rice and broiled fish such as tilapia and halibut.Cilantro is an easy herb to grow as well as being versatile.The sassy green leaves add dash to any salad and would be great in a chicken marinade.It can also add some zing to grilled veggies too as well as being a staple in Mexican cooking.Cilantro is actually the younger version of coriander, another versatile and necessary kitchen herb.It's excellent in exotic cuisines such as Indian and Morroccan, giving color and zest to curries and tangines.One of the sweetest and most delicious is chive. This is the season for them, as they grow abundantly in yards and even parks. The wild variety has an onion-y sweet taste . Yes , freshly chopped chives are good on baked potatoes , add color and flavor to sour cream but they're also good mixed in with cream cheese and dressings. Try cooking them with carrots in a yummy butter sauce.

Grow herbs.Just understand their uses and what foods they'd enhance.Use them correctly and you'll create deliciously tasty meals.

The Easy Herb Garden

Home chefs think longingly think about starting a garden when the temps heat up. The problem with that idea is that it requires a lot of work. There's fertilizing, checking for aphids and fungus along with pruning and protecting fruits and veggies from hungry critters. Also many  don't have that green thumb that it takes to grow ruby red tomatoes and plump eggplants. An easier solution would be an herb garden. You can still have that fresh grown taste without all the problems of a regular garden.

One of the best things about herb gardening is that theywill be used in all sorts of dishes. Plant the ones that you use the most.You can also plant the easiest to grow too, but all herbs are easy to grow. , Remember , like other plants , they do need space.Rosemary , sage, mint and marjoram need three to four feet of space while basil, thyme, tarragon and savory need only two feet of land around them so reserve a plot of land for them in the back yard  and them. If you have very little land to work with then plant cilantro , dill, chives or parsley.Prep the soil with compost - leftover fruit and vegetable detritus , Herbs can also be grown in large pots on the patio. They can be clay or plastic and anywhere from 8" to 18" in diameter. You can combine herbs that have the same watering requirements in one pot .Fertilize with  herb or vegetable fertilizer. Dig deep holes for the plants and once planted, gently press down on the surrounding dirt. water when the dirt is dry  to the touch.They should also get four hours of sunshine on a daily basis. For harvesting cut off about 1/3 of the branches when the plant reaches between 6" to 8 " tall.

Home chefs get excited when their herb gardens start growing. They want to snip and cut, eager to scatter a handful in a salad or marinade.However there is a way to cut them and  to pick the right leaves to get their optimum flavor. Basil growers will tell you that the tastiest leaves are the smallest or the "baby" ones.Leave the larger ones. These are like the solar panels of the plant, keeping the stems and shoots  warm.Also gather herbs early in the day., after the dew has dried but before their essential oils  get baked by the midmorning sun(try anywhere between seven and eight AM).If you've collected stems then strip them of their leaves U
se a small scissor when you're dealing with parsley, bay or tansy.What about storage?. You can do what our colonial ancestors did and gather herbs in to a bouquet. Wrap ten to fifteen stems tightly together by either a rubber band or twine. Hang the bunches on a drying rack if you have one or make one. A plain old hanger works just as well as does a nail in a wall. Strip crisp dry leaves off of stems before hanging. Herbs can also be stored in  airtight glass or ceramic containers away from heat and light., They will last up to a year after picking.

Herbs are and easy was to include that just picked taste into any dish. It takes very little work to come up with a lush green plot that's full of fragrant leaves and stems. It's the perfect garden for a  busy home chef

Using Your Beans

One of nature's best foods is the bean.It's tasty , nutritious and versatile.You can have it in soups or salads,hot or cold .It can be made into a main dish or a side.Best of all there are so many varieties.You could make a different bean dish every day and each one would be unique. Beans are one of the greatest sources of fiber and soluble fiber.They're also high in protein,which also makes them a good sub for meat.They're also high in iron and floats as well as complex carbs.They may give you gas and if that's the case, you could take Bean-o or Gas-X or a more natural solution would be to soak them overnight in vinegar or baking soda to neutralize them.Most beans do require an overnight soak or even a precook rinse.Beans can either come in cans or in packages.It pays to have a big variety of both around. What are some bean recipes that are both tasty and good for you.A meatless chili is always a good bet.You can use a few different types in it such as kidney ,garbanzo and black beans. of course kidney beans are good on their own, usually cooled off in a salad. Serve them in a tasty three bean with the bright yellow wax beans and green beans for color and nutrition.Some three bean salads do have a dose of sugar. Sub it with a bit of honey or a tiny bit of stevia. Add iodine rich sliced red onions cut thin and herbs too.Lentils are another great and versatile bean.Try in in a veggie laden with soup or on it's own with antioxidant rich turmeric .This is not only a delicious meal but also a great dip for whole wheat tortilla chips. Any kind of bean is good in any kind of dish.Try them hot or cold for a tasty treat. They are a worthy addition to any diet.

Spring Awakening

Now that the weather is becoming warmer it's time for every foodie to start thinking about their gardens. You don't have to be a green thumb, plant hugger to have a successful spot. Even a small herb garden is always useful.

Right now you should be writing down what you want to grow. The second thing is mapping out where fruits and vegetables should be planted. Try to vary the spots from year to year to insure bigger and healthier produce. Don't keep planting your tomatoes and squash under the bedroom window year after year. Keep that space free for one season and let the soil replenish its' minerals. Also keep in mind how many plants you want. If your family is more tomato crazy than lettuce, then it stands to reason you'd be planting more of the first than the second. Since vegetables come in several subvarieties, think about what you'll be using them for. You may want to grow onions for burgers as opposed to shallots for sauces and stews.

Fruit trees are another matter because it takes a few seasons for some to produce any kind of bounty. Also make sure your yard can support trees. An apple tree requires a lot of space: anywhere from a foot up to a yard for perfect, unencumbered growth. Pear trees are similar. Fruit trees also require a lot of spraying and pruning. If you don't have the time for this, then stick with the much easier vegetable growing.

If you have zero time for any kind of gardening , then consider growing herbs. Raising chives, tarragon, dill and oregano are easy and fun. They do require some care such as watering and diligent weeding. Luckily that's about as much care as needed. Herbs don't require a lot of fertilizer as well as a lot of direct sunlight. You can grow a patch of them anywhere , even in your front lawn. Just make sure they have partial shade and adequate water and mulching. From then on you can use them to flavor grilled meats and vegetables. You can also freeze dry them or hang them in your pantry or basement for later use.

Garden plants and herbs can be bought anywhere, from Lowe's, Home Depot or your corner nursery. You can try the mail order catalogs and internet nurseries but be wary. I've been burned in the past by these and wound up losing money over "bad" plants.

I want to end this with a special thank you for my cousin Denise in Illinois. She sent the best sweet potato casserole and butterscotch pudding recipes at her little cousin's requests. They are awesome and I'll be publishing them soon.

For all you energy drink lovers remember that Fyxx Hybrid Water starts selling in the New York metro and northern New Jersey areas tomorrow. April 17th. If you can't get it at your local store, then go to www.fyxxwater.com