The category of ‘savoury’ herbs covers a huge range of flavours. These herbs each have their own strong, identifiable taste and in many cases stand up to long, slow cooking which releases a flavour that cannot be replicated or mimicked.
The secret of using herbs in cooking is that they should add to the overall taste but not dominate. Cooking with herbs is all about subtlety, a striving for that elusive element that elevates a dish from good to great. It is also about being familiar with the taste of each herb so that you know how to combine it with other herbs and how to use it with the different kinds of meat, fish, vegetable and dairy products. Louis van Aswegen from Doonholm Herb Farm and fellow herb grower Margie Frayne of Meridian Herbs have done some herb and food matching and these are their suggestions for cooking with savoury herbs.
Celery
APIUM graveolens
Celery is an essential ingredient in soups and stews, but it can also be very finely chopped up and added to fresh green salad, potato salads and savory muffins. The dried leaves, ground into powder, can be used as a salt substitute or an ingredient in celery salt.
Celery is a biennial and grows in sun or partial shade and needs rich, fertile soil. Pick fresh leaves throughout the year. Outside stems can be picked individually or the whole plant can be harvested when mature. Celery is a good companion plant to leeks, spinach, tomato, beans, cabbage, cauliflower and onion.
Rosemary
ROSMARINUS officinalis
Rosemary has a very distinctive flavour and is well known for its use with chicken and lamb as well as roast potatoes. It can also be used with beef, rice and vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and green beans, and included in vegetable soup and vegetable bakes. Add it sparingly because of its strong flavour.
Rosemary is a perennial and likes a hot, sunny position and soil that drains well, especially soil on the poor side. It is a slow grower but ultimately develops into a large bush. It can be trimmed and shaped into topiaries or hedges. The traditional 'McConnell’s Blue' is a sprawling bush but there are other more upright varieties like ‘Tuscan Blue’ and ‘Heinz’ (which has white flowers). There is also a pink-flowered variety that is very hardy and grows into a small shrub.
Parsley
PETROSELINUM crispum
Parsley has a strong taste but this quickly diminishes with cooking so it should be added at the end of cooking or afterwards as a garnish. It can be used with all red meat, chicken, fish, omelettes, pasta, salads, cheese and white sauces.
Parsley grows in full sun or partial shade and does best in rich soil that is kept moist. The soil must never be allowed to dry out but it also must not be allowed to become waterlogged. Parsley does fine in containers if well-drained potting soil and a container with proper drainage holes is used. It is a heavy feeder and should be fed with an organic fertilizer at least once a month. Yellowing leaves indicate either a drainage problem (too waterlogged) or a lack of fertilizer. Pick leaves from the outside of the plant. The tastiest leaves will be produced in the first growing season, which is the reason that parsley is best grown as an annual and replaced every season.
Thyme and Lemon thyme
THYMUS vulgare and T. Citriodorus
Thyme is one of those herbs that can be used with almost everything. It has a savoury taste that makes it suitable for marinades, for adding to beef, mutton and poultry dishes, and as an ingredient in stuffing for fish and chicken. The finely chopped leaves can be added to salads, omelettes, marrows and mushrooms.
Thyme is a perennial that grows in most kinds of soil, needs full sun and requires infrequent watering. It grows into a small, bushy shrub that stimulates the growth of neighbouring plants and its aromatic leaves repel aphids. It is hardy and will grow through winter.
Sage
SALVIA officinalis
Perennial sage has the most distinctive taste of all savoury herbs and should always be used sparingly. It works well with fatty food because it aids in their digestion. Use sage with pork, in stuffing for chicken, with egg fruit, broccoli, tomato, cheese dishes and baked vegetables.
Sage grows in full sun, in relatively poor well-drained soil. It is often killed through over watering. Keep it in a sunny protected position in winter as it doesn’t tolerate the cold well. It flowers in spring and should be trimmed after flowering to retain its shape.
Oregano
ORIGANUM vulgare
This perennial is another strong tasting herb, and one that is most associated with Italian cooking, especially those dishes that use tomatoes. Oregano also works well with peas, mushrooms, squash, veal, beef, fish and white sauce.
Oregano grows best in full sun, in well-drained, composted soil. Its growth habit is that of a groundcover, reaching a height of 25 cm and spread of about 30 cm. It is evergreen and the leaves can be picked all year round. It is a good companion plant for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and peppers.
Marjoram
ORIGANUM majorana
ORIGANUM majorana, which is also a perennial, has a far more delicate flavour than O. vulgare. It goes well with chicken, veal, meatballs, mushrooms, marrows, beetroot, beans, potatoes, egg dishes, omelettes and fresh salads. Its subtle flavour enhances cream sauces for fish and shellfish.
Marjoram needs full sun; it should be watered every second day and fed monthly. In winter it should be kept in a sheltered position as it can be sensitive to frost. It also grows easily in a pot. It is evergreen and the leaves can be picked all year round. The flowering heads should be removed to prevent it from getting scraggly. Marjoram is a good companion herb for sage.
This article was compiled with information supplied by Healthy Living Herbs; the herbs mentioned are available from Healthy Living Herbs stands at garden centres.
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