Herbs Recipe

Whether food is palatable or not largely depends upon its seasoning.

Good, rich material may be stale and unprofitable because of its lack,

while with it simple, inexpensive foods become delicious and take on the

appearance of luxuries. A garden of herbs with its varying flavors is a

full storehouse for the housekeeper, it gives great variety to a few

materials and without much expense of money, time or space as any little

waste corner of the garden or even a window box, will afford a fine

supply. Besides use as flowers the young sprouts of most of the herbs

are available as greens or salads, and are excellent with any plain

salad dressing; among them might be mentioned mustard, cress, chervil,

parsley, mint, purslane, chives, sorrel, dandelions, nasturtiums,

tarragon and fennel. Many of these herbs are ornamental and make

beautiful garnishes, or are medicinal and add to the home pharmacy.

Though not equally good as the fresh herbs, yet dried ones hold their

flavors and do excellent service. Just before flowering they should be

gathered on a sunshiny day and dried by artificial heat, as less flavor

escapes in quick drying. When dry, powder them and put up in tin cans,

or glass bottles, tightly sealed and properly labeled. Parsley, mint and

tarragon should be dried in June or July, thyme, marjoram and savory in

July and August, basil and sage in August and September.

=Anise.=--Anise leaves are used for garnishing, and the seeds for

seasoning, also are used medicinally.

=Balm.=--Balm leaves and stems are used medicinally and make a beverage

called Balm Wine. A variety of cat-mint called Moldavian balm is used in

Germany for flavoring food.

=Basil.=--Sweet basil an aromatic herb is classed among the sweet herbs.

It is used as seasoning in soups, sauces, salads and in fish dressings.

Basil vinegar takes the place in winter of the fresh herb.

=Basil Vinegar.=--In August or September gather the fresh basil leaves.

Clean them thoroughly, put them in a wide mouthed bottle and cover with

cider vinegar, or wine for fourteen days. If extra strength is wanted

draw off the vinegar after a week or ten days and pour over fresh

leaves; strain after fourteen days and bottle tightly.

=Borage.=--Its pretty blue flowers are used for garnishing salads. The

young leaves and tender tops are pickled in vinegar and are occasionally

boiled for the table. Its leaves are mucilaginous and are said to impart

a coolness to beverages in which they are steeped. Borage, wine, water,

lemon and sugar make an English drink called Cool Tankard.

=Caraway.=--Caraway seeds are used in cakes, breads, meats, pastry and

candies and are very nice on mutton or lamb when roasting. Caraway and

dill are a great addition to bean soup. The root though strong flavored

is sometimes used like parsnips and carrots.

=Catnip or Catmint.=--Its leaves are used medicinally and its young leaves

and shoots are used for seasoning.

=Chives.=--The young leaves of chives are used for seasoning, they are

like the onion but more delicate, and are used to flavor sauces, salads,

dressings and soups. They are chopped very fine when added to

salads--sometimes the salad bowl is only rubbed with them. Chopped very

fine and sprinkled over Dutch cheese they make a very acceptable side

dish or sandwich filling.

=Coriander.=--Coriander seed is used in breads, cakes and candies.

=Dill.=--The leaves are used in pickles, sauces and gravies, and the

seeds, in soups, curries and medicines.

=Fennel.=--The leaves of the common fennel have somewhat the taste of

cucumber, though they are sweet and have a more delicate odor. They are

boiled and served chiefly with mackerel and salmon though sometimes with

other fish, or enter into the compound of their sauces. The young

sprouts from the roots of sweet fennel when blanched are a very

agreeable salad and condiment. The seed is medicinal.

=Henbane.=--Henbane is poisonous and is only used medicinally.

=Hops.=--The young shoots of hops are used as vegetables in the early

spring, prepared in the same way as asparagus and salsify. The leaves

are narcotic and are therefore often made up into pillows.

=Horehound.=--The leaves are used for seasoning and are a popular remedy

for a cough. It is much used in flavoring candies.

=Hyssop.=--The young leaves and shoots are used for flavoring food, but

their principal use is medicinal. A syrup made from it is a popular

remedy for a cold.

=Lavender.=--The leaves are used for seasoning, but the chief use of the

plant is the distillation of perfumery from its flowers which are full

of a sweet odor.

=Marjoram Sweet.=--Sweet marjoram belongs to the sweet herbs, the leaves

and ends of the shoots are used for seasoning, and are also used

medicinally.

=Pennyroyal.=--The leaves are used for seasoning puddings and other

dishes, and also have a medicinal use.

=Pot Marigold.=--Marigold has a bitter taste, but was formerly much used

in seasoning soups and is still in some parts of England. The flowers

are dried and are used medicinally and for coloring butter and cheese.

=Pimpinella, or Salad-Burnet.=--The young tender leaves are used as a

salad; they have a flavor resembling that of cucumbers.

=Rosemary.=--A distillation of the leaves makes a pleasant perfume and is

also used medicinally. It is one of the sweet herbs for seasoning.

=Rue.=--This is one of the bitter herbs yet is sometimes used for

seasoning.

=Saffron.=--The dried pistils are used for flavoring and dyeing. Some

people use it with rice. It is often used in fancy cooking as a coloring

material.

=Sage.=--The leaves both fresh and dried are used for seasoning, meats and

dressings especially.

=Summer Savory.=--Summer savory is used for flavoring, and especially for

flavoring beans.

=Tarragon or Esdragon.=--Esdragon with its fine aromatic flavor is a

valuable adjunct to salads and sauces.

=Tarragon or Esdragon Vinegar.=--Strip the leaves from the fresh cut

stalks of tarragon. Put a cupful of them in a wide mouthed bottle and

cover with a quart of cider or wine vinegar, after fourteen days,

strain, bottle and cork tightly.

=Tagetis Lucida.=--Its leaves have almost the exact flavor of tarragon and

can be used as its substitute.

=Thyme.=--Thyme is one of the sweet herbs and its leaves are favorites for

seasoning in cooking.

=Winter Savory.=--The leaves and young shoots, like summer savory are used

for flavoring foods.

=Wormwood.=--Wormwood is used medicinally as its name implies.