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June 2008
Edible flowers have gained a lot of popularity of late, cropping up in specialty food stores and organic markets everywhere. After all, who can resist the lure of some brightly colored, fragrant flowers?
Edible flowers have been a mainstay for five-star restaurants for years, but there's no reason home chefs can't brighten up their recipes with some tasty buds, too.
Flowers can be added to salads, frozen and added to beverages, used in flavored oils, vinegars, sugars, marinades and jellies, crystalized or candied for decoration, and much more.
Savory (Satureja hortensis and montana) is a perennial herb classified as either summer savory or winter savory, for obvious reasons.
Savory is related to rosemary and thyme, and summer savory is often preferred over winter savory because it is a more delicate flavor.
Summer savory is popular in European cuisine, especially Bulgarian and Romanian dishes, such as stuffed cabbage rolls and stews.
Thyme (Thymus) is part of the expansive Lamiaceae family - a relative to rosemary, basil, sage, savory and many others.
Thyme is native to Europe, Northern Africa and Asia, and its use dates back as far as the ancient Egyptians who used it during the embalming process.
Thyme is a classic herb, especially in French cuisine, where it is included lovingly as one of the herbes de Provence and in bouquet garni. Thyme has the most flavor when used with the stem in addition to the leaves.
Fresh thyme has a slightly lemony and minty aroma and taste that blends beautifully with poultry dishes, stuffing, soups, sauces - just about anything, in fact.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), also known as common sorrel or spinach dock, is green leafy perennial native to Europe. Sorrel can be treated as both a vegetable and an herb, but it seems its use as an herb is more frequent.
Another variety of sorrel, called roselle or Jamaican red sorrel, grows throughout the Caribbean. Common sorrel is a lot like spinach, in both appearance and health benefits, including oxalic acid.
Sorrel tastes nothing like spinach, however; instead, it boasts a fruity flavor, somewhat comparable to kiwi or wild strawberries. The sour flavor is a result of the oxalic acid, which grows more intense as sorrel ages.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata), along with peppermint, is one of the most frequently used herbs in the mint family. Spearmint is a perennial herb native to Europe and Asia that thrives in wet soils and lends a sweet and refreshing flavor to foods and beverages.
Spearmint is a great choice for home herb gardens because it grows in a variety of climates and soil conditions, but it is also susceptible to disease.
The leaves can be used whole and fresh, dried, frozen or preserved in syrups. Spearmint also makes great flavored salts and sugars.
Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is a deciduous perennial herb native to South America and cultivated in Europe after Spanish explorers brought it back in the 1600s.
Lemon verbena grows well in full sun and moist soil and is very sensitive to the cold - as such, it normally blooms during the summer months. As its name indicates, verbena adds a lovely lemony flavor, without any bitterness, to a wide variety of dishes.
Verbena's fresh leaves contain potent essential oils, so its citrus flavor holds up well in fish and poultry dishes, as well as desserts like sorbets and beverages such as herbal tea.
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), dragon's wort, is a perennial herb native to most of the northern hemisphere. Tarragon is also in the same family as wormwood.
Tarragon is one of the French fines herbes, and it brings an anise-like aroma to poultry and fish dishes. Tarragon is also an essential ingredient in Béarnaise sauce and dijon mustard.
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