Herbal Delights

Isa · #1 02-09-2001, 12:39 PM

Every spring I do a balcony garden. I plants tomatoes, lettuce and rhubard. I reserve one or two flower box for herbs. When the nights start to get cooler I transplant some herbs indoor so I can continue to enjoy fresh herb during winter.

shroomgirl · #2 02-09-2001, 01:27 PM

Oh good one~ I've got a cooking demo at Herb Days....each year I get to select herbs and talk about what to do with them....
tarragon, dillweed, thyme, basil, lemon grass, oregano, rosemary....these are my core group.
Now what to cook in an hour with 2 burners outside on an 8'table for 50 people....
Past years have been shiitake risotto with green veg saute , thai peanut dressing with a rice stick salad, green salad with orange tarragon dressing, Ravioli with pesto ricotta filling and marinara
Since it's at the end of May I usually do summer foods, cool and quick.

lynne · #3 02-09-2001, 01:39 PM

My little garden is really taking off, we had some really warm weather lately!

I love the "lemon" herbs; lemon verbena, lemon balm, tarragon, and lemon basil. Makes wonderful teas, infusions for flans, and ricotta crepes...Being into breakfast, they can garnish, embellish or be added to so many things!!

I also have several kinds of oreganos and thymes, I love cooking with lavendar.

The fruit and basil combination is so fun and refreshing--and there's a whole world of people who have never encountered them!!

My basil died this winter (it survived the last) and even my new plants haven't taken off, so I have to set some new ones.

Nicko · #4 02-09-2001, 02:34 PM

Ahh I love fesh flat leaf parsley! But my favorite herb is thyme.

I was wondering, in light of the information about the vitamin C content parsley, is there a difference between the content level in flat leaf VS. curly parsley?

#5 02-09-2001, 11:34 PM

Get your garden gloves on. Anyone experiencing a warming trend in weather? I was checking my herb garden for signs of life. Usually, cold-hardy herbs sprout quickly in the springtime. Yes! I see tiny green sprouts. I can't wait to get my hands on some fresh Italian (flat-leaf)parsley.
Did you know that it's one of the culinary herbs which is very high in vitamin C?
It's sooo flavorful in a fresh salad.
What is your favorite herb of the day?

Nutritionpost

cape chef · #6 02-09-2001, 11:53 PM

I love to garden...although all my little gardens are still covered in snow. we had almost a foot on monday. We had a pretty good tread going a while back on herbs...
I would say as far as tender perennials I love rosemary, I plant it in terra cotta right in the soil, so i can dig it up before the first frost and bring it in.As for perrenails...I love thyme and sage of all variaties and I intermingle oregano and marjarom in recipes they love eachother.
annuals, ofcourse basil,opel,cinnamen,orange you name it. I also love lemon verbena in tea's with poultry and seafood, I also find if I can't get my hands on lemon grass the lemon verbena adds a similar flavor.
I planted some lemon balm last season, although nice to look at I did not like the smell or flavor at all
cc

#7 02-13-2001, 08:02 AM

Curly parsley (petroselinum crispum) has about 40 mg. of vitamin C per half cup,
chopped. This compares to a fresh orange which has about 80 mg. of vitamin C.
The RDA for adults is about 60 mg of vit C.
As for the flat-leaf parsley (neapolitanum),
I'll check a few sources.
NP

cape chef · #8 02-13-2001, 09:42 AM

Flat leaf parsley has 172 milligrams of vitamin c for each 100 grams of edible portion
cc

foodnfoto · #9 02-13-2001, 12:57 PM

One hundred grams of chopped flat-leaf parsley!????. That is almost 4 ounces! about equal to 2 cups packed! Who could possibly eat so much parsley in one day and why would they want to?

cape chef · #10 02-13-2001, 02:03 PM

Foodnfoto,

This is the way food nutrients are measured.
IE 100Gms of edible portion by the amount nutrients you are using.For example there are 77000 internatial units of dried hot red pepper per 100 grams of edible portions.
I am not suggesting that you eat two cups of flat leaf parsly. I was just answering someones question
cc

cape chef · #11 02-13-2001, 02:15 PM

Foodnfoto,
It is apparent that you have a "vast" knowlage of food.I am also one who prides myself in my knowlage. I also have a thick skin, I do however feel that your post was kind of like putting me down for what I had to say...If you feel compelled to challenge ones opinion in a proactive and constructive way that' great< But if you feel compelled to post something at ones expence maybe you can pm them.

With respect
Cape Chef

foodnfoto · #12 02-13-2001, 07:47 PM

Please accept my sincerest apologies! I meant to put no one down! Since I edit recipes and food writing in a nutrition-based editorial setting I receive a lot of submissions that preach to the consumer to eat "such and such" to get so much of a particular nutrient a day. Most times these measurements and suggestions are impractical for the consumer and hence, I must do a lot of rewriting. I was just taking issue with the suggested portion size. Few people know how much 100 grams of any food would amount to.
I truly did not mean to put anyone down- just got into over-zealous editor mode.
Again, sorry.

nutcakes · #13 02-14-2001, 01:00 PM

There was no suggested portion size.

I can eat a lot of tabouli salad, though.

Mezzaluna · #14 02-14-2001, 02:45 PM

I just took it to mean, here's the info, do with it what you like. It was a way of comparing one known quanitity with another.

I've seen pestos that are based on parsley. That would be a good jolt of C. Most people don't know parsley isn't just a silly little garnish.

layjo · #15 02-16-2001, 12:19 AM

Herbs are great! I love to use them. I come from a family that usually only uses cilantro and oregano in certain situations so the other herbs, which I like to use, I try to introduce them to the taste that these different herbs offer in accenting a dish. I like using tarragon in chicken soup and tomato sauces(accents the sweetness of tomatoes). When I've use rosemary for veggies, starches or really any thing that I think it would work with....I tend to add some parsley also in order to have that same flavor but kind of balnece it out a little so the rosemary is't too overpowering in the food item. That usally the senario with me on the more stronger-assertive tasting herbs. As for all the herbs I've tasted I couldn't find one I didn't like yet! I have a garden of herbs every year, and always try to find a new one. The last "New Herb" I raised in my garden was "Cuban White Oregano", looks beautiful and mild in flavor.