Rose works well as herb, and here's how

Posted on June 1, 2012 by bilrob

Rose works well as herb, and here’s how

The rose is Herb of the Year for 2012? At first, this seemed somewhat strange, but upon reflection, the rose is a perfect fit with the definition of herbs. The explanation I use is, “any plant that can be used for culinary, medicinal, fragrance or cosmetic purposes.” That seems to cover all the bases, and certainly includes the rose, which is used in all four ways.

First, and perhaps most unexpected, is the culinary.

Euell Gibbons, the wild-plant expert who published several books in the 1960s, has a chapter in his book, “Stalking the Healthful Herbs,” titled “How to Eat a Rose.”

He begins with a recipe for uncooked rose jam, basically a blend of shredded rose petals, lemon juice, sugar and powdered pectin. This does not appeal to me, but his candied rose petals sound delicious to the eye as well as to the tongue. Rose water is a fragrant, flavorful liquid that has been used since Roman times in food and wine as well as in cosmetics.

Most rose recipes use the petals, but rose hips have high amounts of vitamin C and can be made into rose hip fruit soup or rose hip jam. One cup of rose hips has as much vitamin C as 12 dozen oranges.

The medicinal qualities of the rose are based mostly on rose hip syrup.

During World War II, there were no citrus fruits to be had in England, so children were dosed regularly with this food supplement. I can still taste it! The leaves reportedly can be infused for a liquid that is astringent and touted as a tonic. As with other medicinal herbs, I would be very cautious in their use.

The red rose is listed officially as a drug plant, with the petals used to mask unpleasant odors in medical preparations.

The fragrance of the rose is familiar to almost everyone, and roses are used to scent a wide array of cosmetics and perfumes. Potpourris and sachets bring the fragrance into the home and most popular fragrance lines have a wide array of rose-scented offerings.

For ornamental use, fresh or dried, the rose is incomparable.

From weddings to funerals, and all the happy occasions in between, they are easy to obtain, need little arrangement beside being settled in a container, and always give pleasure.

I grow roses, but I take the easy way out with climbers or shrub varieties.

With the development of the Knock Out rose in the last few years, I have acquired two red, one pink and one yellow, all growing enthusiastically and needing no care but a bit of pruning when their size becomes unwieldy.

My climbers vary in performance.

I have a yellow Lemon Meringue on the side wall of the garage which is 3-4 years old and blooming well this season. The red and white Fourth of July graces the back door area. A white Iceberg on a trellis is just 2 years old and has not done well so far. I will give it another year to prove itself.

And then there is my New Dawn. This beautiful rose covers about half of the front of my house and is in full bloom much earlier than usual this summer. Early in the winter, the cobbled-together links of rope, wire and nails that supported it up to the top of the second floor windows blew down in a strong wind, so I had to cut it way back. Now, you would never know it had been damaged, and I am really enjoying the scent and sight of the pale pink blossoms.

I have revised my early skepticism, therefore, and truly salute the rose as herb of the year.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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Chinese Herb He Shou Wu, Also Known as Fo Ti, Stimulates Natural Hair Growth ...

Posted on June 1, 2012 by bilrob

Advanced he Shou Wu

Chinese Herb He Shou Wu, Also Known as Fo Ti, Stimulates Natural Hair Growth

I am very excited, only been on it a few weeks and i am seeing dark hairs starting to come out. -Cathy

Lindenhurst, New York (PRWEB) May 31, 2012

Natures Elements has provided customers with He Shou Wu for years with continued success. Advanced Shou Wu was introduced so customers can experience better results from bioperene also known as black pepper extract. Ten hair nourishing vitamins and herbs were added to the new formula, and, as a result, people are experiencing more benefits than He Shou Wu alone.

Bioperine helps increase the absorption of He Shou Wu and all the ingredients contained in this new formula. By increasing the ability for the body to absorb, Bioperine lets each ingredient work to its maximum level. A list of all the ingredients and their benefits can be found at http://natureselements.net/ADVANCED-SHOU-WU.html

Natures Elements offers the most potent form of He Shou Wu as a 12:1 extract. The 1,000 mg of He Shou Wu (commonly referred to as Fo Ti) is contained within the original He Shou Wu formula. The Advanced Shou Wu offers the same 1,000 mg plus 10 additional vitamins herbs targeted to improve hair color and growth naturally.

He Shou Wu has been known for its ability to nourish the liver and kidneys and provide a better blood flow to the scalp thereby stimulating healthy hair. Advanced Shou Wu can not only help stop graying hair but also provide numerous health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and blood pressure due in part to its Lecithin Content. This certainly makes Advanced Shou Wu a tonic worthy of taking for the rest of one’s life.

Natures Elements is among the few companies around providing customers with the Auto-Ship feature. This is the easiest most convenient way to get all the benefits from the company. This also gives the customer 20% off all Auto-Ship orders.

Natures Elements, a high quality vitamin and herbal supplements retailer, is committed to providing real results through dedicated research and superior formulations.

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What is Herbed Butter?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by bilrob

What is Herbed Butter?

QUESTION: A recent recipe called for an herbed butter with a steak. What is herbed butter and how do you make it? — Jim Rekuc, Gibraltar

ANSWER: To make herbed butter, also called compound butter, simply mix fresh herbs with softened butter. There are plenty of variations and uses.

A little pat of flavored butter can make steaks taste richer, put a new twist on corn on the cob and do wonders as a spread for bread or melted on grilled vegetables. And a little goes a long way.

In “Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill” (Wiley, $19.95), author Elizabeth Karmel devotes an entire chapter to herbed butter.

Karmel, a grilling expert and executive chef, writes that the butters “are quick, easy and look beautiful as they melt over hot grilled foods.”

The book includes recipes for compound butters with herbs, citrus, roasted garlic, wine, whiskey, seasonings and more.

To make a herbed butter, start with softened unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter if that’s all you have.

Place 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) softened butter in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. If using fresh herbs, rinse and dry them, then mix in chopped herbs and/or seasonings. Generally, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs is plenty. Scrape the mixture onto plastic wrap and shape the butter into a log. Refrigerate until well chilled and use as desired.

Compound butters keep about a week in the refrigerator. For longer storage, place the wrapped log in a freezer bag and freeze for up to one month. You also can freeze just until firm and cut into slices, then freeze the individual slices. That way, you can take out only what you need.

One great tip in Karmel’s book is to grate or shave (using a vegetable peeler) the frozen compound butter to control how much you use.

“You get great butter flavor without overdoing it,” Karmel writes.

Here are some good combinations from the Free Press Test Kitchen and Karmel’s book. All use 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) softened butter.

• Tarragon butter: Mix butter with 3 teaspoons dried tarragon or 5 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, 2 teaspoons minced fresh curly parsley, 2 teaspoons granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Use with beef, fish, poultry and vegetables.

• Basil butter: Mix butter with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, pinches of salt and black pepper. Use as a spread for bruschetta or on grilled zucchini, fish or chicken.

• Sun-dried tomato butter: Mix butter with 4 chopped large sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Great on grilled fish or chicken or topping turkey burgers.

Have a question? Contact Susan M. Selasky at 313-222-6432 noon-3 p.m. Thursdays or e-mail [email protected].

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Herbal Healer: What is gambooge?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by bilrob

Wikipedia Commons

Herbal Healer: What is gambooge?

Resembling a small pumpkin, the small, sour fruit of the gambooge tree is an established ingredient in a number of weight loss products offered worldwide.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Both the rind and extract of this tree crop are found in curry dishes in India, where they also hold an esteemed place in the ancient Ayurvedic system of healing. The mechanism for bringing down body weight is found in hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which helps to suppress and control appetite while inhibiting the conversion of excess calories to body fat. Gambooge is used for rheumatism, bowel complaints—including constipation and intestinal parasites—edema and delayed menstruation. Some devotees of the gambooge fruit attest to its ability to increase energy levels. Studies also suggest that gambooge protects the liver against alcohol and other external toxins. Damage to liver cells caused by high blood lipid levels is reduced when this botanical is added to the list of effective supplements.

ABOUT THE HERB

Native to Indonesia and parts of India, this subtropical tree thrives in moist forests. Known also as brindleberry, gambooge is grown commercially in west and central Africa and also in parts of Southeast Asia.

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE

Include gambooge in your weight loss strategy by using the extract powder half an hour before meals in the amounts cited on product labels. Avoid gambooge during pregnancy and lactation, and in cases where individuals are coping with diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease.

The opinions expressed are solely the writer’s. NOTE: Visit herbalastrology.com to read Ted PanDeva Zagar’s other articles and columns that discuss the benefits of herbs and natural foods. DISCLAIMER: The author’s comments are not intended to serve as medical advice, and he urges his readers to seek qualified wellness professionals to resolve matters of health.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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Basil spices up summer gardens and recipes

Posted on May 31, 2012 by bilrob

Basil spices up summer gardens and recipes

By Lynn Hunt

Basil is the most popular herb in the U.S. The reason? It’s versatile, flavorful, and ideal for summer gardens.

Few summer experiences are as memorable as strolling through an herb garden, brushing past Ocimum basilicum, and inhaling the intoxicating scents of anise, clove, and cinnamon in the warm breeze.

Ah, the sweet smell of basil! If aroma were its only attribute, basil would still be a welcome addition to the garden. But, of course, fragrance is just the beginning.

Starting now, gardeners in most areas of the country can count on basils to liven up a variety of summer dishes, provide the essential ingredient for mouth-watering pesto, and add touches of color throughout the landscape.

Small wonder that basil, called the herbe royale by the French, has become the king of the herb garden in America.

An herb rooted in history

Basil is a member of the mint family and most likely originated in tropical

Asia. The first written history of the herb goes back 4,000 years to when it was grown in Egypt.

While many ancient Greeks thought the fragrant leaves to be cursed, Romans associated basil with love and devotion. It was believed if a man accepted a sprig of basil from a woman, he would love her forever. A pot of basil seen on a balcony signaled a suitor that the lady welcomed his attentions.

With the diverse legends surrounding basil, the herb was traded across the globe and eventually arrived in America. Sweet basil is one of the herbs mentioned in Colonial garden records.

Basil basics

Although they grow as perennials in their native land, basils should be treated as annuals in most areas of the

United States. They are not hardy below 32 degrees F. (0 C) and will usually turn black after the first freeze.

The tropical origins dictate where basils grow best: a warm, sunny location where plenty of moisture is available. Basils require at least four hours of sun daily and should not be planted until night temperatures are in the upper 50s F. (13 to 15 C).

Basils will tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions but do best when planted in rich, well-drained soil. To provide proper air circulation and discourage disease, plants should be set about a foot apart. Pinch back the top of the tender stems to encourage a bushier plant.

Keep an eye out for flowers and prune them off immediately to promote further leaf growth.

Water regularly — at least one inch per week. Basils grow quickly and are heavy feeders, so be sure to give them a dose of liquid fertilizer twice a month.

If you don’t have room to plant basils outdoors, or if you live in an area where summer evenings are cool, try growing basil in clay pots. It is one of the few flowering herbs traditionally raised as a potted plant. Gardeners in England often presented guests with a pot of basil as a symbol of good wishes.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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Herbs, spices add healthy zest

Posted on May 30, 2012 by bilrob

Herbs, spices add healthy zest

Gardening season has begun and whether you have a backyard garden, a plot in a community garden or even a balcony garden, I hope you can plant some yummy vegetables and also include fresh herbs.

Basil, dill, parsley, coriander and more all grow well and can provide wonderful flavours in your food.

These fresh herbs add not just wonderful taste to food but if you’re trying to reduce sodium or fat, they’re even more important.

We always think of spices and herbs as something that adds taste, but we forget that they also can provide health benefits.

As I’ve written often, everything that comes out of the ground, whether it’s an apple, carrot or parsley, has important plant chemicals that protect the plant as it grows and protects your health when it’s ingested.

Researchers have shown that many culinary herbs have antioxidants that are powerful protectors against disease.

Several years ago, researchers measured the antioxidants in about 1,000 common foods and published a list of the best.

Of the 50 with the most antioxidants, 12 were herbs or spices.

Now, it’s not realistic to think that you’d eat enough of the herbs and spices to provide the same protection as a serving of peppers or berries, but they do add important benefits and shouldn’t be seen just as a pretty garnish.

Some of the most potent ones include garlic, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cloves, ginger, basil, curry, chili and parsley.

Herbs vs spices?

The difference between herbs and spices is where they come from on the plant.

Herbs are the leaf of the plant (e. g. parsley or basil) and spices are the roots (e. g. ginger), bark (e. g. cinnamon), buds (e. g. cloves) or seeds.

The herbs can be both fresh or dried, but since its growing season this is a good time to eat more fresh.

Dried herbs are much more concentrated than fresh, so you use smaller amounts in cooking.

A few tips on herbs:

If shopping for herbs, buy them close to the time you plan to use them.

If you’re growing them, the best time to pick them is morning, before the sun gets hot.

Choose ones with bright colour and no signs of wilting or browning.

If the leaves are beginning to yellow or brown or have black spots, it could mean the herbs are no longer fresh.

Wash herbs just before you use them.

Wash smaller amounts thoroughly under cool, running water, pat dry, shake off moisture or dry with a salad spinner.

Store in sealed containers or plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Fresh herbs (washed and patted dry) can also be frozen in freezer bags.

Unlike dried herbs, fresh are best added toward the end of the cooking to preserve their flavour.

They can be added to refrigerated cooked foods several hours before serving.

Spices and dried herbs should be stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry dark place away from light and heat.

Spices – at Bill & Sheila’s Cookbook

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Starting Herbs From Seed and Transplanting

Posted on May 27, 2012 by bilrob

Starting Herbs From Seed and Transplanting

This portion tells you about starting herbs from seed, how to do it either in containers or directly outdoors, and what kinds of herbs you maybe don’t want to start from seed that can be bought already establishes and then transplanted.

To Seed or Not to Seed?

To seed or transplant herbs? That is the question! I say do both. This portion of our “Garden Grow” series will address how to seed in and out of ground.

Always get the freshest seed to sow herbs from seed. The date and best time for use when selecting seeds is usually printed right on the seed pack. Some herbs are better started from seeds while others are better started from a cutting off an existing plant, or a starter plant you get from a farm or nursery which can be transplanted. Herb recommendations for both seed starting and transplanting will be provided here.

Herb Gardening: Starting Herbs From Seed and Transplanting

When starting plants from seed, some require light and some do not for germination, this information is usually also included on the seed pack. To start a seed indoors, March is a great time to begin; perhaps even earlier if you can create a conducive environment once the seeds have sprouted. Seeds can be sown directly into pots or other containers however, use poor plain soil for germinating that has sand mixed in so it is thin and easy to penetrate when the first roots begin to grow; this is important. The soil will of course be different when it is time to transplant the seedlings into larger containers or in the ground. For light germinating seeds, the best thing to do is to sprinkle 1 to 3 seeds on top of the soil and mist with a mister so that too strong of a spray of water does not bury seed too far under the soil. Keep the seeds moist and in a warm, well lit area but not under direct hot lights- bright overall light is just fine. You can also cover the seed with a piece of white paper just to protect them a bit but I have never found this necessary. For seeds that require darkness to germinate, simply sow them onto the prepared soil, and then sprinkle a bit more soil over- about 1/8 inch- and then mist to moisten and keep them moist.

Regardless of whether you want to repot the seedlings in a larger container later or directly in the ground, one very helpful tool is to use “peat pots” which can be replanted right into the new container or area of your choosing. Peat pots contain extra nutrients and eventually breakdown which makes transplanting A LOT easier. You need not try to prick out “the best” seedling and disturb its new and delicate roots if you use peat pots. Simply prick out the seedlings you do not want so that the best one remains in the pot. You can let a plant get quite established right in a peat pot until you are ready to put it in its more permanent home. Again, this is only a suggestion.

To sow seeds directly outdoors, the disadvantage is that you must wait until ground temperature is at least 58 for cooler greens like baby lettuces, arugala and the like; and for any heat loving herbs, you will need to wait for temperatures to reach at least 65 degrees before you can successfully start herbs outside. However, sowing directly outdoors can be less complicated than managing seed trays and individual containers for some, also, the herbs just get established right where they are sown, so again, outdoor sowing can be easier. Basically, the same procedure for sowing in pots applies to outdoor sowing; remember that you will want to be sure to sow sparingly and not plop a bunch of seeds down. Although they will sprout the seedlings are so close together nothing will grow and often trying to thin such a dense clump of seedlings results in all of them being ruined. I suggest you sow sparingly by hand in a patches or some other configuration of your choosing. The other drawback to outdoor sowing can be pests like snails and slugs. The best thing to do when sowing outdoors in a snail ridden area is to cover the seeds with a piece of thin plastic or even parchment paper that has slits cut into it throughout. Sprinkling bran over and around the newly sown area also helps deter these pests.

When it comes to seeding germination, times vary depending on whether the seed is started indoors or straight into the prepared bed outdoors. As a general rule, expect seeds sown outdoors to take 3 times as long to germinate than those started earlier indoors. The other thing to note is that some herbs just do not grow well from seed for those of us who are ambitious gardeners and want to see fragrant herbs as soon as possible in our garden. Therefore, there are some herbs that are simply best purchased from a good nursery or herbal grower on line. Lingles Herbs is an excellent organic grower by the way for most herbs. However, for lavender lovers like me- you cannot get better than the organic varieties available at Purple Haze . The best herbs to purchase already established include lavender, spike, rosemary, rose geraniums, rose varieties, and exotic herbs you may want to grow like patchouli, curry, and exotic sages or salvia types. Of course there are many others to mention but overall, if you see an herb that resembles the woody branching shapes (sort of like a little “tree”) or is indigenous of a climate very different from your own, it may be worth considering obtaining one that is already started rather than attempting to start from seed.

When it’s time to repot or transplant your seedlings or the herbs you purchased that were already established, you simply make sure that the soil is correct for the herb itself and then transplant. If you started your own herbs in peat pots, just make a hollow for it and plant the whole thing, pot and all right in then cover and press surround dirt firm. This goes for either translplanting into new containers or right in outdoor beds. If you have started herbs in other non degradable containers then you need to remove it to replant. Again, make a hollow for the new plant, gently tip the pot on its side and tap the whole herb with dirt right out in one piece as far as possible. This way the roots of the herb will be least disturbed in the transplanting process. Some gardeners recommend mixing a bit of liquid vitamin B into the water and treating the herbs with it the day before transplanting to eliminate shock as far as possible. The other thing you can do if you are planting herbs directly into an outdoor bed to support them is amend the soil with a bit of nutrients that the herbs like. You can do this individually according to the minerals the herbs may like. For example, if you are putting lavender in the ground in a new home, you can add a few tablespoons lime (available at any nursery) to help the soil be more alkaline which creates the soil “PH” level it thrives best in. For other herbs, amendments like a bit of dried bonemeal can help if added in a small amount and blended well before adding the new plant to the ground. Herbs have unique preferences and so if you can duplicate as much as possible their natural habitat, you will be rewarded with excellent results and a very fragrant garden! I suggest you take a bit of time to look into the specifics of the herbs you may want to plant so you know how best to re-create that environment in your garden. We will talk more about herbs specifically in this column too, but as there are so many and such variety, you can learn a lot also easily by just looking into it at your library as well as online!

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Salad - Frisée and Herb Salade au Chapon

Posted on May 24, 2012 by bilrob

Frisée and Herb Salade au Chapon

Provided by: KitchenDaily Editors

Salad – Frisée and Herb Salade au Chapon

Props to my cousin Mark for inspiring me to create my own salade au chapon, a recipe he discovered in the British cookery writer Elizabeth David’s book, French Provincial Cooking. David explains that the recipe is great for those who like garlic but don’t want to “swallow whole hunks of the bulb.” She rubs raw garlic on toasted bread (the chapon), which is tossed with the salad and then eaten at the end of the meal. My variation on the salad adds a mix of fresh herbs, a lemony dressing and a refashioned garlic technique. Gently poaching the garlic in oil softens both the bite and the bulb, and gives the oil a subtle garlic flavor. For the bread, I like a thick slice of miche, a rustic, slightly honeyed sourdough with a dense chewy crumb, dark crust and mild tang. Any good-quality country-style bread can be substituted. I grill the bread on a cast-iron griddle, but it can also be toasted.

Recipe courtesy of Salads: Beyond the Bowl: Extraordinary Recipes for Everyday Eating by Mindy Fox. Published by Kyle Books, 2012.

Make the base for the dressing: In a medium bowl, stir together the lemon
juice, shallot, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and a generous pinch of pepper.
Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil and garlic
and gently heat over very low heat until the oil is fragrant and the garlic is
softened, about 5 minutes (tilt the pan, if necessary, to keep the garlic cloves
submerged in the oil, and remove the pan from the heat from time to time to
keep the garlic from coloring). Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
Put the grilled bread on a large plate and drizzle with the infused oil from the
saucepan, then spread the garlic cloves on top. Tear the frisée into bite-sized
pieces and combine in a bowl with the spinach, herbs and radishes.
While whisking the reserved lemon juice mixture, add the 1/4 cup very good
oil in a slow and steady stream. Vigorously whisk to emulsify, then drizzle
the dressing over the salad. Toss the salad to combine. Season with several
pinches of flaky coarse sea salt and toss once more. Divide the salad among
4 serving plates. Tuck the breads among the greens.
Garlic-Poaching Primer oaching garlic in oil is best done in a tiny 1/2-quart saucepan. If you don’t have
one, I recommend adding this little size to your cookware collection. It is useful
for heating up sauces or scalding milk for café con leche. You can also tilt a larger
saucepan or skillet to the side while gently heating the mixture, keeping the garlic
submerged in the oil.

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What is Saigon cinnamon?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by bilrob

What is Saigon cinnamon?

Saigon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi, also known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia and Qu? Trà My or Qu? Thanh in Vietnam) is an evergreen tree in the genus Cinnamomum, indigenous to mainland Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is more closely related to cassia (C. aromaticum) than to cinnamon (C. verum), though in the same genus as both. Saigon cinnamon has 1-5% essential oil in content and 25% cinnamaldehyde in essential oil, which is the highest of all the cinnamon species. Consequently, out of the three forms of Cassia, it commands the highest price.

The scientific name was originally spelled as Cinnamomum loureirii, but because the species is named after the botanist João de Loureiro, this is to be treated under the ICBN as an orthographic error for the correctly derived spelling of loureiroi.

Saigon Cinnamon is produced primarily in Vietnam, both for domestic use and export. The Vietnam War disrupted production, but since the beginning of the early 21st century Vietnam has resumed export of the spice, including to the United States, where it was unavailable for nearly 20 years. Although it is called Saigon Cinnamon, it is not produced in the area around the southern city of Saigon, but instead in the central and Central Highlands regions of the country, particularly the Qu?ng Nam Province of central Vietnam.

Saigon Cinnamon is used primarily for its aromatic bark, which is quite similar to that of cassia but with a more pronounced, complex aroma.
In Vietnamese cuisine, Saigon Cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in the broth used to make a noodle soup called ph?.

Herbal medicine use

This wonderfully aromatic herb is just one member of the Laurel family, a botanical clan numbering upwards of 4,000 representatives. Saigon cinnamon’s cousins include sassafras and avocado.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Among the three cinnamon-like cassia trees and the one true cinnamon itself, Saigon cinnamon (a cassia) offers the richest source of the essential oil (1 to 5 percent) that distinguishes these herbs in both the kitchen and the medicine chest. Indeed, so concentrated is the oil in a stick of Saigon cinnamon that it is reported to spark when exposed to a flame. Where true cinnamon — which hails from Sri Lanka (formerly the island nation Ceylon) — offers a mild, subtle flavor, the cassia cinnamons — most notably Saigon cinnamon — are characteristically sweet. Both the tangy bite and the sweetness of red hot candies flow from the high oil content found in this Vietnamese spice. Medicinally, the cinnamons are valued by diabetics for their ability to lower blood sugar. Folk remedies also look to cinnamon to treat gas, stomach cramps, high blood pressure and difficult menstruation. A highly valued, hard-to-get spice in antiquity, a large quantity of cinnamon was burned at the funeral of the wife of the Roman emperor Nero.

ABOUT THE HERB

Saigon cinnamon is an evergreen tree native to mainland Southeast Asia. Named after Vietnam’s largest city, this medicinal plant is nowhere to be found within the wide sweep of that southern urban area. Rather, Saigon cinnamon thrives in the Central Highlands. More akin to the cassia clan than its cousin — the true cinnamon — this botanical offers the same basic culinary and medicinal treasures.

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE

The diabetic along with tea aficionados who value a spicier version of their morning herbal brew can safely savor Saigon cinnamon tea. It calms the stomach and helps with colds and coughs while adding a natural zing! As a cautionary note, avoid Saigon cinnamon when taking medicines for extremely low blood sugar.

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The Basics of Planting Herbs

Posted on May 22, 2012 by bilrob

The Basics of Planting Herbs

Herbs can add so much depth to a dish, but those bunches from the grocery store never seem to last long and though not expensive individually, those figures do add up. Wouldn’t it be great this summer to read a recipe, note the ingredients, and head out to the garden to freshly snip those flavorful elements? Herb gardening can be a resourceful tool for the kitchen as well as a lovely enhancement to any vegetable or flowering garden.

A surprising fact about herbs is that they can be planted as perennials or annuals. With that in mind, don’t plant perennial herbs in the middle of a vegetable garden. Place them in a protected space or bed near the house. For annual herbs, they benefit from the rich soils and sun provided with vegetable gardens and will thrive amid tomatoes and zucchini.

The Basics of Planting Herbs

Herbs thrive in well-drained soil, prefer mostly sun, and moderate to low fertilizer. Fertilizers can speed growth but can dilute the flavor of many aromatic herbs. The general rule of thumb with herb usage is that dried herbs are far stronger than fresh, so when using plants from the garden you may need to use more than you would from the spice cabinet to achieve the same effect. Because many herbs are slow growing, they are perfect for containers and by doing so, extend the life of the more tender ones by bringing them indoors out of season.

Perennial Classics

Rosemary is favored by most gardeners. It is nearly winter hardy in this area and by a foundation or near the ocean, it will often survive the winter. The plant sprouts dainty blue flowers along spiky green branches, and can be used for giving meats and vegetables a unique flavor.

Lavender is a great landscape herb with a unique, familiar fragrance. The leaves and blossoms of lavender are edible and its aroma is used in everything from soaps and perfumes to insect repellents.

Thyme is another spicy kitchen enhancer with tiny leaves growing in carpets along tiny woody stems. It can sometimes have a lemony fragrance or tend toward the sultrier scents. Thyme is most often found creeping amid patio stones and along rock gardens.

Sage comes into its own in the fall and adds a fresh touch to many winter soups.

Mint is a wonderful culinary herb popular in many beverages and is a common choice with certain springtime and early summer foods like English peas or Middle Eastern yogurt dressings. Mint is an especially good performer in containers due to its propensity to spread vigorously

Annual Favorites

Parsley is indispensible in the kitchen. For years relegated to salad bar garnish status, true cooks find a way to incorporate parsley into many dishes. Parsley can be grown over the length of the season and can be cut and re-cut several times.

Basil is the herb that gets most gardeners excited as it is the true taste of summer. Easy to grow and easy to use, basil loves hot, sunny soil and to be picked regularly to promote more branching growth. Simply pick the leaves and layer with garden fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, and to really impress the family, blend with olive oil, pine nuts and/or Parmesan cheese for a perfectly decadent pesto sauce.

Dill is another seasonably long performer. Its leaves are the perfect garnish to fish dishes and of course pickle flavoring. Its flowers are distinctive chartreuse in a flower bouquet and its seeds are even edible when fresh.

This is just a short rundown of some of the more popular herbs that are hard to go wrong with in the garden, and the best part is, when in doubt, try any of the above on potatoes. Any of these choices will impart their unique taste to a basic starch and educate taste pallets. Herbs can become the most popular item in the garden and kitchen this year!

Information for this column was contributed by Volante Farms, 292 Forest St., Needham.

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