Does Parsley save Rosemary in Time?

Recently, I started growing my own herbs and it’s been a wonderful experience. Firstly, you can’t grow herbs without invoking the secret world of myths that surround them. Secondly, this is the closest I’ll get in the city to recreating the charming self sufficiency of a country home where herb gardens are a typical feature. It’s a delicious feeling to be able to pause in the middle of my cooking and saunter to the balcony where I may choose from a selection of herbs to season my dish.

So I started with two small Basil plants – one Genovese and the other Thai. I bought saplings from a local store and planted them in 10-inch clay pots.  Basil is the most popular of all herbs used in cooking. I use it sparingly in soups, sauces, salads, pesto, and omelettes. I also use it with meat, poultry and fish.

Next I found Chives at UAS (University of Agricultural Sciences) and brought home a sapling. Chives are spring onion-like leaves with a mild onion flavor. Chop them and add them to salads, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, sandwich spreads and sauces.

Sage

I grew Dill, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram and Sage by sowing seeds. Dill has slender bluish-green stems with a sharp, slightly bitter taste. While Thyme is excellent in roast meat, I also love to brew it into tea with a little mint. Marjoram has small, oval, gray-green leaves that are velvety to the touch and can be used to flavor cooking. Oregano, also called "wild marjoram" is a hardy perennial with sprawling stems and is used extensively to flavor pizza besides being added to other Italian-type sauces. Sage has oblong, wooly leaves and is beautifully aromatic.

Rosemary

I will admit that growing Rosemary hasn’t been very easy. I have tried propagating it by cuttings and growing from seed and I have been unsuccessful. Recently, I found a sapling and brought it home. It’s now kept well-drained in a sunny location. I can’t wait to use it in my sauces and breads.

I have grown Mint earlier too and it has a tendency to overtake nearby plant roots. This time, it is in its own little container and I use it in chutneys, rice, tea and cold drinks. Lemongrass, a tropical perennial herb, grows easily in a sunny herb garden. With basic care, this essential Thai ingredient will thrive. It has a beautiful aroma, a citrus-ginger taste and is good for health.

Lemongrass

Herbs are fun to grow and they make a lovely addition to almost any meal. With our tropical environment, you don’t really need a green thumb to grow your own supply of fresh herbs. What’s more, there are endless ways to use herbs in the kitchen. All you need is a little imagination. Like the five-year old girl who patiently sat through the Simon and Garfunkel song, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme before asking her father, ‘So does he?’ Her father looked at her puzzlingly.  “Who’s he?” he asked. “Does Parsley save Rosemary in time?” the girl asked.

Below is a recipe for herbed bread that I tried recently and want to share with you.

Spiral Garlic and Herb Bread

Ingredients:

1. 500 gm all purpose flour
2. 100 ml warm water
3. 150 ml water
4. 1 egg
5. 1 tbsp salt
6. 25 ml oil
7. 1 tbsp sugar
8. 10 gm dry yeast
9. 100 gms assorted herbs – th
   yme, sage, basil, curry leaves, mint
10. 1 tbsp chopped garlic
11. 2 tbsp chopped cashewnuts

Method:

1. Pour warm water into a small bowl and stir in the sugar. Pour the yeast into the warm-water-and-sugar mixture. The sugar will act as food for the dormant yeast as it awakens in the warm water. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes
2. Make a paste of the herbs, garlic and cashewnuts and keep aside
3. Mix flour, salt, egg and oil
4. Remove the cover from the top of the yeast bowl and look for foam or bubbles atop the water. The foam and bubbles show that the yeast is in fact still alive and is ready to be used for baking
5. Slowly combine the active yeast and water to the flour mixture until the dough is soft. Rest it for an hour
6. Turn the dough into a floured surface and knead some more
7. Then roll the dough and apply the herb paste
8. Roll it into a cylinder shape and slice at thickness of 3 cm
9. Lay the slices on a baking tray and cover with a tea towel. Let it prove for another hour
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 230 degrees C for 15 mins