| "Herbs," wrote Charlemagne in 812 AD, "are the friend of
the physician and the praise of cooks." You'll find hundreds of ways to use
them around the house: perk up your meals with fresh herbs, scent your drawers
with an herb sachet, or take a relaxing herbal bath. The possibilities are
endless.
 Cooking
Suggestions
Basil—perfect
in anything with tomatoes. Also good on egg dishes, baked chicken, and in green
salads.
Chives—gives
a mild onion flavor to baked potatoes, chip dips, or egg dishes. Use it to
season vegetables and soup.
Dill—snip
over fish, cottage cheese, or egg salad. Good with tomato juice, split pea soup,
or cucumbers.
Lovage—adds
a strong celery flavor to meats, gravy, stuffing, or casseroles. Good in salad
dressing or marinades.
Oregano—versatile
herb that enhances almost any meat or vegetable. Try it on pizza, chicken, or
zucchini.
Mint—delicious
in iced tea, fruit desserts, and with carrots or peas. Use a sprig of mint in
ice cream sundaes.
Rosemary—use
this versatile herb in stuffing, meatballs, and split pea soup. Or add to
dumplings, biscuits, or pound cake.
Sage—good
in stuffing, meatloaf, and cheese dishes. Snip over hot vegetables, add to soups
and sauces.
Summer Savory—an
excellent salt substitute, savory is a natural with legumes, green salads, and
stew.
Thyme—this
hardy herb is delicious in fish, shellfish, soups, stews, and green salads.
Preserving Herbs
Herbs can be easily frozen or dried. Enjoy the flavor and scent
all winter long!
To dry, simply fasten sprigs together with a rubber band and
hang in a warm, dry place. Another method is to remove leaves from stems and
spread on a screen or cookie sheet. Dry until herbs are crisp, then transfer to
a tightly covered glass or metal container. Remember that dried herbs have a
stronger flavor than fresh ones; 1 t dried herb equals 1 T fresh.
To freeze, place sprigs loosely in plastic sandwich bags,
seal, and put in the freezer. Be sure to label them. To use, remove from the
freezer, chop, and use like fresh herbs. Frozen herbs wilt when they thaw, so
don’t plan to use the sprigs for garnish.
Herbal
Baths
For a fragrant, relaxing break, there’s nothing
like an herbal bath. Try lavender to relax; rosemary to soothe aching muscles
and joints; or mint or a mixture of sage, oregano, and thyme to boost your
energy.
Scrub bag. Put 1/2 C fresh herbs in a muslin
bag or the toe of a nylon pantyhose. Tie to bath faucet and run hot bathwater
over it. Use the bag as a scrub during your bath to scent your skin.
Herbal infusion.
Put 4 C of coarsely chopped
herbs in a large mixing bowl or soup pot. Pour over 3 C of boiling water. Steep
for 20-30 minutes. Strain. Use 1 C in each bath. Keeps in the refrigerator for
several days.
Sachets
Sachets bring the delightful scent of herbs into your drawers,
closets, and guest rooms. And they make great gifts!
To make a sachet, cut a 10-inch- diameter circle out of any lightweight
fabric. Place 1/4 C dried herbs in the center. Gather up the edges and fasten
with a rubber band. Tie a decorative ribbon around the rubber band. If desired,
include a loop for hanging.
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