Herbs

[Rustic Pumpkin]

I eat mountains of fresh herbs, I don't just season with them, as far as I'm concerned they are just as much a part of my diet as vegetables and fruit. Tonight's meal has 18 large sage leaves, three sprigs of rosemary, and three sprigs of oregano, all striped off the stems and I will eat them every bit.

I have many herbs in the garden, and I love to put tablespoons of some of them chopped up finely into a raw salad too, especially herb fennel or dillweed. My favourite salad is made up of about 50% parsley leaves.

Do you eat herbs this way, or am I odd in that I don't just use them as a seasoning?

[cindy]

i only use them in seasoning as OH would be horrified faced with a plate with raw herbs, I do like parsley and mint in a salad though.

[Crocus]

Hi RP, we also eat quite a lot of herbs, especially in summer in salads. I was lucky to find fresh taragon today and want to try it with chicken. It's quite a struggle to find fresh taragon so I grabbed it today at the veggieshop. I heard a recipe on the radio and the lady said that chicken tastes best with taragon. I also use a lot of coriander, basil and parsley. Not so much oregano and rosemary - I'm not a big fan of it. Enjoy your evening meal - it sounds lovely and summery. xx

[souter girl]

I have just planted a blackcurrant sage and a pineapple sage - the scents are incredible, the latter pure pineapple chunk sweets! I love adding herbs to salads and wherever I can. have also planted 2 new Moroccan mints for tea and am looking for an Indian Mint which I saw recently but missed buying at the time, later they were gone.

[franbee]

I have some growing in a pot which I chop into green salads. I've found a 'herb garden' at D's, not entirely sure what they all are, but will pick some to bring home.

[dragonfly]

Although I grow lots of herbs I don't use them in cooking, as I don't cook, but do use them in salads: basil, fenel, parsley, chives & sage etc. I use mints for mint teas.

[eleanor2]

Hi rustic i too love herbs.I dont eat any where near as much as you.Tonight i put a sprig of parsley on everyones plate as we were having salmon.Grandson ate it and then asked for some more.I have a coriander plant in the window which i just pick leaves off and eat.MY favorite all time herb for eating is coriander. I love lavender for its smell and added to drinks etc.I have a lovely mint bush with fresh leaves havent eaten any yet.You have now got me wanting to start using it tomorrow.

[buecherwurm]

I normally use herbs only as an addition to salads and cooked food. But I remember that I once ate a parsley salad (Arabic cooking class) which was very tasty. Had forgotten about it and maybe I should prepare one pretty soon.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

really happy to see I am not the only one who uses herbs to eat . . I don't think, as a nation, we use enough herbs, but that they are gaining in popularity. They are so easy to grow too, and in any small space, even pots on a windowsill.

[dragonfly]

Did you see Monty talking about herbs on GW tonight? I have a herb pot outside my backdoor containing rosemary, chives, mint (with small leaves & red stems), parsley and thyme. I like herb pots as they can look interesting as well as being useful.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

yes, I did see him, and I was very happy DF to see him so enthusiastic . . I don't have enough sun outside my kitchen door, but your pot sounds delightful. I am pea green with envy over his herb garden . .

[Crocus]

A guy on a cooking program yesterday said that he's using loads and loads of herbs in his cooking because of a health issue he had. Someone apparently advised him to use certain herbs, which cleared up the health issue eventually and he now is taking herbs to a new level, experimenting with it in any shape and form in his cooking as well as teaching people all about herbs.

[Rustic Pumpkin]

That does not surprise me, Crocus. If we think about it, herbs were the traditional medicine of our ancestors for millenium before the advent of scientific medicine. I object when herbs, spices and so one, are referred to as 'alternative' therapy/treatment. They are complementary, and should work hand in hand with science. Many of today's science based treatments have their roots in herbs and plants, for example (probably the best known) asprin from willow bark.