Here is a list of all the herbs we are growing this year.
For more information about each herb, click on its name.
Used as a leaf vegetable, which looks like a longer leaved and open lettuce. It is rich in vitamin C and iron. It has a rich, peppery taste, and is exceptionally strongly flavored for a leafy green. It is generally used in salads but also cooked as a vegetable with pastas or meats and in coastal Slovenia (especially Koper), it is added in the squeaky cheese burek. In Italy, it is often used in pizzas, added just before the baking period ends or immediately afterwards, so that it can wilt in the heat. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in pesto, either in addition to basil or as a (non-traditional) substitute. A dish in Veneto consists of shredded, cured horsemeat on a bed of rocket leaves dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Has a distinct cinnamon fragrance that complements Southeast Asian dishes. The combination of basil and cinnamon flavors make cinnamon basil popular for use in hot drinks and with fruits.
Almost as popular as sweet basil, with similar flavor. This is what many people swear by as the only basil to make pesto with.
Crinkled oval leaves are nicely spicy. The favorite traditional flavoring for many Italian dishes. Perfectly paired with tomatoes. This basil tastes good fresh or dried.
Contains citral and limonene, therefore actually does smell very limey, tastes sweeter. This rare and tasty basil will work wonders in vinegar and with fish, salad dressings, sauces and oils. It is a delight in salads! Lime basil also works well in other standard basil dishes, including pesto. Desserts are a perfect addition for lime basil.
A large-leaf variety of sweet basil. The large, crinkled leaves, which grow on the short, wide plant, are sweet, but not as strong as other sweet basils. This makes them particularly suitable for tossing into salads or wrapping fish, chicken or a rice stuffing for grilling.
Also known as Anise basil or Persian basil, silvery leaves, spicy licorice smell comes from the same chemical as in anise, anethole. Because only cooking fully releases its exotic peppery flavor, this type is not eaten raw, but added in generous amounts to stir-fries and spicy soups.
Purple leaves on a compact plant are large and ruffled, with a scent of cloves and licorice. Light pink flowers make this especially attractive in the garden. Makes a delicious, beautiful cranberry-colored flavored vinegar....try it! The dark purple leaves are used in pesto or as a garnish. This attractive basil variety has won multiple awards for its beauty, flavor and ease of cultivation, including the Mississippi Medallion and All-American Selection awards.
Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines frequently use basil, the former frequently combining it with tomato. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce from the city of Genoa, its other two main ingredients being olive oil and pine nuts.
Also known as “starflower” is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as most of Europe, North Africa, and Iran. They taste like fresh cucumber and are used in salads and soups especially in Germany. The flower, which contains the non-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid thesinine, has a sweet honey-like taste and is often used to decorate desserts and dishes. Tea made from the dried flowers is a traditional calming drink in Iran. It has a rich purple color that amazingly turns into a bright pink by adding a few drops of lemon juice. Borage is also rich in oleic and palmitic acid, conferring a hypocholesterolemic effect. This oil, which has recently been commercialized, may regulate metabolism and the hormonal system, and is considered by many naturopathic practitioners to be a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms such as the hot flash. Borage is also sometimes indicated to alleviate and heal colds, bronchitis, and respiratory infections in general for its anti-inflammatory and balsamic properties. The flowers can be prepared in infusion to take advantage of its medicinal properties.
Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The members of this group are known as catnips or catmints because of their famed effect on cats—nepeta pleasantly stimulates cats’ pheromonic receptors. Oil isolated from catnip by steam distillation is a repellent against insects, in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites. Research suggests that in a test tube, distilled nepetalactone, the active ingredient in catnip, repels mosquitoes ten times more effectively than DEET, the active ingredient in most insect repellents, but that it is not as effective as a repellant on skin
Are a relatively new vegetable in the English-speaking world but well-known in Asian cuisine, the flavor of garlic chives is more like garlic than chives, though much milder. Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used as a flavoring similarly to chives, green onions or garlic and are used as a stir fry ingredient. In China, they are often used to make dumplings with a combination of egg, shrimp and pork. The flowers may also be used as a spice. In Vietnam, the leaves of garlic chives are cut up into short pieces and used as the only vegetable in a soup dish consist of broth and sliced pork kidneys.
Are the smallest species of the onion family. Chives are grown for their leaves, which are used for culinary purposes as condiment. The flowers may also be used to garnish dishes.
Coriander, also commonly called cilantro, is special because all parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine. The fresh leaves and stems are an essential ingredient in many Vietnamese foods, Asian chutneys, Mexican salsas and guacamole, and occasionally is used in sushi rolls. Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal and many curries. As heat diminishes their flavor quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. In some Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in huge amounts and cooked till they dissolve into sauce and their flavor mellows. Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine.
Fernleaf Dill is perfectly paired with fish and vegetable. This dill plant only grows to 18 inches tall, so it can fit anywhere in your garden. Use as you would normal dill for all your favorite dishes
A
plant
species in the
genus
Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most
botanists). Fennel is most prominently featured in Italian cuisine,
where bulbs and fronds appears both raw and cooked in side dishes, salads,
pastas, and risottos. Fennel seed is a common ingredient in
Italian sausages and meatballs and northern European rye breads.
Many cultures in the
Indian subcontinent and the
Middle East incorporate fennel seed into their culinary traditions.
It is an essential ingredient in the
Bengali/Oriya
spice mixture
panch phoron and in Chinese
five-spice powders. Many
egg,
fish,
and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves.
Not to be confused with bee balm, is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Lemon balm is often used as a flavoring in ice cream and herbal teas, both hot and iced, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies. The crushed leaves, when rubbed on the skin, are used as a repellant for mosquitoes. Lemon Balm is also used medicinally as a herbal tea, or in extract form. It is claimed to have antibacterial, antiviral properties, and it is also used as a mild sedative or calming agent. At least one study has found it to be effective at reducing stress. Its antibacterial properties have also been demonstrated scientifically, although they are markedly weaker than those from a number of other plants studied. Lemon balm essential oil is very popular in aromatherapy. The essential oil is commonly co-distilled with lemon oil, citronella oil, or other oils. Warning: Lemon balm should be avoided by those on thyroid medication (such as thyroxin) as it is believed that the herb inhibits the absorption of this medicine.
Is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or under shrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. Marjoram has a delicate, sweet, pleasant flavor with a slightly bitter undertone. Marjoram is particularly appreciated for the taste it lends to sausages, meats, poultry, stuffing's, fish, stews, eggs, and vegetables.
A
hybrid
mint,
a cross between
watermint and
spearmint. Peppermint has a high
menthol content, and is often used as a flavoring in
tea,
ice
cream,
confectionery,
chewing gum, and
toothpaste. Peppermint, like many spices and herbs, is believed to
have medicinal properties when consumed. It is said that it helps against upset
stomachs, inhibits the growth of certain
bacteria, and can help soothe and relax muscles when inhaled or
applied to the skin. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos and soaps,
which give the hair a minty scent and produce a cooling sensation on the skin.
Spearmint leaves can be used whole, chopped, or dried. The leaves lose their aromatic appeal after the plant flowers. Spearmint is an ingredient of mojito, the traditional Cuban cocktail. It is used as a flavoring for toothpaste and confectionery, and is sometimes added to shampoos and soaps. In herbalism, spearmint is steeped as tea for treatment of stomach ache.
Oregano is an indispensable ingredient for Greek cuisine. Oregano adds flavor to Greek salad and is usually used separately or added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies many fish or meat barbecues and some casseroles. It has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste. The dish most commonly associated with oregano is pizza. Its variations have probably been eaten in Southern Italy for centuries.
An important culinary herb. It is particularly widely used in Greek and Italian cuisines. It is the leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavorful than the fresh. Oregano is often used in tomato sauces, fried vegetables and grilled meat. Oregano is an indispensable ingredient for Greek cuisine. Oregano adds flavor to Greek salad and is usually used separately or added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies many fish or meat barbecues and some casseroles.
Semi-compact plant produces flavorful curled dark green leaves. Excellent in salads, sauces, soups, and stews. Can be dried or used fresh.
has flat, dark green leaves with a strong, coarse flavor and edible, succulent stems. Not only is parsley a worthy ingredient in the kitchen but it is also full of good-for-you nutrients. Being a part of the carrot family it has high levels of beta carotene and it won’t even turn you orange! Parsley is a great source for vitamin B12, chlorophyll, calcium, more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and just about all other known nutrients.
A woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine as an herb; they have a bitter, astringent taste, which compliments a wide variety of foods. They are extensively used in cooking, and when burned give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosemary has a very old reputation for improving memory, and has been used as a symbol for remembrance (during weddings, war commemorations and funerals) in Europe, probably as a result of this reputation.
Sage is considered to have a slight peppery flavor. In Western cooking, it is used for flavoring fatty meats (especially as a marinade), cheeses (Sage Derby), and some drinks. In Britain and Flanders, sage is used with onion for poultry or pork stuffing and also in sauces. In French cuisine, sage is used for cooking white meat and in vegetable soups. Germans often use it in sausage dishes, and sage forms the dominant flavoring in the English Lincolnshire sausage. Sage is also common in Italian cooking. Sage is sautéed in olive oil and butter until crisp, then plain or stuffed pasta is added (burro e salvia). In a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial, sage was found to be effective in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Also known as spinach duck and either ambada bhaji or gongoora in Indian cuisine, is a perennial herb that is cultivated as a leaf vegetable. The leaves may be puréed in soups and sauces or added to salads and shav; they have a flavor that is similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries. The plant’s sharp taste is due to oxalic acid, and so may be contraindicated in people with rheumatic-type complaints, kidney or bladder stones. Sorrel is also a laxative. Edible parts: The plants are edible raw or cooked. CAUTION: These plants contain oxalates that can be damaging if too many plants are eaten raw. Cooking seems to destroy the oxalates.
The leaves of the Stevia plant have 30–45 times the sweetness of sucrose (ordinary table sugar). As a sugar substitute, sepia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations. For more of the flavor and sweet constituents of the Stevia leaf to be released, drying and crushing is necessary. A dried leaf is considerably sweeter than a fresh one, and is the form of Stevia used in brewing herbal tea. Dried Stevia leaf may come in bulk or packaged like tea bags. You can also grind it to be finely powdered. It has a greenish color and can be used in a wide variety of foods and beverages, including coffee, applesauce and hot cereals. You also can use it to make an herbal tea blend. Its distinctive flavor is reminiscent of licorice, which will blend very well with different aromatic spices, such as cinnamon and ginger
Better known of the Savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial Winter savory. This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September. It plays an important role in Bulgarian cuisine, providing a strong and pungent flavor to the most simple and the most extravagant of dishes. Instead of salt and pepper, a Bulgarian table will have three condiments: salt, paprika and savory. When these are mixed it is called sharena sol (colorful salt). Summer savory is called cimbru in Romanian and is used in Romanian cuisine, especially in Sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls).
St John’s wort is sometimes used for flavoring distilled spirits. St John’s wort is today most widely known as a herbal treatment for depression. It may also decrease alcohol intake. The constituent hyperforin, (found in the plant), appears to be responsible for decreasing alcohol consumption. The aerial parts of the plant can be cut and dried for later use in the form of herbal tea with pleasant, though somewhat bitter, taste and for its medicinal properties. Hyperforin, a major constituent, has also been found to have excellent antibacterial properties; in ultra purified form a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml kills methicillin-resistant forms of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). St John’s wort may interact with birth control pills and may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
Not as strongly aromatic and flavorsome as its French cousin, but it produces many more leaves from early spring onwards that are mild and good in salads and cooked food. The young stems in early spring can be cooked as a tasty asparagus substitute.
An essential ingredient for French cuisine, and flavoring for sauces, soups, meats, dressings, stuffing's, casseroles (especially zucchini, bean dishes, and baked and sautéed vegetables. This herb is good fresh or dried. Used as an expectorant and bronchial anti-spasmodic and carminative. Used externally for gum disease, arthritis, and fungus infections.
Most information and pictures on this page provided by Wikipedia
