Bloom

Fresh (or dried) herbs and spices are an often-overlooked way to add flavor to your dishes without adding salt (if you are watching your sodium intake) or extra calories (if you’re watching those, too).

During the early days of the pandemic, when people were working at home more, cooking became a creative outlet for many. People experimented with recipes using combinations of herbs and spices to liven up tried and true recipes, and to try new and different ones.

Herbs are relatively easy to grow. In Wallowa County, most herbs such as basil, chives and oregano can be grown from seed. Though basil, a Mediterranean herb requiring warm weather, will not winter over, other herbs such as chives, oregano, thyme, parsley and dill will either self-seed and return each year, or simply die back and return in the spring. Many types of mint, such as peppermint, also grow well in our area. However, mint, if not contained, can become invasive and take over wherever it’s planted, which is OK if you like mint. Rosemary and tarragon seem to do well as starts from a nursery.

A few herbs lend themselves well to kitchen windowsill gardens or grown from seed on a kitchen countertop. Basil, marjoram, oregano, savory and chives can be successfully started from seed and gown in pots even when it is cold and snowy outside, providing a fresh source for pizza toppings or inclusion in a savory winter stew.

When cooking with herbs, dried herbs are used at a ratio of 1 teaspoon dried to approximately 3 teaspoons (approximately 1 tablespoon) of fresh herbs. If using fresh herbs, depending on the herb, and the flavor you are looking for (subtle vs. robust), determines when you add the herb. With delicate herbs such as basil, herbs should be added a minute or two before serving. This will allow the flavor of the herb to come through without diminishing it due to the heat of prolonged cooking. Stronger herbs, such as rosemary, can be added 20 minutes or so prior to the end of the cooking time. Dried herbs are usually added at the beginning of the recipe. The recipe will also indicate when to add the herbs. An herb sachet called a bouquet garni allows control of the time the herbs are in the dish, since you can remove the sachet whenever you want, and it contains all the herbs in one place, which saves time looking for all those separate herbs to pull them out.

Herbs and spices can be used in savory dishes (i.e., soups, stews, egg dishes) or sweet dishes (i.e., mint in cookies or cakes and lavender in cookies).

Dried herbs can be purchased in bulk. Buying a small amount when you want to try something new is a practical and economical approach. Bulk herbs tend to be stronger in flavor than those in small bottles in the spice section of the grocery store due to the higher turnover in volume. When buying fresh herbs, look for bright green leaves and stems. Avoid wilted, yellow or brown leaves, which indicates the herbs are old and past their prime.

Store dried herbs in a cool, dark location away from direct heat or light, which will diminish the flavor. Dried herbs will retain their flavor for one to three years. Smell dried herbs which have been stored for a length of time to help determine the potency of flavor. Wash fresh herbs just before using. Remove leaves from woody stems, such as rosemary and thyme, discarding the stems. Chop the leaves before adding the herbs to the dish.

Spices range from the common (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves) to the less common (cardamom, saffron and coriander) to name a few. Spices also include pepper (red, black, white and pink), curry, cumin, paprika and turmeric. Saffron comes from the red stamens of an autumn flowering purple crocus. It is native to Eurasia and because it requires an enormous amount of the red Saffron threads to produce a small amount of the spice, and it is harvested by hand, it is considered the most expensive spice in the world, according to Wikipedia.

Herbs and spices have been used for medicinal and healing purposes for millennia. For example, the spice, ginger, has been used successfully to relieve the nausea that accompanies motion and morning sickness. Sage, an herb common to the Mediterranean and known since the Middle Ages, contains Vitamin K which is important for bone health. Oregano, often called the “pizza” herb, contains vitamins A, C and E and minerals zinc, magnesium, iron, calcium, copper, potassium, manganese and niacin. Some people also find lavender is helpful as a sleep aid and for relaxation.

Each herb and spice combination seems to claim a piece of the world’s culinary turf. For example, Asian cooking often uses combinations of basil, lemongrass and cinnamon. Indian dishes rely on curry, paprika, cardamom and cumin. Italian cooking uses herbs such as oregano, basil and rosemary. In Mexican cooking you’ll find cooks using cumin, chili peppers, Mexican oregano and cilantro. And in Greece, cooks rely on allspice, cloves, mint, dill and oregano to flavor their food.

Did you know you can make your own recipes of some common seasoning blends? For example, if you are out of pumpkin pie spice blend you can combine 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, one tablespoon of ginger, 1½ teaspoons of nutmeg and 1½ teaspoons of cloves. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Use the amount called for in a pumpkin pie recipe. This recipe makes four tablespoons of spice blend. This recipe and others can be found on the food hero website.

For more recipes and information on using herbs and spices go to www.foodhero.org.