HERBS

 

Historically, herbs were used for their plethora of medicinal and antibacterial properties, but unless your taking supplements ( consult your doctor on that one) we now mainly use them for flavor and garnish. Here the focus is on fresh herbs, of which I recommend incorporating into every meal if you can. A lot of them partner really well with each other so its quite easy to assimilate into a captivating palette. Its great way to load up on colors so the plate is pleasing to your eye and your tastebuds! You can also make your own flavored water such as strawberries and mint or lemon, cucumber and cilantro.

Chives and Scallions ( green part only): Since I don’t use onions in my cooking, these two options are my replacements. Use the chives as a garnish on top of smoked salmon, yogurt dips, eggs, or soups. Scallions are great to use in salads, hold up well to high heat cooking, and can even be bundled in zucchini ribbons ( or bacon) and roasted in the oven.

Mint: Fresh, thats the best way to describe this herb. Goes great into a morning glass of water with lemon or fruit salad.

Basil: A sibling to Mint, Basil gives it a run for its money. There are a ton of varieties available to play with, each having their own intensity levels. Amongst them the standouts are Greek dwarf, Sweet Thai, Dark Opal (Purple), and Sweet, and Genovese the latter two being the one your probably most used to seeing.

Dill: Most often found in Northern European cooking, it has become a favorite amongst the Southern crowd as well. This herb is best used in slow cooking techniques, and if using fresh, stay with the garnish theme on sardine toast, or a couple threads resting on a piece of fish or tomato.

Cilantro: Love it or hate it, there is no in between emotion when it comes to this herb. For the younger palettes in training, you can incorporate it slowly into cooked meals. I am preferable to use it in raw, in chutneys, spreads, and water.

Flat Leaf Parsley: The best for last. Parsley has been shown to be anti-carcinogenic and can help your soak up antioxidants in your system. Just a chopped half a cup of this bad boy gives you 5 times the amount required daily of Vitamin K, 50 % Vitamin C, 14% of Vitamin A, in addition to Potassium, Iron, Folate, Cooper, Calcium, Vitamin B1 and B3, Zinc, Phosphorus, and Manganese. To boot, its also low on the Glycemic Index and can help improve digestion.