Dried herbs for cooking are ok but if you really want to wow your guests and your tastebuds you can’t beat the fresh variety

Italians insist upon fresh ingredients in their food, and their herbs are no exception. There are a variety of fresh herbs common in Italian cooking.

What is Pizza without oregano?

Most people are familiar with the little bottles of dried herbs from the grocery store, but if you haven’t prepared food with fresh herbs, you really need to give it a try.

What’s the distinction between an herb and a spice?

Spices are made from the seeds, root, fruit or barks of aromatic plants, while the herbs primarily consist of the leaves and stems. Herb plants contain oils which are very fragrant and add the distinctive aroma and flavor that Italian food is known for.

A few of the most common herbs are basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme

Basil is a member of the mint family, and like all mint herbs, it is extremely fragrant when picked fresh. Basil leaves blacken when exposed to metal, therefore it is common in Italy to tear the leaves by hand before throwing the basil into a sauce or onto a dish. Basil is the primary herb for the famous pesto sauce.

Oregano is another popular herb in both Italian and Greek food. Most people are familiar with this herb in tomato based pasta sauces and with meats.

Italian Parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is readily available in most grocery stores and is easy to distinguish it from the curly variety frequently used as a garnish. Italians favor this parsley for cooking because it has a much better flavor, while the curlier variety is best saved for garnishing your dish.

Rosemary is another widely available herb and resembles a little branch from an evergreen tree. This is one of the most fragrant of all the fresh herbs and it will retain its flavor and aroma when dried. It’s excellent with vegetables and is often cooked into the dough of breads like focaccia.

Sage has long, broad leaves and is the herb which flavors the traditional Italian Saltimbocca dish. Sage is also very fragrant so be sure you don’t use too much and overwhelm your meal.

Thyme is another herb of the mint family, but in contrast to the other mints, it has tiny leaves that can easily be thrown whole into your sauce or dish. I use this herb frequently because its mild flavor goes well with everything and won’t overshadow the rest of your dish.

There are some basic rules for cooking with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are more delicate than dried and can lose some of their flavor when cooked too long. For slow cooked sauces and meats, you can add the fresh herbs at the last minute keeping their flavors and aromas intact. On the other hand, the oils in dried herbs are concentrated requiring a smaller amount of than fresh herbs in your recipes. A good general rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs needed in a dish. But remember, cooking is an art and you can use as much or as little as you like.

The next time you want to spruce up an everyday meal, throw in some fresh Italian herbs!

>>  Cooking Italian Recipes Learn More

By: Joy Harrison

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Joy Harrison is a home cook and cooking instructor. She loves to find easy ways to prepare great home cooked meals in today’s busy world. Visit her site at Easy Italian Cooking

Technorati Tags: cooking, dried, fragrant, fresh, herb, herbs, instead of, italian, spice, spices, with

Growing an organic herb garden is a delightful project. The fragrant plants not only look and smell good; they are also good for flavoring foods.

Indoor organic herb gardens have the advantage of being year-round, giving a continuous supply of fresh herbs. An indoor organic herb garden can be as small as a few pots on a window sill or as large as a greenhouse filled with containers of aromatic organic herbs.

Herb Choices

There are many ways to decide which herbs to include in your organic herb garden. Here are some ideas.

1. Italian Herb Garden: Plant rosemary, oregano, basil, fennel, and chives. Terra cotta containers will make your indoor organic herb garden look authentically old world. These herbs will provide good fresh ingredients fo your  tasty italian dishes .

2. French Herb Garden: Begin with lemon basil, marjoram, and parsley, and add other herbs you like to use in French cooking.

3. Fragrant Herb Garden: Choose angelica, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. This organic herb garden is a natural air freshener.

4. Tea Herb Garden: If you enjoy herbal teas, your organic herb garden might focus on appropriate herbs for your tea: catnip, chamomile, lavender, lemon grass, mint, and peppermint.

You may not want to theme your indoor organic herb garden, but simply grow a few herbs that appeal to you.

Containers

Many herbs are well-suited to container gardening, but you will want to choose containers according to the herbs you intend to grow.

1. Those tiny herb peat pots sold in discount stores give the wrong idea. Your indoor organic herb garden will not last long with such small thinking.

2. Begin with containers a bit larger than those in which the live nursery plants were purchased. This will give your plants room to start growing.

3. Once your herbs are stabilized and growing well, transplant them into larger containers.

4. Basil, mint, oregano, and sage are examples of herbs that can be grown in pots of about 8 to 10 inches.

5. If you want a large crop of herbs that is constantly being replenished in your organic herb garden, use 3 to 5 gallon containers. This will assure you of having plenty of rosemary, basil, etc. when you want it.

Container Soil

Indoor organic herb gardens call for building organic soil. Your soil should have a pH of about 7, since herbs prefer a more alkaline soil. If yours is too acid, add some calcified seaweed. Be sure you use only organic fertilizers to build your soil.

Indoor Lighting

An indoor organic herb garden will need lighting, especially if your room is not sunny. Lighting is especially important for year-round indoor gardens.

Different plants have different light requirements, some preferring bright sun and others preferring shade. Most herbs prefer full sun, but there are exceptions, so learn what each of your herbs needs.

Incandescent lights, even though called ‘grow lights’, are a poor choice for your indoor organic herb garden. Fluorescent lights are better, and have the advantage of being inexpensive, easily available, and easy to set up. The best choice for lighting your indoor organic herb garden is high intensity discharge lighting, often called HID lights. These are even more affordable and efficient.

Useful and Beautiful

An indoor organic herb garden can be both useful and beautiful. Herbs are generally eager to please, and require little maintenance. Simply give them the right food, water, and sunlight, and they will reward you abundantly.

By: Anna Hart

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about organic gardening at www.organicspringtime.com. Anna is posting new articles every week on that site, each one dealing with some facet of organic gardening. If you want information on locating live organic herb plants for your organic herb garden, you won’t want to miss Anna’s article on the subject.

DIY: Grow an Herb Garden Indoors  DIY, gardening, herb garden
Then try an indoor herb garden! Supplies:. 1 large container with 20-inch diameter (plastic or clay, with a drainage hole); 1 saucer to fit container; Certified organic potting soil mix; Herb plants; Gravel or screen

Vegetable Gardening Tips  Herb Gardening
This is a very useful article on organic gardening.

Organic Herb Farms – A New Trend in Agriculture : organic
Organic Gardening, Organic Herbs, Organic garden, Organic Fertilizers.

Making Your Home More Organic With Indoor Herb Gardening
Articles about organic gardening tips, compost and garden supplies.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: cooking, flavouring, foods, garden, herb, italian, organic, recipes