What’s the difference between a cook and a chef? In a word:
herbs.
“A chef knows the difference between culinary and fragrant herbs
and uses them
flagrantly in cooking,” said Wayne McLaurin, a University of
Georgia Extension
Service horticulturist who numbers himself among the chefs.
Some combinations are almost automatic: dill with fish, basil
with tomatoes, onions
and garlic with everything.
“My kids used to say whatever doesn’t have onions or garlic on
it is probably dessert,”
McLaurin said.
The world of herbs is deliciously diverse. And all you need is a
pot, a window box or a
small garden plot, and you can have an herb garden. Add a sunny
spot and
well-drained soil, and you’re ready to plant herbs.
Just don’t overfertilize herbs. “You don’t want them to grow too
much,” McLaurin
said. “When you have succulent growth, you dilute essential
oils. And that’s where the
flavor is.”
And don’t bother using pesticides. Most herbs have little to no
insect or disease
problems.
Most herbs are hardy plants, McLaurin said. When you get ready
to plant, divide the
annuals and perennials so you can leave the perennials in place.
You can also stick
herbs into flower beds.
“Give the neighbor four houses down some mint and go harvest it
for them,” he said.
“Mint takes over everything. It will be a weed in no time. It’s
very aggressive.”
If you enjoy the graceful visits of butterflies, try planting
fennel and dill. Swallowtails
will lay eggs on these herbs.
The easiest ones to grow include chives, basil, parsley, dill,
fennel and rosemary.
French tarragon is about the only herb that has trouble with the
Georgia heat.
McLaurin adds a few tips for these easy-growers.
“Try using the purple blossoms from chives,” he said. “They’re
beautiful in salads.
You can choose from among 19 kinds of basils. And the flat-leaf
Italian parsley is
easier to grow than the curly-leaf variety and has much better
flavor.
“Coriander looks like parsley,” he said. “They use it in Mexican
food. I call it a green
flavor. It goes well with tomatoes, and it’s easy to grow.”
Alongside your herbs, throw in some nasturtiums to use like
herbs. McLaurin said
these plants aren’t just pretty. They’re edible. The leaves and
flowers have a hot pepper
flavor.
“If you grow herbs, you can make up your own seasoning,” he
said. “You can reduce
the use of salt a great deal by replacing it with various herb
flavorings.”
