Post by April B. on Mar 28, 2003 10:22:46 GMT -6
All About... Herbs
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) - Also called cicily or sweet cicily, chervil has dark green, curly leaves and is a member of the parsley family.
It is a self-sowing annual that prefers a little shade.
Its flavor is like parsley with a hint of anise.
Chives (Allium schoenprasum) - Like all members of the onion family, chives have long, hollow leaves with a mild, onion-like flavor.
Though they are available fresh year round in most parts of the United States, the perennial bulbs are easy to grow just about anywhere.
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) - Know to Americans by its Spanish name, the rest of the English speaking world knows cilantro as coriander or Chinese parsley.
The same plant that produces coriander seeds (a spice) also produces the flat leaves that look almost exactly like
flat-leaf parsley, but with a flavor that can't be mistaken - some people describe it as "soapy." The leaves, stems, and roots are often used in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cooking, and only the fresh herb should be used as it loses all its flavor when dried.
Easily grown from seed, buy seeds or plants that have been bred for their foliage rather than their seeds or your plants will bolt to seed and produce very few leaves.
Costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita) - Also known as alecost because it was used in making ale, the silvery leaves of costmary have a strong lemony, minty aroma. They are used - sparingly - in soups, stews, stuffings, and salads.
The 4-foot-tall perennial isn't particular with regard to soil, but it does prefer full sun.
Cuban Oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus) - Even though this plant is probably native to India, it also goes by the names Spanish thyme and Indian borage.
The thick, fleshy, fuzzy leaves are usually variegated
and have a strong oregano-like flavor with overtones of sage.
The plant is extremely tender so must be brought indoors during the winter, and like the coleus species which it resembles, does very well in containers.
Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) - This herb, popular in the Caribbean and Central America, is also known as recao, false cilantro, spirit weed, and Mexican coriander.
It has long, spear-shaped leaves with jagged edges and tastes very much like cilantro, only stronger and more
bitter.
Curry Leaf (Chalcas koenigii) - The leaves of the curry plant resemble small, shiny bay laurel leaves and have a mild flavor reminiscent of lemon and lime.
Widely used in India where they are known as meetha
neem or kari patta, they are available both fresh and dried in Indian specialty shops.
The dried version may be substituted for the fresh, but the flavor is far inferior.
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) - Also called cicily or sweet cicily, chervil has dark green, curly leaves and is a member of the parsley family.
It is a self-sowing annual that prefers a little shade.
Its flavor is like parsley with a hint of anise.
Chives (Allium schoenprasum) - Like all members of the onion family, chives have long, hollow leaves with a mild, onion-like flavor.
Though they are available fresh year round in most parts of the United States, the perennial bulbs are easy to grow just about anywhere.
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) - Know to Americans by its Spanish name, the rest of the English speaking world knows cilantro as coriander or Chinese parsley.
The same plant that produces coriander seeds (a spice) also produces the flat leaves that look almost exactly like
flat-leaf parsley, but with a flavor that can't be mistaken - some people describe it as "soapy." The leaves, stems, and roots are often used in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cooking, and only the fresh herb should be used as it loses all its flavor when dried.
Easily grown from seed, buy seeds or plants that have been bred for their foliage rather than their seeds or your plants will bolt to seed and produce very few leaves.
Costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita) - Also known as alecost because it was used in making ale, the silvery leaves of costmary have a strong lemony, minty aroma. They are used - sparingly - in soups, stews, stuffings, and salads.
The 4-foot-tall perennial isn't particular with regard to soil, but it does prefer full sun.
Cuban Oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus) - Even though this plant is probably native to India, it also goes by the names Spanish thyme and Indian borage.
The thick, fleshy, fuzzy leaves are usually variegated
and have a strong oregano-like flavor with overtones of sage.
The plant is extremely tender so must be brought indoors during the winter, and like the coleus species which it resembles, does very well in containers.
Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) - This herb, popular in the Caribbean and Central America, is also known as recao, false cilantro, spirit weed, and Mexican coriander.
It has long, spear-shaped leaves with jagged edges and tastes very much like cilantro, only stronger and more
bitter.
Curry Leaf (Chalcas koenigii) - The leaves of the curry plant resemble small, shiny bay laurel leaves and have a mild flavor reminiscent of lemon and lime.
Widely used in India where they are known as meetha
neem or kari patta, they are available both fresh and dried in Indian specialty shops.
The dried version may be substituted for the fresh, but the flavor is far inferior.
