Sprinkle, puree, saute, bouquet your way to better flavors COOK WITH HERBS

By Pam Baytos

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

CANFIELD

By adding herbs to your garden you can use them as natural seasonings to enhance your recipes.

They can be sprinkled, pureed and saut ed with everything from appetizers to desserts.

It’s fun to experiment with different herbs to find your favorite flavor combinations.

To maximize the flavor of your dried herbs, soak them for several minutes in a liquid that can be used in the recipe (stock, oil, lemon juice or vinegar).

When using herbs in salad dressings allow the flavor of the combination to develop by soaking for 15 minutes to an hour.

You can work the flavor of herbs into poultry, meat and fish by rubbing them in with your hands before cooking.

For your steamed or boiled vegetables, add herbs to melted butter and allow to stand for 10 minutes before seasoning the vegetables with the mix.

To intensify the flavors of whole spices, toast them briefly in a dry skillet before using.

Dried and fresh herbs may be used interchangeably in most recipes.

Use three to five times more fresh herbs than dried, depending on the strength of the herb.

Bouquets garnis are another way to use herbs. Bouquet garnis are the little bundles of aromatic herbs and spices used to flavor stews, soups and sauces.

The idea behind a bouquet garni is to keep the herbs contained so that flavor, but not flecks, will flavor your food.

The bundles can be made up of several fresh or dried herbs tied in a cheesecloth bag, or tea ball.

Attaching a string makes for easy removal after cooking.

Classically, bouquet garnis contain parsley, thyme and bay.

To flavor warm apple cider, combine orange peel, cinnamon stick and nutmeg into a bag.

A bag of lemon peel, whole peppercorns and garlic can spice up your simmering vegetables.

Bouquets garnis can be made ahead in cheesecloth bags and frozen. Add them to simmering food directly from the freezer.

Because many herbs and spices are quite strong, it is wise to add them with some restraint until you find your favorite combination.

If you have overseasoned, there are ways to remedy your mistake. Strain as much of the herbs and spices as conceivable out of the dish.

If possible, add more of the bland ingredients or make a second, unseasoned batch of the recipe and combine it with the overseasoned one. You can also add a peeled, whole, raw potato just before serving.

With a little research and experimenting you’ll discover that herbs not only give you wonderful flavor, but also are a healthier choice.

Enjoy the herb harvest from your garden this season.

For tips and tricks on cooking with herbs, visit http://go.osu.edu/cookwithherbs.