COOKING SCHOOL! forum: Cooking with herbs
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| Yikes! I've just been asked to teach a cooking with herbs class as part of an all-day gardening symposium. I have til sunday to tell them yes or no. I don't even know where to start to figure out what I'd do. Any suggestions? I would like it to be a demo class of some kind. |
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| Gwen, maybe these sites will help you in your endeavour. Good luck with your class. http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/kitchenherbgarden.htm http://culinaryherbguide.com/usingherbsincooking.htm http://organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/herbs/herbcooking.html http://www.suite101.com/course.cfm/18003/seminar LaVonne http://cubits.org http://cubits.org/gourds/ http://cubits.org/Diabetes/ http://cubits.org/DMEnterprises/store Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan (The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods) |
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| Thanks, LaVonne. I'll check those out. If you were going to a class called cooking with herbs, what would you be expecting? I always think people already know anything I'd know so I don't know what new stuff I can impart. |
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| People who have never cooked with fresh herbs need encouragement. I would expect that the teacher would pick a handful of different herbs and discuss each one telling a bit about it and what foods it goes best with. I would want to taste something that herb was in. It could be interesting to taste the dish with and without the herb. Herbs and Their Uses BASIL An annual plant of the mint family cultivated in Western Europe. Uses: tomato dishes, soups, sauces, sausage, stews, meats, poultry, fish, egg dishes, vegetables, pastas BAY LEAVES Aromatic leaf of sweet-bay or laurel. Uses: soups, meats, pickles, poultry, fish, stews, gravies, sauces, marinades. CAPERS Tart flowers buds of the Mediterranean caper bush. Uses: egg dishes, seafood, veal, tomatoes. CARAWAY A biennial herb with an aromatic fruit. Uses: breads, cookies, cakes, candy, salads, cheese, cabbage, meat loaves, stews, pot roasts, vegetables. CELERY SEED Seed of a small plant similar in appearance to celery. Cultivated in Southern France, India, and United States. Uses: soups stews, cheese, pickles, salads, meats, fish, egg dishes, sauces, spreads, dressings and stuffings. CHERVIL An apiaceous plant with delicate sweet, parsley-licorice flavored leaves Uses: fish poultry, egg and cheese dishes, vegetables, soups, salads, dressings. CHIVES Similar but smaller than green onions Uses: fish, poultry, egg and cheese dishes, vegetables, soups, salads, dressings. CAYENNE A very HOT pepper. Uses: meats, seafood, egg and cheese dishes, soups, sauces, dips, spreads. CORIANDER Nutty seed of a plant in the parsley family. Uses: breads, candy, cookies, pickles, meats, stews, bean and rice dishes. CUMIN Dried fruit a Cuminum cyninum similar to caraway. Uses: chili and curry powders, meats, pickles, cabbage. DILL Annual herb with tart lemony flavor Uses: seafood, egg and cheese dishes, salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, sauces, dressings, poultry, breads. FENNEL Member of the parsley family with licorice-flavored feathery leaves Uses: seafood, breads, pastries, cakes, cookies GARLIC Strong flavored plant of the lily family Uses: meats, salads HORSERADISH Peppery white with a turnip flavor Uses: sauces, dips, spreads, salad dressing MARJORAM A fragrant annual plant of the mint family. Uses: veal, lamb, poultry, potatoes, tomatoes, soups, stews, salads, fish, eggs, gravies, sauces. MINT A fragrant plant with more than 30 varieties Uses: lamb, beef, candy, fruit salads, desserts, soups, vegetables. OREGANO Wild marjoram Uses: pasta, meats, poultry, fish, stews, eggs, soups, vegetables, salads, spaghetti sauces, pizza, tomato dishes. ROSEMARY Evergreen plant with lemony-resinous, needle-like leaves. Uses: lamb, pork, fish, stews, sauces, bread, eggs SAGE A perennial plant of the mint family. Uses: poultry seasoning and stuffing, meats, fish, vegetables, cheese, salads, gravies. SAVORY An annual plant of the mint family. Uses: egg and cheese dishes, sauces, stews, croquettes, meat, poultry, salads, soups, gravies. TARRAGON A perennial plant with succulent licorice-flavored leaves. Uses: poultry, seafood, meat, stews, vegetables, salads, sauces. THYME A plant with a vague minty flavor Uses: poultry, seafood, meat, stews, vegetables, salads, sauces. You could make this spice blend and tie up like a sachet to give each student to take home and try Herbs de Provence This is a lovely herbal blend that costs a small fortune at the specialty shops. Make it yourself and discover the subtle flavour it brings out! Be sure to get edible lavender. 1 tsp Thyme 1 tsp Summer savory 1/2 tsp Lavender 1/4 tsp Rosemary 1/2 tsp Oregano or basil 1/4 tsp Sage Directions: Herbs de Provence is best made with dried herbs as fresh herbs lose their flavour if the cooking is longer than about 20 minutes. This blend is excellent in soups, on potatoes, rice, pasta, fish, roasted vegetables or bread. Mix with 1/4 lb butter for a real treat. |
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| Well, I would want to know something about herbs in general, why using them is important and which ones are good for the dishes I like...such as Lasagna, pot roast, fish fried and baked, scrambled eggs, spaghetti without sauce but using herbs tomatoes, squash perhaps, onions, mushrooms. Taco's using ground turkey and my own seasoning of herbs and spices. How about making a salsa...which herbs would be best flavor along with the tomatoes, cilantro, onion, green chili diced? Anyway that would be what I would want to know as a newbie to herbs. LaVonne http://cubits.org http://cubits.org/gourds/ http://cubits.org/Diabetes/ http://cubits.org/DMEnterprises/store Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan (The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods) |
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| Exactly. People don't use herbs because they don't know what to pair them with. And if they've tasted rosemary, for example, in a dish and there was too much of it, that may have turned them off to experimenting with all herbs. My mother always made pan fried chicken with just flour, salt & pepper. I have tried making other pan fried chicken recipes that had herbs added to them and it just doesn't taste right to me. I am stuck on my mother's chicken. But herbs in other chicken dishes are fine for me. And scrambled eggs have to be plain for me but Mexican eggs is another story. Then I want peppers, onions, cilantro, cheese. Yum. |
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| Thanks, both of you. Lots of good info. I think I'm going to stick with herbs rather than include spices since this is a gardening thing. And I will try and empasize fresh over dried but will cover both. I might do up a chicken salad for tasting 3 ways - one with no herbs, and then two different varieties using different herbs. So people can taste the difference. I also may do an ice cream or sorbet flavored with some sort of herb. |
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| sounds good...I would even take the class. LaVonne http://cubits.org http://cubits.org/gourds/ http://cubits.org/Diabetes/ http://cubits.org/DMEnterprises/store Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan (The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods) |
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| Excellent idea! Chicken Salad was one that my mother made simply and I always made it the same. And she always used Miracle Whip. Then I started doing High Teas and developed a recipe where you put the chicken, dried cherries & Tarragon, celery, and mayo. That is now my all time favorite. Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over the top. The tarragon and cherries complement each other. And using mayo instead of MW, allowed the flavors to come out better. We tasted this curried Chicken Salad at Marie Callendar's and like it so much we duplicated it years ago. http://cubits.org/YumYum/db/yumyumrecipies/view/11050/ Good Luck; you're on the right track. RASPBERRY SORBET WITH SPEARMINT 6 cups fresh raspberries 2 cups sugar 2 ΒΌ cups fresh strained orange juice 1 tsp finely chopped, fresh spearmint leaves 1/3 cup Triple Sec Combine the raspberries, sugar, orange juice, and chopped spearmint leaves in a large bowl. Allow to marinate for one hour. Put the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree. Stir in the Triple Sed. Then pour the mixture into ice cream maker. If your sorbet freezes completely, let it soften in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with whole spearmint leaves. Minted Tangerine Sorbet For new flavor twists to this fruity sorbet, experiment with different scented mints -- there are more than 600 varieties. For new flavor twists to this fruity sorbet, experiment with different scented mints--there are more than 600 varieties. 2-3/4 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves 1/2 of a 12-ounce can frozen tangerine juice-blend concentrate (3/4 cup), thawed 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel Mint leaves and blossoms (optional) 1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the 1-1/2 cups mint leaves. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain into a large mixing bowl; discard mint. Stir the concentrate and lemon peel into strained mixture; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled. 2. Freeze in a 2-quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Ripen for 4 hours. (Or, transfer mixture to a nonmetal freezer container. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until almost firm. Break mixture into small chunks; transfer to a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth but not melted. Return to container. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.) 3. To serve, scoop mixture into individual dessert dishes. If desired, garnish with mint leaves and blossoms. Makes about 4 cups or 8 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: 71 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein, 55% vitamin C, 19% iron. Cucumber-Dill Sorbet A food processor fitted with a shredding disk makes shredding the cucumber for this refreshingly different sorbet a zippy task. 2 cups peeled, seeded, and shredded cucumber (2 large) 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup light dairy sour cream 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dillweed 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon pepper Fresh dill sprig (optional) 1. Stir together shredded cucumber, chicken broth, sour cream, snipped dillweed, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. 2. Pour mixture into a nonmetal freezer container. Cover and freeze for several hours or until almost firm. Break mixture into small chunks; transfer to a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth but not melted. Return to container. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm. 3. To serve, transfer sorbet to a serving bowl. If desired, garnish with a fresh dill sprig. Makes about 2-1/2 cups (5 servings). Food exchanges: 1/2 fat. Tomato-Basil Ice Because it has only a small amount of sugar, this ice tends to freeze harder than others. Before scooping, let it stand at room temperature for several minutes so it softens. 8 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut up (about 4 cups) 2 tablespoons water 1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, finely snipped 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons snipped dried tomatoes (not oil-packed) 1 teaspoon seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper* 1/4 teaspoon salt Fresh basil leaves (optional) 1. Place tomatoes (a portion at a time, if necessary) in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl; set aside. 2. Combine water and gelatin in a custard cup or a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Place custard cup in a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water; heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir gelatin mixture into tomatoes along with basil, sugar, lemon juice, dried tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved. 3. Freeze mixture in a 2-quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Ripen for 4 hours. (Or, transfer mixture to a nonmetal freezer container. Cover and freeze for several hours or until almost firm. Break mixture into small chunks; transfer to a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth but not melted. Return to container. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.) 4. To serve, transfer mixture to a serving bowl. If desired, garnish with fresh basil leaves. Makes about 3-1/2 cups or 6 servings. *Note: Hot peppers contain oils that can burn eyes, lips, and sensitive skin. Wear plastic gloves while preparing peppers and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling. Food exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch. Nutrition facts per serving: 66 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 128 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, 10% vitamin A, 60% vitamin C. Minted Tangerine Sorbet For new flavor twists to this fruity sorbet, experiment with different scented mints -- there are more than 600 varieties. For new flavor twists to this fruity sorbet, experiment with different scented mints--there are more than 600 varieties. 2-3/4 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh mint leaves 1/2 of a 12-ounce can frozen tangerine juice-blend concentrate (3/4 cup), thawed 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel Mint leaves and blossoms (optional) 1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the 1-1/2 cups mint leaves. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain into a large mixing bowl; discard mint. Stir the concentrate and lemon peel into strained mixture; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled. 2. Freeze in a 2-quart ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Ripen for 4 hours. (Or, transfer mixture to a nonmetal freezer container. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until almost firm. Break mixture into small chunks; transfer to a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth but not melted. Return to container. Cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.) 3. To serve, scoop mixture into individual dessert dishes. If desired, garnish with mint leaves and blossoms. Makes about 4 cups or 8 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: 71 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein, 55% vitamin C, 19% iron. |
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| Interesting sorbets! I love chicken salads. Of all kinds. Recently I made one with dried cranberries. And I like cashews in mine. I would use mayo in most chicken salads but maybe throw in a tablespoon or so of MW. I use MW in my egg salads and deviled eggs with a small addition of mayo. I also use it in my potato salads. My mom always used MW instead of mayo so I guess I grew up liking the sweet flavor. Here is an unusual chicken salad that I adapted last spring for a baby shower. I called it Sunshine Chicken Salad 2 to 4 c cooked chicken, cubed 2 T orange juice 2 T white wine vinegar (but any kind of vinegar will be fine) 1 t salt (if you use salted cashews, you might leave this out or use less) 2 to 3 c cooked jasmine rice 1 c red seedless grapes (cut in half if they are large) 1 c chopped celery 1 c pineapple tidbits, drained 1 c mandarin oranges, drained and cut in half 1 c cashews 1-1/2 c mayonnaise (now much mayo you use will depend on how much of the other ingredients - they can all be adjusted up or down depending on your likes) Combine chicken, vinegar and salt. Let stand while preparing rest of the ingredients. Gently toss together all ingredients, and serve on crisp lettuce. Or for sandwiches, serve on croissant rolls. |
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| I just copied it off. I have some chicken here ready to go and was wondering what to do with it. |
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| Made your salad today. I did cut the sweet fruits in half due to my diabetes. We have never added rice to our chicken salad. That really extends it. I may have to call my neighbor here as I am here alone only for one more day. I should have paid attention to gently toss as I broke up the mandarin oranges a bit by being too rough. What can I say? I was very hungry and throwing it together fast. I love your salad. Thanks for sharing. |
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| I think it's okay if the oranges get broken up. Otherwise, they're the largest thing in the salad. |
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| They would have made more of an impact in the mouth had I not done that and the salad would have been "prettier". I don't have any tarragon at this house or I would have been adding some for the extra scent it adds. It would really complement this whether using fresh or dried. Even though it has a sweet component, chives would work well in it. I loved what the vinegar did to it. I loved the cashews but if a person doesn't like cashews, sun flower seeds would work. It really IS a very forgiving recipe; I only used enough mayo to bind it . . maybe 3/4 cup and I loved that I wasn't adding all that much fat (and I do use reduced fat mayo). For DH I would have to add more as he would complain it was dry. He even likes coleslaw with way too much dressing. I didn't want to buy a bag of grapes, as I'll be leaving Ca in a couple of days, so I substituted dried cherries and I liked the chewyness that they provided. You've got a keeper there. It is so flexible. |
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| Actually, I think the orig recipe might have called for sunflower seeds. I don't care for them so subbed in the cashews. Pistachios would work as well. Any kind of nut really. Or leave them out. Yeah, very versatile - mix and match and add in what you like! The orig recipe also called for plain rice but I really like what the flavor of the jasmine does to this. It really goes well with all the fruits. |
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| Yes, the different textures are great. If you decide to do that one for your class and come up with the variations on herbs we can add it to the database with the variations. I better take a picture of it before I eat it all.  |
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| I probably won't do that one because I'm doing a plain chicken salad and then dividing it into three - sampling one plain and then two with different herbs. So they can see what kind of a difference herbs make. Because there's so much fruit in the one I posted above, about the only herb I can think of to add would be mint. Maybe lavender but then I might want to play around with some of the other flavors. |
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| Gwen: you might try these herbs for your chicken fruit salad: Basil, cilantro, and red bell pepper bring a savory element to the salad. French Tarragon, finally chopped parsley, and maybe a dash of lemon juice. Any of these would be great on a salad with fruit. LaVonne http://cubits.org http://cubits.org/gourds/ http://cubits.org/Diabetes/ http://cubits.org/DMEnterprises/store Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan (The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods) |
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| Tarragon is my all time favorite; I put some in the remainder of your salad yesterday and loved it. In fact, it made me wish I had done it right in the beginning. Tarragon is great with fruit. We had a favorite salad we used to get at Marie Callendar's restuarant and loved it so much we re-created it at home. It had a tarragon vinegar and oil dressing and it was simply romaine, red onions, mandarin oranges, and toasted sliced almonds. We didn't have fresh tarragon most of the time so we sprinkled the dry over the salad. We have had that salad for 40 years and Marie's doesn't even have it on their menu anymore. But maybe if they are all very familiar with plain chicken salad it wouldn't confuse the issue. Like . . was it the herb that made that salad great or was it the fruit that made it great. I can understand if that is your thinking. Hopefully your class will get these people to start experimenting with fresh herbs. |
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| You're right - tarragon would work in that chicken/rice salad. I don't like tarragon! It's too strong for me. Whenever it's in a recipe, I either leave it out or greatly decrease it. Next time I make the chicken/rice salad, maybe I'll try some in there though. The reason I am making the plain chicken salad with the 2 different versions is to really show what herbs can do to dress up a dish. I feel having all those other great flavors - the jasmine rice, the fruit, etc., already makes that salad taste pretty darn good! So I want to do the plain one for that reason. Then, I don't want to do another chicken salad - both for reasons of variety, time I have to do the class, and cost of ingredients. I'll have to try your salad. I love salads and often like things in salads that I don't like elsewhere. I wonder where you can get tarragon vinegar. Is that something readily avail at the grocery store? If you have it on hand, I would def use it in place of plain vinegar in the sunshine chicken salad recipe. |
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