Herbs - History, Folklore ... and in the Kitchen

My intent at this time is to maintain this page for several weeks to share information in conjunction with a class I'm teaching. I hope you enjoy the information.

RESOURCES:

A local group resource (Midlands of South Carolina) for information about herbs is The Herb Bunch. There is some information about the group on Facebook. Otherwise, I suggest contacting the Lexington Office of Clemson Extension Service for more information about the contact person and when and where the group meets. As far as I know, they continue to meet monthly and they have a Spring Herb Festival where you can buy and learn about herbs, recently it has been held on the grounds of the Lexington Museum. They have also published two cookbooks with recipes for using herbs.

Clemson Extension Service also has a resource online that includes herb as well as other home and gardening information at http://hgic.clemson.edu.  Clemson Extension Service is where you can get your soil tested for a small fee to see what amendments might be needed to improve your gardening experience. If are interested in becoming a South Carolina Master Gardener Volunteer, they can share information with you about that as well.

Some other groups where you can read information on their web site or become a member are:

The Herb Society of America    http://www.herbsociety.org

International Herb Association     https://iherb.org

DEFINITION:

Herb groups frequently use this as the definition of herbs:
Herbs are defined as plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, biennials, or annuals) valued historically, presently, or potentially for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal qualities, insecticidal qualities, economic or industrial use, or in the case of dyes, for the coloring material they provide.
 --- Holly Shimizu, HSA's Essential Guide to The Beginner's Herb Garden

SAFETY INFORMATION: Before consuming any herbs, know what the plant is and that it is free of pesticide or other chemical residue and is in acceptable condition (fresh and free from insects). Some plants or parts of plants in this broad category may be poisonous and added to this is that some plants look similar to one another. Certain herbs may cause contact dermatitis in some people and care needs to be taken in handling them. Obviously, these are not normally problems, but it's always best to be cautious.

BOOKS:

An author who writes mystery books with the theme of herbs is Susan Wittig Albert and her main character in this series is China Bayles. I would call these light reading mysteries. She has also written an interesting book that discusses many legends about herbs, craft ideas and recipes in her book China Bayles' Books of Days.

These are some other non-fiction books that I have consulted that have information about herbs (and in some cases, spices as well). Recipes are frequently included in books about herbs.

Herbs: A Global History by Gary Allen
Practical Herb Gardening by Jessica Houdret
Your Backyard Herb Garden by Miranda Smith
Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill & Gwen Barclay with Jean Hardy
Herb & Spices: The Cook's Reference by Jill Norman
The Cook's Herb Garden by Jeff Cox & Marie-Pierre Moine
Herbal Treasures by Phyllis V. Shaudys

And you won't be intimidated by these:
Complete Idiot's Guide to Spices & Herbs by Leslie Bilderback
Herb Gardening for Dummies by Karen Davis Cutler

A few of my favorite tales about herbs.

• Tarragon was said to prevent fatigue and since most travel was by foot long ago, it was said you should place tarragon in your shoes.
• Generally the harder to grow or longer it takes to germinate, the more lore is attached to an herb. One of the legends about parsley is that it visits the devil 7-9 times before it sprouts. It should be planted on Good Friday to ward off the devil's involvement and ensure good luck and happiness throughout the year.
•  In magic, basil represents prosperity. It not only brings wealth to those who carry it, putting it in a cash register in a store is said to encourage customers to come and spend money. However, in the 1500's some physicians believed that by simply smelling basil, scorpions would grow in the brain. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered basil as a symbol of hostility and insanity. They believed you had to shout and swear when sowing its seeds, In French, sowing basil (semer le basilic) means "ranting."
• Folklore about yarrow includes that if the juice is smeared on the hands, when they are plunged in the water they will act as magnets for fish. 

And these plants are not herbs, but they were just too good to ignore.

•  To cure rheumatism, put a potato in your pocket and carry it until it gets hard.  It will draw iron out of the blood and it's the iron that's causing the stiffness.
• A favorite April Fools trick from long ago: telling someone that if he carried fern seeds in his pocket, he would be invisible. The reasoning was that ferns produced no noticeable seeds so therefore fern seeds must be invisible and if your logic took you that far, it could go one step further so that putting these invisible seeds in your pocket would make you invisible.

RECIPES:

Note: I used the abbreviation tsp. for teaspoon and typed out Tablespoon to make them easily distinguishable.
A hint I'll provide before the rest of them - read a recipe all the way through before you begin. That way you will know if you need to preheat the oven or possibly don't have some of the ingredients that you need.

I prepare these recipes frequently and like them a lot!

Beef Stew

2 lbs. beef stew meat
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons shortening
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced (I omit this if I don't have it on hand)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestersire sauce
4 cups water

This recipe is written to be made in a crock pot. However, I have made it in a large covered pot on the stove, in which case it cooks more quickly and at a slightly higher heat. I don't believe I've ever cooked it totally on low even in the crock pot. I usually reset it to high for some of the cooking time and then reduce it to low (or sometimes vice verse). Also the recipe originally called for 1/8 tsp. ground cloves. I prefer it without the cloves, but you may like it with that addition.

Dredge meat in flour, melt shortening in skillet or use oil of your choice. Add beef (cut into stew size) to skillet and saute until evenly browned. Transfer to Crock-Pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and other seasonings. Add water and stir. Cover and cook on Low 10-12 hours or on High 5-6 hours. Serves 8-10.

Basic Herb Quiche

When I follow these directions, this always make 2 quiches for me. I find it refrigerates fine for later use and have even frozen it for a short period of time. I have also substituted milk (even 2%)  for the Half & Half without any problem. I've always used ricotta cheese rather than the other options and I sometimes make this with fewer than 5 eggs. You can cut back on the listed ingredients and make just one quiche, but I don't have exact measurements for doing that. The recipe is very adaptable depending on what you like. You can leave out the mushrooms, add ham or spinach, sausage that has been cooked and drained, etc.

Ingredients:
Pie dough for 9-inch pie crust. You will likely need two and you can begin with a frozen pie crust from the store. 
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella or similar in any proportion)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (or feta, cottage or goat cheese)
5 eggs
1 cup light cream (Half & Half)
1 tsp. dill and 1 tsp. parsley (or herbs of your choice)
Small container of mushrooms (or use canned)
Small medium sweet onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a quiche pan or pie pan with pie dough. Saute the mushrooms and onion in butter on the stove. Once they are tender, transfer them onto the dough in the quiche pan or pie pan. Top with shredded cheese. Place the soft cheese (ricotta or other) in a blender, measure and add cream, eggs, and herbs. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes. Pour over the grated cheese, mushrooms, and onions. You are likely to have batter left over and can bake it separately or make a second quiche. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

Taco Noodle Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
16 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
8 oz. cooked pasta (egg noodle or whatever your prefer)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or a blend of Mexican cheese if you prefer)
Sour cream
Lettuce
Sliced or chopped tomatoes

Brown the ground beef, which can be cooked with the onions, and garlic. Garlic powder works fine if you don't have garlic on hand. Drain the meat mixture and place in in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min. until heated through. Top with shredded cheese and return to the over for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a spoonful of sour cream on the side. We usually include nachos on the plate as well for a bite of crunch!

Makes 6-8 servings.

Oven Baked Pancake with Lemon and Nutmeg

2 large eggs
1/2 cup less 1 1/2 tsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
Dash of ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon plus I tsp. butter
2 tsp. Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl beat eggs until fluffy. Alternately beat in milk and flour. Then add nutmeg. (Do not over beat, mixture should be lumpy.)
I place a glass pie pan in the oven with the butter while the oven is heating and allow the butter to melt. Use it to coat the pan by tilting the pan. (Use a potholder to remove the pie pan from the oven and to tilt it!)
Pour the batter into the pie pan and immediately place it into the top 1/3 of the oven. Bake for 15-20 min. until pancake is puffy and a bit browned. Sprinkle the pancake with some lemon juice and the amount of Confectioner's sugar that you like.

Serves 2 if you want half and pancake for a serving or 4 if you want 1/4 of a pancake.

Mint Chocolate Meringue Cookies 

2 egg whites stiffly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring
6 oz. chocolate bits (mini chocolate chips)

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar. Add peppermint and green food coloring. Stir in chocolate bits. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Put in preheated over and turn off immediately. Leave in oven overnight or for several hours. Store in cookie tin. (I've also made this with pink food coloring to use for a baby shower - blue for boy would work, too.)

Makes 2 dozen

Pumpkin Dip

2 cups sifted Confectioner's Sugar
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
15 oz. can Pumpkin Pie Filling (not regular canned pumpkin)
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix sugar and softened cream cheese with electric mixer. Add pie filling and spices, blending well. Chill before serving and serve with gingersnaps and/or vanilla wafers.

Cucumbers with Dill 

This is one of those recipes where I just make it and I don't have specific amounts in mind for the ingredients.

Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced.
Sweet onions, thinly sliced. (Use enough for flavor, but not nearly as much at you use of the   cucumbers.
Sour cream to coat both of the above (or you can use mayonnaise)
Dill weed according to your taste (I add this when I make the recipe but you could sprinkle it on immediately before serving.)

Mix the ingredients and chill  in the refrigerator until serving time. I would not make this more than about 4 hours ahead of serving time, but it will be fine if you have less time or need to prepare it more in advance.

My husband makes our dressing for Thanksgiving and it's delicious. He's also in charge of making spiedies on the grill. The recipe is from the Binghamton, NY, area. We eat them on Italian bread. I don't have exact recipes for either. I found this recipe for spiedies online: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/142074/spiedies/ However, we make it using lamb, pork, or beef and this recipe uses chicken.

Getting Ready for this Class!!!
I recently tried these recipes and they are worth trying in my opinion ...

Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Prepared grits of your choice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
 1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley


Make grits of your choice. I used stone ground white grits when I made this. The recipe says to stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. I used  a bit more than that and used half Parmesan and half sharp cheddar. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm. I started the shrimp while the grits were cooking.

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add shrimp. Use medium shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Add garlic and cayenne pepper. I used paprika since I had no cayenne pepper on hand. Cook over medium high heat until shrimp are pink (3-4 min.)  Remove from the heat and add 2 Tablespoons of water, the lemon juice, and parsley. Sir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the grits into servings and place the shrimp with sauce over the grits.

4 servings

Tarragon Chicken Breasts with Buttered Leeks

2 cups of thinly sliced leeks, one and light green parts only
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin pieces the size of your palm or smaller
Salt and ground pepper
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice\2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped tarragon.

Cook the leeks in a large skillet with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter until they are tender. Sprinkle the pieces of chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place them on top of the leeks and cook until the chicken is done, but not overcooked. When the chicken is done, remove it from the leeks and put it on a platter. Sir lemon juice and tarragon along with 1 Tablespoon of butter into the leeks until blended. Taste to see if you would like more salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

4 servings


Warm Maple Rosemary Banana Splits

3 ripe but firm bananas
1/2 cup maple syrup
Three sprigs rosemary (1-4 inches each depending on how strong you want the flavor)
Vanilla ice cream
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Warm the walnuts in melted butter. Add maple syrup and bananas sliced halved and sliced lengthwise. Tuck the rosemary sprigs between the pieces of banana. Cook for about 1 minute then turn the bananas over and cook for another 30 seconds. Scoop out ice cream and lift the bananas (without the rosemary and nuts) and place them on the ice cream. Allow the syrup to thicken slightly then remove the rosemary sprigs and pour the remaining sauce over the bananas and ice cream.

The recipe called for toasted walnuts and said to add them as a topping at the end.  

4 servings

Dutch Spice Cake (Peper Koek)
         Recipe from a Vintage Holland, Michigan Cookbook

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon (or substitute pumpkin pie spice for a bolder flavor)
Pinch of salt

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs which have been beaten. Stir baking soda into molasses and add to mixture. Next add water. Sift flour with salt and spices and add to the mixture. Bake in a slow oven about 40 minutes. (The internet says a slow oven is 325-350 degrees.)Serve with hot sauce if you wish.

This hot sauce recipe was found online and I haven't tried it. 
2 cups brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2  cups hot water
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tsp. vanilla Mix brown sugar and flour together. Then add hot water, Boil and stir with wooden spoon continually until it thickens. Take off the hear and add butter and vanilla. Pour over cake.

Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn

Microwaveable Butter Popcorn
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Sprig of Rosemary
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Pop a bag of popcorn according to the package instructions. Remove any unpopped kernels. In a nonstick pan over medium heat add olive oil, garlic salt, and rosemary. Cook stirring for about 1 min. while stirring to infuse the oil with the rosemary. Remove the sprig of rosemary and cut the herb off the stem. Mince the crispy rosemary and toss back in the oil Drizzle over the popcorn, add the cheese and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

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COOKING HINTS AND INFORMATION

Cooking with spices and herbs can help you reduce the amount of salt and sugar in your diet.

Herbes de Provence usually consists of basil, bay, savory, and thyme.

Bouquet garni is a selection of aromatic herbs, usually tied together or wrapped in a muslin cloth, used to flavor dishes but removed before serving. You can make your own with a few springs of parsley, thyme and a couple of bay leaves tied with kitchen string.

Ginger ale originated in the 19th century when it was popular to keep shakers of ginger on the bar in English so that patrons could shake ginger into their drinks.

Long ago, one herb (silphium) was so popular that the plant became extinct.

When serving punch, make an ice ring out of fruit juice, the punch or even Kool-Aid so the melting ice is not diluting the flavor of the punch.

Egg whites should be at room temperature for greater volume when whipped as in recipes using meringue or similar preparations.

Confectioner's sugar and powdered sugar are the same thing. Sometimes it's also called 10X sugar. 10X refers to the number of times the sugar is processed to produce the fine powder.

Harvest herbs in the morning when they have the greatest concentration of aromatic oils.

In cooking, herbs are typically considered the green leafy part of a plant. Included are things like parsley, chives, dill, basil, thyme, etc. Culinary spices are usually from the bark, root, buds, seeds, fruit or berries of tropical plants and trees that have been dried and are intended to retain their flavor and fragrance over time. Obviously there is a cross over between the two.

As a general rule, spices should be added to a dish at the start of the cooking time so that the flavor can blend with the other ingredients in the dish. Usually herbs should be added near the end of the cooking time to make the most of their color and flavor.

Shelf Life of Spices: Some manufacturers have a web site where you can enter the code to see the age of the spice. Unless kept under poor conditions (spices should be kept in a cool dry place) spices should last at least 6 months and many will last for years. If you have no other way to check your container of spice, pour some out and check it for for color and fragrance and for taste if it looks and smells fine. If the color is "off" or there is not much fragrance or taste, indulge in a new one. (People have begun collecting old spice tins so you may have a friend who would love the container.)
A few useful facts. McCormick spices discontinued using the name Schilling in 2002. McCormick also states that if your spice originated in Baltimore, it's at least 15 years old. Web sites for the manufacturers of spices are usually a place where you can find recipes as well.

Recipes have been found dating back to the 3rd century and cookbooks to the 4th century. Cookbooks looked more like what we think of today around the late 1600's. At that time basil was being used to flavor sausage and lemon balm and yarrow were used to flavor cheese and in making liquors.

For a time marijuana was used as a substitute for hops in making beer.

Why does cilantro taste like soap?

Cilantro is a tasty herb to most people. The herb is common in many cuisines around the world. However, some people find cilantro revolting, including the famous chef Julia Child. Reports are that there is a genetic reason for those who find the plant tastes like soap. These people have a variation in the olfactory-receptor genes that allow them to strongly perceive the soapy flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. The genetic quirk is found in only a small percent of the population. Interestingly, it varies geographically. In places like Central America and India where cilantro is especially popular, fewer people have those genes. East Asian have the highest incidence of this variation, with some studies showing that nearly 20% of the population experiences soapy tasting cilantro.

I've been winter sowing for at least 10 years and love it. If you are interested in learning more, here are some Winter Sowing Resources Online.

http://wintersown.org/
http://upstategardenersjournal.com/winter-sowing-a-gardeners-winter-delight/