ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Whether you want to use them for cooking, health or craft, make sure you plant enough to maintain a continuing supply because you'll be forever finding new ways to make the most of their subtle and varied flavours. Even a brief study of herbal lore will reveal an amazing variety of uses to which herbs can be put.

Herbal Gifts

Many herbal products make great market stall lines, and ideal gifts, adding a delightful aromatic touch to special occasions, Pot-luck dinners, Valentine's, Birthday, Weddings, Mothers and Fathers Day, Easter and Christmas giving.

Here are a few suggestions.

Herbal Vinegar

This is simple to make and looks great bottled in fancy bottles for gift giving from your own creativity and a little help from nature!

The secret is to use a variety of fresh herbs. These include thyme, basil, oregano, add a bayleaf, and mix together 1 cup of your choice with 5 cups organic cider vinegar in a large bottle. Seal and leave in a cupboard for two weeks. Give an occasional shake and strain well. Bottle, add a sprig of fresh herbs and seal. It is then ready for gift giving or to dress up any salad or add to dressings.

Pot Pourri

Pick aromatic leaves and flowers, dry and add some orris powder, essential oil like lavender, lemongrass, ylang ylang (the lover's oil), etc. Mix and store in well sealed containers for at least two weeks and place in whatever your heart desires (container, jar, etc.) ready for gift giving with a real purpose!

Herbal Air Fresheners

The leaves of lavender, lemon balm, lovage, sweet morjoram, rosemary, rue, sage, santolina, southernwood, tansy and garden and lemon thyme make good air fresheners when burnt in powdered form. The herbs can be packaged individually or in mixes. Several varieties boxed with a little incense burner makes an unusual gift.

Herb-scented Stationery

Any of the sweet scented herbs can be used to decorate and perfume recycled or fair-trade note paper and greeting cards.

A slit can be made at the back of a card and a sprig of herb attached to the card. Boxes of stationery can be decorated with pressed, dried herb leaves or flowers, and a little bag of the same dried herb placed in a box to perfume the paper and envelopes.

Herb Butters

The mixture of herbs with organic butter is a marriage made in heaven, each partner is better for the union.

Once you have tasted it you will want to try it not only on breads, but with vegetables, meats, fish and eggs.

Many cooks prefer to use unsalted butter in the French tradition. You can use fresh or dry herbs, but fresh is preferred and don't overlook using seed.

As a general rule, use one tablespoon of fresh herb, 1-1 1/2 teaspoons dried or 1/2 teaspoon seed for each 125 g (1/4 lb) of organic butter. If you combine two or more herbs, use less of the strongly flavoured ones.

Some herbs become more flavourful with the addition of a few drops of lemon juice, organic worcestershire sauce or vinegar, especially dried herbs. If you use one of these liquids, add them slowly and stir constantly to avoid curdling.

Cream or beat room-temperature butter and stir in seasonings. Pack into moulds, shape with hands into logs, or chill and form into balls, curls or pats. Refrigerate for at least three hours to allow flavours to blend. You can freeze and store herb butters for several weeks. Otherwise, use within a day before herbs deteriorate.

Variations
1 cup organic butter
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons chives
1 tablespoon tarragon
Try with fish, meats, poached egg, vegetables or fresh baked organic bread.

Basil Butter
1 cup organic butter
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (lightly packed)
1 cup minced parsley (optional)
Use with vegetables, such as zucchini (corgette), eggplant (aubergine), green beans, to season vegetable soups and with steamed fish. Try frying eggs in basil butter or use on top of poached eggs.

Butter - excellent with grilled organic meats and fish
1 cup organic butter
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon organic worcestershire sauce

Herbed Flower Bread

2 cups organic flour of choice (combination / whole-wheat)
7 teaspoons baking powder (aluminium free)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ground
1 tablespoon carraway seeds, whole
1-2 tablespoons rosemary flowers and leaves (or flowering dill, thyme, basil or marjoram)
2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup organic honey
3/4 cup organic milk or water

Mix together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the seeds and flowering herbs. Mix in the herbs and honey. Stir in enough milk or water to completley moisten the batter and continue mixing until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. It will be slightly sticky. Pour batter into an oiled 20 x 10 x 7.5 cm loaf pan. Bake in a pre-heated 170 C (340 F) oven for 40-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out dry. Turn out of the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Lavender Baking - - add organic fresh lavender to heart shape biscuit mix, or add lavender to your favourite scone recipe, replace rosemary with lavender  - baked vegetable platter or add to your crust for a baked lamb rack.

Herb Honey - This is magnificent 

Herb flavoured honeys are a delightful change from standard honey. Herbs add colour, fragrance, flavour and body to honey and fully develops the character of thicker, richer honey.

Herb honeys are easy to make and last indefinitely. Use them to sweeten tea and party punches, as a sugar substitute in salad dressings, frostings, baking, marinades or combine half-and-half with butter to make an excellent spread for pancakes, hot bread and hot toast.

Use about 1 tablespoon fresh herb or 1 teaspoon dried herb or seed to 600 ml (1 pt) honey. This is no hard and fast ratio. Experiment to suit your taste.Herbs that flavour honey: anise seeds, cardamon, cinnamon bark, coriander, fennel seeds, lavender, lemon verbena, marjoram, mints, rose geranium, rosemary, rose petals, sage, thyme and sweet violet flowers.

Bruise fresh leaves or seeds slightly and place them in layers on the bottom of a small saucepan. Pour room-temperature organic honey into the pan and heat over very low heat. Stir until the honey is just warm - about 2 minutes. High heat will damage the honey. Pour the mixture into steralized jars and seal tightly.

Store the jars at room temperature for about a week to allow flavours to blend. Then rewarm the honey over very low heat and strain the herb leaves out. Recap or use immediately.

Herbs can turn your food preparation from simple to sensational.

Herb Chutney makes a  perfect gift.

In a large saucepan or stainless steel or enamel boiler, add pureed apples and chopped peeled apples, dates, sultanas, onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, mint and other herbs, bottle of cider vinegar. Bring to boil, simmer uncovered, slow and low for at least 40 minutes, until thick, giving an occasional stir. Pour warm chutney into warm glass jars, seal and leave for at least 2 weeks to develop the flavour.

Herbs can be your year round companion. Get to know them, use them for their fragrance, their colour and their flavour. Travel the road to herbal delights in your garden and home.