GARNISHING WITH HERBS
Herbs enhance the entire dining experience when used to decorate dishes.
For garnishing, choose edible leaves or flowers without blemishes.
Fresh cut herbs - from garden or market - will keep for several days
if stored properly. Place stem ends in a vase of cold water, in the same
manner as fresh flowers.
Herb garnishes should be used to enhance the meal, not merely to fill
up the plate. Below are some traditional combinations:
- Basil leaves on fruit and cottage cheese
- Borage flowers candied on cakes, cookies and fruit salads
- Chervil on rice and mixed in cream cheese for spreading on bagels
- Chive flower's on potato dishes
- Dill in sour cream for a quick raw vegetable or chip dip
- Lemon verbena floated in teas
- Lovage seeds sprinkled over bread
- Mint leaves in melon or grain salads or frozen in ice cubes and
added to summer drinks
- Parsley on smoked salmon, breads or rice
- Scented germanium leaves as decoration for jellies, puddings, cakes
and cookies
- Tarragon shredded onto pears
Seasoning Blends
Blends of ground herbs are another useful, flavorful addition to the
table. Herb blends can be salt-free or contain varying quantities of salt.
Salt-free blends are particularly appealing for people on low-sodium diets.
For seasoned salt, combine one cup of noniodized kosher or sea salt to
one cup of fresh herbs (five to eight tablespoons dry herbs). Crush the
herb leaves with the salt blender. If using fresh herbs, place the mixture
on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven for about an hour and let cool
before storing. Store herbs in airtight jars. They will keep for about
a year.
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