Welcome to Herbs101, I thought it might be helpful for those new to cooking or just not familiar with this uplifting ingredient to have a basic guide for what to do with them. Here are a few of my faves.
Basil
This is the herb that sparked my curiosity for all herbs, the little leaves that flavour things. I get dried basil and chuck it in almost everything: eggs, bread, pasta, pizza…. It's quite sweet and mild so it's always been complementary and never overpowering in a dish.
We had a basil plant called Beyonce in my flat last year but it didn’t survive for very long; apparently Dunedin’s climate is not ideal for them.
You can buy fresh basil from any grocer, and in the Farmer's market there's a guy who grows them via hydroponics. You can use the leaves in addition to any tomato based pasta or soup. Tomatoes and basil go together like best buddies. Or you make your own pesto by blitzing fresh basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, oil and clove of garlic in a food processor. I love putting this through pasta or a potato salad. You can also do a chicken bake with it, which I might feature in a later issue of Critic.
Coriander/Cilantro
I consider coriander an Asian herb. It makes a tasty garnish especially in stir-fries and curries, but it also features in Mexican food. It is better fresh than cooked IMO: just chop up the leaves and add it immediately before serving.
Thyme
So apparently thyme was brought over by the first settlers for its healing antibacterial properties - something you could probably assume it has from its earthy flavour. It also makes great roasts! Rub thyme all over your next roast and tell me it doesn't make a difference.
My French boss considers this the most basic herb in French cooking. She told me one thing about (fresh) thyme is you do have to cook it to release its flavour and aroma.
Oregano
This one partners well with basil, and its aroma really shines through on pizza (hence why I dubb it the Domino's herb.)
Mint
We bought a mint plant at the flat to mix with drinks. So apart from making nice minty water and Pimms, I think mint is really nice in fresh salads. I find whole leaves a bit too raw tasting, so I cut it in shreds.
MJ
Jokes. You people don’t need me to tell you about that.
P.S I’ve recently discovered the community garden run by the Polytech called the “Living Campus”. It’s literally free food for anyone to grab. My flattie and I went to check it out and a lot of it was harvested but we managed to score a bunch of parsley and rosemary. No need to set up your own herb garden.