Culinary Dishes Using Herbs

Eight basic culinary herbs can be used to create a variety of new dishes for you and your family. Culinary herbs are used by the most skillful gourmet chefs around the world.

Everyday people can also prepare their favorite dish using different herbs. Experimenting with them is the fun part, but it is also good to know a little bit about each plant before you cook.

Each herb produces a different aroma and taste. There is no scientific way to combine certain herbs with meat, fish, or vegetables. Many chefs have their favorite culinary herbs to use in specific dishes.

Learning about each herb may help you decide which plants to use in your favorite dishes. When using herbs in any dish, fresh herbs are stronger in flavor. You will want to cut down on the amount if you have a recipe for dried herbs Below is a description of each basic eight culinary herbs. Feel free to share your own recipes at the end of the article. Just CLICK on each photo and get started with your very own inside or outside herb garden.

• Rosemary - a member of the mint family. It is an evergreen herb in warmer climates, but will do well in containers in colder regions. Rosemary is an older herb that has been around for centuries.
  
  There are different varieties and will grow anywhere from two to three feet high and up to five to eight feet wide.
  
  One of the most popular dishes is putting rosemary on top of a pork roast. Also try it on beef roast, or beef stew. This is a strong flavor culinary herb.

• Basil - another member of the mint family. Basil had its origins in Asia and India. It is a perennial in tropical climates, but will die out in most regions. Using containers in the winter time will assure you of having basil year around.
  
  It grows about two to three feet high and about two to three feet wide. In the summer, off white tall flowers appear. This herb has a wonderful aroma. The most popular use of basil is in red base Italian sauce.
  
  I make a tomato base sauce using fresh basil, oregano, thyme, chives and fresh garlic. For a refreshing vegetable slice a tomato and put out on grill with some aluminum foil. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and a few sprigs of basil. It creates a great dinner time vegetable.




• Chives - This herb is the smallest member of the onion family. The most popular place it grows is in the northern state of New Hampshire. In northern climates purple flowers appear in the summer months.
  
  Chives grow in clumps and will mature one to two feet tall. They are one of the first herbs to peep through the ground in warmer regions. Chives are perennial and great in gardens or containers.
  
  I like garlic chives, as it produces a mild garlic flavor. Both regular garlic and garlic chives are great culinary herbs to go on top of a baked potato, Italian dishes, and along side Rosemary in pork and beef roast. Also nice flavoring in scrambled eggs.
  
  The garlic chive produces a striking white flower. Dead head the flower after blooming, to ensure the plant to continue its growing pattern.




• Oregano - Oregano is another member of the mint family. It is a perennial and has a strong flavor. Beautiful stalks of purple flowers appear in the summer time. It will also self seed. It started growing in Mediterranean Europe and now grows in a variety of climates all over the world.
  
  This is an upright plant and grows up to three feet. This culinary herb is wonderful in any types of red sauce. Create a great chicken dish, butterfly a chicken breast, based with butter and wrap a few chopped up leaves of oregano inside. Awesome flavor!
  
  Great to use in creating your own unique omelet. Makes a great topping for squash, zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower by caramelizing oregano, basil, chives, and fresh garlic. A family member is Marjoram. Marjoram has a milder flavor and is not as hardy as oregano.




• Thyme - is a perennial herb, but sensitive to heavy frost and cold temperatures. Protect in the winter time with mulch or pine straw. It was used many years ago by the Greek population and today thyme is a very popular herb. There are hundreds of different kinds of thyme.
  
  Two of the most popular are Mother of Thyme and Common Thyme. A good herb for a garden but needs watering in the heat of the summer. Great plant for a container in the kitchen. A small culinary herb, barely reaching a foot tall.
  
  Wonderful herb for many different dishes. Add a small amount of thyme leaves into your favorite meat loaf. Sprinkle a few sprigs on the top of peas or carrots. Good in white or red sauces, and nice flavor with your favorite barbecue sauce. (yes, you can open a bottle of your favorite store brand, and just add a little thyme, and it will jazz up the sauce.




• Dill - Is an annual in most climates of the world. It was first seen in the Mediterranean. Dill can grow up to three feet tall. It can get leggy so it is a good idea to stake each of your plants. This is a very popular herb to cook with.
  
  Leaves from fresh herbs can create wonderful vinegars tells you about how to incorporate dill, fresh lemon and make a wonderful herb vinegar. For a nice fish dish, take a piece of aluminum foil and fold all four edges up. Pour a small amount of lemon and dill vinegar on the bottom of the foil.
  
  Top your fish off with a little more vinegar, fresh sprigs of dill, and spread a few sesame seeds over the fish. Wrap the fish and grill. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillet. Add a few sprigs of dill to asparagus along with a slice of lemon and a clove of caramelized garlic. One of my favorite herbs to experiment with.




• Parsley - is usually an annual plant in colder climates. It also is bi-annual, meaning leaves the first year and flowers appearing the second year. Parsley grows in a mound and is can grow six to twelve inches tall.
  
  This herb is great in gardens and also containers. No one is quite sure where it originated from. Some believe it was first seen in Greece.
  
  Parsley is well known to garnish vegetable, meats, and soups. Two very popular types are Curled Leaf and Italian. It is known to have a peppery taste, so don't put a lot on a dish. I will also put parsley in potato or macaroni salads.




• Sage - There are many varieties to choose from (Clary) Golden sage is a variegated color and looks stunning in any garden. It will also do well in a container. The garden sage is a hardy perennial and grows one to two feet tall. Beautiful purple flowers appear in early summer.
  
  The Clary sage is the tallest and will reach up to five feet tall. Sage is used in a lot of European dishes. One of my favorite dishes is bread stuffing and using the fresh leaves. Take two loaves of bread and break up into tiny pieces.
  
  Add onion, celery and a little fresh garlic. Cut up a few leaves of sage and mix it all together. Add water to moisten dressing, or add a box of organic chicken broth for flavoring. Sage is also wonderful over eggs, vegetables and poultry. Another strong herb, so use just a little.

There are many other culinary herbs you can use. These eight are the most well-known plants that people use. Herb growing from seed takes you step by step on how to get started if you decide to grow them yourself.

Whether you propagate the seed or buy culinary herbs from a store or nursery, creating your own special dishes for you and your family, can bring a whole new dimension at mealtime.

Take a close up look at eight basic culinary herbs in the photo gallery of eight basic culinary herbs.

Your home will also benefit with a wonderful aroma. Do you have any recipes to share using your favorite herbs? Feel free to share your recipes with others. I welcome chefs around the world or people like myself, that love growing and using herbs.

Share With Others Your Favorite Herb Or Spice Recipe