60 | October 2011 | woman this month Food Remembers his favourite herb gardens and provides us with some amazing herb-inspired recipes. One of my fondest memories of my many years in the kitchen world are the herb gardens of the different establishments that I have worked in. Several in particular had large plots of land dedicated to the needs of our culinary enterprises. They became, not only essential reservoirs of source material for us, but they also became sites of interest for our guests. Herbs — the fragrant plants whose leaves and stalks permeate dishes with colour, flavour and aroma, to give chefs a helping hand. Walking into them, full bloom, there really is nothing so calming and soothing to the soul as to touch the basil bush and release its pungently sweet aroma, to chew on a little fresh parsley, to rub mint leaves between your hands allowing the oils to soak into your skin and sweeten the surrounding air. Today’s kitchens have moved past the narrow-minded opinion that basil is an Italian dish addition or that coriander is merely for Asian cuisine. Coriander, rosemary, tarragon, dill, even thyme are all used in sweet dessert dishes just as frequently as they are in savoury. Experimentation is the key to opening a door to a whole new world of tastes. Little wonder that the feeling of calm washes over you in these gardens of scent and flavour, because many cultures actually use herbs for medicinal purposes, for the same reasons. Here are a few of the more delicious manners in which herbs can be used in the kitchen. Just don’t forget to take time out to enjoy the fresh scents and aromas of the herbs as you pick, crush, and chop them for the dishes. Nothing can calm and soothe a chef quite like it. Savoury Herb Muffins James ClaireHerb Garden A Healthy 400g plain (all-purpose) flour 20g sugar 6g baking powder 3g baking soda 1 tbsp sage leaves, crumbled 40g fresh parsley, finely chopped 80g parmesan cheese, finely grated 310g laban 60g unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg l Heat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius. l Using a twelve cup muffin pan, lightly spray with grease/oil and then line with paper muffin cases. l In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, with the sugar, the sage, parsley and cheese. Toss everything together with your hands to ensure even distribution. l Add together the laban, the melted butter and lightly whisked egg. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until everything is mixed. l Deposit the mixture into the prepared muffin cups evenly. Bake at 185 degrees for 20-25 minutes. l Serve these warm for a snack or a light meal, with sour cream and chutney or your favourite pickles.
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