Sassy Salad Herbs
I was a notoriously fussy eater as a child, completely suspicious of fancy foods with lots of sauces. The one food which helped me to survive my youth without completely starving to death was salad. Of course, no dressing was allowed. As an adult I have learned to eat many exotic foods that I would never have considered as a child. However, one of my all time favorite foods continues to be salad. Over the years the ingredients have changed greatly with the availability of many different types of greens and a variety of other vegetables. Since I started growing herbs I've been experimenting with adding some of them in small quantities to my salads and dressings. Herbs will add interesting textures, flavors, and colors to an otherwise boring salad. As I've discovered some favorites I've begun adding more of them to my herb garden so that I can have a continuous supply of tasty salad ingredients.
Being culinarily cautious, I started out by testing only a few of the herbs that I'd been aware of for some time. These included apple mint (Mentha sauveolens), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), flat-leaved parsley (Petroselinum crispum hardens), French tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus var. `Salvia'), and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). Later, as my knowledge of herbs increased I began trying more exotic combinations including borage flowers and leaves (Borago officinalis), nasturtium flowers and leaves (Tropaeolum majus), sorrel (Rumex acetosa), fennel leaf (Foeniculum vulgare), marjoram (Origanum majorana (Marjorana hortensis)), Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare spp. hirtum), and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum).
In Herbs for the Home, by Jekka McVicar, I found a plan for creating an herb garden solely devoted to salad herbs (p. 228). The author suggests herbs such as caraway (Carum carvi), salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), calendula (Calendula officinalis), salad rocket (Eruca vesicaria), chicory (Cichorium intybus), and lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus). She explains that when planning such a garden it is important to consider the varying heights, colors and textures of each herb so that their placement will enhance the growth of the herbs and their visual effect a swell
Not only do I use these `salad herbs' in green, tossed salads, I also add them to salads such as three bean, fruit, potato, marinated vegetable, rice, and pasta. I also make herbal vinegars which I use in combination with various fresh or dried herbs to make vinaigrettes and salad dressings to pour over my salads. None of my `herbal salads' are ever the same. Their ingredients depend greatly upon my mood and which herbs are available at that particular time of the year. I simply carry a basket and a pair of clippers out to the herb garden and begin snipping away. I spin the wet leaves after washing in a salad spinner and then either chop the herbs slightly or tear the leaves into smaller pieces before adding them to salads.
In addition to the flavor, color, and textures that herbs add to salads consider their health and nutritional value. Ben Charles Harris, author of Better Health With Culinary Herbs, states that herbs such as chives, parsley, and nasturtium should be used fresh to achieve optimum nutritional benefit (p. 3). An ounce of parsley contains 40,000 units of vitamin A and as much vitamin C as an orange. It is also a source of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, copper, iron, and manganese (Better Health With Culinary Herbs, p. 104). Chives contain vitamins A, B, and C, sulfur, and iron (Better Health With Culinary Herbs, p. 104). Nasturtiums and salad burnet are sources of vitamin C (Herbs for the Home, p. 165 & 205 & Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, p. 22). Herbs such as tarragon, thyme, oregano, marjoran, hyssop, and basil aid in the digestion of fatty foods and promote appetite (Herbs For The Home, p. 45, 95, 138, & 202, & Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, p. 22).
As you can see from the above examples, fresh herbs will not only delight and excite your taste buds but can add to your health and well being as well. So, herbs are visually attractive in your garden, they aid in controlling garden pests, they smell wonderful, they add flavor to cooked foods, AND they are absolutely super in salads. What are you waiting for?
By Mary Sisson EIbs
Email the author at momherb02@yahoo.com
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