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Below is the Spring/Summer '01 issue of our (mostly)
quarterly newsletter,
Savory Thymes. Send us an email
with your mailing address (if
you would like to be included on our "snail mail" mailing list) or your email
address, and we will send you an electronic version.
Articles
One of the most frequent questions we hear is, "Where should I plant my
herbs?" Many people are intimidated by growing herbs. They think there is
some special method involving intricate designs and formal borders. This couldn’t
be further from the truth. Herbs are as accommodating as any other garden plant,
and sometimes more so. They do beautifully mixed into your perennial or annual
borders, grow wonderfully in pots or window boxes, and can even do well inside
on a sunny window sill. How is that for versatility?
Preparation. Most herbs require about 5–6 hours of sun to really do
well. Most also require well-drained soil. If you plan on putting them in the
ground, choose an open sunny spot that is slightly elevated (to promote
drainage) or raise the bed a few inches before planting. Before you begin, do
yourself (and your herbs) a favor and add some compost to the soil. This will
improve the health of the soil by increasing the nutrients and microorganisms as
well as the soil’s capacity to hold moisture—all of which are vital to a
healthy garden.
Next, take a few minutes to ask yourself what you are expecting out of your
herbs. Do you want a functional herb garden that you will harvest from
frequently? If so, make sure you have access to them. Add a few stepping stones
to the bed, or place your herbs in easy-to-reach planters or pots. Nothing is
more frustrating than wading around your dew soaked garden looking for a single
sprig of parsley to add as a last minute garnish.
Growing requirements. Just as you would with any other plant, think about
the growing conditions your herbs prefer. If you don’t know, ask one of our
sales people, check out our website (www.petesherbs.com), or look in any
good herb book (see "Recommended Reading"). Herbs come in a variety of
sizes and shapes, and most will grow just about anywhere, but to do their best,
give them what they want! The creeping thyme you just bought may look adorable
next to the mint, but aside from having vastly different water requirements, it
will get smothered by the mint in no time. Instead, place the thyme between
stones in your walk way, or plant it at the base of a topiary or near your
rosemary. You may have visions of your lavender blooming profusely from the
center of your garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers. This won’t happen.
Lavender needs great air circulation and will thrive on the edge of your border
or in a pot. And wouldn’t all of those basils look cute together in a pot? Not
necessarily. The Genova basil can reach four feet and will probably overshadow
the rest of them—give it its own pot, or plant it in the ground. Other
varieties such as Thai, lemon or lime basil, or a compact Genova basil will
gladly share with others.
Watering requirements. Basil is a thirsty plant—especially in the
summer. Rosemary is not a thirsty plant; too much water is one of the few things
that will kill it. So avoid putting these two in a pot together, or too close to
each other in the garden. As a general rule, the greater the leaf surface, the
more water it will need (think basil and mint). The smaller leaved, woodier
plants, such as thyme, oregano and rosemary, (and those with silvery leaves)
require less water and very well drained soil. (See "Plants That Do Well
Together.")
The best advice however, is just get out there and plant. What is the worst
that can happen? You might kill something. Plants die—sometimes without any
help from you at all! There are few hard and fast rules. If you are determined
to plant basil in the shade, because that is all you have, do it. See what
happens—you just never know. If your plants consistently die in one spot, try
them in another. If you have great luck with one thing, plant more of it! Go
with what works. A garden is a process, not something you have.
Sometimes it takes a little work to get things going, but in the end, you will
be glad you tried. [ Back
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People have been asking where their current issue of the newsletter is, or
why the website hasn’t been updated in awhile. Well, the answer is simple. I
have been doing a little propagating myself, the end result being my daughter
Lily. Needless to say, having an incredibly active 5-month old takes away from
my time at the computer, so I am a little delinquent in getting things done. I
will continue publishing the newsletter and updating the website, but a little
more slowly than usual, so please bear with me!
Something else that has held me up a little is our latest venture, the
publication of the first edition of the Pete’s Herbs catalog. It is a complete
listing of everything we grow throughout the year, with descriptions and
planting advice. If you haven’t already gotten one, you can pick up a
complimentary copy at either the Charleston or Mt. Pleasant Farmers markets, or
here at the farm. If you would like us to mail one to you, please send a check
for $3.00.
This is the best time of year for planting and growing, and farm is beautiful
right now. Even if you are a regular to the markets, there are still things you
haven’t seen, such as our complete collection of heirloom vegetables (while
they last) and Caroline’s latest batch of newly hatched chicks! Please call or
check the website for hours, as they change seasonally. [ Back
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— Kate
Use this list as a guide of what plants do well together. They are listed
(roughly) from tallest to shortest. This is by no means complete, but should
get you started.
| Sunny/Dry |
Sunny/Moist |
Partly Sunny*/Moist** |
| Rosemary |
Lemon grass |
Hercules Dill |
| Pineapple sage |
Genova basil |
Patchouli |
| Mexican tarragon |
Other basils |
Lemon balm |
| Lavender |
Mint |
Cilantro |
| Oregano |
Chives |
Parsley |
| Garlic chives |
Charleston cilantro |
Chives |
| Sage |
Pennyroyal |
|
| Thyme |
|
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* Partly sunny = less than 5 hours a day
** Moist = not dry, not soaking wet
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The name Salvia officinalis, from the Latin salvere, to save,
indicates the value of sage as a medicinal herb. In the Middle Ages it was
used as a common cure, not unlike aspirin. A sacred herb to the ancient
Romans, it was believed to bestow wisdom and improve memory. Sage has
antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, and can be used as a mild
astringent. Its antibacterial properties, combined with the pebbly texture of
the leaves made it an ideal toothbrush before commercial ones became
available. Sage tea, made by pouring boiling water over the fresh leaves is
wonderful to soothe sore throats, and can also be used externally to heal
wounds.
Of course, before sage can save you, you have to be able to save it in the
hot and humid Lowcountry. Sage requires plenty of sun, and a good quality,
well-drained alkaline soil. Add lime and compost if you have poor soil. In
containers, feed once every 4–6 weeks with fish emulsion liquid fertilizer.
Air circulation is very important—both around and inside the plant,
especially during the summer months. When your plant really starts to grow and
fill out, prune out some of the inner and lower branches to allow air to flow
through the plant. Also, remove any old or dead leaves that fall down into the
center of the plant and occasionally prune out woody top growth to reveal the
new growth coming from the base.
In addition to its medicinal value, sage is also one of the oldest culinary
herbs in the world. Americans use it in turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving;
Russians use it when baking a goose; the English put it in cheese; and where
would Italian bean dishes be without it? Fresh sage leaves give a recipe a
completely different (and far superior) flavor than dried sage from a bottle.
Take a fresh sage leaf and crush it between your fingers, and you will be
greeted by a slightly minty aroma, without the hint of old gym shoes that
dried sage can have...
If you haven’t grown sage before, this is the year to try it—you’ll
be glad you did!
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Spring is here, and it is time to start using those fresh herbs! You may
notice that the herb measurements in these recipes are not very exact. That is
because flavor is a personal issue—some may like a mild flavor while others
prefer one that is more robust. Start small, you can always add more!
Frances’ Herbed Bread
Makes 2 loaves
3 envelopes yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups scalded milk, cooled
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon shortening
6–6 1/2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2+ cloves garlic, pressed (or to taste)
1 cup chopped fresh dill*
Dissolve yeast with sugar in warm water, let sit until foamy, about 5–10
minutes. Combine milk, salt and shortening in a separate bowl; stir in 2 cups
flour and combine with yeast mixture. Stir in garlic and dill. Add flour to
dough, cup by cup, turning it out onto a floured surface to knead once it’s
too stiff to stir. Knead dough for approximately 10 minutes, until satiny
smooth, and shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, covering with
a damp towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
(It’s important to let dough rise in a warm area, not too hot or not too
cold, about 70–75F.) Punch down and let rise until double again, about 45
minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut dough in half, form into 2 loaves and place
in greased, floured (or sprinkle with corn meal) loaf pans. Bake for about an
hour, until golden brown. The bread is done when you can knock on the top of
the loaf and it sounds hollow. Remove loaves from pans and cool on racks. It’s
best hot and slathered with butter, but cuts better if you let it cool a bit
first.
*I’ve made this with other herbs (marjoram, basil, rosemary),
but I think the dill/garlic combination was the best. I’ve also made this
with caramelized onions and dill, but add a little less liquid with this one.
Jill’s Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Prep: 15 minutes / Yields: about 2 cups
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite fresh mint, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Serve chilled. Good with grilled
salmon; as a dip for veggies, or as a sandwich spread.
Kate’s Sage Butter
3–4 tablespoons sage*, coarsely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, clarified
This is delicious drizzled over plain pasta, cheese or spinach ravioli, or
steamed veggies. If you choose not to clarify the butter, use about 5
tablespoons instead of a stick, melt it over low heat, and proceed with step
2.
1. To clarify butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and melt in a heavy saucepan
over low heat. Remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. Skim froth
and slowly pour butter into a measuring cup, leaving milky solids in bottom of
pan. Dump out the solids, and return butter to pan.
2. Remove pan from heat, add sage, cover, and let steep for 5–30 minutes,
or to desired taste. Strain leaves and toss with pasta. Add a few whole sage
leaves for garnish.
*This is also good using other herbs, particularly rosemary!
Caroline’s Green Salad w/Mint
Makes 8 servings
2 heads Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 heads Belgian endive, cut crosswise into 1/2" slices
4 tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Fine sea salt to taste
Toss together lettuce, endive, tomatoes, and mint. Just before serving,
drizzle salad with oil and toss, then sprinkle with lemon juice. Add sea salt
and pepper to taste and toss again.
Adapted from Gourmet, May 2001
Susan’s Hummus
2 cans garbanzo beans (well rinsed to reduce gas factor)
2–3 cloves garlic-pressed (or to taste)
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon or lime (or to taste)
1 handful fresh Genova Basil leaves, chopped
(or to taste, depending on the size of your hand)
Salt to taste
After rinsing beans hold back about 1/2 a can for a chunkier texture. Mash
everything together with a fork (personally, I think it has to taste better
and it’s a great workout for your arms...You could probably use a food
processor though I can’t promise how it will taste!) You may need to add a
little bit of water for a creamier consistency. Once mixed, add reserved whole
beans and then finally salt to taste. I have also used parsley when I
didn’t have basil, but use a bit less than a handful.
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