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Herbs
Summer is the season to experiment with fragrant herbs – whether you pick them from your garden or forage for them in the supermarket. Don’t be afraid to experiment with fresh herbs in large amounts – some recipes can benefit from a decent handful. You’ll also get more significant health benefits – including vitamins, antioxidants and other valuable phytochemicals. Use these herbs to pep up a simple low-fat dish (replacing other less healthy seasonings such as salt) and do yourself good.
THYME
Culinary: Piquant and lightly lemony, thyme enhances all meat and fish dishes and flavours oils or cider vinegar. Also try it chopped in cottage cheese.
Health: The antibacterial active ingredient, thymol, is contained in some mouthwashes and chest rubs.
PARSLEY
Culinary: Curly parsley makes an attractive garnish, but the flat-leaved variety has a superior flavour. Use it in fish dishes and in Italian meals.
Health: An almost unrivalled source of vitamin C – only blackcurrants and guava score better. You’ll need a good handful to benefit though. Also said to be a natural breath freshener.
CORIANDER
Culinary: A distinctive fragrant taste that livens salads and salsa and goes well with citrus flavours in marinades.
Health: An antibacterial compound in coriander may prove a means of fighting salmonella according to a recent study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. More studies are needed.
OREGANO
Culinary: Often associated in Italian cuisine, it goes well with tomato-based dishes.
Health: In laboratory studies, oregano essential oil has antifungal properties against Candida albicans which causes athlete’s foot. However it can be an irritant, so use 50% or greater dilution and apply only topically.
ROSEMARY
Culinary: A staple of Mediterranean cuisine (and with lamb), it also tastes good in ice creams and sorbets.
Health: Test tube studies have shown constituents of rosemary to have potential antioxidant and anti-tumour effects, but whether humans can benefit is not known.
MINT
Culinary: Various strains (e.g. peppermint, apple mint and spearmint) make up the family. All types lend themselves to lamb dishes and Middle Eastern flavours.
Health: An enteric-coated variety of peppermint oil is available commercially to treat wind and indigestion. To make a stomach-soothing cup of tea, steep a few mint leaves in boiling water for several minutes.
BASIL
Culinary: Easy to grow on your windowsill, basil complements summer vegetables – try it with tomatoes and aubergines.
Health: Historically the herb has been used to soothe digestive problems and to relieve intestinal wind.
SAGE
Culinary: The classic accompaniment to pork and poultry, sage always tastes best fresh.
Health: Three grams of chopped leaf added to 150ml boiling water and strained makes a mouthwash or gargle for a sore throat. Herbalists use extractions or infusions of the herb for excessive perspiration that can accompany the menopause and research continues into its potential memory-boosting properties.
TARRAGON
Culinary: A warm, aromatic, aniseed taste. Finely chopped, it enhances the flavour of poultry, mayonnaise, vegetables (especially green beans) and salad dressings.
Health: Not really considered a medicinal herb but it was widely used in ancient times to ward off dragons. With the relative lack of them in the world, one must conclude it is effective.
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