The Backyard Homestead

by Carleen Madigan

  Most nurseries offer only seedling trees of the Carpathian walnut, but those that specialize in nut trees have some good cultivars available. Some of these are Ambassador, Ashworth (one of the hardiest), Broadview, Chopaka, Fately, Gurney, Hansen, Lake, McKinster, Russian, and Somers.

  Walnut

  CHAPTER 3

  Easy, Fragrant Herbs

  Imagine growing your own herbal tea — peppermint, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile. Or how about running out to the back deck for a handful of chives or a snip of rosemary whenever you need it? Or having a whole cupboard full of freshly dried seasonings, like sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, to flavor dinners through the winter and give away as gifts?

  Many people don’t realize that the herbs and herbal teas they find on store shelves are often at least six months old, and because their essential oils have volatilized, they’ve lost a lot of their flavor by the time you take them home. You can often find fresh herbs in the produce section, but at an exorbitant price, especially considering how simple and inexpensive it is to grow them yourself.

  Herbs are probably the easiest garden plants to grow. For the most part, they require very little attention, average soils, and no additional watering after they’re established (in fact, some herbs actually resent being watered, and their flavor is less pungent because of it). In addition to providing tasty teas and seasonings, herbs can be every bit as ornamental as traditional garden perennials are.

  Once you’ve caught the herb-growing bug, you can learn to preserve them by drying or freezing them and to create herbed oils and butters as well as herbal vinegars. Learning about decoctions and infusions (see page 171) can help you get the most of the herbs you grow in your garden, especially if your goal is to brew the most flavorful cup of tea you’ve ever had!

  Gardening with Herbs

  You can find most of the basic herbs you want already started as transplants at your garden center. Starting your own is much like starting other seeds, with a few changes.

  First, herb seeds are usually tiny. After leveling off your soil mix, sprinkle the herb seeds on the surface and just tamp them down. You don’t have to bury the tiny ones. Be sure to keep them moist and in a warm spot. The other big difference is that they seem to take forever to germinate. Two to three weeks is not uncommon.

  Another way to get perennial herbs like chives, oregano, and tarragon is to divide an existing plant. In early spring, or after the growing season in fall, drive a trowel or spade through the plant and remove a chunk for your garden. Keep the roots moist as you move them, and transplant them immediately.

  You can grow a good collection of the basic herbs in one or two hanging baskets, in a corner of your vegetable garden, in pots or window boxes, or mixed in a flowerbed. The best advice is to put your herbs as close to the kitchen as you can. You’ll use them more if you don’t have to make a special trip to the garden for a few leaves of basil or chives.

  Caring for Herbs

  Herbs like five to eight hours of sunshine every day and well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. The exception is mint, which likes damp, partly shady areas.

  If you fertilized the soil at planting time, you shouldn’t need more during the growing season. Too much fertilizing makes herbs big and rangy, when what you’re after is compact, bushy plants with greater concentrations of flavorful oils.

  Most herbs are at their best as they begin to flower. Pick the tender leaves and pick off the flowers to encourage continued growth. Herbs grow best if they are not allowed to set seeds. Prune them to control their size and shape as you harvest them for your own use.

  A large pot of herbs is easy to move if you set it on a dolly.

  Grow Your Own Ginger

  Fresh ginger is a staple of Asian cuisine, and both ginger and its botanical cousin, turmeric, are surprisingly easy to grow at home. The part of the plant that’s normally eaten grows underground — a subterranean stem called a rhizome, which bears buds that grow into stems and narrow leaves. Eventually it flowers, and the pure white blooms — as many as 15, borne in a leafy conelike structure at the end of a cane — are delightfully fragrant.

  To grow ginger, start with a visit to the supermarket. Purchase a piece of fresh ginger that’s at least 2 to 3 inches long and bears several buds or “eyes.” Select a shallow, wide pot and fill three-quarters of it with moist potting mix. Bury the rhizome shallowly, covering it with just an inch or two of soil. Keep the soil moist and put the pot in a place that’s warm and brightly lit, but out of direct sun.

  The ginger plant grows tall quickly and resembles a stand of bamboo — in six weeks, it can be as tall as 3 feet! Although the rhizome can be harvested after just a few months, it doesn’t develop its full flavor until the plant is mature, which can take up to a year. If you live in a cold climate, bring the container indoors in fall and water only sparingly through the winter (no more than once a month); the plant should receive just enough water to keep it alive but in a dormant state. The foliage may die back, but it will resprout in spring.

  soil line

  Herbal Theme Gardens

  An Easy and Fragrant Kitchen Border

  Plant this herb garden near the kitchen door for easy access. The number in parentheses refers to the number of plants required.

  1. Sage (2)

  2. Peppermint (1, surrounded by a root barrier; it will spread)

  3. Spearmint (1, surrounded by a root barrier; it will spread)

  4. Oregano (1)

  5. Marjoram (1)

  6. Tarragon (1)

  7. Lemon balm (1)

  8. Rosemary (1)

  9. Chives (2)

  10. Upright thyme (1)

  11. Lemon thyme (1)

  12. Burnet (1)

  13. French thyme (1)

  A Cold and Flu Garden

  When cooler winter weather arrives, colds and flu often arrive, too. You can plant a garden that provides an herbal harvest to treat your cold or flu. This plan can take up quite a large space. Peppermint becomes invasive, so plant it in a large tub or container with drainage holes in the bottom and sink it into the ground. Butterflies are drawn to echinacea and yarrow.

  1. Thyme (4)

  2. Garlic cloves (9)

  3. Cayenne pepper (3)

  4. Yarrow (1)

  5. Echinacea (2)

  6. Peppermint (1)

  7. Rosemary (2)

  Preserving Herbs

  When you are ready to harvest, choose a dry day and pick after the dew has evaporated. The essential oil concentration is said to be highest in the morning. Remember, essential oils give a plant its fragrance, flavor, and any health benefits attributed to the herb.

  Because the oil content is higher in a plant before flowering, many herb gardeners recommend picking before the plant flowers. But I’ve harvested at all stages of growth. The best way is to experiment with different times. You might prefer the more delicate flavor of small, new leaves, especially for the more pungent herbs.

  The easiest way to clean herbs for harvesting is to rinse them with a garden hose. Set the hose to a light spray or mist. Soak the plants well and let them dry in the sun before you harvest. If you choose instead to rinse them after cutting, use a salad spinner to remove excess water.

  Drying Herbs

  In North America, herbs (and herb gardens) go back as far as the Pilgrims, who used them to vary a monotonous diet, to camouflage odors, and to make medicines. They are easy to grow, often can be found in the wild (such as mints), and are easy to dry. Most are picked just before the flowers open or when the leaves are still young and tender. As the plants mature, the oils that produce the odors and flavors become less intense.

  Herbs should be dried at cooler temperatures than fruits and vegetables to protect their delicate flavors and aromas. They should never be dried in full sun; rather, place them in the shade, where there is good circulation of warm air, or dry them in a dehydrator. Strong-flavored herbs should be dried separately from herbs that mi
ght pick up their flavors. Wash picked herbs only if they’re dirty or have been treated with chemicals.

  Store completely dried herbs in labeled, tightly sealed jars.

  Hang small bundles of herbs to dry in a dark, airy place.

  Herb seeds should be allowed to develop and partially dry on the plant. Do not let them dry completely, however, or the pod will burst, spilling out the seeds to the ground. To finish drying, remove the seeds from the plants, spread them in a thin layer on trays, and dry them in the shade or in a dehydrator set at 95°F (35°C).

  To dry herb leaves, spread them in a thin layer over drying trays and dry them in a shady area or in a dehydrator set at 95°F (35°C) or lower until the leaves are crisp enough to crumble in the hands. Herb leaves also can be dried by tying stalks together with a string and hanging them upside down in a shady, well-ventilated area. This time-honored method is more picturesque, but there is some loss of flavor and aroma during the longer drying time. The dried leaves should be removed from their stalks and left whole, then stored in small, tightly closed containers.

  Jars or packages should be as small as possible to retain maximum flavor and aroma, and well filled to exclude air. Store in a dark, cool closet or cabinet. Dried herbs will keep their flavor for several months but should be discarded after a year.

  Most satisfactory, of course, is not to store herbs, but to have them fresh and ready for use. Every kitchen should have a pot or two or three of herbs. Start them outside in summer, and then pot them up before the first frosts. The bigger the pot, the more productive the herbs will be. For starters, try parsley, chives, and basil. Give them as much sunshine as possible, keep them cut back regularly, and water them, and they will reward you with a constant supply of goodness.

  Herbs should be dried at cooler temperatures than fruits and vegetables to protect their delicate flavors and aromas. They should never be dried in full sun.

  Microwave-Drying Herbs

  A microwave oven will enable you to dry herbs in a matter of minutes, rather than the hours, days, or weeks previously required. There will no longer be the worry of dust contamination from hanging herbs to dry them. Best of all, you can do as much or as little as you are inclined to do. For instance, if you have over-picked a fresh herb to use in a dish, you can easily dry the remainder without wasting a bit of it.

  Microwave-drying of herbs requires the same preparation as you would use to dry them in an oven or a dehydrator. If there is dirt on the herb you are drying, wash it carefully to avoid bruising the leaves, then dry thoroughly. You can use a salad spinner to dry large amounts of herbs at one time. Drying garlic or chilies in the microwave is not recommended, as both contain too much water to dry properly. All other herb seeds, leaves, and flowers can be dried in the microwave.

  Since the amount of herb you are drying will vary from time to time, no definitive guidelines can be given regarding time involved in the process. Once you have separated the leaves, seeds, or flowers from the stems and cleaned them, if needed, you are ready to begin. Dry one herb at a time. Spread a single layer on a double thickness of paper toweling and put it into the oven. Microwave on high power for 1 to 2 minutes at a time, redistributing the herbs for more even drying at each interval. After the second or third time, the herbs will be noticeably drier. Continue this interval timing, but in ½- to 1-minute intervals, until the herbs are completely dry. Be cautious; once dried, herbs can catch on fire. Let them cool, then pack them into airtight containers.

  A Guide to Dried Herbs

  Freezing, Oils, and Butters

  Sure, dry some of your herbs — but don’t stop there. Try some of the many other methods that can be used to catch their flavors.

  Freezing them is one of the easiest and most satisfactory methods of keeping herbs. Wash them well, and then spread them out until they are dry and wilted. (This may take several hours.) Cut or chop them into the form you want for cooking, pack them in jars, and freeze them. With most herbs, flavor and color will be preserved. Try this first with chives and parsley, then move on to others.

  Herb butters, too, can be made when herbs are most plentiful and frozen for later use. They are handy for adding flavor to vegetables as well as for the most conventional use with bread and rolls. Chop herbs very fine, then mix with butter in a ratio of 1 part herbs to 2 to 3 parts butter, depending on your taste. Tarragon, chives, parsley, and rosemary are some to try, and combinations are recommended as you become more familiar with them.

  The herbs and butter should be blended with a fork and left in the refrigerator for a few days to enable the flavor to spread through the butter. Then pack it for freezing.

  Herbal Broth

  Most people have trouble avoiding a cold or flu at some time during the winter. This broth will provide you with herbal comfort when you’re ill. It is flavorful, warming, and packed with vitamins.

  6 garlic cloves, minced

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  2 cups water or vegetable broth

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon cayenne powder

  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried

  ½ teaspoon fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried Pinch to ¼ teaspoon salt, if the vegetable broth is unsalted

  Add the garlic to the olive oil and sauté over high heat briefly, until the garlic starts to change color. Add the water, turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add all of the herbs and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Sip slowly.

  Yield: About 2 cups

  32 Essential Herbs

  There are endless possibilities of herbs to grow, but here are 32 of the most popular ones you’ll find at your local nursery, along with tips on how to use them.

  Basil

  Basil is a tender annual very sensitive to frost. Sow the seed directly into the garden after the soil is warm, with an extra dose of compost. Plant it in full sun and water it weekly in dry weather.

  This fast-growing plant grows to 2 feet. To keep the plant bushy, pinch out the blooms or the tips of each stem before it flowers. Harvest the leaves throughout the summer.

  To dry basil, harvest just before it blooms. Hang, screen-dry, or freeze.

  Pesto

  Pesto is an Italian basil sauce that is fabulous on pasta, hot or cold. It also enlivens grilled fish, steamed vegetables, crostini, and omelets. Experiment with substituting parsley or other herbs for some of the basil, and use pecans or walnuts in place of the pine nuts.

  2 cups fresh basil leaves Pinch of salt

  1 or 2 cloves garlic

  ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  ¼ to ½ cup pine nuts

  Using a food processor, preferably with a plastic blade, combine the basil leaves, salt, and peeled garlic cloves until a coarse paste is formed. Add the grated cheese and process to blend. With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil in a thin stream. Add the pine nuts and process until smooth.

  Use immediately or store in the refrigerator with a ½-inch coating of olive oil on top. To freeze pesto, prepare without the cheese and cover with ½ inch of olive oil; add the cheese after thawing. To make it easy to use small amounts of pesto, freeze it in ice cube trays. When frozen, transfer the cubes to plastic freezer bags for storage.

  Yield: About 2 cups

  Freeze small amounts of pesto in ice cube trays, then transfer them to freezer bags.

  Basil

  Bay (Bay Laurel)

  Bay is a slow-growing evergreen shrub with aromatic leaves. A sun-loving plant, it is a tender perennial that must go indoors during winter in cold climates. It is difficult to propagate. Bay can grow to a height of 10 feet.

  Bay

  Burnet

  Burnet’s cucumber-flavored leaves are used in drinks, soups, and salads. It is easily grown from seed. Burnet grows 1 to 2 feet tall in sun or light shade and slightly alkaline soil.

  Burnet

  Catmint
(Catnip)

  Beloved by felines, catmint is used in tea by humans as a cough remedy and as an aid to digestion. The plants are 2 to 3 feet high. Easily grown in sun or light shade, catmint tolerates most soils.

  Catmint

  Chamomile

  Tea made from chamomile blossoms is used as a soothing tranquilizer; it is also used as a tonic. Chamomile grows easily from seed or divisions. It grows up to 10 inches with a spreading growth habit.

  Chamomile

  Edible Flowers

  Many flowers not only are lovely to look at, but they also add delicate texture or taste to foods. Use them as garnishes or to decorate a cake. Some favorites are borage, calendula, chive blossoms, clove pinks, elderflowers, lavender, mints, nasturtium, rose petals, and violets. Larger flowers, such as daylilies and squash blossoms, may be stuffed or fried. For culinary purposes, be sure to use organically grown flowers that are free from pesticides. See page 30 for more edible flower ideas.

  Chives

  These small, onionlike plants are useful in salads, soups, and egg dishes. Hardy perennials, they reach 12 to 18 inches in height. Cut off the mauve-blue flower heads to keep the plants growing, but leave them on later in the season for foraging bees.

  Chives prefer full sun, rich soil, and plentiful water. Mulch around the plants to keep out weeds and grasses.

  Harvest chives as soon as the spears are a few inches long. Snipping out entire spears encourages tender new growth. Chives do not dry well. Freeze them for winter use.

  Chives

  Costmary (Bible Leaf)

  Its fragrant leaves with a minty flavor were pressed and used as bookmarks in Bibles during colonial days. Today, costmary is used as a garnish, in tea, and for potpourri. Propagate by root division. The plants grow 2 to 3 feet high. Costmary likes sun and ordinary garden soil.