Herbs

‘Herb’ simply refers to the leaf of a plant.
To store your herbs keep them in the fridge, submerged in water, which needs to be changed often or wrapped in a damp J-cloth. Hardy herbs, such as bay leaves, thyme and rosemary can easily be stored whole in the freezer. Soft herbs, such as basil, parsley or coriander can also be frozen, but we recommend chopping them beforehand and freezing in ice cubes either in oil or water.

Basil

Complements: pasta sauces, poultry (especially in stuffings), tomatoes, courgettes and aubergine, salads and vinegary dressings, lentils (especially yellow split peas)
Combines well with: garlic, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, paprika, mustard, parsley
To serve: Place strips or chunks of mango into a bowl. Cook a handful of prawn in a hot pan in a glug of oil. As they are starting to turn pink, add a large splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime. Pour over the mango and sprinkle with the chopped basil and finely chopped chilli.

Chives

Complements: eggs, seafood, chicken, soured cream, salad dressings, mayonnaise, white sauce, mashed potatoes
Combines well with: basil, cress, lovage, chervil, onion, garlic, sorrel, parsley
To serve: fill a pastry cup with half a quail egg topped with lumpfish roe, sprinkled with chives

Coriander

Complements: Asian salads, soups, stir-fries and curries, Indain rice dishes as a garnish, avocado, tomato
Combines well with: basil, curry leaves, parsley, Vietnamese mint, dill, fenugreek leaves, lemongrass, garlic, ginger
To serve: Make tempera batter by combining equal amounts of plain and corn flour and pour in enough ginger beer to create a smooth light batter, add chopped chives. Deep fry on 190C for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, season with salt and serve hot with a watercress and coriander dip (blend watercress and coriander with salt and oil)

Dill

Complements: cream cheese, white sauce, chicken, seafood, eggs, fish, salad dressing
Combines well with: basil, bay, parsley, coriander
To serve: We made a salad of the following – beetroot, cucumber, potatoes, boiled eggs, dill and chives with a kefir (with salt and pepper) or natural yoghurt dressing (with a dash of vinegar to loose the yoghurt and salt and pepper)

Mint

Complements: chicken, pork and veal (in small quantities), lamb, new potatoes, green peas, broad beans, feta, tomatoes and aubergine (small quantities), sorbets, raita
Combines well with: chilli, cumin, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme
This herb is used in Middle Eastern, Moroccan and Asian cooking in many ways: stuffed vine leaves, with fresh coconut in chutneys, tagines, stir-fries and meat kaftan
To serve: Combine with cooked peas, broad beans, feta and olive oil for a refreshing salad or dip individual leaves into melted dark chocolate for an after dinner treat!

Oregano

Complements: Tomato based pizza sauces and pasta dishes, tomato, roast beef, lamb, pork
Combines well with: ajwain, basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, pepper, basil, bay, chilli, paprika, garlic, marjoram
To serve: Simply slice good quality tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and a little lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt, capers, pepper, lemon zest and the chopped oregano.

Parsley

Complements: eggs, sauces for fish and poultry, pasta dishes, soups, mashed potatoes, tabouleh
Combines well with: rocket, chicory, chives, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, mint, cress, dill , chives, bay, chervil, garlic, fennel, basil
To serve: Fry a chopped onion in a little oil until golden, add 4 strands of saffron steeped in 1 tablespoon of boiling water to the pan and leave to evaporate. Then add chopped almonds, pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta, pistachios, mint and parsley. Serve in pastry cups as a canapé. This can be warmed through in a low oven for a few minutes just before service.

Rosemary

Complements: savoury scones, dumplings in casseroles, starchy foods very well and counters the richness in meats such as pork, lamb and duck, soybeans, mashed potatoes, pates, game, courgette, aubergine
Combines well with: ajwain, basil, bay, sage, tarragon, thyme, oregano, nutmeg, garlic
To serve: Melt a baron dark chocolate and combine with chopped rosemary and dried apricots.

Sage

Complements: rich and fatty foods (such as pork, goose and duck), bread stuffings, soups, casseroles, roast meats
Combines well with: tarragon, thyme, rosemary, pepper, basil, bay, garlic, chives, mint, marjoram, rosemary, pepper, parsley, oregano, mint
To serve: Place a large knob of butter into a pan and keep on a medium heat until starting to colour, add the chopped sage and cook until the butter has turned golden brown. Pour over cooked sweet potato or pumping gnocchi.

Tarragon

Complements: tartare and bernaise sauce, salad dressings, fish and shellfish, chicken, turkey, game, veal, egg dishes, mushrooms
Combines well with: garlic, dill, basil, chervil, parsley, paprika
To serve: Simple tossed through mushrooms pan-fried in butte served on a toast or with goat cheese.

Thyme

Complements: pates, terrines, potato salad, sausages, casseroles and stews, rich asuces and gravies
Combines well with: tarragon, sage, nutmeg, oregano, ajwain, basil, bay, garlic, marjoram, mint, paprika, rosemary, coriander seeds
To serve: Pan fry a large handful of bacon lardons or pancetta with thyme leaves until golden brown and serve on top of a posted bread, topped with a poached or fried egg

Marjoram

Complements: dairy, game, such as wild boar and venison, tomatoes, lamb pork, aubergine, courgette
Combines well with: basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, pepper, basil, bay, chilli, paprika, garlic, oregano,
To serve: Steam a bunch of green beans for 5 minutes, util tender, but still with a bite. Then heat a little oil in a pan and gently sauté with a dollop of dijon mustard, large glug of creme fraiche and chopped marjoram leaves, until warmed through.

Chervil

Complements: fish, chicken, spring vegetables, such as carrots, asparagus and fennel
Combines well with: dill, parsley, chives, mustard seeds, black onion seed, coriander
To serve: Peel and slice carrots on diagonal into 1/2cm chunks. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add 1 chopped shallot and cook until starting to turn golden. Add the carrots carrots and a knob of butter with tablespoon of water and leave on the heat for 5-7 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the nuts and turn up the heat for a few minutes. Stir the chervil through just before service.

Thai basil

Complements: chicken, beef, pork, fish and works really well in coconut based curries
Combines well with: ajwain, lemongrass, galangal, basil, ginger, chilli, parsley, coriander, garlic
We have simply served this with a coconut and vegetable broth or stirred through a Thai green curry! You can also make a Thai pesto with this basil, roasted peanuts, rice vinegar, fish sauce and sesame oil.