Thyme

Sorry it took me so long to get this one posted, but here, finally is thyme! (I can think of so many puns right now, but I’ll spare you – aren’t you glad?)  

Growing

Thyme is a low-growing, woody perennial.   Although the upright varieties grow to around 12 – 15”, some varieties are creepers, and very low growing.  It needs lots of sun and very well drained soil.  It makes an excellent edging for borders, or in between stepping stones.  The smaller varieties handle foot traffic well, and can even be planted instead of grass in certain areas of your landscaping.  You can get a variety of “flavors” and colors, ranging from yellow to grey/green to bright green.  Thyme blossoms are tiny and happy and one of my favorites in the herb garden – they’re just so stinkin’ cute!

Harvesting

Cut small stems from around the plant – just take care not to cut all the leafy bits from one stem or area or your plants will start to look sparse and sad!  If you give your thyme a “haircut”, without cutting the whole stem, it will keep growing nice and full.  It will keep nicely for over a week in the fridge if you keep in sealed baggie.  Thyme, though, is one of the best herbs for drying because it doesn’t lose its flavor in the drying process.  You can harvest in small bunches and hang to dry, or you can try drying it on the stem in a food dehydrator, which I’ve had good success with.  You just need to make sure the temperature isn’t set too high.

Medicinal

Thyme has antiseptic and antifungal properties, and is used frequently in salves and teas.  It has been used to treat everything from depression to asthma to spastic colon!  However, since this is not a medicinal herb site, and I am not an herbalist, I’m going to leave all of the prescribing for someone else to do.  I will leave you with this recipe that I use.  I found this in a forum years ago, and can only give credit to the forum member who posted it – thanks, Soraya!  This is her post, so the “I” in this recipe refers to her…

Soraya’s Raspberry Sore Throat Elixir 

Proportions are not too critical in this…so you don’t have to be too precise.

Red Raspberries (fresh or frozen, no sugar)

Apple Cider Vinegar

Thyme (fresh or dried)

Honey

A glass (not plastic, not metal) container.

Put raspberries in container and then cover completely with enough apple cider vinegar. (I use a glass pitcher for this, normally pouring the cider in to go at least an inch or two over the top of the berries.)

Add a good amount of thyme. (I normally use fresh, and use about one whole small plant say, 1 cup leaves (and all but the very thick stems) loosely packed.)

Give it a good stir and place in fridge for two weeks, shaking or stirring once daily. (Now, if you want to get magikal here, while you are shaking it, you could repeat a short charm or verse of your liking, or even direct simple healing energy into it. You Reiki folks might use that?)

After it has seeped for the 2 weeks, take it out and strain into a saucepan. Heat to a simmer (DO NOT BOIL) while adding the honey to taste. (This really doesn’t taste to bad to begin with, and honey does have anti bacterial properties…so be liberal with it.)

Funnel into sterile jars and store in the fridge. (I’ve kept a jar up to 18months, but I like to make this yearly if possible.)

For use, gargle every 4 to 6 hours the first tickle of a sore throat (for 45 seconds to a minute at least.)

Cosmetic

Thyme oil is used in many things from cough drops and toothpaste to detergent and perfume.  It is also said to be good for treating dandruff and oily hair, and for treating wrinkles!  As with any essential oil, though, use caution – essential oils, especially thyme oil, are very potent and should only be used after diluting in a carrier oil, such as apricot kernel or olive oil.  Do your research or speak with an herbalist to determine the strength you need.

Culinary

“English thyme is indispensable when making stocks.  If you leave it out, it’s like making a cake without vanilla – it tastes okay but a bit flat, and you know something is missing.”    Jerry Traunfeld, The Herbfarm Cookbook

Thyme is one of those herbs that fits well with many, many things.  Great with meats and vegetables, it also goes really well with cheeses and eggs.  It’s even used in some wines!  One of the herbs in bouquet garni (with parsley and bay), it goes well with many other herbs such as rosemary, oregano, chives and sage.  Unlike some of those herbs, it’s hard to get too much thyme in a dish, so you can be a little more liberal with it than you could, say, rosemary.  One of my favorites is lemon thyme (see photo above), which I use quite often to flavor chicken and soups.  Get several varieties of thyme and have fun experimenting!

Jean

Beautiful, Bountiful Basil

Nothing says summer more than beautiful, bushy basil plants in varying shades of green and purple.  Lush and fragrant, it lives its life to the fullest, in the short time it lasts.  Not many things taste better than basil fresh from the garden, so it was another “no-brainer” for this must-haves list.  I apologize for the lack of photo here, but apparently I’ve never taken a picture of basil growing in my garden, and I didn’t want to steal one!  I will take a picture this summer and post it.  If you don’t know what basil looks like, I suggest you Google it and check out all the lovely varieties.

Growing

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is wonderfully easy to grow.  It’s an annual, originally from India.  It’s pretty simple to start from seed, so you can grow lots of varieties this year, or try different types every year, without a lot of expense.  It needs full sun and well drained, weed free soil.  If you start it from seed, you can thin seedlings after they get their first set of real leaves.  It’s also a great candidate for containers.

If you live where it’s good and hot in the summer, basil can get “leggy” and go to seed rapidly.  It sends up a long, slender set of blossoms.  If you just keep pinching these off whenever they appear, your basil will continue to grow lush and leafy, and not get bitter (as it tend to do once it begins to blossom).  In the hottest parts of the summer, it needs to be watered every day (at least where I live), or it wilts.  Did you know that the best times to water your garden are before 10 am or after dusk?  You should NOT water during the heat of the day, or you may end up cooking your plants (although if you are somewhat erratic about watering, like I am, and your choice is water NOW or watch the plant die in the next hour, choose NOW)!

Basil also makes a great companion plant for tomato, improving flavor and helping to repel flies.  For more on companion planting read Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte or go here.

Harvesting

Basil should be harvested sparingly until plants get  pretty well developed, but if you’re growing several plants, you can pinch several leaves off of each, and have plenty for dinner!  Once plants are larger and well established, you can cut entire stems.  In the late summer, early fall, you can cut plants back completely, since they won’t last the winter anyway. 

Many people dry basil, but I don’t bother.  It loses it’s true flavor in the drying process, and has but a shade of it’s summer glory.  If you really want to save some for use during the winter to remind you of those warmer garden days, I suggest freezing it.  An ice cube tray works great for this purpose.  Place a few leaves of basil in each space, and cover with cold water.  Freeze, then remove from the tray to another container.  These little cubes of basil are great for tossing into soups and stews, or can be thawed and put into many other dishes.  It’s not quite as pretty as fresh, but it’s still quite good!  (Many thanks to the folks of the Garden Thyme Herb Club for teaching me this trick and countless others.  You will always hold a special place in my heart!)

Medicinal

Basil is highly prized as a medicinal herb in many parts of the world.  It is very high in antioxidants and has a high levels of another compound that improves circulation and respiration.  According to an article by Juniper Russo,

One of the primary medicinal uses of basil comes from BCP, or (E)-beta-caryophyllene, a natural anti-inflammatory compound also found in oregano and medicinal cannabis. BCP found in basil may offer an alternative to medical marijuana, because it offers the same anti-inflammatory effects without the mental and neurological side-effects of illicit drugs. BCP in basil is believed to combat bowel inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis.

Read more at Suite101: Basil's Health Benefits and Medicinal Uses: The Amazing Healing Powers of a Common Culinary Herb http://herbal-properties.suite101.com/article.cfm/basils_health_benefits_and_medicinal_uses#ixzz0e2ZRIAx1

Basil tea is commonly used to help aid or ease digestion (it is a member of the mint family, after all).  It is also said to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.  The scent is also very rejuvenating (try a few drops of essential oil in the bath for a “wake-up” soak) and is supposed to be good for alleviating headaches.  Need a pick me up in the garden?  Plant basil along the edges, where you will be sure to brush up against them, which will release that awesome basil fragrance! 

Culinary

Basil is an extremely versatile herb in the kitchen.  Used for many dishes you immediately think of (spaghetti, pizza and pesto), it also goes just as easily with fresh veggies, meats, and fruits.  Here are a few recipes.

Classic Basil Pesto

(from the Herb Farm Cookbook, by Jerry Traunfeld)

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 Tbs. raw pine nuts

1/4 tsp. salt

3 ounces stemmed sweet basil leaves (about 3 cups gently packed)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

[In a food processor] Process the garlic, pine nuts, and salt until finely ground, about 15 seconds.  Add the basil leaves and process in spurts just until no whole leaves remain.  With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.  Stop and scrape down the sides, then process for several more seconds.  The mixture should be ground to a pastelike consistency but a little of the leaves’ texture should remain.  If necessary, quickly pulse the mixture again.  Add the cheese and pulse until just incorporated.

Makes 1 cup, enough to sauce 1 pound dried pasta.

 

Cinnamon Basil Jelly 

from Cookin’ Thyme, the cookbook of the Garden Thyme Herb Club.

1 1/2 c. cinnamon basil leaves

2 1/4 c. cold water

3 T. Lemon juice

3 1/2 c. sugar

1 pkg. (3 oz.) liquid pectin

Finely chop the basil and place in a saucepan with the water.  Bring to a full boil, cover, remove from heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.  Pour the mixture into a jelly bag or fine strainer and let it drip.  There should be about 1 3/4 cup of basil infusion.  Put the infusion into a large saucepan along with the lemon juice and sugar.  Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a full rolling boil.  Boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.  Stir in the pectin and ladle into sterilized half-pint jars.  Wipe the rims and seal with proper lids.  Makes 4 half-pints.

 

Hope you include basil in your garden this summer.  If you do, send pictures of it growing, or of the things you make with it!  I’d love to see them, and hear your ideas.  And be sure to come back next week for the next installment of herbs you must have in your garden – Thyme, Glorious Thyme!

Happy gardening!

j

Herby Wheat Bread

Made some really yummy bread yesterday. I used a basic honey wheat recipe and added some extras.

First you add 2 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast to 1 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let it sit while you work on the next part (for at least 10 minutes).



In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, 3 TBS. olive oil, 2 TBS. honey, and 2 tsp. salt. Heat to a simmer, and then cool to 110 degrees F.



Pour the milk mixture into the yeast mix, and then add 2 cups organic white flour, and 2 cups organic wheat flour, 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 TBS mixed dried herbs (I used rosemary, lemon thyme and oregano). Mix to form the dough.



Turn the dough out on the counter and knead for 5 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the dough bounces back after you press on it. Rinse the large bowl you had from before, dry it, and coat it with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl until it's coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for 2 hours, until it doubles in size. (This picture is when I first placed it in the bowl. By the time it was done rising, it was to the top of the bowl.)

Punch the dough down, and split into two pieces. Knead again for a few minutes and shape into 2 loaves, and place into loaf pans that have been buttered and floured, or shape into round loaves and place on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise again for another hour.



Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. Leave in the pans for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool. Enjoy!