To season healthy herbs

Herbs for seasoning

14/06/2013

Thyme, sage, mint. Properly applied herbs bring surprising flavors to many foods. Herbs can usually be grown quite well on the windowsill and can contribute to health-conscious nutrition.

Aromatic and healthy
Growing your own fresh herbs does not involve much work and can even succeed on the narrowest windowsill. In the kitchen, herbs are used for seasoning and ensure that salt and fat are more likely to be dispensed with, since they usually enhance the taste of the food. In addition, some herbs such as parsley or chives contain vitamins and thus contribute to a healthy diet. In addition, herbs bring freshness to the food. Their aromas of aniseed to lemony give many courts only the last whistle.

Anyone who wants to bring a little more variety into their kitchen, should like the top chef Cornelia Poletto for a „Herbal-flavored aroma kitchen“ decide. This also in terms of healthy nutrition, because herbs can often replace salt and fat. Many meals are unthinkable without the addition of herbs. For example, in the Italian classic Caprese, in which tomatoes and mozzarella are prepared with balsamic vinegar and basil with the „wonderful taste“ only the icing on the cake is put on. Or roast lamb, to which fresh rosemary or thyme is added shortly before the end, and whose taste is thereby determined very significantly. The cook is also very excited about herbal salad „Fromage blanc“, a kind of quark from France. „This is fresh and very digestible.“

Larger herbal offer as indication for more conscious cooking
Daniel Rühlemann from the eponymous herb nursery in Horstedt near Bremen, says: „With herbs you can observe a veritable boom in recent years.“ In Germany meanwhile not only parsley and chives, but also varieties of basil, thyme, mint and much more are in demand. Poletto sees in the meanwhile larger offer in the trade an indication for more conscious cooking: „People know by now, I do not need flavor enhancers. They know that they bring enough flavor with herbs.“ Thanks to their fragrance and aroma, herbs give the food an individual touch. Carola Reich from the Dr. Oetker publishing house in Bielefeld explains: „They not only replace salt and pepper, but you can also do without fat.“

Tasting is about studying
Every year more and more herbs appear here in Germany. Asian Moringa, Red Watercress, Wasabi-Rauke or Japanese Cress are just a few of the so-called newcomers. But the new variety also raises the question: what fits for what? Reich advises therefore: „Do not be frightened, try it out.“ Cookbook author Karin Wittmann from Schwangau near Füssen says that basically everything is possible: „But there are combinations that harmonize well and those that are less compatible. My tip: First use the herb solo to get to know its taste and then combine it with its favorites.“ For herbalist Christel Rosenfeld from Valetta, Malta, basil, dill, mint and sage are very special soloists. If you want to bring more freshness and lightness into the food, especially offers mint.

Cornelia Poletto recommends adding some minced mint to the asparagus risotto to give a surprising freshness to the rather heavy rice, broth, asparagus, Parmesan and butter. Wittmann explains that plants that come from the same region often make good team players. So these are sometimes already available as a mixture in the trade, such as the classic „herbs of Provence“ savory, marjoram, lavender, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Neatly mixed is also the Frankfurter „Grie sauce“, Also called Green Sauce, which is very popular with asparagus right now. Borage, garden cress, chervil, parsley, pimpinelle, sorrel and chives are used for this. Usually, herbs are more likely to be used as a fine seasoning. Basically, herbs should not cover the flavors of the main ingredient, but rather complement. Therefore, pay particular attention to the special properties of the preparation, because many react quite sensitive and can change the taste unintentionally.

Volatile essential oils
Poletto recommends regarding herbs: „They have many volatile essential oils. That's why you sprinkle it in the end, always fresh about it.“ Properly for cooking only strong types are suitable, such as savory, laurel, marjoram, sage, rosemary or thyme. „But you should take them out at the end, because they are unsightly and taste bitter.“ In general, it should be noted that the herbs are only briefly rinsed with water, dried and then cut just before use small. Reich emphasizes: „And really cut, do not hack. Otherwise they will be crushed, and the essential oils go into the cutting board instead of the food.“ (Sb)

Picture: chocolat01