Why herbs are essential to my cooking

And the ones I grow in my garden

Image: Matt Russell

This summer has been my summer of herbs. Thanks to my friend, gardener and plant whisperer Elisa, my garden is now full of herbs.

I have wanted a herb garden for ages. It started a long time ago in the garden of a chef I used to work for. His house was essentially a stately home and his herb garden bigger than most peoples’ entire living space. It was a herb garden that had been curated by a lady called Jekka McVicar, who is a herb farmer and the gardeners amongst you will know her as she sells expertly curated herbs and seeds.

As a young chef I remember listening to a talk by Jekka. She talked at length about the healing properties of herbs. She discussed how in days gone by basil would be infused into warm milk and given to infants to calm them before bed. I still think about it.

The feeling of picking herbs from that particular garden that went into the food we were making felt like a bit of magic and got me interested. Though, at that time in my life, a garden was not something I had and plants were not something I could look after.

Fast forward 20 years and I now have a garden and two kids who I am responsible for keeping alive, so it seems more likely that I will keep a herb garden growing.

But Elisa has shown me that gardens (especially herb gardens) don’t need much attention or looking after. A little watering at most. My herbs are thriving.

My garden is home to:

• Rosemary

• Sage

• Thyme

• Fennel

• Chives

• Sorrel

• Lovage

• Mint

• Tarragon

• Hyssop

The one I love the most is the lovage. Hard to buy but unmistakably savoury, a mix between parsley and celery leaves but way better than both. Savoury, floral, green. It’s a thrill to have it on hand.

One day (if you are interested) I will write more about my little garden. But if you’d like to hear me talk about it, I had the great fortune to be asked on Alice Vincent’s ‘Why women grow’ podcast which comes out next week - subscribe below to see when it comes out.

To be perfectly honest, I felt like a bit a fraud as I’m not a great grower or gardener and I lean on Elisa a lot to help me plant things and pick things which will grow in my north-facing garden, but I think it’s nice to know that growing (like cooking) does not need you to be perfect or to know it all. Trying gets you most of the way.

So in celebration of herbs today I wanted to point you towards two things I love to make when herbs are in their summery abundance. A herb salad and herb tea.

Herb salad is a thing to make in summer when salad feels like the right thing to eat and when herbs are blooming in your garden or if you have bunches of herbs to use up. Using herbs like salad leaves will make the most interesting salad you’ve ever made.

I make infusions and teas a lot with herbs. Their green and verdant nature is amped up when they come into contact with hot water – the oils are released and gently flavour the water. It’s a great way of making sure that you drink enough water too, as while I often forget to sip my water I’ll always drink my tea before it’s cold. It’s also a good way of making sure those bunches of herbs are used to their full potential and don’t wither unused in the fridge.

Here are some words I wrote a while back on my feelings of the personality of different herbs

“Parsley, the one everyone likes, who holds the crew together. Mint is sparky, always first on the dancefloor. Coriander splits opinion, isn’t to everyone’s taste. Basil is a lovable extrovert and livens things up. Tarragon is opinionated, and usually best in small doses. Dill is another live wire, also best in short bursts unless you really want to party. But, together, the group is a perfect blend.”

Favourite iced water infusions

• a couple of sprigs of sage and a handful of blackberries.

• a sprig of rosemary and a sliced apple.

• a few sprigs of mint, half a sliced cucumber and a sliced lime.

• a few sprigs of thyme and a sliced peach.

• a few sprigs of basil and a sliced lime.

• a couple of sprigs of marjoram and a sliced lemon or bergamot.

Image: Siobhan Watts for Why Women Grow

Herb salad with crisped garlic

(Title Image)

Use whatever soft herbs you have and love here, but be mindful that some – such as dill and tarragon – are much more punchy, so I like to balance them out with milder herbs to make up the bulk of the leaves.

For the salad:
1 large bunch coriander, leaves picked
1 bunch parsley, leaves picked
1 bunch dill, leaves picked
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
1 bunch basil, leaves picked

For the dressing:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 pinch dried red chilli
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
100g skin-on almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Wash the herbs well, then dry them in a salad spinner or by spreading them on clean tea towels. Keep in the fridge until you need them.

For the dressing, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown around the edges. Transfer the crisp garlic to a plate and pour the oil into a heatproof bowl or jug to cool.

Once cool, mix the chilli, lime zest and juice and some salt and pepper into the oil.

When you are ready to eat, dress the herbs, tossing to coat everything, and top with the crisp garlic and almonds.

Image: Anna Jones

Favourite herbal teas to drink

• Wild fennel: great for digestion; pairs well with lemon zest.

• Lemon balm and lemon verbena: good for digestion too; pairs well with fennel seeds.

• Basil: green or purple; good for digestion; can be infused into milk for bedtime.

• Lavender: calming and centring; strong so go lightly; good infused into milk.

• Lemon thyme: the best of the thymes to infuse; pairs well with black pepper and honey.

• Chamomile: good for sleep and to settle a stomach as well as for cramps; pairs well with vanilla and honey.

• Mint: easy to grow, good for after meals; pairs well with orange blossom flowers or water and honey.

• Elderflower: brew on its own or with another herb, needs some honey to sweeten.

• Sage: only needs a short brew; good with honey and orange.

• Nettle: grows everywhere; I like it paired with lemon.

• Rosemary: good for digestion; also add to a bath to help with muscle or back pain; very good with honey and squashed blackberries.

• Rosehip: vibrant red tea high in vitamin C; you can dry these yourself in a low oven or buy them dried.

• Dandelion flowers: use the yellow flowers – one per person; can be bitter, which I love, but sweeten with honey if you need to.

Image: Siobhan Watts for Why Women Grow

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• Come and make your own herbal vinegar in Hackney

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• Could instant coffee be cool?!

• A new food show coming soon

• Come and meet me at Abergavenny food fest in September

• Enjoyed this podcast

• Do you work in food education? This brunch is going to be brilliant