21 February 2022
What is an Herb?
Herbs could be defined as botanicals that have a history of use as a food, food flavouring, medicine or cosmetic. Ireland has a rich history of using herbal remedies both ingested and topical, often with unique regional applications and beliefs (Coady & Boylan, 2014). Modern medicine has replaced the use of many herbs, however, approximately half the worlds’ pharmaceutical products are plant derived, (Allen and Hatfield, 2004) albeit not in a form our ancestors would recognise. With over 400 million people, mainly in developing countries, still regularly using traditional concoctions and remedies for human ailments these practices are thankfully being documented by the World Health Organisation in their updated 2019 world survey Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicines (WHO, 2019).
Medicine aside, the culinary use of herbs was often associated with the masking of offensive odours from food ‘gone off’. Thank goodness for refrigeration! Today we celebrate the individual characteristics of herbs from seed to root and their uses are wide, varied and indispensable in the kitchen. What would a roast chicken stuffing be without the fragrant parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme blend?
This weeks’ Edible Garden lecture delved into the growing of our herbaceous friends. Far removed from the ubiquitous little pot of limp basil on the windowsill, Paula lead us through the growing requirements of some of our most widely used. Many of our favoured herbs originate from hot climates where their access to water and nutrient dense soil is limited, which may lead us to think they are low maintenance and will grow anywhere with little care. Low maintenance once established perhaps, but pernickety parsley (our most widely used herb) is a bit of a prima donna with a needy nature, particularly in early life . Old English folklore suggests parsley will only grow well in a household where the woman is the boss! (pass the trousers please), and superstition abounds with some cultures thinking that virgins could not plant parsley for fear of being impregnated by the devil, and again, because of Lucifer, parsley should only be planted on good Friday (Fine dining lovers, 2013), jeepers! it’s a wonder the little plant survived at all.
Superstition aside, parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a biennial treated as an annual, so seed should be grown every year. Sowing direct into the ground they need to be thinned out, given a moist but not too wet bed, not too cold, not so warm that the soil will dry out. Treating it with care at the start will yield you a plentiful supply. Harvest as you need and sow seed every few weeks for successional harvest. A stubborn starter, often taking up to 6 weeks to germinate, parsley as a member of the carrot family is prone to many of the same pests and diseases. Protection from slugs and snails is needed at the sowing stage and inter-planting with members of the allium family can help to prevent the pesky carrot fly when thinning out. Once you meet the initial needs of this herb it will happily grow in full sun, partial shade, in a pot, a boot or a tin can (whatever you fancy) indoors and outside.
Why concentrate on parsley for this reflection when there are so many prettier more fragrant herbs? Parsley is a power house of nutrients. What it lacks in flavour it makes up for in its bountiful micro nutrient content. High in Folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, Fibre, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium. Historically and culturally parsley has been associated with promoting good heart health, fighting skin cancer, preventing halitosis, boosting the immune system, detoxifying the body, acting as a natural antibiotic and even whitening the skin. Quite an impressive list of potential for a tiny plant.
It intrigues me that on its own parsley offers little to the palate, but, introduce it to some fresh citrus and garlic it transforms many dishes. It offers a freshness and minerality that can change the flavour profile of a dish just enough to give it interest. Blended with other herbs to form salsas’ and green sauces it acts as a sort of peacekeeper, not allowing other more powerful herbs to take over.
Let’s bring back the ancient roman tradition of wearing a wreath of parsley on our heads at parties, it stops intoxication. Drink up, be merry and never mind the devil.
Recipe.
I love using herbs in cooking and for flavouring drinks. One of my favourite herbal recipes.
Chimichurri
· 120 ml olive oil
· 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
· 30 g finely chopped parsley
· 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
· 2 small red chilies, finely diced
· 20g mixed fresh herbs- mint/oregano/basil/tarragon
· 1 level teaspoon coarse se salt
· Pinch of sugar
· Black pepper, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
· Grated zest 1 lemon.
Mix all the ingredients together, by hand. Do not blend this you want to keep the integrity of each ingredient. Use as a marinade or salsas. Add a tablespoon to mayonnaise as a dip, mix with cream cheese and stuff into mushrooms.
References
World Health Organisation, (2019) WHO Global report on traditional and complementary medicine [online] available: https://www.who.int/traditional-complementary-integrative-medicine/WhoGlobalReportOnTraditionalAndComplementaryMedicine2019.pdf, [accessed] February 2022.
Editorial staff, (2013). Parsley A-Z : 26 things to know Fine Dining Lovers [online] available: https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/parsley-z-26-things-know [accessed] February 2022.
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