We are now coming into the winter months and of course what we can grow and also what we would like to eat, changes.  We are no longer able to grow basil, a major part of the Spring/Summer herb garden as it needs a warm environment and is very cold sensitive and any frost will knock it over. There is a perennial basil but the flavour is not as nice.  In some places it is called clove basil due to its strong clove flavour.  Basil mint is the best substitute but should be used carefully as the flavour is quite strong.  It is a mint and should be grown in a container as it can be invasive.  French tarragon is also hard to get but can be substituted with Mexican tarragon or dill.  Again the flavours of these herbs are quite strong and should be used carefully.

However it is not about what we can’t get but what we can.  There are many recipes that call for basil but a similar result can be obtained using fresh coriander or hot n spicy oregano.  Granted they will not taste the same but you will find that the flavours and aromas are still quite enjoyable.  Food is about flavour and by substituting herbs or blends of herbs you can generate a whole new range of tastes.

Remember, cooking is like art and like art you need to experiment.  The only way you will ever be a good cook is by using and experimenting with the flavours.  The worst you can do is not like the taste of what you have made.  You do not have to create exactly what is in the recipe book but make a blend of flavours that your ‘eaters’ will enjoy.  They won’t know what the recipe book says.

As you use more herbs you will start to group them based on their flavours and the strength of those flavours.  Some are strong and some delicate, some permeate through the other ingredients, some sit in the sauce and some sit on top of the food.  Most importantly some should be added at the start of the cooking and some at end or even as you serve the meal.  There are blends of herbs that work well together and learning these blends is part of the fun and art of cooking.

The real pleasure is when you grow your own herbs as it ensures the freshness and enables you to control what sort of chemicals are applied.  Being fresh there are more notes in the flavours and you can pick old or young leaves to again vary the taste.  Dried tastes different to fresh and ground is different to chopped.  Most herbs are easy to grow so long as you have the basics right.  A good herb garden does not need to be large but does need good soil and plenty of sunlight and it will change with the seasons.  There is a belief that we should only be eating what is in season as the benefits for the body are far greater.  We are in the colder months now so we need to grow cold tolerant varieties.

At Renaissance Herbs we grow over 250 different culinary herbs.  Some are best in the warmer months and some are better in the cooler ones.  The annuals like coriander, dill, parsley and rocket are much less likely to bolt to seed.  However they should still be harvested regularly.  The more you cut them the more they will produce.  Remove any flower stems as soon as they appear.

Following are the ten must haves for winter cooking.  These are the basics and you should still be mixing them with others for different flavours.  At this time of year there is also a fantastic range of leafy vegetables that grow well now, taste great and are very good for the health.  Plants like Kale, Japanese Spinach, Chard, Bok Choi are all easy to grow and use.  Just do not over cook them.  They are all best steamed for 3 to 5 minutes or tossed in some good quality olive oil, lemon juice and garlic until they soften.

1. Garlic:  Allium sativum, (Alliaceae). Garlic has been used throughout history for both its flavour and its medicinal properties. The garlic plant produces a bulb or globe which is made up of numerous ‘cloves’ – there are also several single clove varieties. The cloves have a characteristic strong, spicy flavor that softens when cooked. Excellent for prevention of colds and winter ills.  Best planted between May and August for harvest in December.  Plant in any full sun bed or large pot with good open soil.
2. Sage:  Salvia officinalis (Lamiaceae)  A perennial shrub from the drier parts of the world.  There are several selections of the common sage and many cultivars of other species.  All are excellent for cooking and herbal teas.  Sage is a strong flavour that can be used at any stage in the cooking process and is good if picked and used fresh or dried.  Mix with rosemary, thyme and oregano then use with chicken, lamb, beef or baked vegetables.  Again good for fighting winter colds.  Plant in full sun position with good drainage.  Do not over water.
3. Rosemary:  Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae)  Rosemary has a very strong flavour that goes well with many other herbs.  Use with strong meets like lamb, venison and beef or with roast potatoes and baked eggplant.  A tough, easy to grow perennial with a very strong flavour that likes well drained soil and full sun.  There are many cultivars that have been selected for their flower colour or growth habit, all with a similar flavour. 
4. Coriander: Coriandrum sativum  (Apiaceae). It is an annual herb with a flavour that is quite distinctive that you love or hate.  The seeds have a different flavour and are used in Mexican and Indian cooking.  The flavour of the leaves is lost in cooking so the chopped leaves should be added just prior to serving or as a garnish.  Plant in part to full sun.  Harvest regularly so as to keep it growing well.
5. Thyme: Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae).  A prostrate herb with a strong flavour that can be used early or late in the cooking.  Use with chicken, fish or blended with leafy green vegetables.  There are several species with flavours as varied as lemon and caraway.  It is a small to flat perennial that like lots of sun and not much water.  Again there are many selections with attractive flowers.
6. Watercress.  Nasturtium officinale (Brassicaceae) is an easy to grow plant with a peppery taste that can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches, or in soups at the last minute.  It is nutritious and easily grown all year round.  Does need a wet position.  Similar in flavour to land cress and Lebanese cress
7. Chilli: Capsicum sp. (Solanaceae).  Chillis come from the Americas but have long been a part of the cuisines of most countries.  There are several species and hundreds of cultivars, with quite  a variation in fruit size, color shape and heat.  The super hot chillies are best used in cooked dishes whilst the more milder varieties like Jalapeno and Long Cayenne are eaten raw or uncooked in sauces and salsas.  Chillies also don’t like the cold so in cooler climates they are best grown in large pots near the house.  So not really a winter herb but they are very good for the body and give a great boost to most food types.  Harvest your chillies in late autumn and dry in a cool, dry and dark place. 
8. Oregano: Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae).  A perennial shrub from southern Europe that has a strong flavour that mixes well with other strong herbs like rosemary, salvia and thyme. This blend is good for rich meats, soups, casseroles and Mexican food.  It will grow in most climates and is an attractive plant – there are many ornamental cultivars grown for their flowers.  Hot n Spicy is a peppery cultivar that adds an extra dimension of flavour.
9. Parsley: Petroselinum crispum (Apiaceae).  A popular herb with two main forms; curly and flat leaf or Italian.  It is popular in western cooking as a garnish for meat and fish dishes, salads and dips.  It has a soft flavour that is really best used raw.  Although it is an annual both forms will last more than a year if grown in the right conditions and harvested on a very regular basis.  They make a nice border to a perennial, herb or veggie garden in part to full sun.
10. Rocket. Eruca sativa  (Brassicaceae) This is a leafy herb or vegetable with a nice peppery flavour that has been used in Europe since Roman times.  It is a great addition to salads and sandwiches but can also be added to soups and stirfries.  Late in the cooking if you want the leaves to remain intact.  Can also be added to pasta dishes.  Mix rocket, garlic, oregano and olive oil then toss it all with some fresh cooked pasta in a wok and serve.  It is easy to grow just give it some sun, water and a complete fertiliser.  Like most leafy herbs and vegetables, the more you harvest the more it will produce.

Give these plants a go.  Cooking and gardening are both fun, interesting and very good for your health.  There are lots of wonder drugs and pills to cure diseases, smooth the skin and lose weight.  However your own garden is a fantastic source of your own wonder drugs.  A good diet of home grown and fresh harvested herbs and vegetables will go a long way to low weight, good skin and less illness.

Celeriac is that ugly looking root vegetable that we see in most green grocers or fruit and veggie departments.   Although it attracts the eye we don’t normally buy it as we really are not sure how to prepare it or what it will taste like. 

Celeriac is a very easy plant to grow.  It transplants easily from the pot. The new growth has a great celery flavour that adds to sandwiches, salads and soups.  This can be used as you would parsley or even coriander.  Put in soups and stir fries just prior to serving to give a fresh celery like flavour.  Where the plant really comes to the fore is in using the root.  It can be described as a celery flavoured potato.

It is generally available from mid autumn to late winter.  It has a rough exterior with a firm white interior.  It is relatively high in fibre and comparatively low in starch making it a healthy alternative to potatoes.  The flavour is similar to fresh celery.  It is easy to cook and can be baked, steamed, boiled and fried.  It is great as a soup, baked with potatoes cream and nutmeg or as a salad.  

Tangy Celeriac Salad. 

Ingredients; 600gm Celeriac, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), small piece of ginger (grated), tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander and fresh dill, 3 tablespoons of olive oil juice of one lime.

Directions; Peel and wash celeriac.  Cut into 1cm cubes.  Put celeriac, garlic and ginger in a pot of water, cover and cook for 10 -15 mins or until soft.   Remove from heat, drain water and allow to cool.  Whilst this is cooking mix remaining ingredients and put aside.  When celeriac has cooled toss with remaining ingredients garnish with parsley, coriander, celeriac leaf or similar and serve.

Celeriac, Potato & Rosemary Bake

A great dish for sharing with family and friends in winter.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 6 rashers bacon , chopped (optional)
• 420ml double cream
• 350ml milk
• 2 garlic cloves , sliced
• 1 tbsp. rosemary , finely chopped
• 1 red chilli , deseeded and sliced
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 celeriac (about 500g) peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 500g potatoes , peeled and very thinly sliced

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan. Grill the bacon, if using, until cooked and lightly brown, then set aside.

2. Bring cream, milk, garlic, rosemary, chilli and mustard to the boil in a medium saucepan, and then turn off.

3. Pour a little of the cream mixture onto the bottom of an ovenproof gratin dish. Arrange a layer of celeriac, scatter with bacon, then season. Pour over some more of the cream mixture and repeat the same process, alternating potato and celeriac, finishing with a layer of potato. Cover with the remainder of cream mixture, then bake for 1-1¼ hrs, until golden and vegetables are tender when a knife is stuck in. Leave to sit for 5 mins, and then serve.

One of the most common ways people experience different herbs is through herbal teas.  They drink them for the range of flavours and the fact that they do not have caffeine.  We all know that we have to drink a couple of litres of water a day and that regular tea and coffee do not count in this volume.  Herbal teas (or infusions) don’t normally dehydrate like caffeine does so they help to increase the volume of water you are drinking.

Herbal teas are part of 1000 of years of natural and holistic health practices.  The Chinese and the Indians have used them for health and religious reasons for as long as they have records.  Over this time the health benefits of thousands of plants have been tried and tested.  It is good to see many health practitioners are now blending modern medicine with natural medicine.  Those that blend the two seem to be generally of better health.  A question often asked is; is it that herbs heal or is it that using them regularly enables the body to better fight illness.  Personally I believe the latter.

Well chosen and blended herbal teas will do the following:

ü  Aid digestion

ü  Boost the immune system

ü  Stimulate the nervous system

ü  Relax the mind and body

ü  Help with concentration

ü  Reduce stress

ü  Help cleanse urinary system

ü  Bolster and strengthen the internal organs

ü  Help the body remove poisons

ü  Stimulate the taste buds so that you get greater enjoyment from all your food

Our recipes are for flavour and some for heath, most for both.  Please go to our recipe page on our website or visit www.thegardengurus.tv to view the teas being made.

Our gardens are a place of peace; they are also a place of inspiration and often a place of beauty.  However they can also be our own private fresh food supplier.

 Originally the home garden was a source of food, flowers and medicine for the family.  Plants were chosen for their uses and the more uses they had the more popular they were.  Indeed for many families the garden was their prime source of food. 

There are still plenty of gardeners who are passionate about their veggie patch or their fruit trees but unfortunately many people have lost any understanding of what they can grow and how to grow it.  We are living in a world of processed food mixed with extra salt, sugar, colour and artificial flavours. We have a generation or two of men and women whose choice for flavour is tomato, BBQ or soy sauce.  They may be adventurous and by some Mexican, Greek or Italian seasoning.  Again, main ingredients; salt, sugar, malt dextrose and the odd dried herb.  They have lost the ability cook and mix flavours.

Go to the supermarket and most of the aisles are full of processed foods.  Try just shopping in the dairy, deli and veggie section.. You will save a lot of money and have some pretty healthy food.  It would mean learning to cook and use natural flavours.  Next step is to buy organic fresh foods.  We do this because they are fresh and prepared without use of chemicals and artificial fertilisers.  Good for the mind and body but there is a better choice.

If you want real fresh, real flavour and real organic then grow your own.  We can grow most of the fruit, vegetables and herbs we require in our daily diet.  Granted we may not have Basil in August or fresh lettuce in February. but there are other options.   We are supposed to eat our food when it is in season.  Fruit, veggies and herbs eaten in season have the highest level of all those healthy things like vitamins, minerals and all those other good bits.

Food ripened on the plant also has the best flavour.  Nothing beats a fresh pineapple in northern Queensland or a fresh crisp apple straight off the tree in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley.  Fresh is best and the freshest you will ever have is when it is picked off your own plants in your own garden and put straight in the pot or mouth.  Life is too short to have bad food.   

 It seems everywhere you turn now there is another program on cooking or being a chef.  The western world has fallen in love with food – at last.  We have a belief that you are only born with so many meals in your life.  Every time you have a bad one you have wasted an opportunity for good food as you can’t have that meal again! 

Anyway food is more than just the meat or vegetables.  It is the herbs and spices and the blending of them and the inherent taste of the food.  As we have said before, cooking is like art.  The plate is the canvass and the tastes and aromas are the paints.  The only way you will ever be a good cook is by using and experimenting with the flavours.  Remember the worst you can do is not like the taste of what you have made.  Also the people you are preparing the food for do not know what you expected it to taste like.

As you use more herbs try and group them in your mind.  Some are strong and some delicate, some imbibe their flavour through the food and others ‘sit on top’ of the food.  Most importantly some should be added at the start of the cooking and some at end or even as you serve the meal.  There also blends of herbs that go well together.  Some examples are basil, garlic, oregano or coriander, chilli, lime and ginger, or rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage.

Growing your own herbs adds to the enjoyment, ensures freshness and enables you to control what sort of chemicals are applied.  It also allows you to have a greater understanding of the flavours.  In many cases the young leaves have a slight different flavour than the older ones and this will alter how and when you use them.  It is also really easy to grow your own so long as you have a few basic conditions right.

Most herbs perform best in full sun, in moist but not wet soil and need plenty of nitrogen.  If you are harvesting the seed or flower then they will also respond well to moderate levels of potassium.  Some, like rosemary, sage and thyme need good airflow to protect against fungal diseases especially if they aren’t in full sun. 

In the cooler climates some are seasonal and won’t survive a really cold winter.  These are herbs like basil, lemon grass and French tarragon.  Others struggle in the heat and prefer to be planted coming into or out of winter.  These include lettuce, Asian spinaches (bok choi, pak choi etc), mizuna and other leafy varieties. 

Winter is a good time to plant herbs like coriander, dill, parsley, chives, chervil etc.  If you are going to do this make sure you have a nice well prepared bed (raised one works best) filled with a mixture of good soil, potting mix and compost.  Make sure it is in a sunny position with plenty of air.  Mix in some calcium in the form of lime, if the pH is low or gypsum if the pH is neutral or high.  You want to end up with a pH of around 6 to 7.  When planting and in regular intervals apply a liberal dose of Seasol (or similar) and Powerfeed (or similar). Do this and you will have heaps of herbs to play with.

If you are doing this in winter then plant out coriander, parsley – Italian and curly, chervil, chives, spring onion and red bunching onion, dill and lovage.  Six of each will be enough for most families.   To get the best out of these varieties you need to harvest them regularly.  The more you cut and use them the more they will bush up and the happier they will be.  Most of them are annuals and if left alone or allowed to stress will go to flower and then seed.  If this happens don’t panic as it is easy to plant some more and the seeds are an excellent addition to soups, salads and teas.  If you put the seed in a pepper grinder the flavours are great sprinkled over a hot meal.

Garlic is great when home grown.  It seems to have a deeper flavour and less of the bitter after taste than the imported shop product.  It can generally be planted most of the year but is supposed to do best if plant on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest.

You will love cooking with your own herbs.  If the plants start to get large or you can’t use all you grow then you have several options.  You can make pesto (doesn’t have to be basil pesto), infuse cooking oil or blend up with a small amount of oil and make herb blocks in the freezer.  With any of these ideas it is fun to make different blends; e.g. coriander, dill, ginger and garlic. You are limited only by your imagination!