T H E C O O K ’ S H E R B G A R D E N G R O W • H A RV E S T • C O O K JEFF COX • MARIE-PIERRE MOINE THE COOK’S H E R B GARDEN Jeff Cox & Marie-Pierre Moine London, New York, Melbourne, Munich, and Delhi Editors Helena Caldon, Constance Novis Photographers William Reavell, Peter Anderson, Sarah Ashun Project Editor Andrew Roff US Editors Rebecca Warren, Shannon Beatty Project Designer Will Hicks Designer Elly King Managing Editors Dawn Henderson, Angela Wilkes Managing Art Editor Christine Keilty Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling Senior Production Editor Jennifer Murray Senior Production Controller Seyhan Esen Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier First American Edition, 2010 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 176546—March 2010 Copyright © 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited All rights reserved Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-7566-5869-4 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or [email protected]. Color reproduction by Colourscan, Singapore Printed and bound in China by Hing Hung Printing Discover more at www.dk.com DK would like to thank Petersham Nurseries for their beautiful planted pots and baskets. www.petershamnurseries.com C O N T E N T S 4 Introductions CHOOSE 7 Planted Pots and Baskets 20 The Herb Catalog GROW 76 Climate 80 Planning 84 Soil 86 Growing from Seed 88 Growing Young Plants 90 Propagating 92 Feeding and Watering 94 Weed Control 96 Improving your Harvest 98 Pests 100 Diseases HARVEST AND STORE 104 Reaping the Harvest 108 Short-term Storage 110 Freezing 114 Drying COOK 122 Preparation 128 Flavorings 130 The Recipes 178 Herbal Teas 186 Partner Charts 190 Index 192 Acknowledgments 4 INTRODUCTIONS JEFF COX A NOTE FROM THE GARDENER I always think of culinary herbs as the champions of the kitchen garden. Their volatile oils—so attractive in teas and as flavors in our cooking—evolved as compounds plants use to defend themselves from insects and fungi. Both cooks and gardeners therefore benefit from an herb’s aromas, because you don’t need to use environmentally disruptive chemicals to protect them. As I work and live with herbs, I befriend them. The familiar perennials return year after year to greet me with each warming spring; while the new annual acquaintances, which need sowing every year, unfurl from their tiny seeds into replicas of herbs from last year. Every year and throughout the seasons, the herb garden returns this friendship with a feast for all the senses. In my garden, in the mild climate of Sonoma County, California, I grow all the Mediterranean herbs plus mints, borage, summer savory, horseradish, and more. Putting supper together begins with a perusal of the garden to see which herbs are at their best; the other ingredients come next. Almost all of the herbs listed in this book will flower, sprinkling your herb garden with pretty blossoms. Mix and match, contrast and compare—you can make dramatic and attractive arrangements in dedicated herb gardens, dot herbs through beds and borders, or simply keep a few pots outside the backdoor. This regenerating store ccccccuupppbbbboooooaaarrrrrddddddd ooooffffff flflflflflflflaaaavvvvoooorrrrrrsssss wwwwwiiillllllllllll eeeeeeennnnssssssure triumphant, tasty meals. INTRODUCTIONS 5 A NOTE FROM THE COOK MARIE-PIERRE MOINE As a cook, herbs are my best friends. Just a handful brightens up my emergency store cupboard concoctions: dried pasta and canned tomatoes cry out for warming, peppery basil; green beans and flaked tuna for robust parsley and gentle chives; and rice and frozen peas for scented thyme or sage. Half a clove of crushed garlic will not go amiss in any of these impromptu scenarios either. When I am preparing a more gourmet, formal meal, herbs are wonderful allies, too. And they have power in numbers, so I love putting together a palette of mixed herbs—a bed of rosemary sprigs and thyme underneath a shoulder of lamb, a generous scattering of dried fennel and mustard seeds over belly of pork, and tarragon and parsley in a buttery pan of fried tomatoes. At the end of cooking, I add a scattering of fresh herbs to give a flourish of visual appeal and palate- tingling top notes. As an urban dweller, I am unable to have a proper herb garden but every year I manage a couple of pots on the windowsill and have never found the need to buy herbs—in the growing months, at least. Running a hand through stems of rosemary or pinching off basil leaves lifts the spirits, but don’t despair if you cannot have fresh herbs permanently on tap; remember that many freeze well. When freezer space is at a premium, herbs should be a priority—a ginger root, a roll of herb butter, or a cilantro ice cube are all well worth their shelf space. C H O O S E With a huge variety of herbs available, you need to know what flavors you want, how you can use them, and where and how to grow the plants. Whether in a window box, a pot, or in the garden, there’s an herb here for everyone. PLANTED POTS AND BASKETS The culinary-themed window boxes show you how to produce a whole store cupboard of flavors in one pot. These are just a guide, and you can mix and match them to suit your needs and personal tastes. KEY: frost hardiness growing conditions * Half-hardy a Prefers sun ** Frost-hardy b Prefers partial shade *** Hardy C Prefers shade F Tolerant of wet soil dimensions ↕ Height ↔ Spread 8 CHOOSE —PLANTED POTS AND BASKETS E V E R Y D A Y E S S E N T I A L S There are some herbs that you return to time and time again to invigorate your cooking. You can make ordinary everyday meals extraordinary with just a handful of these herbs: perk up a roast chicken with sage, add depth to a tomato salad with basil leaves, enliven pasta sauce with oregano, or make a salsa with cilantro leaves. And, of course, no cook should be without a fresh supply of thyme and parsley. SAGE Salvia officinalis The evergreen leaves look good year-round in a container. Pick it regularly to encourage the fresh, young leaves that have the finest taste. CILANTRO Coriandrum sativum Many of the most aromatic cuisines, particularly Indian and Asian, value this herb. It prefers semi-shade, so putting it on a sheltered window ledge is ideal. GROW Most of these herbs grow best in a 50-50 mix of soil and sand to create a well-drained mix. All can withstand some drought except cilantro and basil, so water regularly and add an occasional feed of liquid fertilizer in summer. Purple basil Sage Oregano Flat-leaf Cilantro Thyme parsley HARVEST Pick sage leaves here and there to keep the plant’s shape, but cut stems from the other herbs as needed.