Bonjour Paris! We’ll take a trip Paris, France and learn how to buy, store and most importantly, cook with fresh herbs. Learn from a gourmet chef how to turn everyday cooking into a gourmet treat by simply adding the freshest of herbs.
After earning her MA and Doctorate degrees in Education and Human Development from George Washington University, Samira Harfoush Hradsky worked for many years in the government sector. Ten years ago, she decided to create her cooking school, "Food Unites the World." Having lived in many places in the world, including the UK, Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the USA, she has melded the culinary education of her mother and grandmother. Samira has attended classes at the Cordon Bleu, as well as other culinary schools.
“I not only want to inspire people to want to cook but also to cook better. I have always believed that no matter how different our ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, views and values, we can all sit around a dinner table and unite in sharing a meal that includes different tastes and types of food from all over the globe.”
After learning about the interesting and varied uses of herbs, learn about How To Grow Herbs from our website.
Click on a topic below to view additional information.
Herbs in this Episode
Tarragon
Fresh tarragon is the main flavoring in sauces that form the foundation of classic French cuisine.
Tarragon is used to make an excellent vinegar. This site has instructions for making your own flavored vinegars.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Learn about the origins and history of tarragon and find recipes for using tarragon in hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and sauces.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Parsley, more than a garnish describes parsley as the most popular and widely used culinary herb in the world. There are two basic types: flat leaved and curly. Italian parsley is far superior in flavor.
The Versatile Dill discusses several uses of dill and gives recipes for dill mashed potatoes, a dill sandwich and Tsatsiki.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Sage
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Sage is used by many people as a dried herb, but using it fresh adds far superior flavor.
Cilantro/Coriander
If you want to prevent food poisoning, eat foods rich in cilantro. Researchers have shown that Dodecanol, the compound found in cilantro is very effective at killing salmonella bacteria.
Cilantro is sometimes referred to as the world’s most widely used herb. This site has uses and recipes for cream of cilantro soup, cilantro salsa, Green beans with fresh cilantro and a cilantro-ginger pesto.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
This site from about.com gives a few delicious recipes using fresh cilantro.
Basil
Basil is truly an incredible herb with the best flavor found in the leaves. Growing, selecting and using basil gives tips on growing as well as harvesting. Learn the use of 9 different varieties.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
This site gives a few great recipes for cooking with fresh basil.
Rosemary
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Thyme
There are over 100 varieties of Thyme. When cooking with thyme add it early in the process so there is time for its oils to be released.
Hints and tips gives some background and uses for this flavorful herb.
Selecting Fresh Herbs
Tips about selecting fresh herbs from Samira Hradsky:
Pay attention to appearance, fragrance, and texture.
When selecting herbs, choose those that do not have yellow or brown leaves.
They should be soft to the touch “like silk”.
The herb should stand erect.
Dill has a fragile leaf. Handle it carefully.
Sage has a velvety texture and is firm and tough. If the leaf starts to curl, fold or change color, it is too old.
Look for coriander that is green not yellow and has no brown spots.
Basil should have distinct lines on the leaves. If it comes with roots it will last longer. It is the most fragile of herbs and has a very short shelf life. It gets dark if you handle it.
Rosemary gets brownish, dark and dry when old. Buy the long stems.
Tips about preparing and cleaning herbs from Samira Hradsky:
With mint, take off the bad leaves by running your fingers down the stem. To prepare for using mint, pick off the rest of the leaves one by one. Place them in a bowl of water to wash them. Gently squeeze the leaves. Dry on a cloth towel if you wish. Chop it very fine.
With parsley, take off just the leaves and the soft stems. The thick central stem is tough. These stems can be used in soups. Chop leaves and soft stems and then wash in a bowl of water. Skim off the parsley bits that float on top. The sand and dirt will go to the bottom. Strain the water to get the last few leaves.
Dry herbs in a salad spinner or spin them yourself in a cloth towel.
With dill, wash it in a bowl of water just before using.
With sage, wash it in a bowl of water then shake dry. Use just a few leaves; it is a very strong herb.
Snip thyme stems and then rinse them in a bowl of water. Tie the stems into a small bundle and place them in your soup or sauce. As it cooks the leaves will fall off. When the sauce is done, remove the stems.
Basil is so fragile, it can only be washed just before using. Pluck off the leaves from the stems and stack them together. Roll the stack of leaves into a small bundle and chop the basil into fine strips or ribbons, chiffonade-style.
Just take the leaves off of rosemary and chop them very fine. Save the long stems because they make great skewers for seafood.
Storing Fresh Herbs
A cook’s guide to fresh herbs: Learn how to store, handle, and use fragrant herbs to enhance the flavor of any dish
You can easily dry or freeze a year-round supply of good quality herbs with information from The Green Line - The Herb Garden: Drying Herbs.
Learn how to harvest fresh herbs at : Harvesting and Drying Herbs. Find tips for storing, making herb vinegars and butter. Uses for Anise, Lemon Balm, Sweet basil, Carraway, Chervil, Chives, Coriander, Lovage, Sweet Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Summer Savoy, French Tarragon, Thyme are specifically mentioned.
The trick to keeping herbs fresh is to treat them as you would a delicate flower.
This site gives tips about storing and using these Fresh Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Fennel, Lemon grass, Oregano, Sage and Thyme.
Boost the flavor with herbs. Use herbs right out of the garden. Harvest approximately 10 percent of the leaves at any one time. Fresh herbs also can be stored in the freezer.
Tips about cleaning and storing from Samira Hradsky:
Don’t wash the herb until you are ready to use it.
Clean off the bad leaves so the stems can be placed in a glass of water, like a flower. Change the water every day. Basil and Thyme are stored this way.
To store in the fridge, clean off the bad leaves, then roll in a dry paper towel. Place in a Ziploc bag and take out all the air. Most herbs will then store for a week in the vegetable drawer. Basil cannot be stored this way.
Basil is fragile like a flower. If it comes with roots, place it in a glass of water as described above and it will last up to three days. Or make holes in a Ziploc bag. Put the basil in the bag dry (no washing until you use it!) with no paper towel. Store it at room temperature.
Since there are so many websites with recipes that use combinations of herbs to create ethnic and traditional dishes, we could not list them all. But here are a few sites to get started:
Savory herbs: culture and use gives information on herbs and cooking suggestions so that even the beginner can prepare appetizing dishes.
Learn about how to substitute fresh herbs for dried, when to pick or purchase herbs, and how to store them at Cooking with fresh herbs
At the site, Cooking with herbs, there is only one rule to remember and that is THERE ARE NO RULES! The rewards and joys of using herbs to liven up your recipes is in the experimenting.
Cooking with herbs lists recipes for beverages, breads, dressings, salad, soup, seasonings and entrees.
Find recipes for Dandelion Bacon sandwich, fresh herb-brined turkey and many more at Here’s What’s Cooking.
Find out about the strong, dominant herbs like bay leaf, rosemary and sage as well as the sweet flavors like fennel and mint. Get some tips on how to add these flavors to food at Using Herbs and Spices
