My Three Favorite Herbs – Part 1
By Barbara Porsch
Permian Basin Master Gardener
That is a difficult decision to make. What are my three favorite herbs? I have so many that they all could be favorites at different times, depending on the mood and the food!
But we'll start with basil. I love basil. There are wide varieties to grow, so there is a lot of opportunity. There are over 200 different varieties. The most common is Sweet Basil. Basil is an annual. This means it is a one-season plant. It is planted in the spring, and when the first frost comes, it is gone! In fact, basil is the first plant in the garden to succumb to cold weather.
Sweet basil grows to about 2 or more feet, has shiny green leaves that form opposite each other on squarish stems, and has small white flowers. In the spring, I always buy a couple of plants to get a head start, but I rely on last year's plants to reseed and fill the garden. And they don’t disappoint me.
Basil has been cultivated in Europe for over 2000 years. At different times, it has been thought to be poisonous, good for the heart, and used for bites from venomous beasts. In Italy, it symbolizes love. It is sacred in India, where it is grown in temples and homes. In Egypt, it is planted in cemeteries, and in Africa it is eaten to mask the hot sting of scorpions.
Early Greek and Roman physicians believed the only way to grow a good crop of basil was to scatter the seeds while cursing and stomping theirfeet. Fortunately for us in West Texas, basil thrives in warm climates and is easy to start from seed. It needs full sun and well-aerated soil.
Other varieties of basil are available at local garden centers. Ruffled Basil and Purple Basil are beautiful accents in the garden with purple-coloreSpicy Globe Basil forms a very small mound, which works well as a border plant the garden. The African Blue Basil is positively striking in the landscape. If you never harvest from it, it is well worth purchasing for the impact it makes in the garden. The leaves have purple veins, and it produces beautiful blossoms. The leaves make a gorgeous garnet colored vinegar or jelly. This plant is a sterile hybrid and will not reseed, so you don't need to pinch off the blossoms as you do with other basil. Leave them on for the bees and butterflies to enjoy. You need to buy it new every year, but it has been easy to find in the past few years.
If you plant some basil, you will find many uses for it in the kitchen. You can add it to salads, top vegetables, or make oils, vinegars, and most of all, pesto. Basil and tomatoes are a perfect match. Try growing basil in your garden this summer.
Next, we will look at Cilantro. I love cilantro. Did I just say the same thing about Basil? For many, cilantro (also called Chinese parsley or fresh coriander) is an acquired taste. You either adore it or abhor it! It is to the Mexicans what parsley is to those north of the border, but they don’t leave it on the plate. They eat it… in soups, rice, guacamole, tacos, and especially to spike the chile salsas found on every table. I like to use it in marinades for fish or chicken and in a cilantro-mint pesto that you can put on everything except ice cream. Sow seeds from September to February for spring crops. It really likes the cool weather. They will then reseed. Like parsley, they have a taproot, so they are difficult to transplant. However, they are easy to grow in slightly rich, well-drained soil with plenty of sunshine. Its strong aroma is said to discourage insect damage to other plants in the garden, but I can’t promise that. I have to make a concentrated effort to plant often enough to keep it growing in the garden all summer when the companion foods (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) are also ready, but fortunately it's now readily available in stores. Dried is not an acceptable substitute. It just doesn’t have the flavor. The leaves resemble flat-leaf Italian parsley, and the plant is best at about 6 inches in height. Then it gets taller and has beautiful white lacy blossoms. The unripe seed (coriander seed), with a strong citrus taste, adds a burst of freshness to salads and grilled fish. The dried seed is an essential ingredient in curry and pickling spice and is good in pastries, cobblers, and breads. Cilantro is also an essential ingredient in Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian cuisines.
The fresh green leaves are called cilantro or Chinese parsley. The seeds are called coriander. Go figure! So, if you find a recipe that calls for fresh coriander, you know it is actually wanting cilantro.
Be sure to read next week’s article on garlic! In the meantime, go to the local garden center and check out the many herbs that are available. Be adventurous and get several different herbs. Then actually use them in your cooking. Enjoy!
If you have questions, call the AgriLife office in Odessa at 498-4071 or in Midland at 686-4700. Additional information and our blog, including past articles, are available at westtexasgardening.org. Click on resources.
