{"id":1534,"date":"2013-02-23T14:00:54","date_gmt":"2013-02-23T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetestpage.co.uk\/?p=1534"},"modified":"2021-02-04T18:52:40","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T18:52:40","slug":"herbily-ever-after","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetestpage.co.uk\/index.php\/2013\/02\/23\/herbily-ever-after\/","title":{"rendered":"Herbily Ever After"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\n<\/header>\n

\n

Supermarkets chillers are full of them, neatly stacked in their sanitized plastic containers. \u00a0But how often do you actually utilize the whole packet? Oh, you get the odd recipe that calls for a sprinkling of coriander here, or a snippet of chives there, but don\u2019t you always find half-empty herb packets mouldering at the back of your fridge?<\/p>\n

\"green<\/a>
Photo by Misael Chavez<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stored in their cellophane containers, we can\u2019t really appreciate them properly, and we forget how marvellous herbs really are. Go to your local greengrocer and (if they let you) handle the herbs. Smell them. Taste them. Hand select your own herbs. You will usually get a better quality of herb, with the root intact, from a greengrocer, and you can buy the amount you want and need, not a pre-decided amount that will rot in the back of your fridge, like mine.<\/p>\n

Even better, buy your own herbs from the garden centre, and plant them in window boxes or old crates in your garden for an instant herb garden (although it is better to wait for more clement weather if you intend to use your garden rather than your window sill for your herbs). Please note that not all herbs thrive all year round, but we seem to have a good success rate in our garden in the South East with rosemary, mint, thyme and bay all year round.<\/p>\n

Herbs are plants used to add flavour to a meal, but more importantly they have a history of being used for medicinal purposes for centuries, if not millenia. Not only do they offer a better and more varied taste to your meals, they are full of health-giving properties. Recent research has found the antioxidant content of several common herbs (in particular, oregano, dill, thyme, rosemary and peppermint) to be significantly higher than other potent antioxidant-rich plants, such as blueberries. Antioxidants help protect the body against cellular damage, and can delay the signs of aging and help prevent the development of aging-related diseases. \u00a0See\u00a0WHFoods: Herbs-Packed with Powerful Antioxidants-Oregano Ranks Highest<\/a>\u00a0for more details.<\/p>\n

Which herbs do I use regularly? Thyme (any variety); bashed up with a garlic clove, sea salt and freshly milled black pepper, and loosened with a slug of oil to dress chicken thighs for baking for the children (and us). Flat-leaf parsley, used as a leaf in salads, or chopped to add flavour to a tomato and onion salad, or a quinoa tabbouleh. Basil, for tomato and mozzarella salads, or whizzed into a home-made pesto, or added to a salsa verde to use with roasted meats and fish. Coriander, chopped coarsely and added to curries, or Asian rice dishes (Nasi Goreng is a favourite). Rosemary from the garden, crushed with garlic and salt, with olive oil, to marinate lamb cutlets.<\/p>\n

I tend to use my left-over herbs in my daily green juice (see my earlier post\u00a0Kale and Hearty \u2013 Seasonal Eating)<\/a>. I regularly juice flat-leaf parsley, mint and basil, and indeed buy them specifically for this purpose. Parsley is a natural diuretic, very cleansing and potent, so it is prudent to use less rather than more when starting to juice. Parsley also helps reduce oedema (swelling), improve the blood transport system, and support the kidneys. \u00a0It is rich in antioxidants, as well as minerals and vitamins such as K, C and A. Leslie Kenton has a fantastic parsley juice recipe in Juice High: Experience the Power of Raw Energy<\/a>, which she suggests may be helpful for allergy sufferers.<\/p>\n

\"\"Parsley Passion<\/h1>\n