Home Herb Garden With A Touch of Italy
Italian cuisine enjoys an international popularity. No matter where you go in the world you can usually find good Italian fare. Italian chefs have been honing their craft for thousands of years with great success. Today that tradition continues as some of the most popular Food Channel Personalities are Italian food specialists. Two of the best known are celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Giada De Laurentiis. One of the chief contributions to the richness of Italian cuisine is its liberal use of herbs that can be grown in a home herb garden.
You can share in this rich culinary heritage by growing your own Italian herbs. Here are a few you may consider:
BASIL – One of the most popular Italian herbs and used in almost every Italian recipe. It is one of the hardest working herb plants in the garden. Not only does it provide exciting flavors to a variety of dishes it repels mosquitoes and flies and when planted near tomatoes and peppers will improve their flavors.
PARSLEY – A long time favorite that got its start as a breath freshener. Before the advent of Altoids and other breath mints it was discovered that consuming a little parsley at the end of a garlic laden meal made the after dinner conversation much more enjoyable. A tradition was started to serve a small portion of parsley with each meal. That tradition continues today with the widespread use of parsley as a garnish on many dishes. It is a little more difficult to grow but it is well worth the effort.
OREGANO – Another multi-faceted herb. It is a flavorful addition to many dishes and it has been credited by some to possess medicinal qualities. In addition it blooms with a beautiful purple flower that will brighten up any bouquet.
FENNEL – Its greatest claim to fame is its contribution to Italian sausage.
The next time you sit down to a repast which includes Genoa salami thank the fennel seeds for the exciting flavor. Being a perennial plant that doesn’t age gracefully it is a good idea to replant after several years to insure a steady supply of flavorful seed.
ROSEMARY – The herb that never met a pork roast it didn’t like. Another great multi-tasker that not only provides great flavor to a wide range of dishes but produces beautiful little blue flowers. An ironic asset of rosemary is its ability to attract insects, namely honey producing bees. It is classified as a perennial but it will not stand extremely cold weather.
GARLIC – Italian Chef’s favorite. Garlic is by far the number one herb utilized in Italian Cuisine. If you like garlic in your Italian food you have lots of company. Good news for the gardener. Garlic is easy to grow without a lot of industry and will flourish almost anywhere. Garlic cloves are easy to harvest and store.
SAGE – It’s slight peppery flavor graces many Italian dishes from salads to meats. To insure best flavor use only the new shoots and keep the plants trimmed. This will promote new growth of those flavorful new shoots. Sage is a perennial that should be harvested after it blooms.
An Italian herb garden can take you straight to the streets of an Italian village with its aromas, flavors and colorful flowers. With the history, traditions and popularity associated with Italian cuisine it would be an exciting adventure to cultivate a garden full of Italian herbs. Learn which herb plants are suitable for your area and get started today on your Italian herbs adventure.
