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A 



_ Lot More Ihan 

 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.' 



TANYA M. JACKSON 

 Interest in herbs is increasing. More 



greenhouses and garden centers are growing and 

 selling them; more people are using them in 

 their gardens; their use in cooking is growing. 

 Many people are looking for unusual herbs with 

 different uses. 



One of the best is Garlic Chives (Allium 

 luberosum). It is easy to grow, requiring little 

 other than good soil, sun and moisture. Plants 



can be started from seed, but it will take a year or two before the clump 

 is large enough to be really useful in the kitchen and make a statement in 

 the garden. It's best to get good-sized divisions and let them produce 

 seeds. Garlic chives flower in August, making umbels of star-shaped white 

 flowers on two-foot stems. Bees love the fragrant flowers and good cooks 

 like the flat-leaved greens from early spring to summer for salad and es- 

 pecially for this recipe that I adapted from Organic Gardening a number of 



years ago. 



Another herb that I suggest for more culinary use is Lovage {Levisiicum 

 officinale). It is a dramatic garden plant, growing to a height of 6 feet, and 

 slowly expanding into a notable clump. It likes fertile soil, sun or semi- 

 shade, and adequate moisture. Early in the spring, its tender stalks and 

 leaves have a strong and healthy celery flavor, wonderful in egg, chicken, 

 or ham salad, and any other dish needing celery. The leaves are superb 

 for flavoring soups and a fine Cream of Lovage soup can be made using a 

 recipe for Cream of Celery soup and substituting lovage. One of my favor- 

 ite uses is to take the hollow green stalk and use it for a straw in tomato 

 juice or a Bloody Mary. A sprinkle of the minced tender leaves will also 

 enhance both of these drinks. When lovage gets very tall and begins to go 

 to seed, it yellows and gets tough. However, with a drastic haircut to the 

 ground, some fertilizer, and a deep watering, it will grow up tender and 

 flavorful again. 



Anise Hyssop [Agaslache foeniculum) is a little-known, under-appreciated 

 garden herb that can create quite an effect in the kitchen as well as the 

 garden. It is a member of the mint family, closely resembles catnip in 

 height and appearance, and can become weedy if allowed to go to seed, 

 although it does not creep and crawl all over as most mints do. I find that 

 the smaller seedlings appearing in the garden are the most tender for cu- 

 linary use, and they transplant easily to places where they can quickly fill 

 in empty spots. The fragrance and taste is strong licorice/anise and the 

 flowers are spikes of blue that are attractive in fresh arrangements and will 

 dry well if picked before they set seed and fade. Cutting back also creates 

 flavorful new growth. The flavor is an asset to fruit cups and salad or per- 

 haps this unusual cheese spread 



Another attractive licorice flavor plant is Sweet Cicely [Myrrfiis odoraia). 

 This lovely fernlike plant is especially for those gardeners who deal with 

 shade. It will burn out quickly in a sunny loca tion, but thrives and 

 grows to 3 feet in semi-shade and good moisture. The clusters of white 

 flowers form shiny green seedpods that taste like licorice candy and the 

 leaves were traditionally used in rhubarb and apple pies to add sweet- 

 ness and unusual flavor. My favorite use is to mince the very young 



GARLIC CHIVES PESTO 



2 cups tender garlic chives greens, 



washed and patted dry 

 1/2 cup good olive oil, more or less 

 salt to taste (optional) 

 freshly ground black pepper 

 several dashes Tabasco sauce 

 1/2 cup walnuts 



(toast them for extra flavor) 

 1/2 to 1 cup fresh grated parmesan 



cheese 



Coarse chop the garlic chives, then put 

 ttiem in the food processor and add the 

 other ingredients, processing until fairly 

 smooth. (We prefer pesto with some tex 

 ture — this is tasty spread on crackers and 

 cream cheese To freeze this pesto for 

 winter use, leave the cheese out and 

 add after thawing It keeps its lovely 

 green color and brings a taste of summer 

 to long New England winters. 



ANISE HYSSOP FRUITED 

 CHEESE SPREAD 



1 cup cottage cheese 



I cup cream cheese 



1 tbsp fresh chopped anise hyssop leaves 



and flowers 

 1/2 cup dried apricots and/or raisins, 



chopped 



Combine all ingredients This is most eas- 

 ily done in the food processor, adding the 

 chopped fruits last and processing just to 

 mix them in. Chill to blend flavors and 

 serve on crackers or small party bread 

 slices 



The Ptanlsman 

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