Category Archives: Herbs

Fennel Pollen—Really?

Posted on August 12, 2016 by

Examining a Florence fennel plant I’d let go to seed, my daughter came to the same conclusion I had—that the fad food fennel “pollen” was actually fennel flowers. You’re supposed to rub fennel pollen over chicken or pork before roasting … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Wild foods | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Long Red Radishes from Italy, Angelica for the Bugs, and Roses for Preserves

Posted on May 20, 2015 by

I should have photographed these before they started to bolt, but they’re still lovely, aren’t they? The variety is Ravanello Candela di Fuoco, and the seeds were a gift from Charlene Murdock and Richard White of Nana Cardoon. Before the … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Sweet preserves, Vegetables, Wild foods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Anise Hyssop in the Kitchen

Posted on February 17, 2015 by

My new darling of the herb garden, anise hyssop, is neither anise nor hyssop but a member of the mint family. You can tell this from the square stems and opposite leaves, but the scent might fool you. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Wild foods | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Tasting Lavender

Posted on June 26, 2014 by

At a potluck last week I was eager to taste the lavender lemonade, something I’d never made myself and drunk only once or twice before. But the drink was sweetened to a child’s taste; I guessed it had been made … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs | Tagged | 15 Comments

Another Use for Angelica

Posted on May 10, 2014 by

Blooming exactly in accordance with European folk tradition is this Angelica archangelica, whose flowers burst forth in my garden on May 8, the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel. When you see flowering angelica you may have missed your … Continue reading →

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An Appetizer for Spring: Fried Angelica Sheaths

Posted on May 1, 2014 by

While browsing in Patience Gray’s Honey from a Weed yesterday, I came upon a description of two angelica species, Angelica archangelica and A. sylvestris: “Both these angelicas grow wild near abandoned ruins and damp places. In February the Salentines [the … Continue reading →

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Bartering for New Tastes

Posted on January 29, 2014 by

Last Sunday I attended my first food swap, at an alpaca farm on Rodgers Mountain. In this first-time swap in a quiet corner of the Willamette Valley, only seven households participated, but we needed no more. I’d been afraid that … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Pickles, Sweet preserves, Vegetables | Tagged | 9 Comments

Dilly Umbels

Posted on August 13, 2013 by

People who don’t keep gardens often ask me what a dill head is. One of the copy editors for The Joy of Pickling didn’t know. I tried the word umbel on her. Its meaning seems obvious when you consider that … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Pickles | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A Good Use for a Glut of Coriander: Green Chutney from India

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

When we call an edible green plant an herb, we usually mean that we use it in small quantities, for extra flavor in a prepared dish or even just as a decorative garnish. But some herbs, such as parsley, mint, … Continue reading →

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Hop Shoots for Dinner

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

Yesterday, incredibly, the sun shone nearly all day, and the earth dried out enough for me to pull the grass from around our hop plant. I found some hop shoots as tall as a foot and many others barely out … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and blogs, Herbs, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment