Frugal Cooking With Herbs

Herbs are fun to grow and easy to use. Herbs canbe a frugal cook's best friend because they canenhance even the simplest fare making it seemgrand! Herbs are easy to grow--you can even growthem on your kitchen windowsill.The addition of herbs can change completely the flavor of foods-from homemade breads to soups, stews and vegetables. And they can add variety and excitement to your diet.A beginner should use herbs with care, adding a littleat a time and adjusting to your own taste. Each herbhas its own individual flavor and certain herbs alsohave well-known associations with particular foods.Basil is often paired with tomatoes, rosemary withlamb, chives with cream cheese and cottage cheese.Fresh herbs are wonderful as garnishes. Herb vinegarscan be used in salad dressings, soups and marinades.You can also add fresh herbs to mayonnaise or butterfor a different flavor.Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for severaldays. A good way to freeze herbs such as basil, oregano, and dill is to chop, place in ice cube trays, cover withwater and freeze. Then just add to stews and sauceswhen needed.Some easy herbs to grow are lemon balm, rosemary, oregano,dill, basil, parsley, peppermint, lavendar, sage. Of course, you can buy herbs to cook with at thesupermarket, also.Here are some simple recipes to get you startedusing herbs in your cooking.Lemon Chive Dressing1 clove garlicdash of saltRind of 1 lemon, finely gratedand the juice1 1/2 teaspoons mustard4 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons chopped chivesPut the garlic and salt in a bowl and crush together.Add lemon rind, juice and mustard, stirring untilsmooth. Slowly whisk in the oil. Fold in chivesand season with black pepper, if desired.This is a good dressing to pour over warm, cooked new potatoes. Add finely chopped green onions.Mint Iced TeaWash 8 sprigs of fresh mint, 12 inches long (any mint, spearmint, peppermint, applemint will do). Place inblender with 4 cups water and liquefy. Let it set forabout 1/2 hour and strain.Herb Butter1/2 cup butter4 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons of dried herbsSoften the butter to room temperature. Finely chop thefresh herbs. Blend herbs and butter well. Store infridge.Use to season vegetables, as a spread on bread, biscuitsor baked potatoes. Anywhere you normally use butter.Here's something different: not really cooking, but arecipe that you might find fun!Basil-Lemon Facial MaskPulverize a handful of fresh basil leaves. Peel 1/2 ofan avocado and mash. Add avocado to basil in blender, along with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey.Mix until smooth.Apply to clean face and leave as long as desired. Rinseoff with lukewarm water.In short, you don't have to be an herb specialist tolearn to enjoy using herbs.