The Fresh Herbs of Summer
By Lynn Parrucci
Fresh herbs are a key to a good recipe. They can add
aroma to food, and this contributes more to a food’s appeal than taste,
since taste is limited to sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Herbs contain volatile oils which can be used to replace salt as flavor
enhancers. But in order for us to smell the aroma, the aromatic molecules
need to be in a vapor phase. These oils evaporate readily at normal temperatures
and pressures, which is why herbs smell so good when hung in our kitchens
or placed in salads. When herbs are warmed, as in sauces or even in our
mouths, more molecules are released as vapors, making the sensation stronger
and the food more appetizing.
For herb lovers, the mint family, or Lamiaceae (or Labiatae), is the
most eminent plant family of those with the strongly scented oils. Included
among the 5,600 species of Lamiaceae are basil, mint, marjoram, oregano,
rosemary, sage and thymeall part of our everyday selection of herbs. The
active oil in mint is a remarkable substance called menthol. In On Food
and Cooking Harold McGee says menthol raises the threshold temperature
at which cold receptors in our skin begin to discharge. So our mouths feel
cool, and a cool drink feels cold. This may account for mint’s popular
use as a complement to iced teas and other fun drinks.
In dry herbs, the cell structure is broken down, making it easier to
extract more oils, and making them more potent. When cooking with dry herbs,
recipes usually call for less. Still, most fresh basil enthusiasts will
argue that the aroma of dried basil can never compare to the sweet complexity
of fresh leaves which adds subtle hints of anise and mint. Because oils
evaporate, over a period of time dry herbs will lose their flavor. Storing
them whole rather than ground, and in air-tight containers, will extend
their shelf life.
At 1:30 & 3:30 pm on Sunday, July 13 and Sunday, August 17, Carnegie
Science Center’s Kitchen Theater presents a public demonstration of cooking
with herbs by Theodora Shipper, the owner of La Filipiniana restaurant
on Butler Street. Shipper grows her own herbs to prepare her gourmet Filipino
cuisine, and adds her herb selections just before serving to keep the aroma
potent. Small quantities should be used at the start, to avoid over-flavoring.
For a cool summer flavor she creates a house salad dressing that combines
cucumbers, ginger and a combination of herbs.
Growing your own herbs, as she does, does not require a large space.
Many types grow well in window boxes or large pots. Within the city, community
gardens are a good place to grow herbs. Botany Hall at Carnegie Museum
of Natural History has a display of a typical western Pennsylvania culinary
herb garden, featuring 42 herbs, and pointing out that some are used medicinally
or for fragrance. An herb garden is also featured at the Florence Lockhart
Nimick Nature Center at Powdermill Nature Reserve.
Harvested herbs can be stored in many ways. Microwaving is a very handy
way to store herbs. Shipper stores some by freezing. She washes and
minces the fresh leaves, packs them in the individual compartments of an
ice cube tray, adds a favorite broth or plain water, and freezes them.
You can take one out whenever you need it.
Lynn Parrucci is program coordinator for the Kitchen Theater. Botanist
Susan Thompson also contributed to this article.
La Filipiniana House Salad Dressing:
3 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup palm vinegar (Suka Peombongavailable in
Asian stores)
1 teaspoon each of the following fresh herbs: mint,
oregano and thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1 Tablespoon ginger
2 cups sliced seedless cucumbers
1 slice of red onion
2 sliced celery stalks
1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil (optional)
Put all the ingredients together in a blender. Blend
until almost liquified. Perfect for salad dressings and highly recommended
for diets low in salt, fat and cholesterol.
©La Filipiniana Restaurant, Pittsburgh, PA
Visit the Kitchen Theater at Carnegie Science Center to learn more about
the science of cooking, and get a taste of what we’re cooking and a recipe
to take home. For a schedule of daily cooking shows, check the schedule
board in the Science Center lobby on the day of your visit, or call 237-3400.
Be sure to ask if there is a guest chef appearing. The Kitchen Theater
at Carnegie Science Center is sponsored by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.
