How to Use Herbs and Spices

Beau Monde- Sprinkle on omelets and egg dishes.  Great in sauces, gravies and dips.

Chervil- Interesting on green rice, potatoes, sour cream or in cheese sauces.  Delicious with macaroni, spaghetti, and all buttered or creamed veggies.

Fennel- Use in place of Anise, or whenever you want a licorice flavor.  Add a tough to your favorite French dressing or baked goods.

Fine Herbs- Enhance omelets and many green veggies.  Sprinkle into a tossed green salad.  You can make your own combination of parsley, chives, and chervil.  You can also combine chives, basil and parsley.

Garlic- Pretty powerful stuff, so be careful.  For a light flavor, pierce a clove with a toothpick, drop it into the food and remove at serving time.  Garlic cloves are better if they are sauteed and not browned.

Ginger- Enhances fruit salad dressings and mayonnaise.  Ginger butter is good with carrots, cauliflower and broccoli.  Excellent in most Asian cooking.

Mace- The flavor is similar to nutmeg, but there is a difference since it comes from the outer fibers of the nutmeg.  One teaspoon of mace to a pint of whipped cream makes a tasty difference.  Mace improves the flavor of macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, spinach, cauliflower and carrots.

Marjoram and Thyme- These two herbs are frequently combined in seasoning green veggies.  Try them in bread stuffings, tomato dishes, eggplant, and cottage cheese.

Mint- Spearmint or peppermint enhance cheese spreads for appetizers and give a sparkle to chilled beverages.  Great with applesauce, and all chocolate puddings, pies and cakes.  Adds a delicate flavor when combined with melted butter and served with peas, carrots and potatoes.   If you have fresh mint, use it as a centerpiece.  The fragrance is most appealing and dominates other food odors.

Onions- For a mild onion flavor, saute onions in butter only until tender.  For a stronger flavor, saute until lightly browned.  For a robust flavor, saute until rich brown in color.  Try sliced mini onions in your homemade French dressing and with green peas or beans.  Scallions, because of a more delicate flavor, are often good substitutes for chives.

Oregano- Mexican and Italian food call for this herb.  It goes with omelets, salads, and most tomato combinations.

Paprika (Sweet)- Dust over eggs and cream sauces.  The flavor also blends well with salad dressing.

Rosemary- Gives a delicate flavor to fruit salads and compotes.  A fine addition to scrambled eggs, omelets, French fried potatoes, spinach and peas.

Saffron- Distinctive and interesting taste when added sparingly to rice, eggs, and cream cheese mixtures.

Sage- Flavorful addition to cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, and cream cheese.  Distinctive taste when added to stuffing, roasts, stewed tomatoes, string beans, onions, limas, and eggplant.

Sweet Basil- A sweet spicy herb that is perfect for tomato dishes.

Tarragon- Enhances tomato and vegetable juices, tossed green and aspic salads.  Nice addition to deviled eggs, omelets, and other egg dishes.   Adds a distinctive flavor to tartare, bearnaise, egg, and mushroom cream sauces.  Tasty with beets, peas, and potatoes.