Leafy Herbs - Basil, Bay, Coriander Leaves, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme.

These plants are essential ingredients in many culinary traditions, for their flavour and digestive properties. Most of these leafy herbs aid digestion, stimulating the production of enzymes that help break down fatty foods and aid absorption.

Mint sauce for example, traditionally used with lamb, helps to make this fatty meat easier to digest. Rosemary is often used with similar dishes for the same reason, stimulating the liver to work more effectively. Soups and stews are made much more tasty by the use of bay, marjoram or thyme; their aroma gets the digestive juices flowing before you have started the meal.

Most of these herbs contain important trace elements, and is the diet is restricted or lacking in nourishment then these nutrients can be very important in maintaining health. The herbs then become foods in themselves, and may be used in larger amounts such as in a sauce.

Parsley, for instance is rich in iron and other mineals, while sorrel is a useful of Vitamin C. neither should be used all the time, but may add to the nutritional value of a meal. Like many other herbs, sage is a mild disease and respiratory tract infections. The oil is used in both the pharmaceutical and culinary industries.

The best way to benefit from herbs is to grow them yourself so that you always have a fresh supply. All the herbs mentioned above are easy to grow. You can even grow herbs inside on a sunny windt and expand your collection as you go.

Bay Leaves

Used in soups, stews, stocks, pickles, marinades, tomato dishes, and meats. Mediterranean, French, Moroccan, and Turkish cuisines use Bay Leaves in spice blends such as bouquet garni and curry blends.

Mint

Dark green leaves sometimes with a touch of red. Has a slightly stronger mint flavour than spearmint. The dried leaves and flowers of peppermint can be used in cosmetics and pot-pourris. Magical powers of love, sleep, healing and purification. Use mint in salad dressings, flavored tea, and zesty marinades.

Oregano

Oregano is the spice that gives pizza its characteristic flavor. It is also usually used in chili powder. Oregano has a pungent odor and flavor. Mexican Oregano is a bit stronger than Mediterranean Oregano.

Few Ideas:

Oregano tastes great with tomato, egg, or cheese based foods, and is also a great addition to many lamb, pork, and beef main dishes. Try sauteeing aromatic vegetables in olive oil with garlic and Oregano. You can make a savory sauce with melted butter, lemon juice and a bit of Oregano; drizzle it over grilled fish and poultry. An easy way to accent pasta sauces, salad dressings, and ground meat dishes is with a dusting of crushed Oregano leaves. To release its flavor, crush Oregano by hand or with a mortar and pestle before using it in your recipes.

Parsley

Parsley is most popular as a garnish and is an excellent breath freshener. It is high in vitamins A and C, and contains iron, iodine, and copper. Parsley adds color, and thus visual appeal, to many foods. It is used in egg dishes, soups, stews, stocks, and with other herbs to bring out their flavor. In Germany, parsley herb and root is taken for systemic irrigation for ailments of the lower urinary tract and as irrigation therapy for the prevention of renal gravel, in aqueous infusion dosage form or other equivalent galenical preparations. Parsley tea is used to settle the stomach after a meal.

Few Ideas:

Stretch homemade pesto and other green sauces by adding a generous amount of Parsley during mixing. Stir Parsley into melted garlic butter for a savory, yet simple, pasta or steamed vegetable topper. Add directly to liquids, cooked foods, melted butter, and salad dressings for a light spicy touch.

Thyme

It is a warming herb that is astringent, aromatic, anti-septic, and anti-fungal. It helps to improve digestion, relax spasms and controls coughing. Thyme is often included in seasoning blends for poultry and stuffing and also commonly used in fish sauces, chowders, and soups. It goes well with lamb and veal as well as in eggs, custards, and croquettes.

Sage

Sage has a fragrant aroma and an astringent but warm flavor. Sage is a wonderful flavor enhancer for seafood, vegetables, breadsticks, cornbreads, muffins, and other savory breads. Sage relaxes spasms, suppresses perspiration and lactation, improves liver function and digestion and has anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and estrogenic effects.

Marjoram

Marjoram has a delicate, sweet, pleasant flavor with a slightly bitter undertone. Marjoram may be used in sausages, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fish, tomato dishes, stuffings, breads, salad dressings, and chowders. Marjoram is used in Italian, French, North African, Middle Eastern, and American cuisines and spice blends such as bouquet garni, fines herbes, and sausage and pickle blends.

Few Ideas:

Crush in your hand or with a mortar and pestle before using. Marjoram's mellow taste and enticing fragrance make it compatible with a wide variety of foods.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a hardy bushy perennial shrub with aromatic, evergreen leaves and pale-blue flowers around the stem. Rosemary has a tealike aroma and a piney flavor. This essential oil helps to clear the mind, sharpen the memory and boost the central nervous system. In the body it helps to clear respiratory congestion, including sinuses and relieving catarrh and asthma. 

Few Ideas

Rosemary's assertive flavor blends well with garlic to season lamb roasts, meat stews, and marinades. Rosemary also enlivens lighter fish dishes, tomato sauces, and vegetable