We are still in the depths of winter in the southern hemisphere, but even though spring is still some way off, the milder Queensland weather means that my herb garden continues to flourish. I still can use fresh herbs in my daily cooking, and the only plant that has decided it’s too cold to keep growing is the rosemary bush.
At the moment I have thyme, orgeano, marjoram, basil (going to seed), garlic chives and sage all doing well and producing lovely leaves. My English parsley is so good I can’t resist munching on some while I’m in the garden. I also have a lovely Asian herb that tastes a bit like celery (in fact it’s called Asian celery) and some baby spinach. This year for the first time I have planted coriander, and I wonder now how I ever managed without it. Also known as cilantro, I always thought its aniseed taste would put me off, but in fact it is a glorious herb that I have used in so many dishes. My favourite recipe is to steam julienned carrots with sprigs of coriander laid over them – it’s absolutely delicious.
Another trick is to tie a bunch of coriander, thyme, parsley, oregano and chives and stuff it into a chicken with a whole lemon. I got that from my new favourite celebrity cook, Kylie Kwong. I love to watch this woman in the kitchen. Her hands are like graceful birds flying over the food, and her recipes are so accessible.
But back to the coriander – I cooked Moroccan lamb shanks and used fresh herbs from my garden (and spices from the shelf) and was most impressed with the result. It’s taken me a while, but this is one herb I will keep on growing.
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